Venus Optics has introduced a new cine zoom lens to its Ranger line of Laowa Zoom Lenses.
The full-frame 16-30mm T2.9 cine zoom enhances the focal length range of the Ranger line without burdening content creators with a heavy lens.
The lightweight Ranger compact line of cine zoom lenses weighs approximately 800 grams and is less than 11 cm long.
Image Credit – Venus Optics
It offers a sharp, fast zoom range that covers the full-frame image area. With this addition, the entire Ranger cine line now spans from 16mm to 180mm, boasting an impressive 11x optical zoom range.
Image Credit – Venus Optics
These lenses are designed to provide superior color reproduction, minimal focus breathing, and low distortion, making them perfect for documentary work and low-budget indie films where high performance and cost-effectiveness are crucial for achieving the best cinematic images.
The new 16-30mm T2.9 consists of 18 lens elements arranged in 12 groups, features a zoom ratio of 1.875x, and supports a full-frame image circle diameter of 43.2mm.
Its modern optical design ensures sharpness and contrast while maintaining bold, accurate colors across the entire three-lens Ranger set.
Image Credit – Venus Optics
The lens features an aperture throw of 42° and a zoom and focus throw of 100°. It offers a maximum magnification of 0.145x and a minimum focus distance of 33 cm (1.1 feet).
This design keeps the subject sharp even when zooming in and out.
Image Credit – Venus Optics
The 16-30mm T2.9 has a constant 11-bladed aperture, resulting in smooth bokeh and effective background separation throughout the zoom range, along with a wide angle of view of 107°.
Its parfocal design ensures that subjects remain sharp and in focus while zooming, with straight lines maintained edge to edge.
Additionally, the Ranger 16-30mm exhibits minimal focus breathing, a common issue in zoom lenses compared to primes. This nearly imperceptible focus shift contributes to a smooth and seamless transition during focus adjustments.
Like its predecessors, the Ranger 16-30mm T2.9 is available with a default ARRI PL mount, and it also supports optional interchangeable mounts for EF, RF, E, Z, and L lenses.
Pricing and Availability
The Laowa Ranger 16-30mm T2.9 is preorder priced at $2,999 for the standard black version and $3,499 for the “lite” gray variant. The complete three-lens set can be purchased for $8,699 or $10,199, depending on the color options. Each optional interchangeable lens mount is available for $100.
[source: Venus Optics]
Order Links:
- Venus Optics Laowa Ranger 16-30mm T2.9 Cine Zoom Lens (B&H)
- Venus Optics Laowa Ranger Lite 16-30mm T2.9 Cine Zoom Lens (B&H)
- Venus Optics Laowa Ranger Full Frame Cine 3-Lens Kit (B&H)
- Venus Optics Laowa Ranger Lite Full-Frame Cine 3-Lens Kit (B&H)
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.
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