Venus Optics announced a pair of Fullframe E-mount lenses: Laowa FE 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 & 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO manual focus lenses.
The lenses will be shown at Venus Optics’ booth (T225) in Beijing P&E Imaging Fair May 3-6th. Both lenses are expected to ship in mid-late 2018, but exact shipping date and pricing are yet to be announced.
Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE Zoom Lens
Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE Zoom Lens is currently the widest zoom lens available for Sony fullframe E-mount cameras. Designed primarily for travel photography, Venus optics have managed to compress the size to smallest in its class, less than 10 inch (10cm) and only 1.1 pounds (500g). Its 130° to 102° angle of view provides flexibility for photographers to compose landscape or architecture photos.
The lens houses with 14 elements in 10 groups with 2 aspherical elements & 1 extra-low dispersion element to deliver exceptional performance. It can focus as close as 15cm for some mini-macro shooting. A rear filter slot is included to fit with 37mm filter. Click/clickless aperture can be toggled by the switch on the lens barrel.
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO joins the Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro as the second member of Laowa 2:1 macro line-up. This new 100mm lens can cover fullframe sensor size and focus from 2:1 magnification to infinity. The wide magnification range allows macro photographers to capture subject at any sizes.
This 100mm portrait lens also features an apochromatic (APO) characteristic that no chromatic aberration can be found. The 12 elements in 10 groups optics design delivers a crystal sharpness image in both macro and tele distances. Available in Canon EF, Nikon AI, Pentax K & Sony FE mount.
Order Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Zoom Lens from B&H Photo | Venus Optics
Order Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens from B&H Photo | Venus Optics
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6 thoughts on “Venus Optics Announces Laowa FE 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 & 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lenses”
Widest for Sony – NOT!!!! Homework time!!! The Voigtlander 10mm f/5.6 and it is chipped and SMALLER and NiSi makes a 150mm filter holder. Yes it is manual focus but stars are sharp as a tack at a 50 sec. exposure which makes up for the f/5.6 part but shooting at the NPF SS of 37 sec. not a star trail one and it will do a perfect at 18 sec. with the A7RM2 and the A7S even better at NPF 49 sec and 24 sec. Also the Voigtlander 12mm and 15mm all chipped and made for the Sony E mount. And the earlier 12mm (not chipped [2015 and used Voigtlander Sony adapter) you can put filters on (do not recommend polarizer due to wideness of sky in a frame). But I used the 12 back in 2015 and the 10 in 2017 and the APS-C SEL1018 that can be used from 12 to 18mm (18 if you remove the inside light shield), Yes it is soft at the sides and vignetting purple in corners during astro Milky Way shots. Also the SEL1224G f/4!!!! Enough History!!!
WHY a FULL FRAME 10 to 18mm the same for a 12 to 24mm for that awesome landscape without doing a panoramic shot, yes the center is further away than a 90mm pano but clear and sharp and fits a regular frame. Ok for those indoor shots caves/buildings/rooms – All owners of hotel/houses/rental rooms like bigger looking rooms, before photographers used fisheye lenses that needed software to correct or did indoor pano’s. Go into a huge colorful church no more tilting up (always keep a your camera level indoors). With a 10mm or 12mm you get your peripheral vision in the shot (hold your hands thumbs up out to your sides bring forward looking straight and when you see both ALL of that area will be in the shot but also it will be the same top to bottom), so wide vistas atop a building or cliff sunrise/sets. You have a huge lonely tree you can stand 10 yards away get the tree and a thumb to thumb scene behind. You can stand in front of a crowd in front of a huge statue get it all in without anyone in the frame. Just keep the camera level and no polarizer filters. And even at f/5.6 or f/4.5 they are good at night city shots even getting a sharp moon over head (another story).
very good review of a 10mm with photos
https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-voigtlander-10mm-5-6-e-hyper-wide-heliar/
Ed, slow down partner and read it again: “Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE Zoom Lens is currently the widest zoom lens available for Sony fullframe E-mount cameras.”
Ok!! I was too fast!!! I was looking at the 10mm but you are right ZOOM! But for Sony and travel a two lens bag (two camera) SEL1224G and the SEL24240. But the Voigtlander 10mm is like a candy bar in your pocket like an old film lens but chipped. I can carry all in a photo vest (look a little dorky)! But I will say a 10mm is awesome to have in your bag no matter how it comes, but learn how to use and what to shoot, It is not about getting it all in but the subject matter!!!
Just an add for a first time user, double check your horizon, just a little off can ruin a great shot! And a ocean/horizon is not straight across in a peripheral wide shot, a little dip (not the lens correction problem but the earth).
I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere, so I’m wondering if the lens transmits its focal length, aperture and possibly focus distance to the camera to include it in the EXIF data? If not, there won’t be automatic correction for geometric distortion and I guess I’ll find the amount of geometric distortion intolerable.
Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE Zoom Lens will have no electric contact points but the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO is one they are working on to add to there lenses this is to be the first for Sony FE cameras