Up-close and personal with Laowa 19mm Zero-D GFX

Posted on Jan 11, 2023

The world in the palm of your hand with the ultra-compact 19mm lens for GFX from Laowa. Made for architecture, landscape and astrophotography

Anhui, China

Packing a mighty punch, the 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX is one of the smallest in its class, measuring 80mm and weighing just 546g. The medium format ultra-wide-angle lens captures AoV of 110° with zero distortion, while maximum aperture of f/2.8 aids shooting in darker environments, creating pleasing out-of-focus background. To get the best out of the five aperture blades, stop down the aperture to create a beautiful 10-point sunstar.

The 77mm filter thread allows swift addition of screw-in filters without the burden of a filter holder, and if you’re a fan of extreme close-ups, the minimum focusing distance of 18cm makes for creative shots. Is it the perfect accompaniment for architecture, landscape and astrophotography fans?

Being considerably lighter than other GFX lenses on the market, and rather small, the 19mm f/2.8 is unobtrusive in a traveling photographers kit bag. Don’t let its small size fool you, there is power in the little package. Easily attach a 77mm screw-in filter for maximum creative control under various lighting conditions without lugging a huge filter holder.

Due to the larger medium format sensor size of the GFX, the lens is equivalent to 15mm on a full frame, making the 19mm f/2.8 super helpful when shooting in tight spaces, especially to create an exaggerated sense of extension.

The background forms an important part to photography composition, which is why this lens performs excellently in low-light without bumping up the ISO. The 19mm GFX lens has a fast aperture of f/2.8, which also provides for better background separation with the subject.

Zero Distortion technology by Laowa is renowned for exhibiting close-to-zero optical distortion, meaning that straight lines can now be retained for architecture and interior photography. This saves editors precious time.

In the visual age, exceptionally detailed close-up images are becoming more sought after. The 18cm minimum focusing distance allows photographers to get close to the subject, without missing the background information of the scene, creating visually impactful images.

Like the Laowa 14mm f4 FF RL Zero-D, the 19mm features the focusing scale adjustment system. Easy to adjust, you can align the focus marking against their own cameras. The actual infinity marking can be calibrated exactly on the infinity mark; helpful when shooting in the field, especially for astrophotography at night.