You should physically move the camera to get roughly the same perspective when comparing the sharpness, otherwise you’re putting the wider lenses at a significant disadvantage because you’re cropping a lot more megapixels in the wider images when zooming to check the details
You are keeping the same crop when comparing the sharpness of the 24, 20 and 15mm lenses. That's unfair to the wider lenses because you are actually cropping the sensor at the same time!
He admits he doesn't know the magnification of these images, but he still compares them on a like for like basis. Don't ask him to recommend a solution.
Waiting for the rumored RF shift Lenses in the Canon Line-Up. They will be ridiculously pricey as usual, but sharpness is not something where I am ready to accept a compromise. Based on my experience, I think that 18mm in the optimum focal length for Real Estate photography. Thank you again Matthew for this video.
I also chose the 20mm it fills in the sweet spot between the 24mm and the 17mm both from Canon. 20mm is very useful and i think it translates to almost 16mm on a full size DSLR I am using th FUJI GFX and the Canon R5 the canon 24mm TSEII lens is a workhorse lens for me but at times i find it not wide enough for some interiors where i got my back against the wall, hence that extra width is always helpful. but if i am in a situation where it is not wide enough, i would have to end up stitching, the canon 17mm TSE is a fine lens but it is two wide and i never liked the distortion specially with interiors and it is better for one point perspectives. i opted for teh 20mm as i have said it fills in the focal length that i need and i dont have to resort to stitching. i dont need the 15mm as it is too unnatural for most interior shoot, it is usefu for some architectural shoots, the Venus' limitation is not too bad for the money but when used with a medium format like a FUJI GFX one should be aware of the vignette at the corners when the lens is shifted beyond 9mm this is not a big issue and i have workarounds. edge sharpness is not too bad and typical of most PC Shift lenses, this is to be expected and even more so with Medium format cameras. this lens is at its happiest between f8 to f11 the one accessory that i would love to acquire is the Lens Bracket for these lenses as this is helpful for stitched images. Overall a very good presentation from a professional and likewise, as a fellow architecture and interior photographer I agree with your points
Thanks for the great review. I am going to need a wide shift sense for a trip to Japan next year. I was looking at the 15mm since I will be in Tokyo most of the time, so this was good to watch. Sucks that the Canon 17mm is so pricey hahah. Excited to see the tutorial from yourself and Mike as well as your other project!
Thank you for a great review and very crisp differentiation of 15mm, 20mm Laowa and 24mm Canon TS lens. Of late I'm looking for TS lens and trying to understand which focal length, make (Third party vs native make) to choose for. This video is of good help to widen my understanding.
I think 20mm is a great focal length for interiors. I might get it some day. The 15mm is useful at a pinch, when you need the field of view. Not a stellar lens, but I’ve not had photos with that glass rejected.
Thanks for a great video! Inasmuch as I shoot real estate and am trying to break into the architecture photography area, I recently bought (and almost immediately returned) a USED Canon 24mm f/3.5L II tilt-shift lens. I returned it because I was skeptical about paying so much money for a lens I wasn't certain I'd have a need for. Now, having decided to seriously pursue architectural photography opportunities by shooting some significantly sized commercial buildings (both exteriors and interiors) to create a portfolio, I've decided to buy a tilt-shift lens (although I really don't need the "tilt" feature); this is why I was interested to see this video. As a result of the valuable info you've provided, I've decided to buy a USED Canon 24mm f/3.5L tilt-shift lens. Only this time, I'm going to buy the FIRST VERSION which is virtually identical to the second (latest) version with the exception that the tilt feature on the first version isn't as robust as on the second version (the one I sent back). However, it's also about 1/2 the price of the latest version. Thanks, again!
Hardly "virtually identical." I just bought the ii and still own the i. Night and day in terms of corner sharpness, vignetting and CA. I was always able to get decent results in flat/soft light with the lens stopped down to f7.1, however. For $400-$500 on eBay, it definitely gets the job done.
Thank you for the review. I love the 15mm, can't wait to get the 20mm, so I can finally stop depending on the Rokinon/Samyang 24mm ts for so many shots.
I'm starting to build an Architecture portfolio but at the moment, I don't own anything wider than a 24 mm Sigma Art for my Canon 5D4, would you suggest getting a 16-35mm or just get a shift lens keeping in mind that I'm not sensational at manually focusing but have a budget for the Laowa 20mm, any help given would be much appreciated.
