Venus Add Leica Mount to 5 Lenses

2020.07.24

Venus Optics just added L-mount versions of 5 of their most popular lenses:

Laowa 10-18mm F/4.5-5.6 FE

Laowa 12mm F/2.8 Zero-D

Laowa 15mm F/2 Zero-D

Laowa 15mm F/4 Macro

Laowa 65mm F/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro

Laowa 100mm F/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro

The Laowa 10-18mm is actually the widest Full-Frame rectilinear zoom lens on the market and greatly expands wide-angle capabilities of the L-mount. Previously the widest angle-of-view came from the Sigma A 14-24mm F/2.8 DG DN which is a premium optic designed from the ground up for mirrorless cameras. Its maximum angle-of-view is 114°, while the Laowa 10-18mm F/4.5-5.6 FE can reach 130° wide.

A pair of Zero-D ultra-wide angle prime lenses, the Laowa 12mm F/2.8 Zero-D and 15mm F/2 Zero-D, are designed to have a rectilinear projections with no optical distortion so that it can perfectly capture architecture both indoors and outdoors. The 12mm is the second widest prime L-mount prime lens but captures 2-stops more light than the Laowa 9mm F/5.6 FF RL.

The 15mm F/4 Macro is a true macro lens and the only ultra-wide one is existence. Its 1X magnification and combined 110° viewing-angle literally captures a unique perspective. This lens is even more unique due to its dual-axis movement that allows shifting the focal-plane by up to 6mm. In fact, this is the only shift lens ever made for L-mount.

Venus Optics has exceptional macro lenses and is currently the only brand to offer comparable magnification to the Canon MP-E 65mm F/28 for EF-mount DSLR. The two macros adapted for L-mount do not quite match that particular Canon lens but surpass macro capabilities offered by all other first-party manufacturers. These are the Laowa 65mm F/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro and the Laowa 100mm F/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro. Both achieve the same 2X magnification while offering slightly different perspectives and working distances.

As with all their lenses, these are completely manual with a wide focus-ring for precise control and a dedicated aperture ring to control the iris. All these new mounts are available directly from Venus Optics.

• Lens