Review: Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift (Canon RF)

Posted on by Jordan Steele

Conclusion

Pros

  • Well constructed lens with excellent controls
  • Takes standard front filters
  • Good sharpness stopped down, even when shifted
  • Very low distortion
  • Excellent control of chromatic aberrations
  • Reasonable price for a super-wide shift lens
  • Innovative lens hood allows for shading, even in most shifted positions

Cons

  • No lens EXIF data
  • Prone to flare
  • Vignetting when shifted
  • Mid-zone sharpness dip at wide apertures

The Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift is a lens I’ve really been waiting for for a while: a reasonably priced super-wide shift lens with quality optics. It’s got what I consider a Goldilocks focal length for a wide shift lens, providing plenty of width for most situations, without being so wide that composition becomes difficult. Extra width is also available when needed by incorporating shift panoramas. The Laowa 20mm shift is not a cheap lens at $1,099, but is very reasonably priced for a quality wide-angle shift lens, coming in at about half the price of Canon’s 17mm TS-E and $800 less than the 24mm TS-E. Those lenses also have tilt movements available, but for the architectural photographer, tilt is of minimal concern.

The lens has good sharpness, even when shifted, and has excellent control of distortion and chromatic aberration. You do need to watch out for ghosting with the sun in the frame, but for most architectural shooting, this isn’t a huge issue. Overall, I really like the lens, and it has earned a place in my bag. Highly recommended.

Image Samples

Click on an image to enlarge – as there is no EXIF data, I do not have information on aperture values. The vast majority of the images below, however, were taken at f/8 or f/11.

Stairwell, Ohio Statehouse – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 4s, ISO 100
Alum Creek Marina – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 1/30s, ISO 100
Thompson Library, The Ohio State University – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 1/40s, ISO 400
Ohio Statehouse – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Shift, 12 shot shift pano @ 4s, ISO 100
Ohio Statehouse – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Shift @ 1s, ISO 100
Devils Bathtub, Hocking Hills State Park – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 30s, ISO 100
Alum Creek Marina – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 0.8s, ISO 100, Two image shift panorama
Thompson Library, The Ohio State University – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 1/40s, ISO 400, Three image shift panorama
Ohio Statehouse Hallway – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 2s, ISO 100
Gorge Staircase, Hocking Hills State Park – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 3.2s, ISO 100
Bricker Building – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Shift @ 1/100s, ISO 100, Two image shift panorama
Late Afternoon Clouds, Columbus, OH – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Shift @ 1/640s, ISO 100
Thompson Library, The Ohio State University – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 1/60s, ISO 400
Alum Creek Marina – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 1/25s, ISO 100
Devils Bathtub – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 25s, ISO 100
Alum Creek Marina – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 1/125s, ISO 100
Ohio Statehouse – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Shift @ 0.5s, ISO 100
Gorge Staircase, Hocking Hills State Park – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 3.2s, ISO 100, 24 image stitch panorama
Thompson Library, The Ohio State University – Canon EOS R5 with Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift @ 1/50s, ISO 400
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other reviews in the Review Index.
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