New Laowa 55mm f/2.8 and 100mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Macro Lenses Promise Creativity and Practicality

Dec 17, 2024

Jeremy Gray

Two Laowa camera lenses are displayed against a black background. The lenses are positioned side by side, showcasing their sleek design and intricate focus rings, with visible brand markings in blue accents.

Tilt-shift lenses have not gotten their due in recent years, with some companies ignoring the lens type altogether in the DSLR-to-mirrorless transition. Venus Optics aims to change that with a pair of new Laowa tilt-shift macro lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

These lenses may look familiar to frequent PetaPixel readers, as they were initially announced overseas in October. However, they are finally now coming to the United States. Further, there are plenty of new sample images to check out.

A close-up shot of a black camera lens against a dark background. The lens features various dials and markings, including "T/5 85mm F2.8 1X," with a matte finish and a blue accent near the top. — Laowa 55mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro

The Laowa 55mm f/2.8 and 100mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro lenses feature a precise tilt range of plus-or-minus 10 degrees, plus-or-minus 12 millimeters of shift, and 1:1 macro magnification.

Close-up of a black camera lens with visible focus and aperture markings, including f-stop numbers and angle degrees. The lens is set against a dark background, highlighting its detailed controls and textured surface. — Laowa 100mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro

“These lenses allow photographers to easily manipulate the plane of focus and adjust the perspective distortions,” Venus Optics explains. “A true 1:1 macro capability will enable it to capture fine details of the subject. This versatile combination makes both lenses essential tools for photographers working across various fields, including commercial, macro, landscape, architectural photography, and more.”

Close-up of a large black camera lens with visible details, including the focus ring and mounting bracket. The lens is angled slightly off-center against a dark background, highlighting its sleek design and smooth texture. — Laowa 100mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro

Close-up of a black LAOWA camera lens displaying various distance and angle markings. The lens is tilted against a dark background, highlighting its sleek design and intricate details. — Laowa 100mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro

Laowa’s new lenses are the first tilt-shift macro lenses featuring an f/2.8 maximum aperture designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras. However, due to their large image circles, they can also be used on some medium-format cameras, including Fujifilm GFX system cameras. It is worth noting that when used on a GFX medium-format camera, the lenses are limited to plus or minus eight degrees of tilt and 10 millimeters of shift.

Two Laowa camera lenses are positioned upright on a surface next to a GFX 50R camera. The lenses are labeled "TS 50mm F2.8 1X" and "TS 110mm F2.8 1X." A textured gray background is visible.

Through tilt and shift, photographers can easily create a super shallow depth of field or, alternatively, achieve a greater depth of field. There are creative and practical effects with tilt-shift lenses. Venus Optics specifically cites product photography as a great use case for tilt-shift lenses, especially given the 1:1 macro capabilities of the new Laowa lenses.

Shifting specifically is also very useful for architectural photography. It is possible to correct perspective distortions and keep vertical lines perfectly straight by adjusting lens shifts. Shift is also useful for panoramic photographers, as it can make it easier to capture distortion-free images for stitching.

Close-up of a black Laowa camera lens standing vertically against a dark background. The lens has visible focus and aperture rings with white and red markings, and a blue ring near the top. — Laowa 55mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro

Laowa’s new tilt-shift lenses have yet another trick up their sleeve. The lenses feature two rotation systems so photographers can rotate the lens at the camera mount. This provides additional control over tilt direction when shooting.

Digging into specifications, the Laowa 55mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro lens includes 14 lens elements arranged across 11 groups. The lens has an f/2.8-22 aperture range, 15 aperture blades, and a minimum focusing distance of 27 centimeters (10.6 inches). The lens weighs approximately 1,345 grams (just under three pounds) and is about 169 millimeters (6.6 inches) long. The lens accepts 77mm front filters.

