Laowa 15mm f/4.5R Zero-D Shift

Since the optics are shared, test results match the original: a very sharp centre, shifted corners that compare well with Canon's TS-E 17mm, no focus shift, and heavy shading at full shift. Coverage of the R focuses on the 14-blade aperture, which gives softer, less dominant 14-point sunstars than the original's bold 10-point stars.

Whether that is better depends on taste: architectural shooters who prefer subtle highlights welcome it, and landscape shooters who liked the strong stars of the five-blade version may not. Criticisms about stiff shift action and missing filter options carry over.

Interior and real-estate photographers favour the R for its gentler treatment of light sources, and like that it costs no more than the original. The 360° rotation and stitching workflow are as popular as before.

Owners repeat the original's complaints: no screw-in filters, strong vignetting in shifted frames, no EXIF, and a heavy-feeling lens on small Sony bodies.