Shift lenses, or tilt-shift lenses, are pretty rare across all brands and seem to be quite an engineering challenge. Most of us thought that their ability to zoom was impossible, but Laowa seems to have proven otherwise.
Shift lenses are considered to be a highly specialized type of lens. Not that it requires significant skill to use one—in fact, any photographer can use them—but they have functions that most other lenses don’t. At the same time, shift lenses are generally more limited in use due to certain restrictions, such as the lack of autofocus, lack of filter threads, and fixed focal lengths. The latter has always been thought to be a hard limit in how shift or tilt-shift lenses are made, but it seems that Venus Optics - Laowa has overcome it.
The Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift Lens
Laowa seems to have figured out how to make shift lenses more versatile by making it capable of zooming in and out. While shift lenses generally allow you to shoot wider and stitch together multiple frames while maintaining perspective and geometry, it doesn’t always mean that the widest is the most ideal. Sometimes, being able to zoom in and infuse a bit of compression can be more beneficial, and using the shift function makes it possible to fix the perspective.
The Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift comes in an all-metal body that is 98.9 mm (3.9 inches) long and 80 mm (3.1 inches) wide. It weighs a mere 575 grams (1.27 lbs) and is available in Sony E, Leica L, Canon RF and EF-M, Fujifilm X, and Nikon Z APS-C mounts.
At the very front is a curved glass element that mildly protrudes outward, accompanied by short, petal-like ridges that function as a lens hood and connect to the all-metal lens cap. Once the lens cap is removed, it can be replaced by a detachable hood that goes around the front end and acts as a 77 mm filter thread.
On the most distal part of the barrel is a focus ring about 1 inch wide, with the necessary markings above. Below it is a much thinner metal ring that controls the zoom from 12mm to 24mm. Close to it is the aperture ring, which has fixed stops from f/5.6, 8, 11, 16, and 22, clearly demarcated by clicks on the range. Finally, the most proximal ring to the camera body is a similarly sized shift-control ring that allows the barrel to shift an extra 7 mm on its axis. Around it is a friction control knob that tightens or loosens the shift mechanism, and a button allows the barrel and shift axis to rotate 360 degrees.
Image Quality and Perspective
Laowa’s lenses have always prioritized image quality, and this one is consistent with that. While we’ve only tested this lens for a few days, it is safe to say that the lens is consistently sharp at the center across the focal range. However, there is some fall-off in sharpness of about 15-20% towards the edges, most minimal at f/8. It also maintains a subtle starburst effect throughout the aperture range, with nothing significantly visually overwhelming. More specific information may be added in a longer-term review.
It’s also noticeable that Laowa did not give this lens the “Zero-D” label, as it has a bit of barrel-type distortion that is manageable but can still be evident, especially at the extreme ends of the shorter edge. The barrel shift has a range of up to 7mm on each side and applies in any direction due to the lens’s ability to rotate. Within this range, there is little to no visible vignette from the edges of the lens, and it can even be used with a few layers of screw-on filters.
Can You Force It on a Full Frame?
As someone who uses full frame cameras, I did try to see if the lens could be used with a full frame body, and it seems it can, though with a few significant restrictions. On a full frame body, when used at the widest (12mm) focal length, it functions perfectly. However, when shifted, it can only shift around 3mm out of the 7mm without the edges of the image circle becoming visible. This will also be further reduced if used with filters.
If zoomed in to at least 16mm, it can be used with the entire 7mm shift, making it a 16-24mm zoom shift lens, but this also accentuates the reduction in sharpness on the edges. This is likely why it was officially labeled as a lens for APS-C cameras, but knowing the limitations can allow it to be used on a full frame body. When used with a higher-resolution full frame camera (Sony a7R V), peak sharpness seems to be retained, and any optical limitation would depend on the camera body used.
Initial Impressions and Application
The concept of a shift-zoom lens alone is already impressive and suggests more possibilities for helpful photography tools in the future. As the 12-24mm f/5.6 zoom shift is primarily an APS-C lens, it has an equivalent focal range of 18-36mm, which adds versatility. While most compatible brands have well-developed APS-C camera lines, this lens would perhaps shine best with Fujifilm’s higher-resolution X series APS-C cameras.
It is a notable convenience that, in addition to being able to zoom in and out even when shifted, this lens can use standard-sized filters with a 77 mm thread. The filter mount doubles as a secondary lens hood, which helps manage stray light to avoid flares to some extent. Ergonomically (as a personal preference), I would have liked the rings to have more width, even at the expense of a smaller focus ring. Not just for the general feel, but also to distinguish which rings control which adjustments without looking at the lens.
Since the barrel rotates to allow shifting in different directions, the lens markings for focusing, aperture, and focal length also turn with the barrel and can sometimes be positioned away from the user. This means that while using the lens, the user might need to move around the camera to see the markings. This could possibly be resolved by adding smaller or fainter markings on the other side since the adjustment rings have hard stops and would be the same regardless of the viewing side.
Amidst those minor details, the Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift lens performs very well and is suitable for both professionals and hobbyists who use APS-C cameras. Much like other shift lenses, it has practical applications that would be most helpful in architectural photography, real estate photography, and landscape photography. However, it can be used for any type of photography or videography requiring maintained perspectives or the ability to expand the field of view using panoramas.
While not perfect, it is an excellent proof of concept and possibly a sign of future innovations. Although I don’t fully understand the optical engineering behind it, I would like to see this execution in a slightly larger 18-36mm full frame lens.
What I Liked
- It’s a zoom shift lens
- Versatile focal range
- 360 degree rotation
- Compatible with standard filters
What Can Be Improved
- Adjustment ring sizes and markings (as mentioned above)
- Corner sharpness
- Slight distortion
Thanks for reviewing! That corner softness looks crippling for professional use. All camera manufacturers need to do is add a 'shift' function in crop mode for FF cameras so you can change where on the sensor to crop. Using a FF 12-24mm lens and 'digital shifting' would functionally be identical without needing to use Laowa's subpar optics.
Shift ≠ Tilt-Shift
It should be edited to 'Shift lenses and tilt-shift...", instead of 'Shift lenses, or tilt-shift..."
Why? In my film days I used shift/tilt lenses in 35mm and the option in 4x5. There were always downsides and limitations, especially vignetting and off axis optical deficiencies that got worse the more adjustments were applied. In order to counter these lenses has to be stopped way down and use of a tripod was the norm.
Why, when excellent digital applications like DXO ViewPoint are available? These applications apply exacting corrections that far exceed anything a tilt/shift lens can do. And they correct for distortion too. The images come out near perfect, regardless of how much correction is applied.