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Digital Camera World
Digital Camera World
James Artaius

This is the world's FIRST zooming shift lens (and it's available for six mounts –including Canon's dead camera system)

Animation of the Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift lens being shifted on a Nikon Z camera body.

Do you love shift lenses, but wish they had the flexibility of a zoom? Well, Laowa has you covered with its latest product – the world's first zooming shift lens.

Not content with launching a pair of new tilt-shift lenses last month, Laowa's newest shift lens eschews the tilt functionality in favor of adding a wide-angle zoom range.

The new Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift is an APS-C lens that offers some pretty remarkable features – starting with that 102.5°-63.9° angle of view coverage, coupled with a constant f/5.6 aperture throughout the zoom range.

Obviously the headline feature here is the ±7mm shift capability. While this, like the aperture, isn't quite as versatile as the ±11mm Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift and Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift lenses, it should be remembered that those are primes.

ABOVE: Watch the launch video

While the Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift isn't a Zero-D(istortion) optic, the company promises "exceptional distortion control" – something I'm inclined to believe, as Laowa glass tends to excel in this area.

The Zoom Shift is a pretty tiny little lens, too, measuring just 99 x 80mm (that's smaller than a soda can) and weighing in at just 575g. It has a 77mm filter thread (which requires the lens hood to be attached) and has an impressive 15cm close-focusing distance, which should invite some interesting creative opportunities.

The Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift can be ordered now, priced at $699 (approximately £537 / AU$1,053), and is available for Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, L-Mount and Canon EF-M – yes, a brand new lens for the discontinued EOS M system!

Be aware that the manufacturer makes a very similar-looking Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 lens that doesn't feature a shift function – so make sure that you order the right one!

(Image credit: Laowa)
(Image credit: Laowa)
(Image credit: Laowa)
(Image credit: Laowa)

You might also be interested in the best tilt-shift lenses, as well as these interior photography tips.

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