Pairing an exceptionally wide field of view with the ability to correct for perspective distortion, the Sony E-mount Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift Lens Sony Efrom Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift Lens Sony Eis an ideal lens for architecture and interior applications. The broad 110° angle of view is complemented by an impressive +/- 11mm shift range to compensate for unwanted converging lines and keystone distortion. This shift control is further complemented by a 360° rotation mechanism applying the movements in various directions for to suit both horizontal and vertical orientation shooting. Additionally, as part of the Zero-D lens series, this 15mm f/4.5 also renders scenes with a high degree of accuracy and very low distortion.

In terms of optics, two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements are featured, which reduce both spherical and chromatic aberrations for high sharpness and clarity. An anti-reflective coating also helps to control flare and ghosting for heightened contrast and color rendering. The lens uses a manual focus design for working with subjects as close a 7.9" away and has a five-blade diaphragm for producing distinct 10-point sun stars.

E-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format    Aperture Range: f/4.5 to f/22    +/- 11mm of Shift, 360° Rotation    Two Aspherical Elements    Three Extra-Low Dispersion Elements    Anti-Reflection Coating    65mm-Diameter Image Circle    Manual Focus Design, 7.9" Min. Focus    5-Blade Diaphragm

Ultra-wide lens is designed for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras but can also be used with APS-C models where it provides a 22.5mm equivalent focal length.

As part of the Zero-D series, this lens has a rectilinear design that renders subjects with minimal distortion in order to suit architectural, interior, and landscape applications.

Integrated +/- 11mm of shift adjustment helps to correct perspective distortion and eliminate keystone distortion.

Large 65mm-diameter image circle easily covers full-frame sensors without any vignetting.

The shift control works in conjunction with 360° of rotation for applying the shift in various directions, benefitting switching between vertical and horizontal shooting orientations, and the rotation mechanism has click stops at 15° increments for intuitive handling.

Two aspherical elements limit spherical aberrations and distortion for improved sharpness and accurate rendering.

Three extra-low dispersion elements reduce chromatic aberrations and color fringing for increased clarity and color neutrality.

Updated anti-reflective coating suppresses flare and ghosting for improved contrast and color accuracy when working in strong lighting conditions.

Manual focusing design and a minimum focusing distance of 7.9" suits working with close-up subjects.

Five-blade diaphragm produces distinct 10-point sun stars and specular highlights when stopped-down and photographing point light sources.

Compatible with optional Shift Lens Support for more balanced mounting and to better enable using the lens for shift-type stitched panorama shooting without parallax error.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. It appears from the description that this lens is not a true tilt/shift lens, only a shift lens. How is this even useful?

A: This Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift lens does not offer tilt options; it is, as the name implies, a shift lens only. It's a specialty lens used for certain effects.

Q: 2. Can the F mount work with the Nikon Z F-mount Adapter?

A: Yes, you may use the Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4.5R Zero-D Shift Lens for Nikon F with the Nikon FTZ II adapter.

Q: 3. What is the difference between the 14 blade and 5 blade versions (aside from number of blades)?

A: The 14 blade version of the Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4.5R Zero-D Shift Lens for Leica L Mount would allow for 14 point sunstars versus 5 point sunstars in the 5 blade version. Otherwise, they are identical in every other way.

Q: 4. What is "Shift Lens Support"?

A: The shift lens support refers to the Venus Optics Shift Lens Support for Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Lens, BH # VELS1545 which is compatible with this lens. https://bhpho.to/3qVvwRT

Q: 5. How would using an optical shift lens (like this one) compare to using perspective crop in photoshop with a wider lens like the Laowa 11mm? I'm asking because they're about the same price but the 11mm could be more versatile and I don't trust myself to perfectly frame photos in the field.

A: Though the 11mm would be a wider view, the distortion would be an issue and harder to work with in post. I would recommend the 15mm Zero-D especially if you are doing interiors due to the fact that if you need a wider view, you can stitch two images and it would still be easier than using the 11mm and trying to correct properly.

Q: 6. For EF mount, is the aperture set on the lens or in-camera?

A: The aperture would be set on the lens and the camera would need to be in manual mode.

Q: 7. Is this an EL Mount?

A: The Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4.5R Zero-D Shift for Canon EFhas a Canon EF mount for Canon DSLR cameras.

Q: 8. Does this produce optical flare? I found other bulbous lenses have issues with flare in the form of colored spots opposite strong light sources.

A: Flaring can occur when using the lens aimed or directly hit by a focused light source at certain angles, but the flare is managed quite well compared to other lenses as the lens has an anti-reflective coating also helps to control flare and ghosting for heightened contrast and color rendering. If the light source is in the frame, flare is controlled rather well. If the flare is on the edge of the frame, it may be more noticeable, but can usually be reduced/eliminated by slightly recomposing the framing of your image.

Q: 9. the teleconverters do work on the canon 17mm, 24mm tilt shift lenses so are you saying they do not work on the Laowa?

A: Canon only recommends the use of their teleconverters on specific L-series telephoto lenses, and attempting to connect them to a lens for which it is not designed may damage the front element on the teleconverter, the rear element on the lens, or both. We cannot test and cannot confirm if the Canon teleconverter may be used with this lens. If you own a Canon teleconverter, you may try to test it at your own risk, but do note that damage to either item would not be covered by either Canon or Venus Optics.

Q: 10. Can this lens be used with the Laowa Magic Format Converter for Canon EF to Fuji GFX?

A: Yes, the Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift Lens for Canon EF would be compatible for use with the Venus Optics Laowa Magic Format Converter for Canon EF to Fuji GFX.