Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D shift lens review (FF / MF)

[@michaelherskovitz4203]

Excellent and practical review. I always appreciate your approach to explaining the features of camera gear.

[@AnthonyCassidy50]

Great explanation! "You can captured photos that can be perfectly merged...etc"

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thank you Anthony :)

[@barryobrien1890]

For $1k it's a pretty good value for a specialty lens. Interior designers / real estate etc may really like it. I shoot so few interiors that photoshop is my go to for perspective control. Great review

[@TheRealRichardWong]

hey Barry, thanks for watching :)

[@wilcurran3377]

Nice work Richard, thanks for the great review!

[@TheRealRichardWong]

My pleasure!

[@tonyhafaka3524]

Fantastic review as usual Richard! I want one. Now just need to save up for that.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

hey Tony, thanks for the support :) Let me know when you got the lens and your thoughts

[@silverclifflightshow]

Great video thank you for making it. I just ordered one.

[@ernesttiki283]

Another indepth and honest review as usual. It seems like another solid lens from Laowa. I would love to see a demo of the lens support accessory. Can you do a video about it

[@TheRealRichardWong]

hi Ernest, I would love to play with the lens support and show you how it works. Unfortunateely I've already returned the lens to Laowa already and they didn't send me the lens support so I'm afraid i can't do a demo for you.

[@josephkaiwahwang]

I own the 15mm and decide to buy this new 20mm. Thank you for your detailed introduction and awesome pictures.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Hey Joseph, i think you'll find the 20mm more practical than the 15mm shift lens

[@josephkaiwahwang]

@@TheRealRichardWong Sure it's a great lens. Just placed an order with the new holder.

[@alampare6997]

Hi Joseph, I'm interested in buying a Laowa shift lens, for the moment 1 of the two. Based on your experience, which one between 15mm and 20mm looks better and must-have for you. I tend to feel more attracted by the 20mm for not being extreme in geometry and perspectives, for the possibility of putting normal filters, as well as for the slightly lower price. But I'm afraid it's insufficient in many situations. What do you think about it? (Sorry for my poor english)

[@dereknz100]

Great review. Was thinking of getting a 2nd hand the Canon 24mm shift/tilt lens. Now need to rethink how much I actually need the tilt feature on a wide angle lens for my landscapes as stopped down foregrounds should be in focus most of the time without need to tilt. Have the Canon 90mm shift/tilt and love that lens.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Hey Derek,. I had a Nikon 45mm Tilt shift previously, I found that when i used it architecture/ landscape photography I almost never use the tilt feature, just the shift. The tilt was mostly used for some artistic effect, more to minimize DOF rather than align/increase DOF.

[@dereknz100]

@@TheRealRichardWong that's good to know thanks. My 90mm tilt shift lens I tend to use the tilt more than I have been using the shift function for my landscapes and product photos. For stitched pano landscapes have been using a focus rail on tripod for nodal point with my Canon 6D in portrait orientation for maximum resolution and sharpness with generous overlaps making good use the lens sweet spot. Now recently purchased a R5 with double the resolution of the 6D so can change my technique. Looking at a DOF calculator a 20mm lens set at f16 and focused at 0.85m will have a DOF near limit of 0.46m through to infinity, 0.63m to infinity for f8 when focused at 1.7m. I will never likely need to use a tilt to keep things in sharp focus at thet focal lenght. Tilt doesn’t work well if trees in the foreground as the tops are out of focus when tilted. I like it that a Shift Lens Support is available with the lens as when I do use my 90mm shift function for pano shots with objects close to the camera I move the camera 7mm in the focus rail to the left and the right so 3 images are better aligned. Hope they also bring out a 45 to 60 mm shift lens sometime in the near future which takes the same Shift Lens Support. Do you know if the Laowa 20mm shift lens has much focus breathing for when doing stack focusing and blending the images together?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Sorry can't really answer the focus breathing. I do also hope the same lens support would work when/if Laowa bring out more shift lens in the future!

[@kaminobatto]

Great review as always! I just wish they added a tilt mechanism too :(

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Yeah me too! Tilt lens is fun! But i do have a fun full frame tilt lens review coming soon

[@user-zu4cq2zd9b]

Dear friend, judging by your review, I have purchased this wonderful lens! Thanks! Tell me, should the plane shift ring rotate smoothly or with little effort? I can't turn it smoothly with two fingers, do I need to make a tangible effort to do this? is this normal? Or is it a marriage?

[@protestagain]

Absolutely a lens I will consider. Today I use 5D MkII, but with Nikon adapter and mFT, still with Nikon F and Metabones Speedbooster. I'm sure this Laowa will still work with GFX if or when I get one, not as at tilt lens, but a good 20mm lens for GFX. All of those T&S lenses cover the bigger GFX sensor, and I'm all in landscape and arcitecture shooting.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Sounds like a perfect lens for all the cameras you got! Yes it works with GFX

[@protestagain]

@@TheRealRichardWong Yes, and all my cameras are full frame cameras, also my tiny Pana GM5, as the lenses cover the sensor. I like to mix and match, and the cameras are just tools for me. It's lenses like Zuiko 55/1.2 that help me to create photos.

[@protestagain]

@@TheRealRichardWong By the way, I saw your review of the tiny Laowe 6mm lens. Think that one would be perfect with my Pana GM5.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

@@protestagain agree the 6mm would be awesome for the tiny GM5

[@protestagain]

@@TheRealRichardWong The Panasonic GM5 is one of few digital collector cameras, with eBay prices about $600. But I got nearly chock last week, when I'd check the eBay price on a lens I have, the Olympus Zuiko 21/2.0.

[@mrbigg2u]

I always wanted a T+S Lens, my dad had a 35mm Leica one yonks ago. I use a 100s, and am caught between this and the 23mm GF mount wide, with no shift... which should I go for??? Help :)

[@TheRealRichardWong]

sorry i don't have any experience with the GF23mm so can't answer. But this 20mm lens + shift feature would provide much wider field of view when shift is used. Btw, this is a shift only lens, no tilt

[@obedbrinkman]

looks like a great lens, from now on its on my WANT list 😀

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thank you for watching Obed Brinkman!

[@SergNikiforovGordeev]

Hello Richard! For owners of micro 4/3, it will not be possible to use this in relation to lenses with a wide viewing angle, which are used to shoot interiors?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

hello Sergei, if you adapt to a micro four thirds lens it will not be a wide angle lens anymore. But you can use it.. just not as a wide angle lens

[@SergNikiforovGordeev]

@@TheRealRichardWong Yes, understand. Thank you!

[@aukisun]

Top!As always )

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thanks again Ivan!

[@sachinrajput6106]

Oct