Venus Optics Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D Ultrawide-Angle Lens Promises ‘Close-to-Zero’ Distortion
The widest rectilinear f/2.8 lens in the land
![Venus Optics Laowa 12mm Distortion-Free Wide Angle Lens](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/WEE2B7VIV5ZXPGFBPEMA55WYIE.jpg?auto=webp&width=785&height=523.97216796875)
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With most wide-angle lenses, distortion is a way of life. Warped edges and a bulging center are often byproducts of a wide field of view, but Venus Optics created its new Laowa 12mm f/2.8 lens with a promise of “close-to-zero” distortion. This full-frame (35mm format) lens will be available in mounts for a variety of popular DSLRs and mirrorless interchangeable-lens compact (ILC) camera systems.
The 12mm lens covers a 122-degree angle of view, which Venus claims makes it the widest rectilinear lens with an f/2.8 maximum aperture. The optical formula includes 16 elements in 10 groups, with three Extra-Low Dispersion elements and two aspherical elements. Despite all that glass, it weighs in at 1.34 pounds.
![Venus Optics Laowa 12mm Distortion-Free Wide Angle Lens](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/XFL5MMTMDW26CZJNU7OO7XYQBY-1024x684.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
The lens is currently in Kickstarter mode and you can currently (as of the time of this post) get one for a pre-order price of $899. Once the early-bird deals are over, the price moves up to the retail price of $949. It’s available for Canon EF, Nikon AF, Pentax K, and Sony A and E mounts.
![Venus Optics Laowa 12mm Distortion-Free Wide Angle Lens](https://www.popphoto.com/uploads/2019/01/17/KTZWGB6UBOLYXLZCE3WDHQZ6VA-1024x683.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
There’s actually a pretty great selection of technical information available on the Kickstarter page, so if you’re curious about how this thing actually works, it’s worth checking out. We’re looking forward to getting a production model in to the Popular Photography Test Lab to see how well it lives up to its claims.