@Nich Gregory yup, you're right, like he mentioned a little bit, I'm not sure it's possible for actually "zero" distortion this wide, BUT compared to any other ultra wide glass, this seems to limit that distortion and curve extremely well. The bathroom segment I think showed this really well.
@Nich Gregory You will always get some distortion even on the most expensive of lenses at these wide focal lengths (even the ones priced like a new sports car) cos you know physics and stuff. But normally for a lens of this price you would have massive fisheye distortion. But fisheye is a thing as well and sometimes a great effect.
I have 2 because of a certain situation. So I am trying to sell one. Don't need 2 obviously. Is brand new and up for sale on Ebay for slightly cheaper if interested. www.ebay.com/itm/312532885137
This Laowa 12mm 2.8 is simply amazing. I purchased it originally for my Nikon D850. Now, I am on a Sony A7R4 and it works like a charme adapted. I use it currently for Landscape work on Iceland, it is super sharp and manual focus is not any issue (in Landscape). Highly recommended for this prices. I hope to see more lenses at this level from Venus Optics.
Count, I have used the Canon 11-24mm f4 and I understand why realestate togs are switching to Canon to use it, it is just that good. You miss out on all that flare with the Canon though.
Do you think the type of lens you use will affect the perspective of the personality of the subject? I started to believe that a wider lense makes you look a more approachable person than a glamorous 50mm, any toughs?
That lens is insane. Although I'd always be at least arms length from it when shooting. Any closer and it starts to make your head look like it's being squeezed.
This manual focus Laowa 12mm f2.8 sells for $949 which is not cheap. Sony has the excellent zoom autofocus Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G Lens which sells for about $1600. on sale. The Sony has far more versatility. It has super quiet Direct Drive SSM autofocus system which works great on stills and video. Additionally, it has far better construction, has a Nano AR Coating applied to individual elements to reduce surface reflections, flare, and ghosting for greater contrast and color fidelity. Sony also has dust- and moisture-sealed design which Laowa does not. Yes the Sony is more expensive but you get so much more and the resale value remains strong. Sony gives you super value for money with this 12-24mm f/4 zoom.
I do real estate photography from time to time. I usually use 16-35 Zeiss and I ALWAYS have to change the converging verticals. Your video in the bathroom was pretty impressive
I absolutely love this lens! I think it’s a great add on for cameras that have a crop. Also because of the zero distortion I use it for my real estate shoots every time.
Some of the reasons that cameras with interchangeable lenses will survive from smartphones are the ultra wide lenses, the low high ISO noise of bigger sensors and the shallow depth of field of bright telephoto lenses. The ultra wide lenses offer a unique perspective that is immediately obvious. The better dynamic range, higher sharpens or low noise isn't always distinguishable with the very compressed photos of social networks.
I have one I bought used off an Emirates pilot. Got it for $539 and it was barely used. Totally dig my 12mm for interior and gimbal work. I even use a ken burns effect for a dolly zoom look. Thanks for another great video. Ry from Dubai
Put it on a shift converter on an APSc camera and you have a very nice shift lens that covers the format easily. The downside is that depth of focus (the lenses ability to focus an image on the sensor) is super-narrow, so you need a shift converter with almost no play on the movements. Oh, and the lens is quite heavy and the front lens cap keeps falling off. Great lens.
It's even more amazing than this video shows. The 12mm Zero-D lens completely covers the RED Monstro 8K VV sensor, providing a 119 degree field of view. That's W-I-D-E !-!
There is a difference between geometric distortion (barrel or pincushion) and perspective distortion. Geometric distortion is relevant to the optical quality of the lens which varies. The perspective distortion is relevant to the angle of view. With wide lenses the perspective distortion is more strong. The perspective distortion is the same with all lenses of the same angle of view with the exception of tilt-shift lenses. The tilt-shift lenses can fix perspective distortion but are very special lenses and all of them are manual focus.
Looks awesome, with my Metabones I could shoot at f/2. That would be awesome. Currently I use a 10-20mm Sigma EF Lens with Metabones Ultra speedbooster, works pretty well.
