Venus Optics
{{Short description|Manufacturer of innovative photographic lenses}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Venus Optics
| native_name = Anhui ChangGeng Optics Technology Co., Ltd.
| logo = File:laowa-logo.png
| type = Private
| industry = {{Unbulleted list|Photographic lens design|Optics|Entertainment industry}}
| founded = 2013
| founder = Dayong Li
| key_people = Dayong Li
| products = Camera lenses
| num_employees = 131 (2019){{cite web |title=Venus Lens - Our Story|url=https://www.venuslens.net/story/|website=|date=17 March 2017|accessdate=October 15, 2019}}
| homepage = {{url|https://www.venuslens.net/}}
}}
File:Laowa_15_mm_wide_angle_macro_with_shift_applied_side_view.jpg Macro with shift function by Venus Optics]]
Venus Optics (Anhui ChangGeng Optics Technology Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese manufacturer of photographic lenses, specialized in the design of innovative macro, wide angle, shift and f/0.95 lenses. Headquarters and production are in Hefei, while sales and marketing offices are located in Hong Kong and the USA. They are currently marketing the lenses using the brand 'Laowa'.
Company
Venus Optics was founded in 2013. Founder, managing director {{cite web |url=https://www.dpreview.com/articles/6145362471/hands-on-with-the-new-laowa-lens-collection?slide=21 |author=Damien Demolder |title=Hands-on with the new Laowa lens collection|date=October 2, 2018|publisher=DPReview, see slide 21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015192644/https://www.dpreview.com/articles/6145362471/hands-on-with-the-new-laowa-lens-collection|archive-date=October 15, 2019|url-status=live}} and chief developer is Dayong Li {{cite web|url=https://www.cinema5d.com/the-brain-behind-laowa-lenses-interviewed-dayong-li/ |author= Jakub Han|title=Interview with Dayong Li|date=October 5, 2018|publisher=Cinema 5D|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011213509/https://www.cinema5d.com/the-brain-behind-laowa-lenses-interviewed-dayong-li/|archive-date=October 11, 2019|url-status=live}} who graduated in opto-electronic engineering from the Beijing Institute of Technology.{{cite web|url=https://phillipreeve.net/blog/the-man-behind-the-lens-mr-li-laowa-15mm-2-0-zero-d-fe/|author=|title= The Man behind the Lens: Dayong Li|date=December 8, 2018|publisher=Phillipreeve.net|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011214949/https://phillipreeve.net/blog/the-man-behind-the-lens-mr-li-laowa-15mm-2-0-zero-d-fe/|archive-date=October 11, 2019|url-status=live}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/interview-with-venus-lens/|author=Keith Cooper|title=Venus Optics interview|date=26 April 2018|publisher=Northlight Images|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015201038/http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/interview-with-venus-lens/|archive-date=October 15, 2019|url-status=live}} photographic lenses under the brand name Laowa ('old frog').
Laowa's optics designer, Dayong Li, is believed to be the optics designer of Tamron, the reputable camera lens manufacturer from Japan. He was heavily involved in numerous Tamron's project development including the popular 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8. {{Cite web|url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20130050844|title=US Patent Application for Large-Aperture Zoom Lens Patent Application (Application #20130050844 issued February 28, 2013) - Justia Patents Search}}
Lenses
Image:Laowa 9 mm APS-C super wide angle frontal view.jpg, introduced in 2015]]
Image:Laowa 25 mm ultra macro.jpg, introduced in 2018]]
The first lens was the 60 mm f/2.8 2 x Ultra Macro, a full frame lens with a magnification factor of 2:1 that could also be focused to infinity which is unique.{{cite web|url=http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/interview-with-venus-lens/|author=Keith Cooper|title=Venus Optics interview|date=April 26, 2018|publisher=Northlight|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020200219/http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/interview-with-venus-lens/|archive-date=October 20, 2019|url-status=live}} In the same year, Venus Optics released the widest angle macro lens to offer a 1:1 magnification ratio, the 15 mm f/4 Wide Angle Macro. The small focal length allows to include the background details (e.g., where and how the subject lives) in the photo. Due to physical reasons, the working distance in the macro range is rather short (at 1:1, focusing distance is 12.2 cm resulting in a working distance of only 4.7 mm).