Venus Optics&#39; new $549 7.5mm F2 MFT lens now has electronic aperture control

DPR,
Do you know if the electronic contacts are also used to communicate the lens characteristics to the camera and allow for in-camera lens correction ?
Thanks.

Jun 13, 2021permalink

JoeTuner

Even some AF lenses are bringing back aperture rings, but these guys leave it off. Still a great lens btw, but bit of a shame.

Jun 12, 2021permalink

This is an MFT lens.
The vast majority of AF MFT lenses have no aperture ring.
The few that have one are some expensive "PanaLeica" lenses.
Moreover, aperture rings are not supported by Olympus bodies, as far as I know.

Jun 13, 2021permalink

You can still buy the fully manual version with an aperture ring.

Jun 13, 2021permalink

Impulses,
But the OP certainly wants both electronic contacts and an aperture ring that "communicates" with the body to work in Aperture Priority mode.
But this is possible with Panasonic bodies only.

Jun 13, 2021*permalink

Yxa

I hope Panasonic does a prime with similar focal lenght , with an aperture ring of cource

Jun 13, 2021permalink

JoeTuner

@Yxa
It would cost 2x as much :D

Jun 13, 2021permalink

Yxa

Probably

Jun 13, 2021permalink

astrostl

I strongly prefer aperture rings 🤷‍♂️

Jun 12, 2021permalink

I asked my wallet : it strongly prefers cheaper lenses without an aperture ring... ;-)

Jun 12, 2021*permalink

sportyaccordy

Is this their first lens with electronic communication?

To me a lens released in 2021 without EC is inexcusable.

Jun 12, 2021permalink

It's not, the 10/2 had electronic aperture control as well, one of their recent M4/3 2x macros too, I don't think they've released and Sony E mount lenses with electronics but they've done similar stuff for EF mount with a macro.

They're getting there... On UWA primes and macros I'm not really bothered by it one way or the other, I gotta admit I shied away from trying their FF 10-18 zoom because never having FL EXIT on a zoom would irritate me.

Jun 13, 2021*permalink

Amin_AA

Great. Please lets have a some manual focus macro lenses with electrical contacts. Fuji X please.

Jun 12, 2021permalink

tedolf

This is a step in the right direction. Now drop the price to $300.00 and you have a sale.

Tedolph

Jun 12, 2021permalink

If the optical formula is the same as the original lens, the new one can't be 7mm shorter. That would require shaving off or leaving off the front element.

It's a great lens which I've had since it first came out. I've sold my 7-14 Olympus as it never got used again.

Jun 12, 2021permalink

And yet it is 48mm & not 55mm long. Watch the video.

Jun 12, 2021permalink

And as can be seen in the video, the '48mm' length is shown as larger than the '55mm' length.

One hopes that Laowa's optical engineers don't ever start subscribing to the same kind of math.

Jun 13, 2021permalink

@Henning W
No it doesn't. First of all the new lens is tilted up because of the contacts plastic protrusion (check your own Olympus lenses) & is a little closer too.
You've obviously not noticed there is no aperture ring.
Check the Specs page. https://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-7-5mm-f2/

Jun 13, 2021*permalink

I'm sorry that geometry and measurement are not your strengths. Please read my original post again to try to understand why the new lens cannot be 7mm shorter than the old one.

People can make mistakes writing out specs; an updated lens with the same optics cannot be made shorter than those optics allow. That's it. QED.

Jun 13, 2021permalink

Please don't argue with me. Go tell them their specs are all wrong & you won't buy their lens! I'd love to hear their laughter too though.

Jun 14, 2021permalink

OK, I've checked the images (copied & pasted to adjust scale accurately) & the error is with the original lens specs for the length of the lens & isn't 55mm as it appears, but does it extend for focussing?

Jun 14, 2021permalink

Since you have the lens, perhaps you can measure it & confirm the specs or otherwise.

