Venus Optics Launches Vista Vision Cine Lenses

2025.03.25

Earlier today, Venus Optics released four new cinematography lenses for an entirely new series. These models bare the Laowa name and are labelled VV for Vista Vision, a new imaging format that is slightly wider than Full-Frame. For photographers, the new series handles Full-Frame imaging with no less than four mounts available.

These new lenses are completely manual prime lenses with a gear system to be driven externally for both focus and aperture. The one standout offering is the Laowa 9mm T/5.8 VV Cine that produces the widest rectilinear field-of-view of any lens every made! With its short 9mm focal-length, it captures an expansive 135° angle. This optics is made extremely compact by having the dimmest aperture of any ultra-wide lens, not even F/5.6. Focus is possible, always manually, down to 12cm, providing a 0.21X maximum magnification.

All three other lenses share more in common. The widest is the Laowa 10mm T/2.9 Zero-D VV Cine, also a new rectilinear lens with an extremely wide angle of view. It captures an incredible 130° field-of-view. This is slightly less than the 9mm prime above yet allows for a significantly bright T/2.9 maximum aperture plus support for front screw-on filters. This and the other lenses below all accept standard 77mm filters. With a slightly less wide focal-length and the same 12cm focus-distance, its maximum magnification is 0.24X. Note the Zero-D naming for this and the next two lenses. It marks an optical design created to produce virtually no distortion.

The third model is a revised version of another Venus Optics lens. The new formula allowed this lens to be made lighter than previous models, earning it the Lite name label. It is similar in weight to the 10mm launched today. This new lens is the Laowa 12mm T/2.9 Lite Zero-D VV Cine. This is still an extremely wide lens, only with a focal-length that is more common. It captes a 122° view-of-view while focusing down to 14cm to reach a 0.21X maximum magnification. Its construction makes it comparatively light yet its optics are still worthy of the Zero-D label.

The final new lens is the Laowa 14mm T/2.6 Zero-D VV Cine. Again this prime lens qualifies as an ultra-wide lens with a 118° field-of-view. This is the least wide of the group which allows it to be marginally brighter. It can focus at 20cm from the focal-plane for a 0.15X magnification. The extra reach and brightness make this lens the heaviest in the group.

For some reason, Venus Optics fitted this model with a 15-blade aperture, while all other VV Cine lenses have 14-blade apertures.

All new Venus Optics lenses come in Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and Leica L mounts, plus the Cinema specific ARRI PL or LPL mount. These lens are priced nearly uniformly with a $1500 USD launch price for all except the 10mm T/2.9 which costs $1700 USD. All these lenses are expected to be available shortly.

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