This Cheaper Lens could be a Better Alternative to the Canon 17mm Tilt-Shift

As architectural photographers, the main types of lenses we use are tilt-shift lenses. They’re simply incredible for the kind of work we do and the control they offer make them indispensable. The main issue with these lenses, however, is the fact they cost quite a lot of money especially if you’re aiming to have the full set.

In one of my previous videos, I decided to compare the Canon TS-E 17mm f/4.0L lens vs the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero distortion lens with the Magic Shift adapter. Laowa is a company based in China and over the last couple of years, they’ve been producing some ridiculously awesome lenses. The 12mm is one of my favorites and with the magic shift adapter you’re able to to get something very similar to the Canon 17mm tilt-shift. With that in mind I wanted to compare the performance between the two because the Laowa set-up is significantly cheaper than the Canon lens. Unfortunately, this will only work if you shoot with Sony E-mount cameras, having said that if you pick Laowa over Canon you do technically have two lenses in one.

Personally, I’m very impressed with how well the Laowa combination works. It’s not perfect and the Canon does still have a few advantages over the Laowa but for the most part it would seem the Laowa lens combination might be a better alternative.
I’d love to know what your thoughts are, leave a comment below.