Venus Optics Unveils Slew of New Laowa Cinema Lenses

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15mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 100mm. They feature a sleek black design with blue accents and white, orange text detailing their specs.

Although the IBC Expo 2024 is still more than a week away, Venus Optics has shared new details on various Laowa lenses, including an Ultima 12-120mm T4 8K S35 Broadcast Zoom lens, the Nanomorph LF 1.5x Anamorphic Series, Sword Macro lenses for full-frame cinema cameras, and the Nanomorph 60mm Macro 1.5x Anamorphic for Super35.

Laowa Ultima 12-120mm T4 8K Broadcast Lens

Starting with the Ultima 12-120mm T4 broadcast lens, it is Laowa’s first foray into the 8K broadcasting market. The Super35 lens offers 10x optical zoom with a constant T4 aperture and promises “exceptional image quality.” The lens works alongside an optional MOVCAM Servo Unit to control focus, zoom, and aperture while shooting.

A black MOVCAM Core Servo Unit camera with a Veydra V-LUX 12-120mm 6K lens attached. The camera has various control buttons and dials, and the lens features multiple adjustment rings for zoom and focus. The lens has blue and yellow markings.

The highly specialized lens promises sharp 8K performance and accurate color reproduction for studio and in-field broadcast work. The lens includes 28 elements arranged across 20 groups, which is a lot of glass, even for a zoom lens. Given the robust build quality and the large quantity of glass, its weight of 3.2 kilograms (just over seven pounds) isn’t too surprising.

A professional video camera is mounted on a stabilizing rig setup with a large lens labeled "12-120 8K". Various controls and a monitor screen displaying settings are visible, with windows softly illuminated in the background.

The lens comes in Arri PL mount, although Venus Optics says a B4 mount version may be offered in the future depending on user demand. Pricing information has not been provided.

Nanomorph LF 1.5x Anamorphic Series

The new Nanomorph LF 1.5x Anamorphic Series follows the success of Laowa’s Nanomorph lenses for S35 image sensors. The LF versions cover the Arri Alexa LF sensor in Open Gate format and come in 32mm, 42mm, 55mm, and 85mm focal lengths with a constant T2.9 aperture across the board.

32mm, 42mm, 55mm, and 85mm. They are all black with white text and feature intricate adjustment rings.

Each lens weighs around a kilogram (2.2 pounds) and comes in blue, silver, and amber flare versions. Laowa will offer each lens in various mount options, including PL, EF, RF, E, Z, DJI DL, and L-Mount. All four lenses sport a 13-bladed aperture diaphragm and share aperture, and focus throws (70 degrees and 270 degrees, respectively). Gear modding is 0.8M across the board, and each lens has an 80mm front diameter.

Close-up of a professional RED digital cinema camera with a Laowa Nanomorph 32mm T2.9 anamorphic lens. The camera is black with a skull logo on the side, and various buttons and markings are visible. The setup is against a dark background.

There’s no information yet on pricing, although Venus Optics says the lenses will arrive later this year or early next. For reference, the Nanomorph 1.5x S35 lenses start at $999 each and are available at a discount when purchased in a bundle.

Sword Full Frame Cine Macro Series

Another set of cinema lenses with full-frame coverage, the Sword Full Frame Cine Macro Series — seen at the top of this article — comes in six focal lengths and offers up to 2x macro capabilities. The 15mm T4.1, 25mm T2.9, and 35mm T2.9 lenses are 1:1 macro lenses, while the 180mm T4.6 ups the ante to 1.5x magnification. The 60mm T2.9 and 100mm T2.9 primes are both 2:1 macro lenses.

A close-up image showing a dense cluster of honeybees on a honeycomb. The bees are actively engaged in their work, and the intricate pattern of the hexagonal honeycomb cells is clearly visible.

Like the Nanomorph LF lenses, the Sword primes come in various mounts, although not the exact same ones. The lenses are available in PL, EF, RF, E, Z, and L mounts — no DJI DL. With the exception of the 15mm T4.1 lens (100mm front diameter), all the Sword macro primes share the same front diameter of 80mm.

No pricing is available yet, although the lenses will arrive in the next few months.

Nanomorph 60mm Macro Anamorphic Super35 Lens

Rounding out Venus Optics’ significant news drop is the Nanomorph 60mm T2.9 1.5x Anamorphic Macro lens. The lens joins the existing S35 Nanomorph series and adds 0.5x macro capabilities to the lineup thanks to its 24-centimeter (9.44-inch) close-focusing distance.

gold on the left, white in the center, and blue on the right. The background is dark.

A close-up shot of a person's lips and fingers holding a straw near their mouth. The background is out of focus, creating a soft, warm, and intimate atmosphere with dim lighting. The person's lower face is bathed in a gentle, warm light.

A close-up of an open book, showing a section of a page with text in focus. The lighting is warm, casting a soft, golden glow over the pages. The words "When they are at full speed doing" are clearly visible in the middle of the image.

Details are very scarce, but the lens will come in PL and EF mounts, plus additional mirrorless camera bayonets, and, as usual, it will have amber, blue, and silver flare options. It will arrive in the next few months for an undisclosed price.

13-16 September, Hall 12, G72 at RAI Amsterdam, with free registration and a registration code IBC10934. Opening hours are also displayed.

Laowa at IBC 2024

There is a good chance that some missing details will be filled in at the upcoming 2024 IBC Expo in Amsterdam. The event runs from September 13-16, and Venus Optics will be at booth 12.G72 to show off all their latest cinema lenses.

Image credits: Venus Optics / Laowa

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