Laowa calls the 10mm f4 lens their “cookie.” That means it’s not quite a pancake, though it can be considered one if you look at what’s available on the market. The Laowa 10mm f4 lens is also quite fascinating to use. If you’re a fan of character, metal build quality, and some classic softness, we think you’ll love this lens. When you combine it with Fujifilm’s film simulations, it just gets even better.
The Laowa 10mm f4 is designed for APS-C sensors, and therefore it also means that only certain types of photographers will be reaching for it. And at only $299, it’s pretty difficult to beat what it offers.
The Big Picture
The Laowa 10mm f4 is a fantastic lens for the photographer who is looking for a pancake lens of some sort. But it’s also for the photographer that wants character. You’ll get yummy bokeh, beautiful lens flare, and soft photos when you don’t stop it down. It’s pretty dreamy. However, it’s not weather resistant, and I don’t think this is a lens every photographer needs.
We’re giving the Laowa 10mm f4 four out of five stars. Want one? Check out the latest listings for more.
Pros
- Metal build quality
- Affordable price point
- Creamy bokeh
- Soft wide open
- Beautiful lens flare
Cons
Gear Used
We tested the Laowa 10mm f4 (provided to us for loan) with the Fujifilm X Pro 3, which we purchased years ago.
Innovations
For all intents and purposes, the Laowa 10mm f4 isn’t exactly innovative. It’s the first of its kind that’s available to the Fujifilm X mount, but there’s nothing special about this lens except that it’s incredibly small and lightweight.
Ergonomics
The Laowa 10mm f4 is a pretty slim and compact lens. They call it a cookie, but it’s more like a pancake. In fact, on Laowa’s website, it’s called a pancake too. To each their own I guess. It boasts a 37mm filter thread for what it’s worth.
On the top are the controls you really care about. There are aperture and focus controls. This lens doesn’t have any electronics in it, so it makes the most sense on a Fuji lens because of how they’re used.
You’ll also use the distance scale smacked right into the middle like the cream of an Oreo cookie.
Build Quality
The Laowa 10mm f4 isn’t weather resistant. But it is made of metal, and it’s very small. That, and the aperture ring clicks. But otherwise, there isn’t a whole lot else to this lens. In the hand, and attached to the Fujifilm X Pro 3, this lens will make the camera feel like an X100V. Your fingers will clap onto it pretty easily. In real life use, I don’t think that will matter as this lens is too small for you to care about cradling it.
Ease of Use
I don’t think this is the easiest lens to use if you’re newer to photography. You have to be patient and there is no autofocus. Further, it also doesn’t have focus contacts for communication. Instead, your camera will look at the scene and try to figure out if something is in focus or not.
Focusing
There’s surely something a bit odd about focusing with the Laowa 10mm f4. Wide open, it’s very soft. So even on the X Pro 3 when you have the focus peaking set to high, it can be tough for it to get something in focus. Instead, you’ll need to use the magnify function in the EVF mode. Otherwise, my favorite way of doing this is using the OVF and setting it to picture-in-picture mode. Then the center or focusing point gets magnified and focus peaking is applied. Unfortunately, there are no focusing contacts on this lens, so that makes is a bit more difficult to use as a result.
Image Quality
This is one of the most wonderful things about the Laowa 10mm f4: the image quality is truly awesome, but you have to work for it. Wide open, it’s very soft. But stopped down a bit, this lens starts to sharpen up. It also boasts beautiful lens flare, colors, etc. Of course, Fujifilm’s colors also help out here.
Bokeh
The bokeh from the Laowa 10mm f4 isn’t something you’re going to buy it for. However, I’ll be transparent and state that, for food photography, it can be pretty decent. It’s such a wide focal length that when you focus closely on a subject, you’ll still see a very grand scale to things. Still, it’s nothing special.
Color Rendition
Colors from the Laowa 10mm f4 lens can be pretty fantastic to look at. In the photo above, I shot with the Fujifilm Velvia Film simulation and no editing was done to the photo above. Look at those colors? I immediately felt like I was transported back 10 years ago to the OG Fuji cameras with a bit of softness. It’s going to make you nostalgic for sure if you’ve been shooting for as long as I have.
Lens Character
Well, look at this lens flare? I know a ton of folks who would sit there and say “oh no, we need to get rid of that.”
And I say, “Why?” So many lenses are clinical these days that having image quality like this at times is super enjoyable. Embrace the character.
Sharpness
Wide open, the Laowa 10mm f4 isn’t very sharp at all. But once you stop it down, it becomes a whole lot better.
Extra Image Samples
From day one, The Phoblographer has been huge on transparency with our audience. Nothing from this review is sponsored. Further, lots of folks will post reviews and show lots of editing in the photos. The problem then becomes that anyone and everyone can do the same thing. They’re not showing what the product can do. So we have a section in our Extra Image Samples area to show edited and unedited photos. From this, you can make a decision for yourself.
Unedited
Edited
Who Should Buy the Laowa 10mm f4?
The cool thing about the Laowa 10mm f4 is that it’s super affordable at only $299. And if you’re looking for a fun lens, then it’s worth the money. But it’s also pretty niche. It’s just for APS-C cameras and the softness wide-open makes it a bit difficult to work with. So who should get it? Honestly, any photographer who wants to add some creativity to their camera bag should go for it.
Tech Specs
These were taken from Laowa’s website.
Specifications |
|
| Format |
APS-C |
| Focal Distance |
10mm |
| Aperture Range |
f/4 |
| Angle of View |
109.3° |
| Lens Structure |
12 elements in 8 groups |
| Aperture Blades |
5 |
| Min. Shooting Distance |
10cm |
| Max. Magnification |
0.15x |
| Focusing |
Manual (MF) |
| Filter Thread |
Ø 37mm |
| Dimensions |
About Ø 59.8mm * 25mm |
| Weight |
About 130g |
| Mounts |
Black & Silver version for all mounts: |
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