Jun 14, 2021permalink

Shadowfox3141

I have the old version and I like it! Did what it promised. Near zero distortion, (with huge vignette though), compact and reasonably sharp. F2 did come handy several time at night too!

Jun 11, 2021permalink

4sofnature

A little expensive to be honest, unless you use it on DJI drone.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Compared to what???

Jun 12, 2021permalink

Compared to my wallet content... ;-)

Jun 12, 2021permalink

Same price as their roughly equivalent FF 14/4 prime, or pretty much at the bottom end of pricing for UWA primes in general...

Jun 12, 2021permalink

Why can't laowa make AF lens? and why panasonic/olympus donn't make a similar lens?

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Astrotripper

Know-how. AF lenses require different design. It's not like you can just slap on a motor and get an AF lens. Alas, they now have access to all the technical specs of MFT standard (as MFT consortium member), so that removes the need for reverse engineering the communication protocols.

I think they will eventually get there. Give them some time. They just started chipping their lenses and providing electronic aperture control. It takes time to develop their tech and design new products with AF in mind.

As for why no such lenses from Olympus/Panasonic? Good question. One that MFT users were asking themselves for years now.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

red pencil

Olympus/Panasonic can they just choose not to, wide zooms are the name of the game. Small prime wides would hit that part of the lens market and that eats into profits

Jun 11, 2021*permalink

I don't think it's about not cannibalizing sales of the zooms, the zooms just sell better, for UWA and in general... How many primes have Only/Pana launched > 70mm vs how many zooms? Same deal, only UWA is even more niche than long tele. Would be nice if they tried at least once tho, going for the 8mm Pro fisheye over an UWA was kinda weird.

It's not like this is exclusive to Oly & Pana tho, Sony didn't make an UWA prime < 20mm until this month when the 14GM came out, and the 20/1.8 G is only two years old... The likes of Laowa, VoIgtlander, Samyang, Nisi, and others do make a ton more MF UWAs for FF than for smaller formats tho, with a handful of AF ones (from Samyang, 18/2.8 & 14/2.8).

Jun 12, 2021permalink

red pencil

Not going to happen with OMD a and Panasonic their wide zooms are a protected species ortherwise they would have made some small primes a long time ago, they have the ability and know how
On the mft forum interest in the 10mm and 7.5 mm is not very high. Since the 10 mm came out very few posts have been about the lens. If it was a great lens as opposed to a good lens then the posters there would be keen buyers

Jun 12, 2021*permalink

i have this lens and with no AF, i found MF every pic too much trouble. i just use it with focus at the infinity mark (not sure if that mark is accurately placed but pics look ok)
i know i lost a lot of DOF but this is more convenient

Jun 12, 2021permalink

are u sure, i think 7.5mm very popular
"mft forum interest in the 10mm and 7.5 mm is not very high"

Jun 12, 2021permalink

i will take a 7.5mm, 25mm and 45mm over a zoom, i hate heavyweight

Jun 12, 2021permalink

red pencil

Not much forum action on the forum as regards to the 7.5 same went with the 10mm

Jun 12, 2021permalink

Tim Reidy Productions

im interested in the 10mm lens, I am in the marked for a ultrawide.

Jun 12, 2021permalink

I saw loads of threads about the 7.5/2 back when it first came out a few years ago... Multiple comparisons with the zooms, etc. /shrug I think it was a fairly stool product for Laowa or they wouldn't have doubled down with the 20/2 and now this update of the 7.5/2. Heck they even brought the APS-C 9/2.8 to M4/3 based on the interest they surveyed.

This is a minor update in the grand scheme of things so it's not bound to re-ignite a lot of new interest, those that were on the fence or would benefit from electronic aperture control already know it. The 10/2 is a less extreme FL so it might not raise as many eyebrows either, tho I'd argue it's a more useful FL overall and it's a little better optically than the 7.5/2 based on what I've seen (I only own the latter but do own a 20mm equivalent).

Jun 13, 2021permalink

20mm equivalent in MFT in terms of width is almost not an ultrawide. No AF is too much hassle. i can only use it at infinity mark.

