The Laowa 15mm f/5 Review - in 60 Seconds

The Magazine For Photographers
Feb 12
1 min read

The Laowa 15mm f/5 Review. The Cookie is an ultra-wide pancake lens designed for photographers who want a lightweight and portable option without sacrificing image quality. Weighing just 4.9 ounces (158g) and measuring only 15.25mm (0.6 inches) in length, it’s one of the most compact full-frame wide-angle lenses available. Its small size makes it ideal for travel, street, and architectural photography, though handling may be a challenge for those with larger hands.

Build and Design

Despite its compact size, the lens is well-constructed with a mix of metal and plastic components. The engraved focus distance scale and metal lens mount contribute to a solid build, while a rubber gasket around the mount provides some weather resistance. The manual focus ring is functional, but its small size may take some getting used to. The lens is available in Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, L-Mount, and Leica M mounts, with auto aperture control for Sony and Nikon users.

Image Quality and Performance

For an ultra-wide lens at this price point ($399), the Laowa 15mm f/5 delivers good overall image quality. Some softness is noticeable at wider apertures, but the lens performs well for its class. Flare control is impressive, even when shooting into direct light sources, and the lens produces well-defined starbursts at f/16 and f/22.

Distortion is present, as expected for a 15mm lens that is not part of Laowa’s “zero distortion” series. Photographers shooting architecture or interiors may need to correct perspective in post-processing.