Laowa launches the 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX, an ultra wide-angle for medium format Fujifilm

The Chinese manufacturer Venus Optics, and its Laowa brand, are regularly talked about with original and atypical optics, or intended for neglected frames. After a 17mm f/4 Zero-D for Fujifilm medium formats such as the GFX 100S and GFX 50S II, Laowa returns with a 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D (15 mm in 35mm equivalent), for photographers looking for of a brighter UGA.

Compared to its predecessor, the 17mm f/4 Zero-D, this 19mm boasts a much wider maximum aperture of f/2.8, which could well appeal to photographers who need more light or are looking for to carry out bokeh more aesthetic, helped in this by the short focusing distance of 18 cm. As often, no autofocus but a graduated ring. It is also common with such a lens to work at the hyperfocal.

With 80 mm in length and a weight of 546 grams, the new Laowa lens is even more compact and easy to transport. For comparison, the Fujinon GF 23mm F4 R LM WR weighs 845 grams and is 103mm long. We are thus entitled to a medium format lens as compact as a 24×36 lens, but without autofocus, which also explains that.

On the optical side, the latest from Laowa advances a formula with 12 lenses divided into 10 groups, including two aspherical elements, three ED glasses and one UHR (Ultra High Refraction) glass. The five-blade diaphragm should facilitate 10-point star bokeh effects.

Price and availability

With this 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D, Laowa gives us a good lens for photographers looking for a compact, bright stone offering a maximum angle of view (110°). Those who wish to afford it will have to wait until February 2023: it will then land on the shelves at a price of €1,399.

Illustrative images courtesy of Laowa