Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL (Canon RF)

Reviewers agree the centre is very sharp from f/4.5 and that the best overall results come around f/8. They differ on the corners: one test found them good from f/5.6 even at the extreme edges, while another, partly on a flat test chart, found them soft and smeared. Close-focus results suffer from field curvature at the borders.

Vignetting is heavy at about 3 EV and barely improves when stopped down, and filters make it worse. Distortion is noticeable, a wavy barrel of about 3%, lateral colour fringing needs correcting, a slight green cast shows in the corners, and flare resistance is only average. Build quality is excellent, but the aperture clicks are unevenly spaced, filters are fiddly inside the fixed hood, and there are no electronic contacts.

One owner pairs it with a small 21mm prime as a compact kit, though admits it still gets left at home more often than planned.

One owner found the first copy disappointing, not sharp even at f/8, and a replacement copy noticeably better from wide open, which points to sample variation. The same owner reports that the focus tab tends to snag when the lens is stored in a bag.