You can look into acquiring shift lenses by Nikon they make the 28 and 35mm for around 300 bucks, decent lenses for 35mm full frame, the Pentax 28mm is superb and if you are up for it, the Olympus 24mm Shift is legendary though still a bit pricey the other option is to get the pentax 645 35 mm wide angle and a fotodiox tilt shift adaptor if you are into stitching , the pentax 645 35mm is an inexpensive yet outstanding lens that you can buy for about....$250-400 i have tested and used many of these lenses over the years and its a low cost and effective strategy
If you want an ultrawide lens and with shift for creative and fun shoot, does it better to get the 15? And can you just stand back a bit and crop in 1.5 times on the Sony A7RV 60mp sensor which will be 22.5mm, you can use it as shift lens at that focal length and also everyday lens?
I can compare the Laowa 15mm to the Rokinon 24mm, as I use both of them on almost every shoot. Rokinon is definitely sharper. Laowa 15mm is probably the least sharp lens I own, but that doesn't mean it isn't sharp enough to be used professionally. Other than sharpness, Rokinon is worse in every other aspect. Heavy barrel distortion, huge loss of contrast when shooting into light sources with lots of magenta shadows and flares, unpleasant yellow tint, limited ability to rotate the shift mechanism only 90 degrees in one direction. I only got the Rokinon 24mm because at that time it was the only alternative to Canon / Nikon ts lenses. I would assume that the advantages 15mm Laowa has would be similar to the 20mm,plus it is sharper. But I'm still waiting for the 20mm to be imported to my country, so I can't compare them directly yet.
@@Necrorectumonomicon Thanks for ur feedback. I currently own Rokinon 24mm and although its the only shift lens I own i am not exactly happy with it. As much as i want to shift once in a while I end up using my 14-24 nikon for much better quality overall. That why I am thinking to trade my Rokinon and upgrade to 20mm Laowa. Seem like its logical move and still way more economical than Nikon/Canon. I do agree with you on Rokinon lacking contrast and tinting.
@@yaroslavsoltys9342 Not sure how the new 20mm behaves with flares, but the 15mm gets pentagonal flare ghosts (or whatever those are called), so depending on what you shoot, this may be an issue for you.
I'm looking for a TS/PC lens to Nikon D850. I got the 24mmF3.5 PC but I like to get a wider lens for woodland/landscape Panorama. Nikon has a 19mmF4 PC but that is close to 24mm but I like to use ND fgrad filter so with the 20mm I can do that. 15mm is the next step.
I have some thoughts... First off-I'm really glad to see more shit lenses in the marketplace, especially at lower price points. Kudos to Laowa. Regarding your review, I'm not sure why you criticize the 15mm for having a bulbous front element when both the Canon 17mm and Nikon 19mm tilt-shifts both have that. It's just the nature of an ultra wide angle lens (which needs to be even wider due to be able to shift). On the 15mm sharpness, it looks like you just zoomed more into it because the field of view didn't change from the shots at 20 & 24mm... If the camera wasn't closer, and you had to zoom in more, why would you expect it to be as sharp? Anyways, I actually think that of the current Canon tilt-shift lineup, the 24mm is the weakest, in terms of sharpness. I own the 17, 24, and 50mm. The far newer 50mm is incredibly sharp and holds up well, even when used on a 100 megapixel Fuji GFX (not my camera, but just proving my point). I too look forward to some new RF-mount tilt-shift lenses from Canon. I would almost certainly upgrade my 24mm to that. That said, if the Laowa's existed when I started, I might have picked them up instead! I almost never use the tilt function on my Canon lenses... I agree, a 20-24mm lens is going to be more useful as a first shift-lens than something wider, but they're both really useful and eventually a serious architectural photographer should have both. Otherwise, great review Matthew!
Many thanks. Had been looking at the 15mm even though I felt it was a little too wide. Glad I found this. Good comparisons and advice.
You should physically move the camera to get roughly the same perspective when comparing the sharpness, otherwise you’re putting the wider lenses at a significant disadvantage because you’re cropping a lot more megapixels in the wider images when zooming to check the details
yes, this is what I came to ask about if it was done, otherwise it is not comparing the same thing
You are keeping the same crop when comparing the sharpness of the 24, 20 and 15mm lenses. That's unfair to the wider lenses because you are actually cropping the sensor at the same time!
He admits he doesn't know the magnification of these images, but he still compares them on a like for like basis. Don't ask him to recommend a solution.
