Est. 2013 · Hefei, Anhui, China · 6 lenses
Anhui Changgeng Optics Technology Co., Ltd., internationally branded as Venus Optics, was founded in Hefei on July 29, 2013 by a team of optical designers and photographers. Its consumer-facing lens brand is Laowa, a name derived from founder Li Dayong's online nickname; the company positions the line around distinctive, practical, and affordable optics rather than direct copies of first-party camera-system lenses. Headquarters and manufacturing are in Hefei, with sales and marketing presence in Hong Kong and distribution abroad.
Early Laowa releases set the tone: the 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro (2014) gave 2:1 magnification while still focusing to infinity, followed by the 15mm f/4 Wide Angle Macro, the 105mm f/2 STF Bokeh Dreamer, and the 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D. The 12mm Zero-D Kickstarter in 2016 brought wider international attention to the brand and cemented the Zero-D label for ultra-wide designs that aim to keep rectilinear distortion low.
From 2017 onward Laowa expanded across mirrorless mounts and specialty categories: compact Micro Four Thirds and APS-C ultra-wides, full-frame 15mm f/2 and 9mm f/5.6 lenses, 2X APO macros, tilt-shift and shift lenses, and the 24mm f/14 2X Macro Probe / PeriProbe family. The company's cine division followed with the 12mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine, OOOM 25-100mm T2.9, Nanomorph anamorphic lenses, Proteus 2X anamorphics, Ranger compact zooms, and other video-oriented versions of its stills designs. By the mid-2020s Laowa had also begun adding autofocus lenses while keeping its core identity in unusual manual-focus optical tools.
Notable designs: 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro, 15mm f/4 Wide Angle Macro, 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D, 24mm f/14 2X Macro Probe, 9mm f/5.6 FF RL, 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO, 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D AF, Nanomorph anamorphic cine lenses