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Register/Sony E-mount/Laowa/Wide
Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift — Three-quarter front view
Three-quarter front view© Venus Optics (LAOWA)
LaowaZero-D

Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift

FE · PRIME
20mm
APERTURE
1:4
MFRING

Launch MSRP

$1,099
Weight
747g
Filter
⌀82mm
Min focus
0.25m
Max mag.
0.17×
Formula
16E / 11G
Released
2022
AlternativesCompare with…
01

Specification sheet

Optical construction

16
Elements
11
Groups
3 LD · 2 ASPH
14 rounded blades
  • 2x Aspherical
  • 3x ED
  • Frog Eye Coating
Aperture range
f/4 — f/22

Physical & ergonomics

16842ZERO-D
Weight
747g
⌀ × length
95.0 × 91.0mm
Filter
⌀82mm
Weather sealed
No
Aperture ring
Yes

Autofocus actuator

Manual Helicoid
Manual Focus
Stabilisation
Body IBIS
Teleconverter
Not supported
AF speed score
—

Close-up performance

Min focus distance
0.25m
Max magnification
0.17× (1:5.9)
0.17×
0×0.25×0.5× half macro1.0× macro
02

Optical character

Laowa's 20mm shift lens offers ±11mm of shift with near-zero distortion, plus a normal 82mm filter thread, which most wide shift lenses cannot take. A 65mm image circle covers full frame with room to spare and allows ±8mm on medium format.

Shift is set with a large ring instead of a fiddly knob, and a lever lets the whole lens rotate 360° in 15° clicks, so you can shift in any direction or shoot a stitched panorama around a fixed nodal point. The 14-blade aperture gives 14-point sunstars when stopped down. It is a mechanical lens with no electronic contacts, so no EXIF is recorded.

Reviewer consensus

Reviewers report a very sharp centre and excellent full-frame corners even wide open. There is an odd dip in the inner mid-frame at f/4, but by f/8 performance across the frame leaves little to want. In shifted areas, f/8–f/11 gives results better than Canon's TS-E 17mm. Distortion is negligible even shifted, and longitudinal CA is very well controlled.

The drawbacks are uneven vignetting when shifted (about 3 EV in the extreme corner wide open), sizeable flare with the sun just outside the frame, and a supplied hood that blocks sideways shift. It is a DSLR-derived design with a built-in adapter, so it is large for a 20mm f/4.

Owner sentiment

Architecture and real-estate photographers like the shift ring and the 15° rotation clicks. Being able to use standard 82mm filters and grads is a frequent reason for choosing it over Canon and Nikon shift lenses.

Some owners find the 15mm f/4.5 Shift more useful for a small price difference, and others wish the lens had tilt or electronic contacts. Its size and weight are a common complaint on small Sony bodies.

03

Strengths, weaknesses & performance

Strengths

  • +±11mm shift, 360° rotation in 15° clicks
  • +Near-zero distortion, even shifted
  • +Takes 82mm screw-in filters
  • +Very good full-frame corners at f/4
  • +14-blade aperture for 14-point sunstars

Weaknesses

  • −Uneven vignetting when shifted
  • −Flare with the sun near the frame
  • −Hood blocks lateral shift
  • −Large and 747g for a 20mm f/4

Six-axis rating

SHARPBOKEHAFFLAREBUILDVALUE
Sharpness
8.6
Bokeh Rendering
6.3
Autofocus Speed
MF
Flare Resistance
7.1
Build / Sealing
8.5
Value / Size
8.0

Editorial 0–10 ratings synthesised from published reviews.

04

Technical specifications

Optics
MountSony E (FE) · full frame
Focal length20mm
CategoryWide
Maximum aperturef/4
Minimum aperturef/22
Construction16 elements in 11 groups
Special elements2x Aspherical · 3x ED · Frog Eye Coating
Aperture blades14
Focus
Focus typeManual Focus
DriveManual Helicoid
Minimum focus0.25m
Max magnification0.17×
StabilisationNone (uses body IBIS)
TeleconvertersNot supported
Body
Weight747g
Diameter × length95.0 × 91.0mm
Filter thread⌀82mm
Weather sealingNo
Aperture ringYes
De-clickable apertureNo
Release year2022
Launch MSRP$1,099 USD
05

Sources

Specifications

  • laowalens.com/camera-lens-50
  • newsshooter.com/2022/03/28/laowa-20mm-f-4-zero-d-shift/
  • phillipreeve.net/blog/review-laowa-20mm-4-0-shift/
  • venuslens.net/product/laowa-20mm-f-4-zero-d-shift/
06

Similar focal length alternatives

  • VS20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift vs 20mm F1.8 ED AS UMC
  • VS20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift vs 20mm F1.4 DG DN | Art
  • VS20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift vs 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
  • Samyang/Rokinon

    20mm F1.8 ED AS UMC

    Samyang 20mm F1.8 ED AS UMC
    20mmF1.8
    WT
    525g
    FLT
    ⌀77mm
    MFD
    0.20m
    MSRP
    $599
    MFRING
  • SigmaArt

    20mm F1.4 DG DN | Art

    Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN | Art
    20mmF1.4
    WT
    630g
    FLT
    ⌀82mm
    MFD
    0.23m
    MSRP
    $899
    AFWRRING·DC
  • SigmaArt

    20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art

    Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
    20mmF1.4
    WT
    1,015g
    FLT
    —
    MFD
    0.28m
    MSRP
    $899
    AF