Ever since launching its brand of Laowa lenses back in 2013 with the introduction of the 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro, Venus Optics has been growing in popularity as a company that specializes in unique focal lengths at an affordable price. The China-based premium lens manufacturer confirmed rumors that it's developing four new lenses in a recent press release ahead of Beijing's P&E Imaging Fair. The 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE zoom, a 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO, a 17mm f/4 GFX Zero-D and a 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye MFT are expected to ship later this year. Let's break 'em down.
Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE zoom
Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE zoom
Small, light, and wide, the 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE zoom is made for Sony full-frame E-mount cameras. Weighing 1.1 lbs and less than 10-inches in length, it features a 102° (18mm) to 130° (10mm) angle of view. The lens is comprised of 14 elements in 10 groups with 2 aspherical elements and 1 extra-low dispersion elements. Close focus is 15 cm and a rear filter slot is included to fit 37mm filters. The manual lens has a clickless aperture that can be toggled by a switch on the lens barrel.
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO
Macro put Laowa on the map and it's following up the aforementioned 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro with a 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro. The lens will cover full-frame sensors and focus from 2:1 magnification to infinity. 12 elements in 10 groups provide the optical performance and the company mentions it "delivers crystal sharpness image in both macro and tele distances. The new manual focus macro will be available for Sony FE , Canon EF, Nikon AI and Pentax K mounts.
Laowa 17mm F4 GFX Zero-D
Laowa 17mm f/4 GFX Zero-D
Those shooting Fujifilm G-mount cameras may be happy to see a 17mm f/4 lens. Its the fourth focal length in the Zero-D line featuring "close-to-zero distortion." The optics include 21 elements in 14 groups with 2 aspherical and 3 extra-low dispersion elements to control distortion and chromatic aberrations. The company says it has a field of view equivalent to 13mm in 35mm format (113°). The manual focus lens features an 86mm filter thread.
Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye MFT
Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye MFT
Need field of view? The Laowa 4mm f/2.8 fisheye touts a 210° viewing angle and is said to create a "unique circular fisheye" field of view on micro four third cameras Creating 360° panoramas with the ultra-wide lens will be effortless. It weighs 0.3 pounds (135g).
Pricing and exact availability is yet to be confirmed.