Question: I'm about to shoot a shortfilm and i got a Sony A7SII, but the thing is that i have this lens with a Canon - EF mount and i'd have to mount a metabones to the Sony in order to make it compatible with the camera. This would create a crop factor? I mean, it would convert it from 12mm to 16 or 18mm??? Hope you can help me out.
What an amazing lens! Thanks for sharing :) I do have a question regarding your regular setup though. Which is quite similar to mine.. I have the GH5s with the Sigma 18-35 and a metabones EF speedbooster. Do you know if there is a big difference between those adapters? I set my GH5s to face detection autofocus but with this adapter it keeps searching often in my video. Makes a lot of constant searching noise as well.. Was wondering if Viltrox is better with that.
WOW This lens would fit me in my job as a real estate photographer. If it gets straight fine edges then it is a lot of time in editing that can be saved.
I have 2 because of a certain situation. So I am trying to sell one. Don't need 2 obviously. Is brand new and up for sale on Ebay if interested. www.ebay.com/itm/312532885137
I would hope that the lens would be good in all the ways that you mentioned, given its price. And why would they not include a screw mount on the front for filters?
Thanks Caleb, another great video review as usual! I have been using this lens for the last 9 months in combination with their Magic Shift convertor and their Filter Holder with a 95mm CPL filter for real estate, and I love it! The magic shift converter brings it down to 17mm but gives you the power of a shift lens (no tilt). Very sharp! I pre-ordered their Laowa 10-18mm Sony FE mount full frame lens and can't wait to see their version of those wides on a full frame! Cheers!
I swear to god, you're costing me a fortune, Caleb!!!! The lack of distortion is stunning. I came into this vid expecting to be underwhelmed. I should know better by now :)
Hey man, love your channel. I'm a realtor and I shoot my own listing vids with a Sony A7RIII and I have a 24-70mm G master. I've been looking for a proper wide angle and struggling between the 15mm f2 or the 12 mm f2.8. Help me out - you can only buy one - which do you choose?! Thanks bud!
I cant understand what you mean by forgot to set the camera for a 12mm lens... What would you set on it specifically for this lens? (I have an a6500 and cant find anything about it).
Any comparison shots with the Laowa vs Tokina (or close equivalent wide angle)? I can see the difference but would love to see a shot that directly show how much.
Great video! They have a Venus Optics Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D , on the A7iii would the crop frame option make this into a 13mm? Would you recommend this?
Could you please compare this lens to Laowa 9mm f/2.8? I have a Canon M50 and Laowa 9mm comes with Canon M mount. For some reasons, this 12mm looks a lot wider than their 9mm?
I use this lens daily. It's every bit as good as Caleb says. Truly awesome piece of gear. I use it for video and stills by the way and it's excellent for both. You need to like manual lenses though.
I think 0 distortion is relative. There is no way to project a circular spherical image on a rectangular plane without distorting the image. And while it barely distorts in x and y that means it's gonna distort even more so in z direction as seen at 3:00
Nice lens, my i ask if that adapter that you mentioned work for put an stepring? Our workfloow is totally with a mattebox clamp on with 4x4 filters, it is posible to put a 82mm ring to atach the mattebox? Or only work with an special adapter and need buy new filters?
Did you tried the 7.5mm with f2.0 from Laowa ? It's only like 600$ ! I'm filming on Lumix, so I'm looking for the 7.5, with the zoom factor it will be like a 15mm.
Question: I'm about to shoot a shortfilm and i got a Sony A7SII, but the thing is that i have this lens with a Canon - EF mount and i'd have to mount a metabones to the Sony in order to make it compatible with the camera. This would create a crop factor? I mean, it would convert it from 12mm to 16 or 18mm??? Hope someone can help me out.
Wooah! I got the 7.5mm for MFT and love it. For Sony FE the also-Laowa 10-18mm sounds pretty cool also. Any chance you're review that one also (and maybe compare it to this one?)
