Optical designs in the camera industry have only gotten faster over the years. With only a few rare exceptions, modern lenses bring in far more light than vintage lenses and allow creators more creative opportunities in dimly lit scenes. Venus Optics’ new series, the Laowa Argus T1 cine, follows that trend and pushes the limit on low-light performance in the cinema world.
The Laowa Argus series
These aren’t the first lenses Venus Optics has released under the Laowa Argus name. The previous lenses in the lineup are actually quite similar to the new Cine T1 series. It seems that most of the new lenses are simply updated versions of their predecessors in a new stylish cine housing. (Which I’m definitely not going to complain about). The only exception is the new 28mm T1, which I’ll get into shortly.
The Laowa Argus T1 Cine series
The series is composed of three groups: a full-frame group, a Super35 group, and an MFT group. Every lens in every group has the same T1 aperture, a close-focusing distance of up to 0.2m, low-focus Breathing, and a professional cine housing. The only aspects that change are the price and sensor coverage of the lens.
The Full Frame Laowa Argus T1 series
The full-frame Argus T1 series consists of three lenses: 28, 35, and 45mm. Each, as mentioned, is a T1 lens, which is incredibly impressive. There are no other 28 mm or 35mm T1 full-frame lenses on the market at the moment. Each lens costs $1499, or $3999 for the three-lens bundle. The mount options are Canon RF, Sony E, and Nikon Z.
The Super 35 Laowa Argus T1 series
Like the full-frame series, the Super 35 Argus T1 series consists of three lenses: 33, 25, and 18mm. Again, these lenses are ridiculously fast compared to other offerings in the market. Each lens costs $899, or you can get all three for $2399. The mount options are Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, and Fuji X.
The MFT Laowa Argus T1 series
The MFT group of the Argus series is only composed of two lenses, unlike the other groups. One 18mm lens and one 25mm lens. Curiously, there is an overlap with the focal length of the 25 and 18 mm lenses of the Supe 35 group. Each lens costs $699, or you can get both for $1259.
Laowa Argus T1 specifications
NameArgus 28mm T1 FF CineArgus 35mm T1 FF CineArgus 45mm T1 FF CineArgus 18mm T1 S35 CineArgus 25mm T1 S35 CineArgus 33mm T1 S35 CineArgus 18mm T1 MFT CineArgus 25mm T1 MFT Cine
Focal Length28mm35mm45mm18mm25mm33mm18mm25mm
Aperture RangeT1-16T1-16T1-16T1-11T1-11T1-11T1-11T1-11
Angle of View75.2°63.4°51.3°76.15°58.8°46.2°61.9°47°
Image Circle DiameterØ43.3mmØ43.3mmØ43.3mmØ31.5mmØ31.5mmØ31.5mmØ21.6mmØ21.6mm
FormatFull FrameFull FrameFull FrameSuper 35Super 35Super 35Micro Four Thirds (MFT)Micro Four Thirds (MFT)
Lens Structure14 elements in 9 groups14 elements in 9 groups13 elements in 9 groups15 elements in 10 groups14 elements in 9 groups14 elements in 9 groups14 elements in 8 groups14 elements in 8 groups
Aperture Blades151515159999
Focus Throw211°270°270°250°250°250°270°270°
Aperture Throw92°85°92°87°87°87°70°70°
Focus IndicatorMetric & Imperial (Dual Scale)Metric & Imperial (Dual Scale)Metric & Imperial (Dual Scale)Metric & Imperial (Dual Scale)Metric & Imperial (Dual Scale)Metric & Imperial (Dual Scale)Metric & Imperial (Dual Scale)Metric & Imperial (Dual Scale)
Min.Focusing Distance1’3” / 0.4m1’7” / 0.5m1’7” / 0.5m9.84” / 0.25m1’1” / 0.34m1’1” / 0.35m7.88” / 0.2m9.84” / 0.25m
Max.Magnification Ratio0.11×0.11×0.11×0.13×0.1×0.13×0.15×0.17x
In-focus Driving ModeManual FocusManual FocusManual FocusManual FocusManual FocusManual FocusManual FocusManual Focus
Filter Thread SizeØ77mmØ77mmØ77mmØ77mmØ77mmØ77mmØ77mmØ77mm
Front Diameter80mm80mm80mm80mm80mm80mm80mm80mm
DimensionsØ3.34”x4.80” / Ø84.8mm*121.83mmØ3.34”x4.09” / Ø84.8mm*103.86mmØ3.34”x4.31” / Ø84.8mm*109.44mmØ3.33”x4.19” / Ø84.7mm*106.5mmØ3.34”x3.78” / Ø84.8mm*96mmØ3.35”x3.70” / Ø85mm*94mmØ3.31”x3.84” / Ø84mm*97.5mmØ3.31”x3.84” / Ø84mm*97.5mm
Weight2.65lbs / 1200g2.09lbs / 950g2.35lbs / 1065g2.09lbs / 950g1.68lb / 762g1.54lb / 700g1.45lb / 659g1.52lb / 690g
MountSony E, Nikon Z, Canon RFSony E, Nikon Z, Canon RFSony E, Nikon Z, Canon RFSony E, Fuji X, Nikon Z, Canon RFSony E, Fuji X, Nikon Z, Canon RFSony E, Fuji X, Nikon Z, Canon RFMFTMFT
