Anhui China, Sept 14, 2016 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer who had previously launched a number of quality lenses with ‘World’s First’ specifications, is proud to unveil two premium lenses with extreme specifications and impressive performance, the Laowa 15mm f/2 FE Zero-D & the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT.
The new Laowa 15mm f/2 FE is currently the World’s Fastest 15mm rectilinear lens for Full Frame cameras. It features a close-to-zero optical distortion, allowing photographers to take landscape or architecture shots with straight lines retained.
Dedicated to fulfill the need of photographers, Venus Optics have managed to add a 72mm filter thread onto the 15mm f/2 lens. Photographers can easily install standard screw-in filters without paying for an expensive yet bulky filter holder system.
Designed specially for the Sony Full Frame Mirrorless cameras, Venus Optics has successfully controlled the size and weight of the lens to the minimal. Weighing less than 1.1 pounds (500g) and 82mm in length, the portability and compactness of the Sony E- mount Mirrorless cameras can be maintained when used with the Laowa 15mm f/2 FE Lens.
Featuring the fastest f/2 aperture ever built with a 15mm lens, the new Full Frame E- mount lens is engineered for professionals to shoot impressive landscape, architecture and primary astro photos with great details. This is an every-day and must-buy lens that every Sony Full Frame Mirrorless camera user should have one in his bag.
Availability
The Laowa 15mm f/2 FE Zero-D and the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT will be available to the market in early 2017. Engineering prototype will be available to test in Venus Optics’ Photokina debut. Venus Optics’ booth is in Hall 2.1, Booth A-045.
Wow the ~14mm space is really heating up. It went from adapting the 15mm voigtlander, to a native 15mm voigt, an AF 14mm 2.8 from Samyang, a very fancy 14mm f2.4 from Samyang, to this quite tiny and remarkable 15mm f2 from Laowa. They are quite the up and coming optics company, color me impressed
This one out of all the latest looks interesting to me. Small and takes filters . Speed is nice too. Have to see how this tests out. I do not want a big 14/15mm having the VC 15 but I would not mind having something faster
A 14mm or 15mm fast lens with good coma control is what I am after. It can be absolutely massive - wouldn't bother me a bit. Looks quite interesting....
trogdon wrote:
Wow the ~14mm space is really heating up. It went from adapting the 15mm voigtlander, to a native 15mm voigt, an AF 14mm 2.8 from Samyang, a very fancy 14mm f2.4 from Samyang, to this quite tiny and remarkable 15mm f2 from Laowa. They are quite the up and coming optics company, color me impressed
Wow! MTF at 2.8 is great, not as amazing as the Sammy 'premium' but close.and f2 is similar. And it's almost half the weight! The mirrorless advantage for wides that we saw finally in L21 coming to our aid again.
I'd prefer an f2.8 and take an even bigger size/weight saving. But I think that's going to come from Zeiss if it comes from anyone, so I won't be making a cost saving!
My head is spinning in the fast 14/15 market; Sammy MF, Sammy AF, Sammy Premium, Laowa, Zeiss Distagon, Irix, and maybe Batis or Loxia ...
I had ordered the new AF Sammy to see if it would be a substantial improvement for astro over the older MF, but I cancelled it and I'll let the wars play out then get one of the survivors
This looks like a very interesting Astro lens. I prefer the MF lens over the new Samy with AF since my use would almost entirely be astro. Even if this lens suffers a bit at f/2, shooting at f/2.8 should be better and yield great results for Astro.
This looks very interesting as an Astro lens where the extra stop would be very welcome. This is what the Samyang 14mm FE lens should have been instead of auto focus, which seems wasted on such a wide.
The entrance pupil mark, though rather overdone, is very welcome for pano photographers. As anyone who has spent hours testing a wide angle to find the exact point can tell you Nice addition.
rji2goleez wrote:
This looks like a very interesting Astro lens. I prefer the MF lens over the new Samy with AF since my use would almost entirely be astro. Even if this lens suffers a bit at f/2, shooting at f/2.8 should be better and yield great results for Astro.
Bob, I'd be more interested in comparing this Laowa lens to the new "premium" Samyang 14 2.4. The latter with its 18 elements is quite a bit larger and heavier and probably more expensive too. Then again, I usually carry an astro lens only when I know that I'm going to use it, so I wouldn't mind the extra weight, if the Samyang was considerably better than the Laowa or the current MF 14 2.8.
Looks quite interesting....