Zhongyi Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro review: Is this US$399 lens the mightiest macro lens of all?

I was really excited about the Zhongyi Optics Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro. Not only does Zhongyi (aka ZY Optics) make some of my favorite extreme lenses (such as the Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95), but this one offers a pretty unique combination of extreme properties.

First of all, the Zhongyi Optics Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro offers obscene levels of magnification, from 1x all the way to 5x (also referred to as a reproduction ratio of 1:1 to 5:1). On top of that, while it's also available for APS-C and full frame cameras, it covers the image circle of medium format cameras without any vignetting.

It also comes with a screw-on LED light, which attaches to the filter thread to provide illumination even at extreme magnification. And the best thing of all, you get all of this in a lens that costs just $399! I've never seen a lens that combines all these features, so I took the Zhongyi Optics Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro for a spin on the Hasselblad X2D to see what it could do.

Image 1 of 7

Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro: Specifications

Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro: Price

The only thing more amazing than the 5x macro capability of this lens is its price: at just $399 (around £299 / AU$609) this is astonishingly cheap for any prime lens, let alone a macro lens this powerful that covers a medium format image circle!

None of the camera manufacturers offer a first-party lens with anything like the magnification here. The closest current option is the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, which only has 1.4x magnification (but is a much more advanced lens with autofocus, weather sealing and so on) and sells for $1,199 / £1,369 / AU$1,749.

For medium format things are even more limited and expensive; the Fujifilm GF 120mm f/4 Macro R LM OIS WR costs $3,099 / £2,499 / AU$3,999, while the discontinued Hasselblad XCD 120mm f/3.5 Macro is $4,495 / £3,490 if you can still find out.

There are other extreme macro lenses from third parties, however. One of the closest is the AstrHori 25mm f/2.8 Macro 2.0x-5.0x, which sells for $249 / £239 / AU$516, but it's too small to cover medium format, has a much more restrictive working distance, doesn't come with an LED light and isn't available in as many mounts (Canon RF, Fujifilm X, L-Mount, Nikon Z and Sony E).

Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro: Build & handling

The first thing you notice about the Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro is that it's a big and relatively hefty lens. Which stands to reason, given that it's compatible with medium format mounts (and thus has to be a lot bigger, with bigger and heavier glass elements, to cover the image circle).

That heft is reassuringly solid, though, as this all-metal lens is very well constructed. Speaking to this, it comes with a removable tripod foot so that you can attach the lens without stressing your lens mount or overbalancing on your tripod – bearing in mind that it almost doubles in length when you push in to 5x magnification!

On that note, the magnification mechanism is quite stiff. Not so tight as to be immovable, but tight enough that you can jar the camera if you're not being mindful. It's important to remember that this mechanism is strictly for changing the magnification and isn't for adjusting focus; for that, you should invest in a focusing rail (which is best practice for any macro lens, really).

The aperture ring is gently clicked, so you can't stop up or down accidentally. Bear in mind that, as a dumb lens (with no electronic contacts), your camera will not record aperture or magnification data from the Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro – so you'll need to make a manual note if you want to keep track of those.

My favorite feature on this lens is the fact that it comes with a screw-on LED light, which perfectly fits on the nose and accepts power via a micro USB connection (yes, USB-C would be nice, but it's a minor gripe).

If you've ever shot at 5x macro before, you'll know how hard it can be to illuminate your subject with the lens being so close and obscuring so much light. So the fact that Zhongyi thought about this and included an LED specifically machined for this lens almost earns it another star on its own!

Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro: Performance

So, in case you're new to the macro dance and worry that not having autofocus is a bad thing or means that a lens is crap… don't fret. While you certainly can use autofocus to shoot 1:1 macro, the majority of people still opt for manual – but by the time you get to 5:1 magnification, especially on a medium format sensor, autofocus will just laugh at you.

In short, macro is a manual genre so the lack of AF here is no problem. But again, you'll need to invest in a focusing rail (and a sturdy tripod) if you don't have one – particularly at extreme magnification.

My "daily driver" macro lens is a 1.25x affair for Micro Four Thirds – so jumping all the way to 5x magnification on a Hasselblad was definitely a splash of cold water to the face! I've used a 5:1 lens on full frame before, but the depth of field on my review setup really was incredibly shallow. God bless focus peaking and the magnify button!

Once you've found your feet, though, using the Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro is a meditative, zen-like way to take photographs. I had some of the most fun I've had in years, taking pictures with this lens – if you're someone looking for new ways to engage with photography, and at a truly serene pace, I think you'll love it.

I'll be honest, I spent most of my time at around the 3x magnification; 1x is too pedestrian and, unless you really need to pick out microscopic detail, 5x is too extreme. I think 3x magnification is the sweet spot, where you're not just taking pictures to show how close you can get to things – you're actually capturing creative, compositionally interesting images that look cool on their own merit.

That said, being able to punch into 5x really is a remarkable way to explore subjects. I had no idea how "hairy" the tips of leaves are, for example, or how terrifying a grape looks when you get right up close to the hole created where the stem is removed (it's somewhere between the Eye of Sauron and the Sarlacc pit monster!).

Shallow depth of field aside, the beauty of using the Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro on the Hasselblad X2D II is that I had 100MP resolution to play with – which gave me the option to crop into each frame and get even closer to areas of detail, if I really wanted to. (There's no nasty vignetting when using this lens on medium format, either.)

And the detail really sings on this lens. Every ultra-fine fibre, every micro-groove, every spot and speck on your subject is super sharp at every reproduction ratio. Depending on your light source, contrast can sometimes be a little washed out – though obviously it's a two-second slider adjustment in Photoshop.

If you're able to achieve them, you'll notice that bokeh balls are quite unusual. They exhibit some donut bokeh characteristics, but occasionally they steer into… I don't even know what you'd call it, "mushroom bokeh"? Take a look at the image above and you'll see what I mean! Either way, at ultra-macro you get creamy transitions and dream-like separation, punctuated by pin-sharpness.

Something worth noting is that this lens only shoots macro; it does not act like a regular 55mm lens and thus cannot be used for standard photography. As such, we weren't able to put it through our regular lab tests (as our resolution charts aren't macro-sized!). However, in the Magnification section below, you'll find photos of an eye health chart shot at f/4 and taken at each magnification level – open the images full size and pixel peep the details to your heart's content!

Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro: Sample images

Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro: Magnification

Image 1 of 5

Image 1 of 5

Image 1 of 5

Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro: Verdict

The Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro is one of my favorite lenses sitting on my shelf. It has phenomenal magnification and resolving power, making it an excellent macro lens in its own right, and the inclusion of both a tripod foot and a screw-in light make it eminently practical and far more useful than any other extreme macro lens I've used.

Moreover, though, the experience of actually shooting with this kind of lens really is something to savor. It's something quite apart from shooting at your common or garden 1x magnification (although that's obviously available here if you want it); upping it to 3x enables you to unlock previously unseen works of abstract creativity, and of course 5x gives you a frankly obscene amount of near-microscopic detail.

Experiencing these new ways of shooting is like discovering the magic of photography all over again. And the pace at which you have to shoot restricts your temptation to rush and forces you to slow down, to be present, to truly be at one with the process. For that reason, it's a lens I keep coming back to again and again.

Arty farty-ness aside, it's a sharp lens with beautiful rendering and no vignetting even on medium format. Do be aware, though, that it's a fully manual lens and it does not focus to inifinity – so it's strictly for macro photography and can't be used like a refular 55mm lens.