Laowa's new 90mm macro lens creates an equivalent 4x magnification – macro MFT photographers will be buzzing!

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The 2x new 90mm macro lens from Lawoa, paired with Micro Four Thirds cameras, creates an “incredible” 4x magnification equivalent

Image of the Laowa MFT 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra APO Macro
(Image credit: Venus Optics)

Venus Optics has just announced the release of the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro Apo lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras (MFT) – and macro photographers should be buzzing.

Originally created for full frame cameras, the MFT-specific f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro Apo lens takes the reproduction ratio to new heights and brings some welcome digital updates.

The shouting point of this announcement is, of course, the overall 4x full frame equivalent magnification – a result of the 2x crop factor of the format, which doubles the native reproduction ratio, enabling microscopic details and textures "invisible to the naked eye" to be captured.

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Image of the Laowa MFT 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra APO Macro
(Image credit: Venus Optics)

Laowa has crafted the MFT version of the 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro with the apochromatic (Apo) technology its predecessor benefitted from. According to the brand, this suppresses longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberration to "nearly zero".

Chromatic aberration, or color fringing, is an unwanted purple or green casting around the edges of objects in a photo. It usually happens at wider apertures such as f/2.8 and below.

If the Apo performance is as good as Laowa claims, then headache-inducing analysis for unwanted color artifacts in post-production is a thing of the past.

The new Laowa MFT macro lens captures minute details crisply (Image credit: Jimmy Chan)

Unlike the full frame version of the f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro Apo lens, the new MFT version features electronic contacts. These enable you to control aperture directly from the camera body.

This digital upgrade makes using the lens just that little bit easier, as does the internal focusing system and fixed length – which also boost image sharpness.

The f/2.8 aperture creates a smooth depth of field (Image credit: NPC)

Beyond the impressive 4x magnification equivalent and Apo technology, the new MFT-specific 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro lens combines sturdy build quality in a compact design.

The lens weighs just 540g and measures 115mm in length, making it one of the most stowable pieces of macro kit on the market.

The Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro Apo for MFT goes on sale from February 29 for $449 (approximately £326 / $642).

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Alan Palazon
Alan Palazon
Staff Writer

I’m a writer, journalist and photographer who joined Digital Camera World in 2026. I started out in editorial in 2021 and my words have spanned sustainability, careers advice, travel and tourism, and photography – the latter two being my passions.

I first picked up a camera in my early twenties having had an interest in photography from a young age. Since then, I’ve worked on a freelance basis, mostly internationally in the travel and tourism sector. You’ll usually find me out on a hike shooting landscapes and adventure shots in my free time.

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