{{cite web|url=https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/venus-laowa-15mm-f4-wide-angle-macro-impressions-and-samples|author=Mark Banas|title=From another planet: Venus LAOWA 15mm F4 Wide Angle Macro quick review|date=March 13, 2016|publisher=DPRreview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020200447/https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/venus-laowa-15mm-f4-wide-angle-macro-impressions-and-samples|archive-date=October 20, 2019|url-status=live}}[https://www.venuslens.net/ Venus Optics website]{{cite web|url=https://petapixel.com/2015/12/24/a-review-of-the-venus-optics-laowa-15mm-f4-and-its-crazy-close-4-7mm-working-distance/|author=Michael Zhang|title=A Review of the Laowa 15mm f/4 and Its Crazy Close 4.7mm Working Distance|date=December 24, 2015|publisher=PetaPixel|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020200629/https://petapixel.com/2015/12/24/a-review-of-the-venus-optics-laowa-15mm-f4-and-its-crazy-close-4-7mm-working-distance/|archive-date=October 20, 2019|url-status=live}} In the meantime, Venus Optics have released unique lenses mainly in the fields of ultra macro and rectilinear and/or fast ultra wide angle lenses for full frame, APS-C, MFT, and Fujifilm G-Mount (see table).
Most Laowa lenses (an exception is e.g., the 100 mm f/2,8 2x Ultra Macro APO) are purely manual lenses. There is no communication between the camera body and the lens, hence, no transfer of Exif data, no autofocus function, no lens-based image stabilization (OIS), and no automatic aperture control. However, autofocus plays a minor role in macro and wide angle photography. Auto focus bracketing is not possible with manual lenses. The company does not exclude the development of more lenses with electronics in them.
Advertising
Since 2017, Laowa had organised multiple international marketing campaigns bearing its slogan [https://www.venuslens.net/story/ "New Idea, New Fun"].{{Cite web|date=2021-03-22|title=LENSOLOGY - LAOWA Camera Lenses|url=https://www.venuslens.net/lensology/,%20https://www.venuslens.net/lensology/|access-date=2021-11-24|language=en-US}}
= Competitions =
Laowa has used competition as an advertising vehicle to encourage its users to share their image. The company first started organising Laowa Photo Competition in 2017. Initially focusing on photos from its own lenses, and later it also allow images taken with other brand's lenses. As of 2021, there are other brands collaborate in the [https://www.venuslens.net/laowa-photo-competition/ 5th Laowa Photo Competition] and sponsored prize for the event.{{Cite web|last=admin|date=2021-11-05|title=Laowa Photo Competition 2021 - LAOWA Camera Lenses|url=https://www.venuslens.net/laowa-photo-competition/,%20https://www.venuslens.net/laowa-photo-competition/|access-date=2021-11-24|language=en-US}}
= Laowa Video Marathon =
[https://www.venuslens.net/video-marathon Laowa Video Marathon] is an invitation-only program launched by Laowa in 2021.{{Cite web|last=admin|date=2021-11-20|title=Video Marathon 2021 for Videographers - LAOWA Camera Lenses|url=https://www.venuslens.net/video-marathon/,%20https://www.venuslens.net/video-marathon/|access-date=2021-11-24|language=en-US}} It has gathered 10 videographers and YouTubers, including Motoaki(Aki from Japan), Jason Morris, Helena Gudkova(cameragirlhelena), Yeyoph and more. The program consists of 10 one-minute long short films. Each video's beginning would match the ending shot from the last video.
= Laowagrapher =
In early 2021, Laowa interviewed multiple up-and-coming photographers and introduced them as "[https://www.venuslens.net/laowagrapher/ Laowagrapher]". It consists group of photographers from all over the world.{{Cite web|last=wayne|date=2021-11-10|title=Laowagrapher - LAOWA Camera Lenses|url=https://www.venuslens.net/laowagrapher/,%20https://www.venuslens.net/laowagrapher/|access-date=2021-11-24|language=en-US}}
See also
{{Commons category|Venus Optics}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.venuslens.net Website of Venus Optics]
Category:Manufacturing companies based in Hefei
Category:Photography equipment manufacturers of China