note that Sigma is also rumored to have one too but not a lot of details on that one.
edit: worth noting that it's going to be available in EF mount...so i guess the question is ..is it the same optical design across all supported mounts? that means the ML version will have that ugly extension to accommodate EF mount flange distance 😑
Awesome to see Laowa continue to branch out with further AF lenses. Hopefully they nailed the focus motors on this. Being Laowa, I’d expect the optics to be quite good. I’m guessing it’ll be around $3k?
I have no use for such a lens, but it’s awesome to see third party development of optics like this.
I find the weight specifications particularly astonishing.
According to these, the Venus Optics / Laowa AF 200mm f/2 should weigh no more than 1.6 kg.
That would be a significant weight reduction compared to previous 200mm f/2 solutions, which weigh around 2.9 kg in the case of both Nikkor 200/2 lenses.
It looks relatively compact in the pictures, for a 200mm f/2.
It's a bit like a litre mug at Oktoberfest, except that the mug filled with a litre of beer weighs 2.3kg.
Great news! Too bad for Sigma that an increasing number of potential customers will end up buying such lenses instead of theirs for Z mount. Hopefully they change their mind before it's too late. Too bad for RF mount users also.
As expected, it is possible to design a very light 200mm f2.0.
Which means that my forecast of a Nikon 100-200mm f2.0 S TC weighting around 2+ kg is most probably possible.
Interestingly, some website also mentioned that GFX mount is also coming in the future.
Assuming it is the same design, it would mean that its image circle is big enough for mini medium format
so performance on FF should be very good. Now the big problem is, should I get Z or GF mount version for my GFX 100 ii
suteetat wrote:
Interestingly, some website also mentioned that GFX mount is also coming in the future.
Assuming it is the same design, it would mean that its image circle is big enough for mini medium format
so performance on FF should be very good. Now the big problem is, should I get Z or GF mount version for my GFX 100 ii
I think I heard of a GFX to Z adapter, so might be better to get the GFX version if AF is good enough.
bernardl wrote:
I think I heard of a GFX to Z adapter, so might be better to get the GFX version if AF is good enough.
Cheers,
Bernard
Yes, the adapter looks promising. I looked at their FX to Z mount adapter review using Fuji X lens with ZFc and AF seems ok, at least for portrait and street. GFX lens in general don't focus extremely fast anyhow but it would be interesting to see how some
of the GF lens might work on Z body.
suteetat wrote:
Interestingly, some website also mentioned that GFX mount is also coming in the future.
Assuming it is the same design, it would mean that its image circle is big enough for mini medium format
so performance on FF should be very good. Now the big problem is, should I get Z or GF mount version for my GFX 100 ii
I am renting this lens in the first week of April for a super low light gig. Does anyone have any direct experience with it?
The fact it weighs a lot less than the F mount 200/2 is really intriguing as I would think a much easier to handle package could actually offset the lack IS on the lens, especially if one has to use a bit faster shutter speed to stop low to medium impact action anyway.
Ai_Print wrote:
I am renting this lens in the first week of April for a super low light gig. Does anyone have any direct experience with it?
The fact it weighs a lot less than the F mount 200/2 is really intriguing as I would think a much easier to handle package could actually offset the lack IS on the lens, especially if one has to use a bit faster shutter speed to stop low to medium impact action anyway.
Anyone play with this lens yet?
Over on the Canon forum a couple of us have bought one or rented one. I rented one first and now have one on the way. If you go to the 13th comment on page 3, those deer photos were all after sunset in low-light during blue hour. You'll have to mess with stopping down for additional contrast if your light is harsh or mediocre. One full stop beings a lot of sharpness, but you might not need a full stop. You get some additional contrast with even 1/3 of a stop down.
So I used the Laowa 200/2 for a solid week in very low light and it was really impressive. I had to use it on a monopod since it was relying on the Z8/9 IBIS but it really did great handheld too once I got above 1/100th of a second. To me, AF was as good as my other two light gobblers, the 85 1.2 and 135 1.8 Plena. I used it for people watching movies in an opera house for a film festival so the illumination was from the screen, typically ISO 6400 at F2, 1/10th of a second and then lower.
It's a super niche lens for me but I have to say, it's performance, handling and image quality are well worth a price tag that is double the current asking, so I might just bite...
Couple of frames, ISO 12800, 1/10th-ish, vignette and burning in on the sleeping guy for cinematic effect:
I compared this to my 200/2 VR I and it was no contest, the Nikon is way sharper at f2, the bokeh is a bit more pleasing as well. However, Laowa cleary wins on weight, much more lighter and portable.
I've been looking for a similar comparison with the new sigma. The new 70-200 2.8 ii is wonderful, but the perceived sharpness and rendering of my 200mm vr ii is still my preference.
keira007 wrote:
I compared this to my 200/2 VR I and it was no contest, the Nikon is way sharper at f2, the bokeh is a bit more pleasing as well. However, Laowa cleary wins on weight, much more lighter and portable.
