Laowa announces two new lightweight and compact parfocal cinema zoom lenses, the Ranger 28-75mm T2.9 and 75-180mm T2.9. Both lenses offer a constant T2.9 aperture with no ramping throughout the zoom range, full-frame coverage, a parfocal design, an interchangeable lens mount, and a built-in close-focus adjustment system.
Laowa Ranger 28-75mm and 75-180mm T2.9 – features
The new Laowa Ranger series will initially consist of a 28-75mm T2.9 and a 75-180mm T2.9 cinema zoom. Additionally, the company claims that a 16-30mm T2.9 wide-angle member will “soon” join the tribe.
With an image circle of 43.2mm, these cine zooms are designed to cover full-frame imaging sensors. By default, the lenses come with an ARRI PL mount out of the box, but an interchangeable Canon EF lens mount is also included. On top, optional interchangeable lens mount options are available for Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, and Leica L mirrorless systems.
The Ranger zooms are claimed to be parfocal, meaning that focus distance should remain constant when zooming in/out. Furthermore, the lenses seem to have very good close-focus capabilities. Indeed, the minimum focusing distance is 0.49m/1’7” for the 28-75mm and 0.89m/2’11” for the 75-180mm.
Optical and physical design
The optical scheme of the Laowa Ranger 28-75mm T2.9 includes 22 elements arranged in 18 groups, while that of the 75-180mm T2.9 consists of 14 elements in 14 groups. The T2.9 aperture features an 11-blade design and both lenses are claimed to showcase minimal focus breathing.
Weight and Size
Each lens weighs approximately 1.4kg/3.08 lbs – which is definitely not much for zoom lenses of this kind. Moreover, their size is contained: the 28-75mm measures 17.9cm/7” in length, while the 75-180mm is a tiny bit longer (18.9cm/7.5”). The zooms have a front outer diameter of 80mm and can also accommodate screw-on filters via a dedicated 77mm thread.
The lenses come with M0.8 focus, iris, and zoom gears whose position is unified across the series to facilitate the use of lens accessories, such as a follow focus system. Moreover, the long 270° focus throw should help you achieve smooth focus transitions, while focus markings on the lens barrel are displayed in both metric and imperial units.
Price and availability
The new Laowa Ranger 28-75mm and 75-180mm T2.9 cine zoom lenses are now available to pre-order from the manufacturer’s website. Each lens retails for $2,999, while the 2-piece kit will set you back for $5,799. Moreover, the interchangeable RF/E/Z/L mirrorless lens mounts cost $100 each.
