The Chinese manufacturer Venus Optics has announced the release of the Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL, a manual lens that takes the title of the world’s widest rectilinear (it means that straight features in the scene have straight lines instead of curved) lens for full-frame camera systems.

Featuring a remarkable 135° angle of view, the new Laowa 9mm f/5.6 is currently the widest non-fisheye lens ever developed for full-frame mirrorless cameras. The ultra-wide angle of view is particularly helpful for interior and street photography as it helps exaggerated the sense of space. The one-of-a-kind perspective also helps realized a lot of formerly impossible shots.

The lens is constructed of 14 elements in 10 groups, including two extra-low dispersion elements. It isn’t one of Venus Optics’ ‘Zero-D’ lenses, but it features ‘very low’ distortion.

The Laowa 9mm f/5.6 is actually the smallest in its class, measuring just 2.4 inches (~6cm) long, having a lens diameter of 60mm, and weighing just 12 ounces (350g).
Thanks to a minimum focusing distance of just 4.72 inches (12cm), the Laowa 9mm f/5.6 can almost serve as a macro lens, allowing photographers to get extremely close to their subjects for creative photos.

“This is so much closer than the other ultra-wide angle lenses in the market and it provides greater flexibility for photographers to compose shots at close and far distances and control depth of field much more easily,” Venus Optics says.

Here are some sample photos captured with the Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL:

The Laowa 9mm F5.6 FF RL is available in Leica M, Sony FE, Nikon Z and L-mount. This marks the first time Venus Optics has designed a lens for Leica M-mount and to celebrate the occasion, Venus Optics is releasing the M-mount version in black and silver varieties. the Leica M-mount version costs $900, while the Sony FE, Nikon Z and L-mount versions costs $800.

More info on Venus Optics’ website.