Laowa News

From Laowa:

Featuring a 113° field of view, close-to-zero distortion & affordable pricing, Laowa 9mm f/2.8 DL Zero-D is a dream lens for DJI Inspire 2 pilots.

Anhui China, 3 Jan 2019 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer who had previously launched a number of unique Laowa camera lenses, is proud to introduce the widest lens currently available for the DJI X7 cameras on Inspire 2 drones, Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D DL.

The new DL mount has the same specifications and optical performance as the existing Fuji X, Sony E and Canon EF-M mounts launched in 2018. All of them feature an ultra-wide 113° angle, cover Super35-sized sensor and have a close-to-zero distortion. The Laowa 9mm is significantly wider than the currently widest DL lens (i.e. 80°) in the market, allowing aerial cinematographers to capture more in limited distances. The ultra-fast f/2.8 lens also provide more flexibility to do night time aerial videography.

The lens is carefully designed to reduce the optical distortion to a close-to-zero level. It allows straight lines to be perfectly retained and saves videographers tremendous time in post-processing. Venus Optics is reputable in producing distortion-free lenses for multiple systems including the widest f/2 lens for full frame E-mount cameras (i.e. Laowa 15mm f/2 FE Zero-D).

The size and weight of the lens have also been compressed to the minimal in its class. It weighs only 210g (0.46 lbs) and 60mm (2.36 in) long. This compact and lightweight lens comprises of 15 elements in 10 groups with 2 pcs of aspherical elements and 3 pcs of Extralow dispersion elements. This optical design successfully minimizes the distortion and chromatic aberrations to its lowest but at the same time, delivers a superb optical performance. A 49mm filter thread is also included for cinematographers to use with ND filters.

Specifications

The retail selling price of the Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D DL mount in US is USD $499.00 (ex- VAT). Pricing may vary in different countries.

The lens is now available to order from Venus Optics authorized resellers and is available to ship immediately.

B&H carries Venus Optics Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D Lenses (DL mount will likely be available soon).

Anhui China, Oct 26, 2018 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer specializes in making unique camera lenses, unveil the pricing and availability of the world’s widest full frame lens, Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE Zoom lens.

In response to the demand from mirrorless camera shooters of having a compact wide angle zoom, Venus Optics have managed to compress the size of the 10-18mm FE Zoom to the smallest in its class, measuring approximately 3.5 inches (~9cm) long and weighing only 17.5 ounces (<500g) with a lens diameter of 70mm. It is a welcome relief for landscape, adventure or travel photographers that are traveling over long distances and struggling to find a compact wide angle zoom to pair up with their cameras.

In additional to the extreme compact size and lightweight body, the 102° (18mm) to 130° (10mm) FoV provides a great deal of flexibility for photographers to compose landscape or architecture photos with ease. The ultra-wide 130° FoV also realizes many impossible shots.

Sunstar rendering has long been considered as one of the most critical element for UWA lenses. Venus Optics have re-engineered the design of the aperture and incorporated a 5 straight blade aperture to deliver a sharp, clean, well-defined 10-point sunstars. It adds an aesthetic feel into the photos when composing with the sun or other light sources.

Despite having a compact lens body, the 10-18mm FE Zoom still offers an exceptionally high resolution across the frames at all apertures. It houses with 14 elements in 10 groups with 2 aspherical elements & 1 extra-low dispersion element. It also comes with an excellent close up performance. It can focus as close as 15cm (0.5 feet) and deliver a 0.25x magnification for some mini-macro shooting.

Venus Optics truly understands that filter is essential to produce an impressive landscape photo. The new 10-18mm FE Zoom is carefully designed with 2 filter solutions available. A rear filter thread is included at the back of the lens to fit with 37mm UV/ND filter. A custom designed 100mm-wide magnetic filter holder system is developed to fit a maximum of three 100mm-wide filters with no vignetting when rotated at any angles.

The lens also incorporates a switch to toggle the click/clickless aperture for videography usage.

Pricing & Availability

The ex-VAT retail price in US is USD $849.00. Pricing may vary in different countries. The first shipment is expected to commence in late November.

Laowa 10mm f/4.5-5.6 in Canon R / Nikon Z mounts will be released in a few months.