Close-up of a black camera lens with white markings, including "TS 100mm F2.8 1X." The focus and aperture rings are visible, with a reflective metal lens mount on one end, set against a dark background. — Laowa 100mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro

The 100mm f/2.8 lens has 13 elements in 10 groups and, like its sibling, an f/2.8-22 aperture range. The 100mm lens also has 15 aperture blades and accepts 77mm front filters. The minimum focusing distance is 32 centimeters (12.6 inches). The lens is 162 millimeters (6.4 inches) long and weighs 1,215 grams (2.7 pounds).

Laowa 55mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro Sample Images

Tilt-shift image of a cityscape with a central white building with a golden spire, surrounded by tall skyscrapers. A busy road with blurred lights is visible to the left, creating a miniature effect. — © Wentai

Panoramic view of a city skyline along a waterfront. The central towering skyscraper is flanked by several shorter buildings. People are visible on the beach, with a calm sea in the foreground and a cloudy sky. — © Zhou Teng Da

A woman with long blonde hair stands in a forest of leafless trees, wearing a patterned coat. The sun sets in the background, casting a warm glow on the scene. She gazes to the side, creating a thoughtful mood. — © Magic Wedding Photographer

A nighttime cityscape featuring illuminated skyscrapers reflecting on a river. A brightly lit boat is cruising along the water, adding to the serene and vibrant urban scene. — © Hongji

Close-up of a butterfly with vibrant, textured orange-brown wings. It's feeding on a yellow fruit on a forest floor surrounded by leaves and twigs, with soft, blurred green foliage in the background. — © Jimmy Chan

A luxurious perfume display in a store, featuring various bottles arranged on a marble table with warm lighting. Shelves with additional perfume bottles are visible in the background. — © Feng Niao

A miniature scene depicting a colonial-era village street, featuring a small figure of a woman standing by a barrel outside a shop called "Whalen's Biscuit Shop." Warm lighting highlights the richly detailed buildings and cobblestone road. — © Wes Perry

A colorful insect with outstretched wings against a black background. The wings have vibrant blue and orange patterns with hints of green near the body, showing intricate textures and details. The insect's body is dark with visible segments and limbs. — © Cao Guang Huang

An abandoned, rusty car sits in a dense, dark forest surrounded by tall trees and overgrown vegetation, conveying a sense of isolation and mystery in the wilderness. — © John Hanson

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro Sample Images

Close-up of a beetle drinking water, with its reflection visible on the water surface. The background is softly blurred, highlighting the beetle's detailed features and glossy exoskeleton. — © Alberto Ghizzi Panizza

Close-up of vibrant red and yellow flowers with detailed petals and a bright yellow center. The background features a soft focus of green and purple hues, enhancing the flowers' vividness. — © Alberto Ghizzi Panizza

A water droplet rises above a surface, surrounded by swirling flames and smoke. The scene captures the contrast between the fluidity of water and the intense heat of fire, with ripples spreading outwards from the splash point. — © Alberto Ghizzi Panizza

Close-up of a chessboard with three chess pieces: a wooden queen on the left and two dark-colored kings in the center and right. The board has alternating light and dark squares, with a dramatic lighting effect. — © Alberto Ghizzi Panizza

Close-up of a halved grapefruit with a vivid pink interior, showcasing its juicy segments. The fruit rests on a wooden surface with blurred orange flowers in the background, creating a colorful and fresh composition. — © Feng Niao

Aerial view of a busy city at night with bright, colorful lights. Traffic moves along streets and highways, creating a vibrant, bustling scene. Buildings line the roads, and blurred lights add to the dynamic, lively urban atmosphere. — © Zhao Cheng Xian

A black and white cat and a smaller brown and white kitten stand on a pathway next to green grass, both looking upward. — © Zhao Cheng Xian

A refreshing grapefruit drink in a glass with ice, garnished with a grapefruit slice. Surrounding it are vibrant flowers, berries, and a halved grapefruit, all arranged on a wooden surface. — © Feng Niao

Pricing and Availability

The Laowa 55mm f/2.8 and 100mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro lenses are available to order now through Venus Optics and authorized retailers for $1,249 each. The lenses are available in E, GF, L, RF, and Z mounts.

Image credits: Venus Optics / Laowa