Waiting for the rumored RF shift Lenses in the Canon Line-Up. They will be ridiculously pricey as usual, but sharpness is not something where I am ready to accept a compromise. Based on my experience, I think that 18mm in the optimum focal length for Real Estate photography. Thank you again Matthew for this video.
Ordered mines for the Fuji GFX on Tuesday and should be here tomorrow. That price is so-so good! 😄
I also chose the 20mm it fills in the sweet spot between the 24mm and the 17mm both from Canon. 20mm is very useful and i think it translates to almost 16mm on a full size DSLR I am using th FUJI GFX and the Canon R5 the canon 24mm TSEII lens is a workhorse lens for me but at times i find it not wide enough for some interiors where i got my back against the wall, hence that extra width is always helpful. but if i am in a situation where it is not wide enough, i would have to end up stitching, the canon 17mm TSE is a fine lens but it is two wide and i never liked the distortion specially with interiors and it is better for one point perspectives. i opted for teh 20mm as i have said it fills in the focal length that i need and i dont have to resort to stitching. i dont need the 15mm as it is too unnatural for most interior shoot, it is usefu for some architectural shoots, the Venus' limitation is not too bad for the money but when used with a medium format like a FUJI GFX one should be aware of the vignette at the corners when the lens is shifted beyond 9mm this is not a big issue and i have workarounds. edge sharpness is not too bad and typical of most PC Shift lenses, this is to be expected and even more so with Medium format cameras. this lens is at its happiest between f8 to f11 the one accessory that i would love to acquire is the Lens Bracket for these lenses as this is helpful for stitched images. Overall a very good presentation from a professional and likewise, as a fellow architecture and interior photographer I agree with your points
Thanks for the great review. I am going to need a wide shift sense for a trip to Japan next year. I was looking at the 15mm since I will be in Tokyo most of the time, so this was good to watch. Sucks that the Canon 17mm is so pricey hahah. Excited to see the tutorial from yourself and Mike as well as your other project!
A used 17 on eBay is the same price as a new Laowa 15.
Thanks! That was very informative!
Thank you for a great review and very crisp differentiation of 15mm, 20mm Laowa and 24mm Canon TS lens. Of late I'm looking for TS lens and trying to understand which focal length, make (Third party vs native make) to choose for. This video is of good help to widen my understanding.
I think 20mm is a great focal length for interiors. I might get it some day. The 15mm is useful at a pinch, when you need the field of view. Not a stellar lens, but I’ve not had photos with that glass rejected.
Thanks for a great video! Inasmuch as I shoot real estate and am trying to break into the architecture photography area, I recently bought (and almost immediately returned) a USED Canon 24mm f/3.5L II tilt-shift lens. I returned it because I was skeptical about paying so much money for a lens I wasn't certain I'd have a need for. Now, having decided to seriously pursue architectural photography opportunities by shooting some significantly sized commercial buildings (both exteriors and interiors) to create a portfolio, I've decided to buy a tilt-shift lens (although I really don't need the "tilt" feature); this is why I was interested to see this video. As a result of the valuable info you've provided, I've decided to buy a USED Canon 24mm f/3.5L tilt-shift lens. Only this time, I'm going to buy the FIRST VERSION which is virtually identical to the second (latest) version with the exception that the tilt feature on the first version isn't as robust as on the second version (the one I sent back). However, it's also about 1/2 the price of the latest version. Thanks, again!
Hardly "virtually identical." I just bought the ii and still own the i. Night and day in terms of corner sharpness, vignetting and CA. I was always able to get decent results in flat/soft light with the lens stopped down to f7.1, however. For $400-$500 on eBay, it definitely gets the job done.
@@idahofallsmagazine3691 I've had both and don't see the differences you've mentioned. But I do appreciate your input.
Thank you for the review. I love the 15mm, can't wait to get the 20mm, so I can finally stop depending on the Rokinon/Samyang 24mm ts for so many shots.
Excellent video! Could you comment on the price difference? The Laowa 15mm is half the price of the Laowa 20mm! Seems odd. Thx.
I'm starting to build an Architecture portfolio but at the moment, I don't own anything wider than a 24 mm Sigma Art for my Canon 5D4, would you suggest getting a 16-35mm or just get a shift lens keeping in mind that I'm not sensational at manually focusing but have a budget for the Laowa 20mm, any help given would be much appreciated.
