Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL 9mm
Its 135° angle of view from the world’s widest rectilinear full-frame design captures distortion-controlled scenes with two aspherical and two ED elements. The 350g body and 4.72-inch close focus distance enable dramatic wide-angle macro shots and easy use with 100mm filter holders. This manual-focus prime best suits landscape and interior photographers needing extreme width and 10-point sunstars from the 5-blade aperture.
Focal length 9mm
Aperture f/5.6
Mount Sony E
Weight 350 g
af type manual focus only
lens type wide-angle
38 Overall Score
Price $599
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
- Below average af (13th percentile)
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
- Below average social proof (34th percentile)
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Owner sentiment has cooled since launch
Based on 5 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | Wide-angle |
| Focal Length Min | 9 |
| Focal Length Max | 9 |
| Elements | 10 |
| Groups | 7 |
| Aspherical Elements | 2 |
| ED Elements | 2 |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/5.6 |
| Min Aperture | f/5.6 |
| Constant | Yes |
| Diaphragm Blades | 5 |
Build
| Mount | Sony E |
| Format | full-frame |
| Weather Sealed | No |
| Weight | 0.3 kg / 0.8 lbs |
AF & Stabilization
| AF Type | manual focus only |
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 120 |
| Max Magnification | 0.21x |
vs Competition
| Spec | Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL 9mm | Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 VXD | Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 | Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 | Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 9mm | 28-300mm | 18-50mm | 17-28mm | 12-35mm | 18-135mm |
| Max Aperture | f/5.6 | f/4 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/3.5 |
| Mount | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Nikon Z | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Stabilization | false | true | false | false | true | true |
| Weather Sealed | false | true | true | true | true | false |
| Weight (g) | 350 | 590 | 290 | 450 | 306 | 326 |
| AF Type | manual focus only | VXD linear motor | stepping motor | Stepping Motor | Autofocus | Linear motor |
| Lens Type | wide-angle | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AF | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL 9mm | 13.3 | 49.7 | 58.9 | 55.1 | 64.2 | 53.2 | 33.6 | 34 | 36.8 |
| Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 VXD Compare | 98 | 78.2 | 65.1 | 85.8 | 96.7 | 66.3 | 97.7 | 55 | 82.4 |
| Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Compare | 86.9 | 82.1 | 86.1 | 91.7 | 82.2 | 84.2 | 78.6 | 89.6 | 36.8 |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 Compare | 86.9 | 87.3 | 75.2 | 85.8 | 88.2 | 84.2 | 68 | 69.1 | 36.8 |
| Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 Compare | 53.9 | 82.1 | 85.4 | 51 | 86.5 | 84.2 | 80.6 | 85.1 | 96.9 |
| Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Compare | 98 | 75.7 | 72.5 | 40.3 | 78.5 | 77.6 | 95.8 | 89.6 | 82.4 |
Price
Value & Pricing
From $599
Adorama 3 offers From $599
Newegg 1 offer From $603
Price History
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
