
Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift
Launch MSRP
$1,099- Weight
- 747g
- Filter
- ⌀82mm
- Min focus
- 0.25m
- Max mag.
- 0.17×
- Formula
- 16E / 11G
- Released
- 2022
Specification sheet
Optical construction
- 2x Aspherical
- 3x ED
- Frog Eye Coating
- Aperture range
- f/4 — f/22
Physical & ergonomics
- Weight
- 747g
- ⌀ × length
- 95.0 × 91.0mm
- Filter
- ⌀82mm
- Weather sealed
- No
- Aperture ring
- Yes
Autofocus actuator
- Stabilisation
- Body IBIS
- Teleconverter
- Not supported
- AF speed score
- —
Close-up performance
- Min focus distance
- 0.25m
- Max magnification
- 0.17× (1:5.9)
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.
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
- 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.
Technical specifications
| Mount | Sony E (FE) · full frame |
|---|---|
| Focal length | 20mm |
| Category | Wide |
| Maximum aperture | f/4 |
| Minimum aperture | f/22 |
| Construction | 16 elements in 11 groups |
| Special elements | 2x Aspherical · 3x ED · Frog Eye Coating |
| Aperture blades | 14 |
| Focus type | Manual Focus |
|---|---|
| Drive | Manual Helicoid |
| Minimum focus | 0.25m |
| Max magnification | 0.17× |
| Stabilisation | None (uses body IBIS) |
| Teleconverters | Not supported |
| Weight | 747g |
|---|---|
| Diameter × length | 95.0 × 91.0mm |
| Filter thread | ⌀82mm |
| Weather sealing | No |
| Aperture ring | Yes |
| De-clickable aperture | No |
| Release year | 2022 |
| Launch MSRP | $1,099 USD |
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/
Similar focal length alternatives
- VS20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift vs 20mm F1.8 ED AS UMC
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AFWRRING·DC - SigmaArt
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AF