Jun 13, 2021permalink

Astrotripper

@red pencil
"Not much forum action on the forum as regards to the 7.5 same went with the 10mm"

On the contrary. The 7.5 is probably the most popular of the third party MF lenses on MFT forum. I've seen people posting photos taken with it all the time.

This is confirmed by DPR's gear lists. It's BY FAR the most popular of all Laowa lenses across all the formats.

The 10mm is still very new and I'm sure the pandemic did not have a positive impact on people buying new lenses and shooting with them. Alas, I've seen a few threads dedicated to it. I don't quite expect it to be the same kind of hit, though.

Jun 13, 2021permalink

if Laowa can make 7.5mm AF, it will be a blockbuster. until than it will be just niche. 9-18mm is still the most useful ultrawide for MFT. With DXO DeepPrime, the F4 at 9mm is no longer a problem, 155 gram only
9-18mm together with the pancake 35-100 serve all my need and is the reason i am in MFT

Jun 14, 2021permalink

Gesture

One small step for Venus Optics; one huge leap for photo-kind.
Camera next?

Jun 11, 2021permalink

sprocket-docket

That's about the best improvement we could ask for short going all the way and adding AF, and this is one where that doesn't matter a whole lot. The ability to fully integrate with the camera's exposure control and AE plus EXIF makes for a very useful addition.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Does anybody know if adjusting the focus on a "chipped" Laowa lens enables the focus magnifier on the camera?

I have a Laowa 17mm ƒ/1.8 C-Dreamer, which has no microchip. While it was excellent value for money ($140!), it really slows me down to hit the camera's magnifier button to focus and then hit it again to compose the shot.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Gannon Burgett

@PocketPixels: I don’t know about the rest of their ‘chipped’ lenses, but that is indeed the case for this one. I’ll inquire with Laos about others and update this article to clarify that functionality with this lens.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Richard_Wong

yes it does. I have this new 7.5mm (sample from Laowa) and it is really a huge improvement compare to the old version

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Brendan R

Richard that is great to hear

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Thank you Gannon and Richard. Good to know!

Jun 11, 2021permalink

jkgal

How can it be a huge improvement if the optical formula has not changed.?
And how did you get a sample from Laowa. Are you a brand ambassador?

Jun 12, 2021permalink

@jkgal a "huge improvement" doesn't have to mean a change in optical formula.
My Laowa lens has no chip and cannot trigger my camera's focus assist feature. Adding a microchip would be a huge improvement. The optical quality is already B+ or even A-, so no optical improvement is needed.

Jun 13, 2021permalink

Richard has reviewed a number of Laowa lenses on his YouTube channel, they're definitely worth watching.

Jun 13, 2021*permalink

Richard_Wong

@jkgal yes as PocketPixels said, huge improvement doesn't have to be from optics. The usability of the lens have improved a lot because of the "chip". Auto pop up magnifiying view, no need to manually set the focal length everytime after you swap the lens (from another full manual lens), auto aperture, ability to find the image in your catalogue easily because of EXIF data, and also you could apply profile correction easily as well for same reason (if someone makes one)...etc

and yes i'm working on a review of this lens, slightly later than usual this time but I rather finish off all the testing than rush it. If you have questions about the lens, feel free to ask i will try answer them here.

Jun 13, 2021permalink

(unknown member)

It is nice they added this. I do like using a manual aperture ring too, ala FujiFilm and some Nikons.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

wezers73

Aperture ring is no longer on the new lens, old one has it though.

