Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL

The Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL is a M-mount lens for Leica rangefinder cameras. Leica price index ↗

Reference maintained by Thomas Boots

Focal Length: 9mm

Aperture: 𝑓/5.6

Release Year (from): 2020

Diameter: 62 mm

Length: 66 mm

Minimum Focus Distance: 0.12m

Elements in Groups: 14/10

Aperture Blades: 5

Mount: M

Material Weight: Metal, 350g

Colors: Black, SIlver

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Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL

Venus Optics introduced the Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL as the widest rectilinear, non-fisheye lens designed to cover the full 35mm frame, giving an angle of view of roughly 135 degrees while keeping straight lines straight [1][2]. It marked a notable step for the Chinese maker because the Leica M version was the company's first lens built for the Leica rangefinder system, complete with rangefinder coupling and a body matched in finish to Leica M cameras [2]. The lens reaches this extreme coverage in a body that stays unusually small for the focal length, helped by a modest f/5.6 maximum aperture that suits an optic intended mainly for landscape, architecture, and interior work [2][4].

The optical formula is complex for so compact a barrel, using fourteen elements arranged in ten groups, with two aspherical elements and two extra-low-dispersion elements employed to control chromatic aberration and distortion across the very wide field [2][4]. The diaphragm uses five blades, which renders point light sources as ten-point sunstars when the lens is stopped down [1]. Focusing is fully manual, and on the M-mount version the focus ring is coupled to the rangefinder across the full range from 0.7 m to infinity, with a tactile click stop at 0.7 m so the photographer can sense that limit without leaving the finder, although the rangefinder patch is of limited practical value at such a wide focal length [3]. The lens has no filter thread; Venus Optics instead offers a dedicated 100 mm filter holder, produced in collaboration with H&Y, mounted in front of the protruding front element [3]. Reviewers note strong vignetting at the frame edges, which is described as difficult to avoid given the focal length and form factor [5].

Several mount versions share the optical design. Alongside the rangefinder-coupled M-mount lens there are mirrorless versions for Sony FE, Nikon Z, and L-mount; the mirrorless versions add a small focus tab but do not carry electronic contacts, while the M version is the one that integrates with the Leica coupling system [4][3]. The M-mount lens is sold in black and silver finishes to match different Leica bodies [2]. According to Venus Optics, the M lens is six-bit coded using a standard Leica code for metadata purposes rather than a Laowa-specific code, and the barrel also includes recesses that let users apply or alter the six-bit coding so the lens can be registered as a Leica optic on later Leica M digital bodies [6][3].

Optical qualities

Rendering The lens is built around an extremely wide rectilinear field of view, and its design priority is keeping straight lines straight rather than gathering light, hence the modest f/5.6 aperture [1][2]. The two aspherical and two ED elements are used to hold chromatic aberration and distortion in check and to support corner-to-corner sharpness across the wide frame [4][2]. Stopped down, the five-blade diaphragm produces distinct ten-point sunstars on bright point sources [1].

Distortion and vignetting As a rectilinear ultra-wide it controls geometric distortion, but reviewers report strong, multiple-stop vignetting toward the edges, described as the lens's most noticeable optical compromise and largely unavoidable at this focal length in so small a body [5].

History

Development and Launch Venus Optics launched the Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL in 2020, positioning it as the widest rectilinear full-frame lens then available and offering it across Leica M, L-mount, Sony FE, and Nikon Z [2][4]. For Venus Optics it was a first entry into the Leica rangefinder ecosystem, with the M version engineered for rangefinder coupling rather than relying only on live view [2]. At launch the Leica M version was priced higher than the mirrorless versions, reflecting the added coupling mechanism [2].

Collector Notes Buyers should distinguish the rangefinder-coupled M-mount lens from the mirrorless versions, which lack rangefinder coupling and instead add a focus tab, and from other Laowa 9mm products such as the APS-C 9mm and a separate f/2.8 design, which are different lenses [3][4]. The M lens carries factory six-bit coding and includes recesses that allow users to modify the coding, so a verified or altered code is worth checking on a used example [6][3]. Because the lens has no filter thread, the dedicated 100 mm filter holder is the accessory to confirm is present if filter use is intended [3]. As an ultra-wide of f/5.6, depth of field is very large and the rangefinder patch is of limited use, points worth understanding before purchase [3].