A One-of-a-Kind Laowa 24mm f/2 Tilt-Shift Lens Is On the Way
Venus Optics has another tilt-shift lens on the way. Although it hasn’t been officially announced in the U.S. yet, the Laowa T/S 24mm f/2 is definitely coming soon.
As reported by Canon Addict, the new tilt-shift lens has been released in China. It’s already available through online retailers like AliExpress, albeit at a higher price than Laowa’s other tilt-shift lenses and the official price in China.
Tilt-shift lenses are experiencing something of a resurgence in recent years, thanks in large part to Laowa’s efforts. However, a 24mm f/2 T/S is an especially fast tilt-shift lens. Nikon made a PC-E Nikkor 24mm tilt-shift lens for F-mount, but it was an f/3.5 prime. Canon also made a 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift lens for EF-mount DSLRs.
An f/2 aperture is well over a stop faster, which may open up new creative and photographic possibilities for mirrorless camera owners. It could even be used for astrophotography, a domain typically outside the useful range of slower lenses.
Like some other Laowa tilt-shift lenses, the 24mm f/2 T/S is coming to E, Z, RF, and L-Mount full-frame cameras, plus GFX and XCD medium-format systems. In some cases, Laowa’s tilt-shift lenses have had reduced movement range on medium-format bodies, although Canon Addict says that’s not the case this time.
The new Laowa 24mm f/2 T/S features 13 elements arranged across 10 groups. These include five ED elements, two aspherical elements, and four high-refractive-index glass elements. A 14-bladed aperture sits behind the glass.
The lens weighs 860 grams (30.3 ounces) and accepts 77mm front filters. The lens’s shift range is +/- 12mm, while it can tilt +/- 10mm. It also features a rotating lens mount, letting photographers quickly switch between landscape and portrait orientation without adjusting the tripod.
Canon Addict reports that the official Chinese price is RMB 7,650, which is just $1,140 at current exchange rates. This is a very aggressive price, though it may be adjusted to account for other factors, like tariffs. The Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D Tilt-Shift is $1,249 in the United States, for reference.
It’s unclear when Venus Optics might unveil the new tilt-shift lens globally, but when it does, it will likely excite many mirrorless camera owners. There’s nothing else like it on the market.
Image creditsVenus Optics
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