Laowa – New Cine Housings for Existing Lenses

by Jeff LochMarch 5^th, 2019

CP+ 2019 is now over, but we got a first look at the much anticipated Laowa’s new cine-mod lenses. Explicitly designed for filmmakers, let’s take a look at these three new exciting Laowa lenses.

Back in September 2018 from Photokina, we already reported about these new lenses. Now it looks like the team at Laowa put a lot of hard work and dedication to release their first cine glass primes.

All three are cine-mod versions of the existing photo lenses. While the three lenses are still in development, they all feature a step-less aperture rings and focus rings with standard 0.8 mod gears for use with follow-focus systems. Also, all three are entirely manual and have no electronic connections with the camera.

Finally, these lenses are rectilinear – except the 9mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine which is close to zero but not perfectly rectilinear – making them perfect for shooting architecture, landscapes or real-estate videos.

Laowa 7.5mm t/2.1 Cine (MFT Mount)

The Laowa 7.5mm t/2.1 Cine is a compact and lightweight MFT mount lens. The photography version, which is already available, is the widest rectilinear lens available for Micro Four Thirds cameras.
The Cine version shares the same optical construction and performances as the still version. It weighs only 0.4lbs/180g, so it looks like a perfect lens for gimbal use. The minimum focus distance is 12cm.

Laowa 9mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine (Sony E Mount)

The Laowa 9mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine is one of the widest lens available for Sony E Mount cameras. It features two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements to correct chromatic aberration and be able to deliver images with nearly zero distortion. It weighs only 0.55lbs/250g, and the minimum focus distance is also 12cm.

Laowa 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine (PL & EF Mount)

Finally, the Laowa 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine which is Laowa’s first PL mount lens. The lens will also be available in EF mount. This giant piece of glass covers full-frame sensors. It is so big you can even use this lens with a RED Weapon Dragon 8K, and it’s one-of-a-kind VistaVision’s sensor.

The lens offers an ultra-wide 122° angle of view, making it one of the world’s largest and fastest available option for shooting with large sensors. The 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine is pretty lightweight for a PL mount lens at 1.4lbs/650g, with a minimum focus distance of 18cm.

Pricing and Availability

The three lenses should be available in the middle of 2019. No words from Laowa about pricing yet.

What do you think about these new cine-mod versions? Do you already own the photography version? Let us know in the comments down below!