Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-d

£499/$499 www.venuslens.net

Laowa has announced it will be producing a Nikon Z version of its 9mm f/2.8 APS-C prime lens. It’s not a brand-new lens, but the Nikon Z version is big news given the relative lack of lenses right now for these cameras.

We really rate the Nikon Z 50, together with its new stablemate, the retro-themed Nikon Z fc. The problem, though, is that apart from the retracting Nikon Z 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 DX VR kit lens and the Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR telephoto, there are no Z lenses designed for this smaller format.

There are two more reasons for Nikon Z 50 and Z fc fans to celebrate when the Z mount version of the Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-d arrives. The first is that this is an ultra-wide lens with a much larger angle of view than the 16-50mm kit lens can offer. The second is that it’s exceptional: the Zero-d tag denotes that it’s distortion free and offers true edge-to-edge sharpness.

However, it is a manual focus lens with no electrical connections, so you will have to focus manually.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Any new lens designed for Dxsensor Z-mount Nikons is good news, given the limited options currently available, but such an ultra-wide optic is very welcome.