Venus Optics has launched Laowa 14mm f/4 Zero-D lens for full-frame DSLRs. The mirrorless version of the lens was launched last year, but now the design has been reconfigured to suit the longer back-focus requirements of Canon and Nikon DSLRs. As the name suggests, the lens creates a near-distortion-free image from a lens with an superwide angle of view.
Costing $499, the manual-focus lens offers an impressively short 14.5cm minimum focusing distance makes macro-like images possible – but the focal length will make the lens appeal most to landscape and architectural photographers.
The newly developed 13 elements in 10 groups optical design for the 14mm f/4 has two extra-low dispersion elements and two pieces of aspherical glasses to eliminate the color fringing and distortion. The lens has five aperture blades, which create crisp 10-point sunstars from specular highlights, when stopped down.
The new Laowa 14mm f/4 is the first lens in the Zero-D range to get a focusing scale adjustment system. This feature allows easy focus calibration against users’ own cameras - allowing you to set the infinity point precisely on the infinity mark - which should be particularly helpful for astrophotography.
Laowa 14mm f/4 Zero-D specs
Mount: Canon EF, Nikon F
Full frame: Yes
Autofocus: No
Image stabilization: No
Lens construction: 13 elements in 10 groups
Angle of view: 114°
Diaphragm blades: 5
Minimum focusing distance: 0.145m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.3x
Filter size: 67mm
Dimensions: 72.5 x 75mm (Canon), 72.5 x 73mm (Nikon)
Weight: 360g (Canon), 320g (Nikon)
Laowa 14mm f/4 Zero-D sample images
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