Venus Optics unveiled 3 new Ultra Wide cinema lenses for Canon RF mount cameras
Perfect wide angle options for Red Komodo, Canon R5/R6 and Canon C70
Anhui China, Sept 28, 2020 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer specialized in making unique camera lenses, added the Canon RF mount option to 3 of their new ultra-wide cinema lenses. They are the Laowa 9mm T2.9 Zero-D , Laowa 15mm T2.1 Zero-D Cine Lens and Laowa 12mm T2.9 Zero-D. All three lenses feature the same optical system as the rest of the mounts and with the same close-to-zero distortion (Zero-D) design. They are also built with robust cinema lenses housing. The new RF variants will be a very interesting wide angle option for Red Komodo, Canon EOS R5 / R6 and the new Canon C70 cinema cameras.
Ultra-wide FoV & fast aperture
All three Laowa cine lenses feature an ultra-wide angle of view and fast aperture. The 9mm T2.9 features an approximate 113° FoV on Super35 sensors while the 15mm T2.1 and 12mm T2.9 feature a 110° and 122° FoV respectively on cameras with full frame sensors. The fast maximum t-stop is well suited for filming under low light condition. It also allows filmmakers to have more flexibility in depth of field control.
Close-to-zero distortion
All 3 lenses feature the distinguishing Laowa close-to-zero distortion (Zero-D) design where the optical distortion at infinity distance has been compressed to the minimal. This is extremely important for motion picture recording when shooting indoor, architecture or footage with straight lines included. This also saves tremendous amount of time in distortion correction in post processing. Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited (Venus Optics) Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.venuslens.net/
Compact & lightweight
All three wide angle prime lenses are extremely compact and lightweight. The 9mm weigh only 0.5 lbs (226g). The 15mm is around 1.2 lbs (540g) and the 12mm is around 1.49 lbs (675g). On the contrary to the huge and heavy wide angle lenses in the market, the new Laowa cine lenses are extremely handy for run-and-gun productions, shooting with gimbals, FPVs, in-car shots, aerial videography, underwater videography etc.
Close Focusing Distance
All three Laowa cine lenses possess an extremely close focusing distance. This provides a great deal of flexibility for directors to compose shots at any distance. Filmmakers can also take advantage of this close focusing to create some wide angle shots with shallower depth of field. The 9mm can focus as close as 4.7” (12cm) while the 12mm can focus up to 7.09” (18cm), from sensor to subject. The 15mm instead can focus up to 5.9” (15cm).
Industry standard cinema lens housing
The major difference between the new cinema version and the still version is the improved housing. The new cinema lens housing have been designed with details to facilitate filmmakers to shoot with ease. Both the aperture and focus rings have been built with industry standard 0.8 mod pitch gears for pairing up with follow-focus motors. The aperture ring is now click-less for smooth iris control. Every one of Laowa cine lenses comes with a filter thread for filmmakers to use screw-in filters and mini matte-boxes. Entire lens body is made by premium grade aluminum and build for usage in extreme environment.
Hassel-free transportation
An authentic hard case made by Pelican will be included with the lens to allow filmmakers to travel around for shooting with ease.
A variety of mount options
The 9mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine is also available in Fuji X, Sony E mount and Micro Four Thirds mount.
The 15mm T2.1 Zero-D Cine is also available in Sony FE mount.
The 12mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine is also available in EF, PL, Sony FE mount.
Laowa Wide Angle Cine Lenses line-up
Venus Optics currently offer four wide angle cine lenses for cinema cameras with different sensor sizes.
Pricing & Availability
All three cine lenses are currently available to purchase via Venus Optics official website (http://www.venuslens.net/) and authorized resellers. The US price for 9mm T2.9 is $599/pc (ex-VAT), $1,199/pc (ex-VAT) for 15mm T2.1 and $1,499/pc (ex-VAT) for 12mm T2.9. Pricing varies in different countries.
| Specifications 9mm T2.9 Zero-D | 15mm T2.1 Zero-D | 12mm T2.9 Zero-D | |
| Focal Length | 9 mm | 15mm | 12mm |
| Max. Aperture | T2.9 | T2.1 | T2.9 |
| T-Stop | 2.9-22 | 2.1-22 | 2.9-22 |
| Angle of View (Approx.) | 113o (Super35) | 110o | 122 o |
| Format Compatibility | Super 35 | Full Frame | Full Frame |
| Image Circle | 28mm | 43.3mm | 46.7mm |
| Lens Structure | 15 Elements in 10 Groups | 12 Elements in 9 Groups | 16 elements in 10 Groups |
| Iris Blade | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| Min. Focusing Distance | 12 cm | 15 cm | 18 cm |
| Filter Thread | 55 mm | 77 mm | 95 mm |
| Front Diameter | 58 mm | 80 mm | 100 mm |
| Focus Mode | Manual Focus | Manual Focus | Manual Focus |
| Dimension (W x H) | 62.4 x 54 mm | 84.8 x 91.2 mm | 105 x 100mm |
| Weight | 247 g | 540 g | 675g |
| Mount | Canon RF, M43, Fuji X, Sony E | Canon RF, Sony FE | Canon RF, Canon EF, PL, Sony FE |
| Price (Ex. VAT) | US $599 | US $1,199 | US $1,499 |
Product Page
9mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine: https://www.venuslens.net/product/0929cine/
15mm T2.9 FE Zero-D Cine: https://www.venuslens.net/product/1521cine/
12mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine: https://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-12mm-t-2-9-zero-d-cine/
Sample Footage (Some footages were NOT taken with the RF mount)
9mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQB9jBaMj98
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCkDFC2UFkk
15mm T2.1 FE Zero-D Cine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJL3WeTPiDM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enFxwbEB6tg
12mm T2.9 FE Zero-D Cine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLf9OIsBgN4
About Us
Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited (Venus Optics) is a new Chinese camera lens manufacturer based in Hefei, Anhui. We currently manufacture and distribute camera lenses under the brand name of ‘Laowa’.
For more information about Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited and our products information, visit http://www.venuslens.net/
