Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift CF
Announced July 9, 2024
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Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift CF is a compact, all-metal ultra-wide lens designed for APS-C cameras that offers unique perspective manipulation through its shift capabilities. While it provides excellent sharpness and a versatile focal range for architecture photography, it requires a manual-only workflow and lacks weather sealing.
Weighted from 6 reviewer scores
Pros
- Excellent center and corner sharpness when stopped down
- Effective shift functionality for architecture and perspective control
- Durable all-metal construction with a premium feel
- Compact and lightweight design for a shift lens
- Low distortion performance
Cons
- Difficult to distinguish between control rings
- Lacks weather sealing and electronic communication
- Prone to lens flare and light-related image degradation
- Softness or vignetting issues at wide apertures and focal lengths
- Small physical size makes operation challenging for large hands
- Launch price $699 (USD)
- Focal length & aperture 12-24mm f/5.6
- Mount & coverage Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, L-Mount, Fujifilm X APS-C
- Close focus 15 cm (0.4x)
- Filter thread 77mm
- Weight & size 575g (1 lb 4.3 oz) · 80 x 98.91 mm (3.15 x 3.89 in)
Expert Reviews
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Amidst those minor details, the Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift lens performs very well and is suitable for both professionals and hobbyists who use APS-C cameras.
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A unique lens that at just under $700 will appeal to many wanting something different to go on their crop sensor camera.
- Wes Perry 10/10
If you are an architecture photographer, being able to shift and change your perspective, if you are that photographer, you do architecture, you do who you are, you need ultra wide and you want to be able to manipulate your field of view, this is the lens for you [...]
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The Laowa 12-24mm F5.6 Tilt-Shift lens is a blast to use and beautifully designed.
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Comparing it to what is out on the market right now, this lens is a bargain for the price, so if you're someone who knows that you need these features, this could be money well spent.
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What this lens brings to the table is nothing short of incredible, so yeah, this is the brand new 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift CF lens from Laowa, and before we begin, I'm just going to say that this lens is a masterpiece of engineering.
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