New gear

Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6

£729/$649 www.ukdigital.co.uk

We’ve become used to new lenses from Laowa being incredible macro probe lenses, or ultra-fast prime optics – but this new 12-24mm f/5.6 zoom is something different. This time Laowa’s aim was to produce a compact and affordable ultra-wide zoom for full-frame mirrorless cameras, naturally including the Nikon Z series. It joins the 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 in Laowa’s ultra-wide range, with the aim of offering more consistent image results than its more extreme stablemate. The new lens should appeal to photographers who enjoy shooting landscapes, architecture and interiors, although an unusually short 15cm minimum focus distance gives potential for close-ups too.

Many Laowa lenses provide a careful balance of price and performance: some bells and whistles might