Fujifilm Photography News and Rumors

Venus Optics has just officially released its latest optical marvel: the Laowa FF II TS 24mm f/2 C-Dreamer tilt-shift lens. Bringing a rare and ultra-fast f/2 aperture to the wide-angle tilt-shift space, this new lens is aimed squarely at architectural, landscape, and astrophotography professionals looking for ultimate creative control without breaking the bank.

Unprecedented Speed for a Tilt-Shift One of the most standout features of this new 24mm lens is its fast f/2 maximum aperture (featuring 14 aperture blades). This is a highly unusual spec for a wide-angle tilt-shift lens, making it not only perfect for perspective control in architecture but also an incredibly capable tool for astrophotography and creating beautiful shallow depth-of-field “miniature” effects.

Robust Build and Optical Excellence Constructed with a premium metal body weighing in at approximately 860g, the lens features an advanced optical formula of 13 elements in 10 groups. This includes 5 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, 2 aspherical elements, and 4 high-refractive-index elements to effectively control wide-angle distortion, chromatic aberration, and flare. It also features a 77mm front filter thread, allowing for easy use of CPL or ND filters.

Key Tilt-Shift Capabilities:

• Shift: ±12mm to correct converging vertical lines in architectural shots.
• Tilt: ±10° to manipulate the focal plane for edge-to-edge sharpness or creative miniature effects.
• Rotation: 360° rotating tail, allowing photographers to easily switch between horizontal and vertical shooting without having to readjust the tripod head—ideal for panoramic stitching.

Medium Format Compatibility While designed as a full-frame lens, Laowa has engineered the TS 24mm f/2 to be fully compatible with medium-format systems as well, ensuring that GFX and XCD users can fully utilize the tilt-shift functions without compromise.

Pricing and Availability Currently, the Laowa FF II TS 24mm f/2 C-Dreamer has only been officially announced for the Asian market, where it is priced at a highly disruptive 7,650 RMB (roughly $1,080 USD). This represents a significant price drop compared to first-party tilt-shift alternatives. While it is currently limited to Asia, an international release is expected very soon, meaning photographers globally shouldn’t have to wait long to get their hands on it.

Once fully available, it will cover an impressive six lens mounts:

• Full-Frame: Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Panasonic L
• Medium Format: Fujifilm GFX, Hasselblad XCD

Whether you are shooting urban cityscapes, starry night skies, or commercial real estate, the Laowa FF II TS 24mm f/2 looks to be a highly versatile and budget-friendly powerhouse.

Laowa lenses can be found directly from Venus Optics and B&H Photo.

via ea360