After weeks of rumors, there are lastly (principally) full particulars about Venus Optics’ new Laowa 55mm and 100mm f/2.8 tilt-shift macro lenses for full-frame cameras. The Laowa FFII TS 55mm f/2.8 and FFII TS 100mm f/2.8 lenses each characteristic a formidable 1:1 most magnification ratio, making them correct macro lenses. Tilt-shift lenses are nice for macro images as a result of by utilizing the lean and shift performance, photographers have considerably extra management over the focal aircraft. This can be utilized to make the depth of subject considerably shallower or deeper, which might be nice for getting tack-sharp product images. Whereas categorized as “full body” lenses, each the TS 55mm and 100mm f/2.8 macro lenses cowl a 67-millimeter picture circle, permitting them for use on Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD medium-format mirrorless cameras. Alongside these two mounts, the brand new Laowa lenses additionally are available in Canon RF, Leica L, Nikon Z, and Sony E mounts. Unsurprisingly, the lenses are guide focus solely, as is par for the course with Laowa lenses usually and tilt-shift optics. Each lenses can tilt as much as 10 levels and shift plus or minus 12 millimeters. The lenses additionally share their 15-bladed aperture design and f/2.8-22 aperture vary. Past their focal size and angle of view, the lenses differ of their optical design and dimensions. The Laowa 55mm f/2.8 tilt-shift lens options 14 components throughout 11 teams, whereas the 100mm prime has 13 components in 10 teams. With the extra glass, the 55mm f/2.8 is bigger and heavier than its 100mm counterpart. The Laowa 55mm f/2.8 TS weighs 1,450 grams (3.2 kilos), whereas the 100mm f/2.8 ideas the scales at 1,310 grams (2.9 kilos). The 55mm lens is 168.5 millimeters (6.6 inches) lengthy, and the 100mm macro is 162 millimeters (6.4 inches) lengthy. Each lenses take 77mm entrance filter threads.
Laowa’s new FFII TS lenses fill an attention-grabbing void in lots of lineups. Whereas each Canon and Nikon have made tilt-shift lenses for his or her DSLR cameras, which might be tailored to mirrorless cameras, neither firm has made native mirrorless tilt-shift lenses but. Sony has by no means made one, and there aren’t any native first-party choices for L-mount, both. Fujifilm stands alone with its two GF tilt-shift lenses launched final 12 months, the GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S and GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S, each of that are macro lenses. Whereas Venus Optics has but to share pricing information for its two new tilt-shift lenses, it’s a very secure wager they may are available in at a lower cost level than Fuijfilm’s two GF T/S lenses, which value $4,000 for the 30mm one and $3,500 for the 110mm prime. As quickly as Venus Optics shares value and availability data, PetaPixel will replace this text. The lenses ought to be popping up on retailers’ web sites quickly. Picture credit: Venus Optics / Laowa