I tried the Voigtlander 10mm f/4.5 that was insane. It stretched the image so much I couldn't deal with it. I traded it in for Leica 21mm/f2.8. Much easier images to deal with
Zero distortion just means no Barrel distortion which is what you commonly see on wide angle lenses where the middle of the frame bulges towards the viewer. You will get objects distorting though due to the angle of view, especially close to the lens and around the edges of you frame, especially if your camera is not level which is totally normal. Totally awesome lens though and WAY better then the Rockinon 12mm which has ghastly, complex moustache and barrel distortion which doesnt fully correct in post
Hi man do you know how well it works on a sony a7r3 or any sony full frame, i want to get the canon version so i can adapt it to different cameras like blackmagic, can you let me know if you get any softness on the corners and vignetting if you used an adapter ?
Hello Caleb, its a really nice lens an interesting option for an UWA. I don't know if you clean your sensor recently but in your video I can see a dark spot in the video, in the left bottom corner.
Hey Frank, the SC will have trouble but the new SC2 can handle it. I find the SC has trouble with my Samyang 14mm, and that’s about 100g lighter than the laowa. The SC2 has a 3kg payload.
BEAUTIFUL. Crazy sharp. The "zero" distortion is truly unbelievable looking. The bathroom example was spot on. Thanks so much, Caleb. Cheers!
@Nich Gregory yup, you're right, like he mentioned a little bit, I'm not sure it's possible for actually "zero" distortion this wide, BUT compared to any other ultra wide glass, this seems to limit that distortion and curve extremely well. The bathroom segment I think showed this really well.
@Nich Gregory You will always get some distortion even on the most expensive of lenses at these wide focal lengths (even the ones priced like a new sports car) cos you know physics and stuff. But normally for a lens of this price you would have massive fisheye distortion.
But fisheye is a thing as well and sometimes a great effect.
The perfect lens to shoot 4k on the EOS-R! lol
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
comment of the year
hhahahahaha
😂
lol true, i use a sigma 18-35mm and its awesome for shooting 4K on the 5D mk iv
I want this lens. I want it bad.
Me too.
I have 2 because of a certain situation. So I am trying to sell one. Don't need 2 obviously. Is brand new and up for sale on Ebay for slightly cheaper if interested. www.ebay.com/itm/312532885137
its shit
@@no15minutecities explain
Me too. Only need to hit the jackpot first, without gambling!
Holy...
When you swapped from 28 to 12 i was completely mind blown!
This lens looks like it can recreate an early 2000s hiphop music video.
Most definitely!
no those use fisheye lenses and this one is made to not suck
Thank you!! Great Idea
Thought the same! Busta Rymes vid, gave the same look.... love it but a bit to pricy for me! Will be looking for something similar with a lower price
Hold it now.....HIT IT!
This Laowa 12mm 2.8 is simply amazing. I purchased it originally for my Nikon D850. Now, I am on a Sony A7R4 and it works like a charme adapted. I use it currently for Landscape work on Iceland, it is super sharp and manual focus is not any issue (in Landscape). Highly recommended for this prices. I hope to see more lenses at this level from Venus Optics.
The king of real estate right here. Awesome video Caleb!
Thanks!!!
Count, I have used the Canon 11-24mm f4 and I understand why realestate togs are switching to Canon to use it, it is just that good. You miss out on all that flare with the Canon though.
@@nordic5490 Yes that one is also great, a friend of mine uses it all the time!
Parker Walbeck uses this in his Real Estate tutorial on TH-cam.
@@AJ-kv1po Damn right, FTF for the win!
I have the 15mm Zero-D f/2 and love it for landscape and astro. I'm convinced that the Laowa folks are on point.
I’ve got their 9mm zero-D APS-C (and the ridiculous 4mm for shits and giggles) on the way, can’t wait to play with both.
Do you think the type of lens you use will affect the perspective of the personality of the subject? I started to believe that a wider lense makes you look a more approachable person than a glamorous 50mm, any toughs?
The Laowa 15mm F2 Zero D IMO is the way to go!! 🔥
That lens is insane. Although I'd always be at least arms length from it when shooting. Any closer and it starts to make your head look like it's being squeezed.
It is! And yes, that one angle I used is absurd ha!
