Venus Optics has introduced the Laowa 15mm F4.5 Zero-D shift lens to its full-frame still lineup. The company claims it's the widest shift lens available, and to the best of our knowledge in the full-frame world, it does take the crown.
The shift amount is ±11mm for full-frame cameras, and if you're shooting medium format, say the Fujifilm GFX series, it's ±8mm.
Shift lenses are unique as they allow you to change the position of the image circle so that lines can appear straighter in the frame. The lenses are ideal for architecture photography, but they can be a unique choice for video, especially with walk-and-talks in a city.
Credit: Danny Kwan
The 15mm F4.5 Zero-D has a 5-blade aperture design, so expect a 10-point sunstar and somewhat rounded bokeh. Laowa says it's added a new lens coating with this Zero-D lens to improve chromatic aberration, flaring, and ghosting. Just how much of an improvement that is is still unknown. Better yet, the lens has a 360° rotation function with clicks every 15° to maximize the shift adjustment. The lens also touts a minimum focusing distance of 7.8" (20 cm) for macro-like shots.
Laowa's 15mm F4.5 Zero-D is available in Canon EF, RF, Nikon F, Z, and Sony E mount. It's priced at $1199. Availability varies based on the mount.
Canon EF and Nikon F will arrive in November. Canon RF, Nikon Z, and Sony E will ship in February 2021.
