Venus Optics unveiled three new ultra-wide cine lenses

Venus Optics unveiled three new ultra-wide cine lenses for cameras with different sensor sizes. They are the Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine for Micro Four Thirds cameras, Laowa 9mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine for Super35 cameras, and the Laowa 15mm T2.1 Zero-D Cine Lens for full-frame cameras. All three lenses feature the same optical system as their photography version and offer premium optical performance. They have also been built with robust cinema lens housings up to industry standards.

All three Laowa cine lenses feature an ultra-wide angle of view and fast aperture. The Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 features a 110° FoV on MFT while the 9mm T2.9 features a 113° on Super35 sensors. The 15mm T2.1 instead features a 110° FoV on cameras with full-frame sensors. The fast maximum t-stop is well suited for filming under low-light conditions. It also allows filmmakers to have more flexibility in depth of field control.

Both the 9mm and 15mm feature the distinguishing Laowa close-to-zero distortion (Zero-D) design where the optical distortion at infinity distance has been compressed to the minimal, the company says. Both 7.5mm and 9mm weigh close to 0.5 lbs (226g). The 15mm is a little bit heavier due to the larger coverage but Venus Optics still manages to compress it to around 1.2 lbs (540g).

Venus Optics says the major difference between the new cinema version and the still version is the improved housing. The new cinema lens housing has 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. The entire lens body is made by premium-grade aluminum. An authentic hard case made by Pelican will be included with the lens to allow filmmakers to travel around for shooting with ease.

The Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine is available in Micro Four Thirds mount and it is a perfect companion to cameras like Blackmagic Pocket 4K, Panasonic GH5 and Z-Cam E2

The 9mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine is available in Fuji X, Sony E mount and Micro Four Thirds mount.

The 15mm T2.1 Zero-D Cine is designed for large format sensor with Sony FE mount available. It is best suited with Sony full-frame cameras like Sony A7 series and FX9.

The US price for 7.5mm T2.1 and 9mm T2.9 is $599/pc and 15mm T2.1 is $1,199/pc. Pricing varies in different countries.