This manual focus Laowa 12mm f2.8 sells for $949 which is not cheap. Sony has the excellent zoom autofocus Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G Lens which sells for about $1600. on sale. The Sony has far more versatility. It has super quiet Direct Drive SSM autofocus system which works great on stills and video. Additionally, it has far better construction, has a Nano AR Coating applied to individual elements to reduce surface reflections, flare, and ghosting for greater contrast and color fidelity. Sony also has dust- and moisture-sealed design which Laowa does not. Yes the Sony is more expensive but you get so much more and the resale value remains strong. Sony gives you super value for money with this 12-24mm f/4 zoom.
I've had it for a long time. It's amazing.
Oh man this is amazing. I have the 15mm macro wide one, I really want this one, too! but $$$$$$$$$$$
Bro why are you everywhere I am lol
I do real estate photography from time to time. I usually use 16-35 Zeiss and I ALWAYS have to change the converging verticals. Your video in the bathroom was pretty impressive
Hi what do you mean set your camera stabilization to 12mm? Never even knew this existed.
I absolutely love this lens! I think it’s a great add on for cameras that have a crop. Also because of the zero distortion I use it for my real estate shoots every time.
Hey Brandon, love your channel. Would you suggest this lens or the 15mm one for real estate shoots? Thanks!
Some of the reasons that cameras with interchangeable lenses will survive from smartphones are the ultra wide lenses, the low high ISO noise of bigger sensors and the shallow depth of field of bright telephoto lenses.
The ultra wide lenses offer a unique perspective that is immediately obvious. The better dynamic range, higher sharpens or low noise isn't always distinguishable with the very compressed photos of social networks.
Man, I’ve never seen anything like this. It looks really good!
OMG thank you for showing the close focus capabilities! That shot was priceless...
I have one I bought used off an Emirates pilot. Got it for $539 and it was barely used. Totally dig my 12mm for interior and gimbal work. I even use a ken burns effect for a dolly zoom look. Thanks for another great video. Ry from Dubai
Already have a 12mm lens...but now I want another 🤷♂️
give me the last one, thanks.
Which camera body u r using...if its sony i have one question to ask
good laugh at 2:30! :) loved that one! Great content!
;-) Glad you are digging the vids!
Made me snort laugh, please do an entire video that close.
Wow thanks for the video. Been struggling to find my Real estate lens. I think this is it.
I had Sigma 12-24/4.5-5.6 for about 9 years and It is really fun to use. It is AF, no distortion and cheap.
Those clicks! Ohhh yeah! 😂😂😂 love it
Put it on a shift converter on an APSc camera and you have a very nice shift lens that covers the format easily. The downside is that depth of focus (the lenses ability to focus an image on the sensor) is super-narrow, so you need a shift converter with almost no play on the movements. Oh, and the lens is quite heavy and the front lens cap keeps falling off. Great lens.
It's even more amazing than this video shows. The 12mm Zero-D lens completely covers the RED Monstro 8K VV sensor, providing a 119 degree field of view. That's W-I-D-E !-!
HOLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY MOOOTHEEEEEEEEEEERFFIIINGGG OMG WHAT
There is a difference between geometric distortion (barrel or pincushion) and perspective distortion. Geometric distortion is relevant to the optical quality of the lens which varies. The perspective distortion is relevant to the angle of view. With wide lenses the perspective distortion is more strong. The perspective distortion is the same with all lenses of the same angle of view with the exception of tilt-shift lenses.
The tilt-shift lenses can fix perspective distortion but are very special lenses and all of them are manual focus.
Looks awesome, with my Metabones I could shoot at f/2. That would be awesome. Currently I use a 10-20mm Sigma EF Lens with Metabones Ultra speedbooster, works pretty well.
Question: I'm about to shoot a shortfilm and i got a Sony A7SII, but the thing is that i have this lens with a Canon - EF mount and i'd have to mount a metabones to the Sony in order to make it compatible with the camera. This would create a crop factor? I mean, it would convert it from 12mm to 16 or 18mm??? Hope you can help me out.
Great lens, looking forward to buy it, thanks Buddy!
Fantastic gimbal lens for full frame cameras
What an amazing lens! Thanks for sharing :) I do have a question regarding your regular setup though. Which is quite similar to mine.. I have the GH5s with the Sigma 18-35 and a metabones EF speedbooster. Do you know if there is a big difference between those adapters? I set my GH5s to face detection autofocus but with this adapter it keeps searching often in my video. Makes a lot of constant searching noise as well.. Was wondering if Viltrox is better with that.
