Venus Optics, LAOWA’s parent company, has launched a full-frame tilt-shift lens with an unusually bright maximum aperture. The LAOWA FF II TS 24mm f/2 C-Dreamer is currently available only in Asia, though a wider release should follow.
What’s a tilt-shift lens?
A tilt-shift lens lets you change the orientation or position of the optics relative to your sensor. Tilting angles the lens so the focal plane sits at something other than parallel to the sensor. Shifting moves it up, down or side to side across the camera body.
Architecture shooters use the shift function to correct converging verticals. The tilt function has a more playful use, since angling the focal plane can make a real scene look like a miniature model.
Optical design
Inside are 13 elements in 10 groups. That count includes five ED (extra-low dispersion) elements, two aspherical elements and four made from high-refractive-index glass. Venus Optics says the arrangement controls wide-angle distortion, chromatic aberration and flare.
Minimum focus distance is about 9.8 inches (250 mm).
Tilt-shift features
Tilt runs to plus or minus 10 degrees, which is what you’ll use to swing the focal plane for depth of field control or the miniature effect. Shift reaches plus or minus 12mm, enough to straighten the verticals on a building shot from street level.
A 360-degree rotating tail rounds things out. You can switch between horizontal and vertical orientation without rotating the camera itself, which helps when stitching panoramas from multiple frames.
Wide maximum aperture
The f/2 maximum aperture is what separates this lens from most tilt-shift options, which typically stop at f/3.5 or slower. It buys you low-light headroom and shallower depth of field than the category usually offers. A 14-blade iris keeps out-of-focus areas smooth and round.
Build
The lens measures about 4.7 inches (119 mm) long. A metal body pushes the weight past 30 ounces (860 g), which is substantial for a 24 mm. It’s fully manual, with control rings for focus and aperture, and takes 77 mm filters.
Lens mounts
Mount options cover Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and Panasonic L. The image circle also extends beyond full frame, so Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD versions are available for medium-format bodies.
What we think
Tilt-shift lenses are specialist tools, and most video shooters won’t reach for one often. For anyone who does, the f/2 aperture makes this one worth a look, since no other tilt-shift lens at this focal length opens as wide.
That aperture does mean carrying 30 ounces of glass. The pricing softens the blow, though. At roughly $1,140, it undercuts the first-party tilt-shift options from Canon and Nikon by a wide margin.
Pricing and availability
The LAOWA FF II TS 24mm f/2 C-Dreamer sells in China for 7,650 yuan, around $1,140 at current rates.
