The new Laowa 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX lens rumoured last week has now officially been announced. As the “GFX” part of the name suggests, the lens has been designed for Fujifilm medium format GFX mount cameras. At 19mm, this is already an extremely wide lens, even if it were for full-frame, but on the larger medium format sensor, it gives a field of view equivalent to that of about a 15mm lens on full-frame.
This means that it has a super wide 110-degree field of view, with a nice bright f/2.8 maximum aperture, making it an ideal lens for all kinds of subjects from landscapes and cityscapes to architecture and even astrophotography. Being one of Laowa’s Zero-D lenses means it has virtually no spherical distortion, and despite being a medium format lens, it comes with a pretty pleasing price tag.
The lens is extremely tiny for a medium format GFX lens and weighs only 546g and takes 77mm threaded filters. It’s partly kept small and light due to the fact that it’s a manual focus lens so doesn’t have to house any electronics, motors, or fancy mechanisms that would otherwise weigh it down. It has a minimum focus distance of only 18cm, allowing for some very close up surreal subjects, or wide environmental portraits.
| Focal length | 19mm |
|---|---|
| Max aperture | f/2.8 |
| Min aperture | f/22 |
| Angle of view | 110° |
| 35mm equivalent focal length | ~15mm |
| Format | Fuji GFX Medium Format |
| Mount | Fuji GFX |
| Focus type | Manual Focus |
| Lens type | Rectilinear |
| Optics | 12 elements in 10 groups |
| Aperture blades | 5 |
| Filter thread | 77mm |
| Min focus distance | 18cm |
| Dimensions | 82.6 x 80mm |
| Weight | 546g |
The extreme wide angle for such a lens makes it ideal for architectural and interior photography where shooting space can be at a premium. With a 110-degree field of view, you’re able to park yourself in a corner and photograph the entire room in one single shot. And with the near-zero distortion of Laowa’s Zero-D lenses, all your straight lines should still be perfectly straight (or close to it).
The Laowa 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX is available to buy now for $999 from the Venus Optics website and begins shipping any day.
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