The perspective on this thing totally brains me. Now I covet the Laowa 7.5mm for m43, and that’s not a lens I really want to want right now, lol.
I want to get this wide it a Apsc ! Which one should I get ? 9mm?
DJI and Laowa are two Chinese brands that I trust. Awesome video as always!
I have this in EF, and the partnering shift adaptor, which is Sony FE mount. The shift adaptor is just as well made and sharp as the 12mm . . .
that is crazy! would be great for an action scene.
This vs Tokina 11-17? I haven’t really liked it and I’m looking for an upgrade. Worth it? This on an XL speedbooster.
Actually the dark edges and flaring look pretty cool. I can see that being pretty artistic.in certain situations.
WOW This lens would fit me in my job as a real estate photographer. If it gets straight fine edges then it is a lot of time in editing that can be saved.
Holy fuck finally a wide angle lens for full frame. What in the FUCK I thought we'd never live to see this day. Finally!
Thnx for the video , you showed the exact use of it :) , its crazy , will get one for sure
On a different note, your sound is great but I dont see a lav. What are you using??
After you mentioned about the lint I couldnt stop looking at it :'D
This would be great for my jeep videos. I need wide angle because a lot of the trails are tight. I love the f2.8 as well.
I have 2 because of a certain situation. So I am trying to sell one. Don't need 2 obviously. Is brand new and up for sale on Ebay if interested. www.ebay.com/itm/312532885137
I would hope that the lens would be good in all the ways that you mentioned, given its price. And why would they not include a screw mount on the front for filters?
Thanks Caleb, another great video review as usual! I have been using this lens for the last 9 months in combination with their Magic Shift convertor and their Filter Holder with a 95mm CPL filter for real estate, and I love it! The magic shift converter brings it down to 17mm but gives you the power of a shift lens (no tilt). Very sharp! I pre-ordered their Laowa 10-18mm Sony FE mount full frame lens and can't wait to see their version of those wides on a full frame! Cheers!
Great info Kevin! Thank you so much for sharing. That 10-18 looks insane!
I have this lens and am about to use it to film a live band on stage with my Sony A7Siii to get some very up close shots...Should be interesting!
I swear to god, you're costing me a fortune, Caleb!!!! The lack of distortion is stunning. I came into this vid expecting to be underwhelmed. I should know better by now :)
Hey man, love your channel. I'm a realtor and I shoot my own listing vids with a Sony A7RIII and I have a 24-70mm G master. I've been looking for a proper wide angle and struggling between the 15mm f2 or the 12 mm f2.8. Help me out - you can only buy one - which do you choose?! Thanks bud!
12mm, you can always crop and quality is great
For clarity, if the shallow depth of field for the first lens was "decent", what would good be? What does, "decent" mean to you?
Awesome lens Caleb. Thanks!
12 mm vs 15 mm for sony FE which would you recommend? Cheers
I cant understand what you mean by forgot to set the camera for a 12mm lens... What would you set on it specifically for this lens? (I have an a6500 and cant find anything about it).
Great review. Thanks. I'll be buying this lens.
why Laowa 12mm f/2.8 better than Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 ??? cant find any comparisons on your tube
Any comparison shots with the Laowa vs Tokina (or close equivalent wide angle)? I can see the difference but would love to see a shot that directly show how much.
How it compares to a samyang 12mm f/2.8? Less distortion?
Did you try this with a speed booster on the gh5 yet?
It so insanely in the bathroom! The "lack of distortion" really helps not take you out of the experience.
Great video! They have a Venus Optics Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D , on the A7iii would the crop frame option make this into a 13mm? Would you recommend this?
Could you please compare this lens to Laowa 9mm f/2.8? I have a Canon M50 and Laowa 9mm comes with Canon M mount. For some reasons, this 12mm looks a lot wider than their 9mm?
I use this lens daily. It's every bit as good as Caleb says. Truly awesome piece of gear. I use it for video and stills by the way and it's excellent for both. You need to like manual lenses though.
This a super versatile lens.
Great video!
