While a lot of attention is being focused on full frame cameras and their lenses, there is still a lot of innovation happening in the world of APS-C (cropped) cameras – specifically Laowa’s 12-24mm F5.6 Tilt-Shift lens. I’ve recently had the opportunity to shoot with it throughout the holidays and found that it’s easily one of the most innovative photography products to be available in a while. Here’s why.
What is a Tilt-Shift Lens?
Before we get into the Laowa 12-24mm Tilt-Shift lens, it’s important to understand what it is and isn’t. A lot of times we assume that a tilt-shift lens only produces the miniaturization effect that we find in “toy camera” filters. Yes, that is one thing that a tilt-shift lens can do – creating a very narrow focal plane that can produce sharp focus on a specified section(s) of an image while blurring the background. This is achieved by changing the position of the lens in relation to the image sensor/film. A tilt-shift lens allows you change the orientation of the lens plane (tilt) and the movement parallel to the image plane (shift) through a mechanical process on the lens itself. If you want a more in-depth explainer, you should definitely check out this article.
Laowa 12-24mm F5.6 Tilt-Shift Lens Tech Specs via Laowa
- Format: APS-C
- Focal Distance: 12-24mm
- Aperture Range: F5.6-F22
- Angle of View: 102.5 – 63.9-degress
- Shift Capability: ±7mm
- Minimum Shooting Distance: 5.9-inches/15cm
- Focusing: Manual Focus
- Filter Thread: 77mm
- Dimensions: 3.9in. x 3.1in
- Weight: 1.27lbs
- Available Mounts: Sony E, L mount, Canon R, Fuji X, Nikon Z, Canon EF-M
Design, Construction, and Ergonomics
Right off the bat, I was deeply impressed with the construction of the Laowa 12-24mm Tilt-Shift lens – its all-metal construction feels like it’s indestructible, the three-ring controls are easy to find when your eye is in the viewfinder, and the overall size and weight is mind-blowing when you remember that we’re talking about a tilt-shift lens. Let’s start there – the lens is just over 3 inches long, weighs a little more than a pound, AND is a zoom lens – the only one in the current market I could find (I might be wrong). For comparison’s sake, the smallest EF tilt-shift lens, the TS-E 17mm F4, is an inch longer, nearly double the weight, and is only a prime lens.
I had the opportunity to shoot with this lens in Washington, D.C., and New York. I took some time to do different street photography and found that the controls were easy to handle barehanded. The lens’s three-ring control design makes it easy to change focal distance, control focusing, and shift the lens plane as needed. Each of these controls is adequately separated on the lens barrel, making it an intentional process once you remember where your hand should go. That said, there are caveats to such a compact lens design – namely, if you have large hands or gloves, things can get a little frustrating.
Laowa 12-24 Tilt-Shift Daily Use
There are a number of things that make using the Laowa 12-24 F5.6 Tilt-Shift a blast to use. Its all-metal construction makes it feel like a substantial piece of glass but in a balanced way. The images that the lens produces are also a welcomed change from what we’re seeing from other lens manufacturers – namely, the Laowa Tilt-Shift lens allows you to make photographs that, while sharp, aren’t perfect. You’ll find that the Laowa Tilt-Shift produces flaring in harsh sunlight, and barrel distortion is present in your final images. That said, the beauty of this lens is in its ability to create composites of your images – capturing wide, distortion-free photos that would be nearly impossible with other lenses.
Image Samples
Why It Matters & Who Is This For?
While knowing what a tilt-shift lens is or even knowing what tilt-shift photography is is one thing, getting out there and doing it is another. If I’m being truthful, I didn’t quite know what I was doing the first time I picked up the lens. I had a very superficial understanding of tilt-shift photography (mainly from using my Lensbaby Composer Pro and optics), but this was my first “proper” tilt-shift lens experience. I found myself pouring over the mechanics of using a tilt-shift lens, went online looking for some inspiration, and, yes, even instructions on how to use the lens on YouTube. That’s not to say the Laowa 12-24mm Tilt-Shift isn’t intuitive to use; I just wanted to make photographs that were worth sharing – totally a vanity issue. That said, I loved that this lens made me want to learn a new style of photography and if you’re looking to expand your creative horizons, this might be the lens for you.
Pricing and Availability
The Laowa 12-24mm F5.6 Tilt-Shift lens is a blast to use and beautifully designed. I truly loved that this level of innovation is still happening for APS-C cameras – especially for those of us who don’t want to leave the system just yet. The Laowa 12-24mm F5.6 Tilt-Shift is available directly through Venus Optics and Amazon for around $700.
