Laowa 8-15mm T2.9 FF Zoom Fisheye Cine Lens – PL

he Laowa 8-15mm T2.9 FF Zoom Fisheye Cine Lens is a groundbreaking cinematic tool from LAOWA, designed for filmmakers seeking bold, immersive visuals. Engineered for full-frame cinema cameras, this lens combines a versatile 8-15mm zoom range, a fast T2.9 aperture, and professional cine features to deliver dramatic fisheye effects. Perfect for music videos, action sequences, VR content, and narrative films, it empowers cinematographers to capture expansive scenes with unparalleled creative flair.

The Power of Fisheye in Filmmaking

The fisheye lens is often mistaken as a novelty, valued for its quirky, distorted aesthetic. How ever, in the hands of skilled filmmakers, the fisheye is a powerful, versatile tool that has shaped iconic moments in cinema and continues to drive innovation in modern filmmaking.  Fisheye lenses have long been a cornerstone of the film industry, delivering visuals that captivate and immerse audiences. Their ultra-wide 180° field of view and distinctive curvature create a sense of depth and intimacy, drawing viewers into the scene. From Stanley Kubrick’s surreal perspectives in A Clockwork Orange to the dynamic energy of modern music videos by artists like Billie Eilish, fisheye lenses amplify emotion and narrative impact.

DUAL FISHEYE EFFECT

The Laowa 8-15mm T2.9 FF Zoom Fisheye Cine Lens delivers a dual fisheye effect, offering filmmakers versatile cinematic visuals on full-frame cameras. At 8mm, it produces a circular fisheye effect with a 180° angle of view. This immersive look is ideal for VR content, 360° panoramas, and surreal narrative sequences, enhancing storytelling with a dreamlike aesthetic. At 15mm, the lens transitions to a full-frame rectangular fisheye effect, filling the sensor with a wide, curved perspective that retains bold distortion. Perfect for dynamic establishing shots, music videos, or action scenes.

FAST T2.9 APERTURE

Features a constant T2.9 aperture across its 8-15mm zoom range, delivering exceptional light transmission and precise exposure control for cinematic applications. This fast aperture excels in low-light environments, such as night shoots, indoor scenes, or astrophotography sequences, ensuring vibrant, detailed footage. It enables a shallow depth of field, allowing filmmakers to isolate subjects against the lens’s dramatic fisheye distortion, creating striking visuals for music videos, narrative films, or stylized vlogs.

VERSATILE ZOOM RANGE

Offering a versatile 8-15mm zoom range, enabling filmmakers to seamlessly adapt its fisheye perspective for diverse cinematic applications. This flexible zoom, with a smooth 75° zoom throw, allows cinematographers to shift between dramatic and practical fisheye aesthetics without changing lenses, enhancing creative efficiency and storytelling versatility on set.

CLOSE FOCUSING DISTANCE

The Laowa 8-15mm T2.9 FF Zoom Fisheye Cine Lens features a minimum focusing distance of 16cm (6.3”) with a 0.23x maximum magnification, allowing filmmakers to capture subjects up close with striking cinematic impact. This close focusing capability amplifies the lens’s fisheye distortion, creating an exaggerated point of view (POV) that emphasizes foreground elements while retaining a wide, immersive background. The result is a dramatic, bugeye effect, ideal for intense close-ups in action films, horror sequences, or experimental music videos, where subjects appear disproportionately large for a bold, almost surreal aesthetic.

FULL-FRAME COVERAGE

Full-frame coverage, ensuring compatibility with high-resolution cinema cameras. This feature maximizes sensor utilization, delivering a true 180° circular fisheye effect at 8mm and a full-frame rectangular fisheye at 15mm, both with edge-to-edge clarity and no cropping. The expansive coverage enhances dynamic range and detail, ideal for immersive VR content, sweeping cinematic landscapes, and high-impact action sequences. By supporting professional full-frame workflows, the lens provides filmmakers with versatile, bold fisheye visuals, making it a powerful tool for music videos, narrative films, and 360° panoramas, all while maintaining exceptional image quality.

ULTRA-PORTABLE CINE DESIGN

Boasting an ultra-portable cine design, measuring just 62.5mm in length x Ø84.8mm and weighing approximately 590g (1.3 lbs, excluding caps). As one of the lightest full-frame cine zoom lenses, it’s perfect for agile filmmaking setups, including gimbals, drones, and handheld rigs. This compact form factor enhances mobility for run-and-gun shoots, travel documentaries, or action-packed music videos, allowing cinematographers to capture bold fisheye visuals without the burden of bulky equipment, making it an ideal choice for dynamic, on-the-go productions.

PROFESSIONAL CINE HOUSING

The Laowa 8-15mm T2.9 FF Zoom Fisheye Cine Lens features a professional cine housing crafted for durability and precision. Its robust metal construction withstands demanding shooting conditions, while Laowa’s Frog Eye Coating repels water and dust, ensuring reliability on location. Equipped with 0.8 MOD geared focus, zoom, and aperture rings for seamless follow-focus integration and a native PL mount (with interchangeable E, RF, Z, L, X bayonets), the lens is designed for professional cinema workflows. This rugged, cine-ready housing supports high-end setups for narrative films, VR content, and commercial shoots, delivering consistent performance and bold fisheye aesthetics.

NARRATIVE CINEMATOGRAPHY

Craft surreal establishing shots, immersive interiors, or stylized character close-ups with the lens’s dual fisheye effect (circular at 8mm, rectangular at 15mm). The exaggerated POV and bugeye effect from the 16cm close focus enhance dramatic moments in sci-fi, horror, or experimental films, adding a dreamlike or intense aesthetic to storytelling.

MUSIC VIDEOS & COMMERCIAL

Produce high-energy, visually striking content with the 180° field of view and dynamic fisheye distortion. The lens’s ability to zoom from circular to rectangular fisheye, combined with smooth aperture control, is perfect for capturing vibrant performances, urban scenes, or bold product shots that demand attention.

VR & 360° FILMMAKING

Capture immersive content with the circular fisheye at 8mm, ideal for efficient 360° panorama stitching with minimal shots. The full-frame coverage ensures high-resolution output for virtual tours, interactive media, or VR experiences, making it a go-to for filmmakers creating content for headsets or immersive platforms.

ACTION & ADVENTURE FILMMAKING

Mount the lightweight 590g lens on drones, gimbals, or handheld rigs for dynamic POV shots in sports, skateboarding, or travel documentaries. The rugged housing with Frog Eye Coating and versatile 8-15mm zoom range excel in fast-paced, on-location shoots, delivering expansive, adrenaline-fueled visuals.

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY & TIME-LAPSE

Leverage the T2.9 aperture and 180° field of view for stunning night sky sequences, capturing starry skies or Milky Way shots with exceptional clarity. The lens’s full-frame compatibility and close focusing distance add creative flexibility for time-lapse films or cinematic nature sequences, enhancing visual impact.

SPECIFICATIONS