I probably giggled way more than I probably should have during this one, hahaha
Hi
I think 0 distortion is relative. There is no way to project a circular spherical image on a rectangular plane without distorting the image. And while it barely distorts in x and y that means it's gonna distort even more so in z direction as seen at 3:00
I am debating to get 15mm or 12mm laowa ..any chance you make comparison?
Thnks for the video 🔥 how do you get the sharping always sharp while you walking in bathroom. Is there a setting I have to do in body ? FX3 I have
Which Canon mount you got ? EF or RF ?
Nice lens, my i ask if that adapter that you mentioned work for put an stepring? Our workfloow is totally with a mattebox clamp on with 4x4 filters, it is posible to put a 82mm ring to atach the mattebox? Or only work with an special adapter and need buy new filters?
would love a comparison between this and the Laowa 7.5mm
I swear I think you said Tamron Lens at 5:23 instead of Laowa. Either way I love this lens!
Yes, he said Tamron but he meant the lens that filming this video not the lens he talks about
So can this work on the BMPCC 6k or the URSA MINI PRO 4.6k? And will it still look good on that crop factor?
Did you tried the 7.5mm with f2.0 from Laowa ? It's only like 600$ ! I'm filming on Lumix, so I'm looking for the 7.5, with the zoom factor it will be like a 15mm.
Which mount calls for Nikon D600 for this lens?
what about with the Panasonic GH5. Does it work?
It's very kubrick looking on the edges with the smearing. It reminds me of A Clockwork Orange.
Would be a fun comical vlogging lens :)
oh yes
love it.
Question: I'm about to shoot a shortfilm and i got a Sony A7SII, but the thing is that i have this lens with a Canon - EF mount and i'd have to mount a metabones to the Sony in order to make it compatible with the camera. This would create a crop factor? I mean, it would convert it from 12mm to 16 or 18mm??? Hope someone can help me out.
Can we use infinite focus for landscapes?
For 12mm the hyperfocal distance is below 5m, even on F2.8. So inf is almost equal to roughly 2.5m
Wooah! I got the 7.5mm for MFT and love it. For Sony FE the also-Laowa 10-18mm sounds pretty cool also. Any chance you're review that one also (and maybe compare it to this one?)
0:37 Yes and loved it but not without the 5+1 to complete it all together!!! 0:47
If I adapt an EF Version to a sony alpha ff. With a commlite or Metabones Adapter. Will it make any Trouble? Like vignetting?
this looks so awesome that i want one even though i don't have a camera and i never even shoot cellphone videos.
I tried the Voigtlander 10mm f/4.5 that was insane. It stretched the image so much I couldn't deal with it. I traded it in for Leica 21mm/f2.8. Much easier images to deal with
Awesome!
Zero distortion just means no Barrel distortion which is what you commonly see on wide angle lenses where the middle of the frame bulges towards the viewer. You will get objects distorting though due to the angle of view, especially close to the lens and around the edges of you frame, especially if your camera is not level which is totally normal. Totally awesome lens though and WAY better then the Rockinon 12mm which has ghastly, complex moustache and barrel distortion which doesnt fully correct in post
Jeff Brislane However, the Rokinon does have better coma characteristics, so it’s a better choice for astrophotographers. Don’t blanket statement.
Wow, that is impressive
better then rokinon 12mm 2.0?
Hi man do you know how well it works on a sony a7r3 or any sony full frame, i want to get the canon version so i can adapt it to different cameras like blackmagic, can you let me know if you get any softness on the corners and vignetting if you used an adapter ?
Sweeeet! Love shooting 12mm :D
Hello Caleb, its a really nice lens an interesting option for an UWA. I don't know if you clean your sensor recently but in your video I can see a dark spot in the video, in the left bottom corner.
Can i use it on c200
This one also had 1:1 focus right ? or i'm mistaken with another 12mm laowa.
Quetzalcoalt you're thinking of the laowa wide angle macro (15mm f4)
I love you! The love is back
Love the vids. I have a Ronin SC and an a7sii. Will this lens be too big to work with the SC?
Hey Frank, the SC will have trouble but the new SC2 can handle it. I find the SC has trouble with my Samyang 14mm, and that’s about 100g lighter than the laowa. The SC2 has a 3kg payload.