Laowa leaks a photo of a mystery lens – and the image hints at both zoom and autofocus. As a Sony shooter, I'm hoping for a 12-20mm

An image of a full-frame wide-angle zoom prototype by Laowa (Venus Optics) for Sony E-mount has appeared online but, with no focal length markings on the barrel, we’re left to speculate what the mystery model is.

The image making the rounds on rumor sites appears to have originated from Laowa founder Li Dayong on social media. The photo shows a lens on a full-frame camera, and while the aperture ring is labeled, the photo gives no hints as to the focal lengths. Interestingly, though, there are three rings suggesting aperture, focus, and zoom. Plus, there's a switch for manual to autofocus.

Laowa has autofocus lenses, but those optics are prime lenses. The leaked photo hinting at both zoom and autofocus comes as another Chinese lens brand, Thyooch, has teased its first autofocus zoom lens. As Chinese lens brands increase in popularity, the addition of a budget lens that has both zoom and autofocus could mark a significant milestone.

Interestingly, however, Photo Rumors published a story the same day highlighting a social media post, supposedly by Laowa, polling followers on what they’d like to see in a wide-angle f/2.8 zoom.

While I can’t confirm that the post’s creator is in fact Laowa and not just an enthusiast, they put forward some sensible ideas, which you can see below with translations following.

Poll translated to English

Title:
Ultra-wide fast zoom lenses — which would you choose?

Options:

12–24mm F2.8; bulbous front element, ¥12,000–15,000

12–20mm F2.8; supports 86mm flat filters, ¥8,000

14–24mm F2.8; supports 77mm flat filters, ¥6,000

16–35mm F2.8; supports 77mm flat filters, ¥6,000

I’d love to see a 12-20mm f/2.8 lens hit the shelves as this would bring not only something different to the full-frame market, but also added versatility; this focal length is typically reserved for prime lenses, with the main third-party options being the Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 and Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD.

However, 14-24mm is the go-to focal length for wide-angle FE lenses and is a zoom range that still has room for new fast glass entrants, which Laowa is likely to capitalize on.

You’ve got the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art, praised for sharpness and low distortion, and then the Samyang AF 14-24mm f/2.8 FE, which is more compact than the Sigma, but that’s about it.

Additionally, the 86mm filter thread required for the wider-angle 12-20mm f/2.8 Laowa prospect could be a gamble, and Laowa will surely want to test the waters with a surer bet featuring a 77mm filter thread first.

All we know so far about this Laowa prototype is what can be seen in the image, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for further updates.

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