Venus Optics unveiled 3 new ultra-wide cine lenses (7.5mm, 9mm, and 15mm) for Micro Four Thirds, Super 35, and Full-frame cinema cameras respectively. The main characteristics are Compact size, zero-distortion, and affordability. Read more below.
New ultra-wide cine lenses
Venus Optics presets three new ultra-wide cine lenses for cameras with different sensor sizes. Meet the Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine for Micro Four Thirds cameras, Laowa 9mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine for Super35 cameras, and the Laowa 15mm T2.1 Zero-D Cine Lens for large format (full-frame) cameras. All three lenses feature the same optical system as their popular photography version (rehoused) and offer solid optical performance.
Ultra-wide FoV & fast aperture
All three Laowa cine lenses feature an ultra-wide angle of view and fast aperture. The Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 features a 110° FoV on MFT while the 9mm T2.9 features a 113° on Super35 sensors. The 15mm T2.1 instead features a 110° FoV on cameras with full-frame sensors.
Close-to-zero distortion
Both the 9mm and 15mm feature the distinguishing Laowa close-to-zero distortion (Zero-D) design where the optical distortion at infinity distance has been compressed to the minimal. This is extremely important for motion picture recording when shooting indoor, architecture, or footage with straight lines included. This also saves a tremendous amount of time in distortion correction in post-processing. Explore the slide below that demonstrates the advantages of minimal-zero distortion when shooting wide-angle.
Compact & lightweight
All three wide-angle prime lenses are compact and lightweight. Both 7.5mm and 9mm weigh close to 0.5 lbs (226g). The 15mm is a little bit heavier due to the larger coverage (around 1.2 lbs – 540g). On the contrary to the huge and heavy wide-angle lenses in the market, the new Laowa cine lenses are extremely handy for run-and-gun productions, shooting with gimbals, in-car shots, indoor scene, etc.
Close Focusing Distance – Shallow DOF on wide-angle shots
All three Laowa cine lenses possess an extremely close focusing distance. This provides a great deal of flexibility for directors to compose shots at any distance. Filmmakers can also take advantage of this close focusing to create some wide-angle shots with shallower depth of field. Both the Laowa 7.5mm and 9mm can focus as close as 4.7” (12cm) from the sensor to subject while the 15mm can focus up to 5.9” (15cm).
Rehoused photo lens: Click-less and enhanced build
Those lenses are rehoused version of their photo twins. Both the aperture and focus rings have been built with industry-standard 0.8 mod pitch gears for pairing up with follow-focus motors. The aperture ring is now click-less for smooth iris control. Every one of Laowa cine lenses comes with a filter thread for filmmakers to use screw-in filters and mini matte-boxes. The entire lens body is made by premium grade aluminum and build for usage in an extreme environment.
Future compatibility: RED Komodo and Canon R5
According to Venus Optics, new Nikon Z, Canon RF, and Leica L mount will be introduced later this year to be compatible with RED Komodo, Canon R5, Nikon Z6/Z7, Sigma FP, Panasonic S1H and more to come.
Pricing & Availability
All three cine lenses are currently available to purchase via Venus Optics’ official website and authorized resellers. The US price for 7.5mm T2.1 and 9mm T2.9 is $599/pc (ex-VAT) and 15mm T2.1 is $1,199/pc (ex- VAT).
Picture quality
Check out the video below which demonstrates the potential of the full-frame option. Shot with the 15mm cine lens on the Sony a7iii.
Wrapping up
That’s a piece of great news for filmmakers, especially those who like the super-wide full-frame look and cine options without breaking the bank. The new Laowa wide-angle cine lenses are made mainly for indie shooters that use mirrorless cameras on a gimbal and want to control their focus with a dedicated engine. Furthermore, the close focusing and zero distortion characteristics allow wide-angle and cinematic shots followed by a beautiful bokeh.
What are your thoughts about the new Laowa wide-angle cine lenses? Share with us your insights in the comment section below!
Excellent lenses and the video I love. Everything’s all right, transitions, colour grading, camera gestures. Will a follow focus system use the stabilizer on this manual focus lens?
Just an FYI.. the “other wide angle lens” image shown, while actually, yes, another wide angle lens, is from a smartphone. That’s a shot, I believe, from a LG G6 ultrawide camera, which is about an 11mm in full-frame terms, and not a rectilinear lens. Most recent smartphones do software de-fisheye of their ultrawide shots, but LG was with the first with this kind of camera on a phone.