7Artisans vs. Laowa 4 mm 1:2,8 Fisheye

[listentoaheartbeat]

Hi everyone,
Planning to get back into filming after a 15y hiatus, no ambitions beyond having fun and creating some cool videos of my friends skating. My setup back in the day used to be VX2000 with Raynox DCR-FE180PRO. While I'd love to fulfill my old dream of VX1000 with Century MK1, it's just too expensive. I also cannot really be bothered with tape any more.
So the plan is go get a budget setup for HD 4:3. I have an Canon EOS M6 Mark II which I'd be keen to use for this, and there are two 4 mm 1:2,8 Fisheye options for EF-M mount from 7Artisans and Laowa. I've checked some comparisons and preferred the colors of the Laowa, but it's much more expensive at 300€ vs. 170€ for the 7Artisans. Apparently the Laowa shows some of the camera handle on DSLRs because of its small size, not sure if that would be an issue on the EOS M6.
Any experiences or thoughts that will help me decide?
Cheers!

[Jordan Wiens]

id go for the 7artisans just because it sicks out a little further than the laowa. and youre saving money.



it also has the rainbow vig which is interesting. unfortunately the smallrig cage for the m6 increases the size of the grip so you might have to do a hotshoe handle instead of a rig. a tripod plate could make it heavier for stability but its gonna be a super light setup overall.



its going to be a shit ton of vig because usually these fisheyes look best on m43 cameras, so take that into consideration too. youll have to crop in post or there might be a crop option in camera im not sure. like full circle even in 4:3

the meike 6-11 zoom fisheye looks decent but the vig is blurry. would need to do a vig overlay in post

[listentoaheartbeat]

Thanks! I don't mind cropping in post. Looking at clips using the 7Artisans 7.5 mm, they actually remind me of the Raynox, little to no vignette and a super clean image. Obv completely different ballpark in terms of angle. I guess the 4 mm is more exciting?

[ralf_]

Thanks! I don't mind cropping in post. Looking at clips using the 7Artisans 7.5 mm, they actually remind me of the Raynox, little to no vignette and a super clean image. Obv completely different ballpark in terms of angle. I guess the 4 mm is more exciting.

your homies are fun to watch

[listentoaheartbeat]

its going to be a shit ton of vig because usually these fisheyes look best on m43 cameras, so take that into consideration too. youll have to crop in post or there might be a crop option in camera im not sure. like full circle even in 4:3

Do you reckon it would be better to find a cheap G7 or GH4 and go MFT with the fisheye, rather than getting it for my Canon? The EOS M system is essentially dead, so while I would save some money now by using my M6, down the road I wouldn't be able to e.g. upgrade to 4K 60p using my lenses etc.

[listentoaheartbeat]

Just following up here, I just received the 7Artisans 4mm f2.8 fisheye. It's even wider than I expected, especially vertically. Basically impossible to not get in the shot when pointing the camera up even slightly. That being said, scaling to 140-150% in 4:3 gives a nice little vig and removes the bit where one would get in the shot most of the time. It produces an interesting lo-fi vibe with the rainbow vig, crazy distortion, and the low(ish) resolution. I also bought the 7Artisans 7.5mm f2.8 since it was on sale, obviously completely different aesthetic. Image quality is really good. I can see myself using both for different projects.