You can look into acquiring shift lenses by Nikon they make the 28 and 35mm for around 300 bucks, decent lenses for 35mm full frame, the Pentax 28mm is superb and if you are up for it, the Olympus 24mm Shift is legendary though still a bit pricey the other option is to get the pentax 645 35 mm wide angle and a fotodiox tilt shift adaptor if you are into stitching , the pentax 645 35mm is an inexpensive yet outstanding lens that you can buy for about....$250-400 i have tested and used many of these lenses over the years and its a low cost and effective strategy
You're da best Matthew!!! 😍
If you want an ultrawide lens and with shift for creative and fun shoot, does it better to get the 15? And can you just stand back a bit and crop in 1.5 times on the Sony A7RV 60mp sensor which will be 22.5mm, you can use it as shift lens at that focal length and also everyday lens?
Great channel, thx for the review.
Thank you for this review 👍🏼👍🏼🤔
Matt, any opinion on Rokinon 24mm and how it compares to Laowa 20mm.?
I personally don't have an opinion. I haven't heard great things about Rokinon lenses though. I would look up some reviews to get a better idea
I can compare the Laowa 15mm to the Rokinon 24mm, as I use both of them on almost every shoot. Rokinon is definitely sharper. Laowa 15mm is probably the least sharp lens I own, but that doesn't mean it isn't sharp enough to be used professionally. Other than sharpness, Rokinon is worse in every other aspect. Heavy barrel distortion, huge loss of contrast when shooting into light sources with lots of magenta shadows and flares, unpleasant yellow tint, limited ability to rotate the shift mechanism only 90 degrees in one direction. I only got the Rokinon 24mm because at that time it was the only alternative to Canon / Nikon ts lenses. I would assume that the advantages 15mm Laowa has would be similar to the 20mm,plus it is sharper. But I'm still waiting for the 20mm to be imported to my country, so I can't compare them directly yet.
@@Necrorectumonomicon Thanks for ur feedback. I currently own Rokinon 24mm and although its the only shift lens I own i am not exactly happy with it. As much as i want to shift once in a while I end up using my 14-24 nikon for much better quality overall. That why I am thinking to trade my Rokinon and upgrade to 20mm Laowa. Seem like its logical move and still way more economical than Nikon/Canon. I do agree with you on Rokinon lacking contrast and tinting.
@@yaroslavsoltys9342 Not sure how the new 20mm behaves with flares, but the 15mm gets pentagonal flare ghosts (or whatever those are called), so depending on what you shoot, this may be an issue for you.
I'm looking for a TS/PC lens to Nikon D850. I got the 24mmF3.5 PC but I like to get a wider lens for woodland/landscape Panorama. Nikon has a 19mmF4 PC but that is close to 24mm but I like to use ND fgrad filter so with the 20mm I can do that. 15mm is the next step.
I have some thoughts... First off-I'm really glad to see more shit lenses in the marketplace, especially at lower price points. Kudos to Laowa. Regarding your review, I'm not sure why you criticize the 15mm for having a bulbous front element when both the Canon 17mm and Nikon 19mm tilt-shifts both have that. It's just the nature of an ultra wide angle lens (which needs to be even wider due to be able to shift). On the 15mm sharpness, it looks like you just zoomed more into it because the field of view didn't change from the shots at 20 & 24mm... If the camera wasn't closer, and you had to zoom in more, why would you expect it to be as sharp?
Anyways, I actually think that of the current Canon tilt-shift lineup, the 24mm is the weakest, in terms of sharpness. I own the 17, 24, and 50mm. The far newer 50mm is incredibly sharp and holds up well, even when used on a 100 megapixel Fuji GFX (not my camera, but just proving my point). I too look forward to some new RF-mount tilt-shift lenses from Canon. I would almost certainly upgrade my 24mm to that.
That said, if the Laowa's existed when I started, I might have picked them up instead! I almost never use the tilt function on my Canon lenses... I agree, a 20-24mm lens is going to be more useful as a first shift-lens than something wider, but they're both really useful and eventually a serious architectural photographer should have both.
Otherwise, great review Matthew!
"If the camera wasn't closer, and you had to zoom in more, why would you expect it to be as sharp?" My thoughts exactly.
I wish they'd develop a 24mm one also. :/
You can find the canon 24mm between 1200-1500 USD used.
Hi. Very helpful.
First to comment.
How would either of these lenses work teleconverters?
Not sure. I haven't used either of these lenses with a teleconverter
Apparently that’s what china does, they iterate rather than aiming for perfection immediately.
The blue and white vase is a fine tequila.