Jun 12, 2021permalink

AbrasiveReducer

Now we're talking. I have the 10mm Laowa, which has data transfer and "zero-D" (which means sharp corners due to no need for barrel correction). When looking at batches of images, having the data is very helpful.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

matsonfamily

wrong lens shown in photo; new version has no aperture ring, so don't expect manual aperture on the lens like a Fuji XF lens.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

matsonfamily

thanks, been corrected in 3hrs or less. now shows the version that only has one ring.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

generationfourth

I wish Laowa would make their UWA's with weather sealing. I do understand that they will get bigger in size. The only reason why I need WR on a lens like this is because when I am out shooting I will leave the camera/lens mounted on a tripod overnight. I own an 8-18... although it is pretty compact I use the 14-140 way more outdoors and a single small prime like this would be a great alternative for backpacking/bikepacking

Jun 11, 2021permalink

jkgal

Fyi, my 7.5 F2 landed hard on rocks. No ill effects.

Jun 14, 2021permalink

Ilia Snopchenko

5 aperture blades sounds rather 1987 for me. Although that was the year Deep Purple released "The House of Blue Light", so I can't only complain. :)

Jun 11, 2021permalink

It's not like you're gonna be particularly worried about bokeh ball shapes with a lens like this, and a lot of people like prominent sunstars on UWAs and Laowa's 5 straight blades tend to excel at that.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

IWBF

I was thinking 80s when I saw the graphic design in the first image.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Dan_168

Are you concern about Bokeh quality on a 7.5MM lens? or there is other issues that 5 blade can cause?

Jun 11, 2021permalink

AbrasiveReducer

Seems like it should be a "Chasing Shadows" lens, not a House of Blue Light lens.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Dan_168: 7 straight blades provide 14-point starbursts, which I have found to be the ideal number (many viewers can subitize ten of something; few can subitize 14). But that is entirely a personal preference.

My Pentax Limited lenses (green ring) taught me to chase after sunstars/starbursts. Those lenses have 7 straight aperture blades and produce the best spiky stars I've ever seen, so I've been "conditioned" to prefer 7 blades, which the older Laowa version also had. But I see @Impulses prefers 5 blades, so opinions vary.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

I don't really have a strong preference one way or the other, just commenting on what I've seen on the lenses and what I've read others like really. I don't think (but don't hold me to this) that the 7 blades on the old version were straight tho, so the sunstars might not be quite as prominent on it regardless of the # of spikes.

Jun 12, 2021*permalink

Ilia Snopchenko

Alright, I get it - sunstars are hip. :) I don't argue that they might add to an image but my lens of choice has 9 rounded blades and I never complained about how it renders in that particular area...

Jun 12, 2021permalink

2manylenses

Kudos to Lowa for adding electronic controls for this lens. As a Sony shooter, I hope they will add this capability to their E range of lenses to compete with Voightlander and Zeiss Loxia.

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Dan_168

I hope this is the start of the new trend of having electronic contact on all their lens too. i do have a few E-Mount Laowa too, the 15 F2.0 is one of my major Astro lens on the Sony platform. even the 15GM is already here but I know I will be using the Laowa side by side also

Jun 11, 2021permalink

Entropy512

Since E-mount isn't as open as MFT (don't let Sony's 2011 PR stunt fool you, it's not actually open, plenty of evidence of that such as Metabones' FAQ and throwing the MC-11 on a logic analyzer), it'll take a while

I know they're working on it and were looking to hire an engineer to help with it, but I am not sure where that went. (They reached out to me to ask about my reverse engineering efforts, and I gave them a few suggestions as to people whom I've collaborated with that might have more availability for a consulting gig.)

I know for a fact that as of a year or so ago when they talked to me, Sony refused to work with them/provide any useful documentation.

Zeiss got access through their long standing cross-branding/contract manufacturing partnership that predates 2011. Same for Tamron. I'm guessing at least one Sony lens is CMed by Cosina which explains how their Voigtlander subsidiary pulled it off.

Jun 11, 2021*permalink

Hubertus Bigend

Excellent. It's a good thing that finally there are more and more manual lenses for MFT with contacts and automatic aperture. Hopefully, this will motivate other manufacturers of manual lenses, like Voigtländer/Cosina, to do the same.

That said, the prominent image shows the old lens. The new one has no aperture ring.

Jun 11, 2021permalink