Venus Optics launches new compact ultra-wide lens for Fujifilm GFX cameras

Venus Optics, manufacturers of Laowa lenses, has expanded its growing line of Fujifilm GFX-compatible lenses with this, the Laowa 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX. At just 80mm in length and weighing 546g, it’s one of the smallest and lightest GF-mount lenses on the market. Inside the compact barrel is a 12-element, 10-group optical stack, incorporating two aspherical elements, three extra-low dispersion elements and one ultra-high refractive element.

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While the lens itself may be small, it can capture an extremely large 110-degree angle of view, and Laowa claims it can do so without generating noticeable distortion. A large f/2.8 max aperture will help reduce depth of field and increased bokeh softness, while a 5-bladed diaphragm can render 10-point sunstars from out-of-focus points of light.

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Though primarily designed as a wide-angle optic, the 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX can also double as a macro lens thanks to its short 18cm minimum focus distance. The reasonably fast maximum aperture combined with the wide angle of view could also make the lens suitable for occasional astrophotography (opens in new tab). Filter attachment is made possible by a 77mm filter thread, enabling the fitment of polarizing (opens in new tab) or neutral density (opens in new tab) filters for long-exposure landscape shots. 

As you’d expect for a laowa lens, the 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX is a fully manual lens, with no autofocus or electrical communication between lens and host camera. However, manual focussing is much more forgiving when shooting at shorter focal lengths, and the lens has a focusing scale adjustment system to further speed the manual focussing process.

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The Laowa 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX is available to buy now from the Venus Optics web shop, priced at US $999. For context, that’s less than half the price of the two widest GFX lenses currently offered by Fujifilm itself: the GF 20-35mm f/4 R WR ($2,499) and the GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR ($2,599).

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