Venus Optics’ Upcoming Tilt-Shift Lens
Venus Optics has another Laowa tilt-shift lens on the way, and this one is a little unusual because of just how bright it is. The upcoming Laowa T/S 24mm f/2 is more than a stop faster than the 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift lenses Canon and Nikon have offered in the past. That is a pretty big difference for this kind of lens, especially when you are working in lower light. It could also make the 24mm useful for more than the usual architecture, interior and product photography, with the f/2 aperture making things like astrophotography possible.
Inside, the lens uses 13 elements in 10 groups, including five ED, two aspherical and four high-refractive-index elements, along with a 14-blade aperture. You get ±12mm of shift and ±10 degrees of tilt, while the lens mount itself can also rotate, so you can change the direction of those movements without having to reposition the whole camera. It is not exactly a lightweight lens at 860g, but it does take regular 77mm front filters.
Laowa will offer the 24mm f/2 for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and L-Mount full-frame cameras, as well as Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD medium-format systems. Importantly, the full tilt and shift ranges are reportedly still available on the medium-format versions, rather than being reduced because of the larger sensor. And while Venus Optics has not officially launched the lens internationally yet, it is already on sale in China. The official Chinese price is RMB 7,650, or roughly $1,140, although international pricing could end up being different once taxes, tariffs and regional pricing are taken into account. For comparison, Laowa’s existing 17mm f/4 Zero-D Tilt-Shift costs $1,249. A global announcement for the Laowa T/S 24mm f/2 is expected very soon.
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