Quick answer
A manual-focus 20mm shift lens for full-frame cameras with minimal distortion. It has an 82mm filter thread and a minimum focus distance of 0.25 m.
Pros
- Shift movement
- Low distortion
- 82mm filters
- Compact for a shift lens
Cons
- Manual focus only
- f/4
- Shift limited to one axis
Verdict
A compact shift lens for architectural work.
About this lens
Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift: a tilt-shift lens with a 20mm focal length and a maximum aperture of f/4, made for Sony E mount cameras, with low-distortion design. A manual-focus wide-angle lens from Laowa designed for low distortion.
Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift specifications
- Brand
- Laowa
- Mount
- Sony E
- Focal length
- 20mm
- Maximum aperture
- f/4.0
- Lens type
- Tilt-Shift
- Format coverage
- full-frame
- Optical construction
- 16 elements in 11 groups
- Aperture blades
- 14
- Autofocus motor
- none
- Minimum focus distance
- 0.25 m
- Maximum magnification
- 0.17x
- Filter thread
- 82 mm
Specification source: venuslens.com
What can you shoot with the Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift?
- Architecture
- Interiors
- Landscapes
Its moderate maximum aperture works best in good light or with a higher ISO.
Full-frame equivalent and field of view
Calculated from the focal length and crop factor. Not measured.
| Sensor | Crop | Equivalent | Horizontal FOV | Diagonal FOV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 1.0x | 20mm | 84° | 94.5° |
| APS-C | 1.5x | 30mm | 61.9° | 71.6° |
Frequently asked questions
What is a shift lens?
A shift lens moves the lens parallel to the sensor, which corrects converging verticals in architecture.
What filter size does the Laowa 20mm f/4 Shift use?
It uses a 82mm thread. If your other lenses use a different size, step-up rings let you share filters.
How close can it focus?
Minimum focus is 0.25 m, with a maximum magnification of 0.17x. That is close enough to place a foreground subject against a wide background.
Alternatives for Sony E from other brands
All Sony E lensesSame mount, overlapping focal range, closest maximum aperture first.
