Laowa 12 mm f/2.8: over 5,000%

No less than that — over $500,000 raised on Kickstarter, more than 5,000% of the goal Laowa set to build a 12 mm lens with no optical distortion.

An exceptional Kickstarter campaign

To win over backers, Laowa has an unbeatable technique: turning its Kickstarter campaign into a promotional operation. A $1 pledge got you a lens in return. Of course that offer was limited to a single person; then the other (mostly sold out) tiers were $649, $699, $749, $799, etc. — while the retail price is $949.

The Laowa 12 mm f/2.8 Zero D promise

The Laowa 12 mm f/2.8 Zero D promises an ultra-wide-angle lens for under $1,000 (€895) with little to no distortion. An enticing promise — but at this price, no autofocus, obviously. Which isn't necessarily a big issue for this type of focal length.

The few images available on the Venus Optics Kickstarter campaign page are pretty enticing, and it seems this lens is a pleasant surprise. At this price, it's well worth a look. User feedback on the 15 mm macro also appears quite good. Build ruggedness might be where it falls a bit short, but if you're not planning to shoot in extreme conditions, this 12 mm should delight you.

But hurry — you only have until 30/08/2016 to take advantage of the Venus Optics Kickstarter offers!!

More about Venus Optics Laowa

Venus Optics is a Chinese company (Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited) based in Hefei. It distributes its lenses under the Laowa brand. Website: http://www.venuslens.net. Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/137268551@N02/