Laowa/Rokinon/Samyang build quality?

[Future Assassin]

Anyone used these for a while? What's the QC like for long term usage? I'm wanting to get a UW Rectilinear lens and was interested in the Laowa 15mm and the up coming 7mm but some posted have had issues with the 15mm that cropped up after some time. I haven't seen any user reports from M43 people as I guess the 15mm might be not wide enough but from some info seems like it might be an interesting wide angle marco and cityscape lens.

[Edmunds]

Laowa and Samyang/Rokinon are two different companies.

Difficult to say what the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens will be like, because this is their first m4/3 lens. At $499 a pop I would expect average build quality, pretty much the same as other m4/3 lenses that were 500 bucks on release, and I think early reviews/pictures confirm this. So over long term use I would expect it to show wear.

I'm pretty sure I'm getting one myself.

[Big Greg]

I can't speak to the Laowa. I have a Rokinon 7.5 fisheye and have been very pleased with it. The build quality is excellent. I also have a Rokinon 85 1.4 which is also a very solid and well made lens. I don't use either of them often, but I've had them both for 2 or 3 years I think and no issues with either.

[RAH]

I have the same Samyang 7.5 fisheye for m43 and it seems to be very well built.


The only "issue" I have is that my copy seems to be different than what I see others saying - on mine, infinity is exactly at the infinity mark. Every recommendation I have seen about the lens says that you need to back away from the infinity mark somewhat, but if I do that even slightly, I get blurry shots. At the infinity mark I get excellent shots. So I have no leeway. But perhaps I shouldn't! I mean, in a perfect world wouldn't infinity be at the infinity mark?!? One could argue that they have done some quality control at the factory and started properly adjusting their lenses. Damned if I know.


As far as 15mm, I don't consider that all that wide. I mean, I greatly prefer the P12-35 lens (and similar O12-40 and new P12-60) over a standard kit lens because I find 12mm much more useful than 14 (forgetting about the better IQ with the more expensive lenses). So 15mm is not going to do much for me. I do use the O17mm 1.8 lens a lot, but that is for a different use - more a general purpose lens. 15mm seems neither fish nor fowl to me. Just MHO, of course.