Venus Optics Announced New Laowa Cine Lenses for Micro Four Thirds
Chinese lens manufacturer Venus Optics has introduced a new range of four cinema lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system. Three of the lenses are rehoused versions of existing focal lengths, while the new 6mm T2.1 becomes the widest rectilinear focal length for the mount. The existing 7.5mm T2.1 is joined by the new 6mm T2.1, 17mm T2.1, 17mm T1.9 and 50mm T2.9. Also new are two dedicated bundles with three lenses each.
All four new Laowa cine primes are fully manual, cover m4/3 sensors, feature 0.8mod geared rings and impressively low minimum focus distances.
Laowa 6mm T2.1 Zero-D MFT Cine
The widest rectilinear MFT lens: Laowa 6mm T2.1 Zero-D MFT Cine is exclusively designed for Micro Four Thirds cameras, providing the widest rectilinear option for MFT shooters. With a 121.9° angle of view, users are able to shoot in tight space and capture more details in the shot. The closest focusing distance i.e. 9cm/ 3.54” creates a stronger background bokeh effect. The constant maximum t-stop T2.1 is also favorable and flexible to shoot under low-light conditions.
“Zero-Distortion”: The newly devised optical design contains 13 elements in 3 groups with two aspherical glasses, controlling distortion while keeping it ultra wide. This lens is awarded the “Zero-Distortion” badge that is one of the best choices for filming in tight space and buildings. Moreover, it saves the time of correction in post-production.
Extremely short focusing distance: The shortest focusing distance is 9cm/ 3.54” which is favorable in creating shallower depth-of-field when shooting close-ups and that helps create stronger background bokeh effect.
Small and compact: Laowa 6mm T2.1 Zero-D MFT Cine is a tiny and light lens suitable for several uses, like with gimals, handheld, FPV drones etc. The lens weighs around 180g/ 6.35oz and it is measured to be ~Φ61 x 53mm/ 2.40 x 2.08”. The standard 58mm filter thread for mounting screw-in filters brings convenience and places less burden on outdoor filming.
Laowa 10mm T2.1 Zero-D MFT Cine
Outstanding image quality with Zero-Distortion: Laowa 10mm f/2 Zero-D has been one of the best sellers in the Laowa Micro Four Thirds photo lens range. It is rehoused into Laowa 10mm T2.1 Zero-D MFT Cine with 0.8 mod gears. It features a 96° angle of view on the MFT sensor, providing a wide and unique perspective. The lens is designed with a sublime optical distortion control. The 11 elements in 7 groups optical design includes 2 pieces of ED glasses and 2 pieces of aspherical glasses that control the distortion and color fringing to the minimum.
Small and compact: Extreme compact (Φ56 x 47mm / 2.20 x 1.85” and 150g / 5.29oz) is the conspicuous character of this lens since it is the smallest in the range. Despite the tiny size, the lens is still able to use a Φ49mm screw-in filter which allows quick installation and remain lightweight. The size makes it handy to be filmed with a gimbal and become the favorite of many drone pilots.
Laowa 17mm T1.9 MFT Cine
A handy lens with versatile focal length: The Laowa 17mm T1.9 MFT Cine is a high-speed compact lens with a 65° field of view on a Micro Four Thirds sensor. Constant T1.9 maximum t-stop allows users to shoot in low light conditions. You can easily separate your subject from the background. Apart from the aperture, a 15mm/5.9″ minimum focus distance is also very useful for shooting close-ups and creating a shallow depth of field.
Small and Compact: Weighed around 175g /6.17oz with a tiny body size i.e. Φ56 x 53mm (2.20 x 2.08”), this lens fits well with smaller MFT cinema cameras for any style of shooting.
Laowa 50mm T2.9 Macro APO MFT Cine
Up to 2x Magnification Macro lens: Laowa 50mm T2.9 Macro APO MFT Cine is equipped with 2x magnification that can be rarely found in the market. More details and objects with even smaller sizes can be easily captured. It can also focus from 2X macro to infinity which can serve as a portrait lens. Very useful for shooting b-rolls and products commercial as well.
Apochromatic optical (APO) design: An apochromatic (APO) design has been adopted that controls the color fringing to the minimum. It greatly improves the sharpness and clarity of images.
Small and Compact: Weighed around 289g/ 10.19oz with a tiny body size i.e. Φ58 x 83mm (2.28 x 3.26”), this lens is super light and handy compared with other macro lenses in the market.
All four new lenses are available now and pricing is as follows:
Laowa 6mm T2.1 Zero-D MFT Cine: $699
Laowa 10mm T2.1 Zero-D MFT Cine: $549
Laowa 17mm T1.9 MFT Cine: $399
Laowa 50mm T2.9 Macro APO MFT Cine: $549
Along with the release of these four new prime lenses, Laowa is also offering two dedicated bundels which come with a hard case:
Laowa MFT Cine Prime 3-Lens (Wide & Macro) – 10mm, 17mm, 50mm: $1,350
Laowa MFT Cine Prime 3-Lens Wide Bundle – 7.5mm, 10mm, 17mm: $1,450
More info on Venus Optics’ website.
