Venus Optics might just be the most creative lens maker at the moment, and its latest design again illustrates why. It’s a unique ultra-wideangle prime for APS-C mirrorless cameras that’s just an inch long and weighs a mere 120g. Available in Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Sony E, and L mounts, and in a choice of black or silver finishes, it costs a very palatable £339.
The firm describes it as ‘the world’s widest rectilinear pancake lens’, but this almost does it a disservice. It’s actually one of the widest-angle APS-C lenses around regardless of size, surpassed only by the larger, more expensive Laowa 9mm F2.8 Zero-D. It offers a huge 109° angle of view, equivalent to a 15mm lens on full frame, which should make it an interesting option for landscapes, interiors, and architecture. ‘Rectilinear’ means that it renders straight lines without distortion, unlike a fisheye lens.
Like all Laowa lenses, the 10mm f/4 is manual focus only. It also requires the aperture to be set using a ring on the lens barrel, rather than from the camera. But with a lens this wide used on mirrorless cameras, neither should be a deal-breaker. Let’s see how it performs.
Features
Given its slimline dimensions, the Laowa 10mm f/4 uses an impressively complex optical design. It squeezes elements arranged in eight groups into an optical unit that’s just 3cm long. This includes four elements made from extra-low dispersion (ED) glass and two from ultra-high refraction (UHR) glass, along with a pair of aspherical elements. The aim is to minimise distortion and chromatic aberration.
This story is from the August 23, 2022 edition of Amateur Photographer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 23, 2022 edition of Amateur Photographer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Canon finally opens up RF mount
SIGMA is releasing six APS-C lenses for Canon EOS RF mount, thus widening the choice of glass for Canon’s previously ‘closed’ RF system.
Tony Kemplen on the.Leidolf Lordomat
A camera made in Germany in the early 1950s and discovered at a charity shop
Stories from the heart
Kenyan fine art photographer Thandiwe Muriu has a gift that she was encouraged by her parents to explore from a young age.
Cameras big in Japan again
AFTER over a decade of bleak news about the key Japanese camera market, domestic research firm GfK Japan has reported positive growth for the first time in 13 years.
Shooting Shogun
What's it like to be the stills photographer on one of the biggest and best historical dramas on TV?
Handle with care
For his latest book, Fragile, Paul Hart has stepped away from the documentary approach of his previous projects into something more personal. Ailsa McWhinnie finds out more
Leica SL3
Leica's top-end mirrorless model gains a 60MP sensor, tilting screen, and significantly improved autofocus. Andy Westlake takes a detailed look
More DxO updates
EVER-INDUSTRIOUS French photo-editing specialist DxO has announced its latest batch of updates.
Budget Honor phone with 108MP camera
WITH the UK phone market dominated by Apple, Samsung and Google, other makers, notably from China, are jostling for a remaining slice of the pie.
Google AI editing tools free for more phones
MORE AI-based photo-editing tools will become available from 15 May, with Google announcing that its Magic Editor will be free to use on Android and iPhone handsets and many Chromebook laptops.