Laowa says its new 24mm F2 is the fastest tilt-shift lens yet

Laowa has announced the 24mm F2 Zero-D Tilt-Shift, expanding its lineup of manual-focus tilt-shift lenses with what it calls the fastest option in its class. The company is also bringing two of its existing tilt-shift macro lenses to the Hasselblad XCD mount.

The 24mm F2 Zero-D Tilt-Shift lens provides up to ±10° of tilt to adjust the plane of focus and ±12mm of shift for perspective control or stitching multiple images. However, Laowa says that those limits aren’t available simultaneously: using more tilt reduces the available shift, and vice versa. Laowa also notes that the available movements vary depending on the camera mount, particularly when focusing at infinity.

The lens offers ±10° of tilt and ±12mm of shift, though Laowa notes the two movements cannot be used to their full extent simultaneously.Laowa

As one of Laowa’s Zero-D lenses, it is designed to minimize optical distortion, keeping straight lines straight across the frame. That makes it particularly suited to architectural photography and landscapes with a clearly defined horizon. The optical formula comprises 13 elements in 10 groups, including ED and aspherical glass.

The 24mm F2 Zero-D Tilt-Shift is designed for full-frame cameras, but its 67mm image circle is large enough to cover the medium-format sensors in Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad X cameras, and versions are available for both systems.

Laowa used all-metal construction throughout and sized the filter thread at 77mm.Laowa

Laowa describes the lens as compact for a tilt-shift, with a diameter of 93mm, a length of 119mm (3.7 x 4.7″) and a weight of 860g (1.9 lb). It accepts 77mm screw-in filters and features an all-metal construction. It features a 14-blade aperture, a minimum focusing distance of 25cm (9.8″) and a maximum magnification of 0.194x.

In addition to the new lens, Laowa is also adding Hasselblad XCD-mount versions of its existing 55mm and 100mm F2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro lenses. Both combine tilt-shift movements with life-size macro capabilities, giving Hasselblad users additional options for product and close-up photography.

Pricing and availability

Sample image provided by Laowa.A-Hao / Laowa

The Laowa 24mm F2 Zero-D Tilt-Shift is available for $1249 in Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, L-mount, Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD mounts. However, Laowa lists several Panasonic bodies as incompatible, so L-mount users should check camera compatibility before purchasing.

The XCD-mount versions of the 55mm and 100mm F2.8 Tilt-Shift 1x Macro lenses are also available starting today.