Experiencing new life developing in front of the lens is a moment few ever encounter. For photographer and biologist Julian Terreros-Martin, that opportunity came unexpectedly – and has now earned him one of the UK's most prestigious wildlife photography awards.

Terreros-Martin's striking image shows a developing embry of a common frog (Rana temporaria) inside a translucent egg – a rare glimpe into early life stages of amphibian development. The image was awarded a prize in the Hidden Britain category of the British Wildlife Photography Awards.

Armed with a Canon camera and 2x macro probe lens, Terreros-Martin was able to partially submerge the lens into the water to capure the embyro with extreme close-up detail. Built-in lighting at the top of the pool helped olluminate the underwater scene, revealing intricate biological structures not visible to the naked eye.

Hidden Britain | Winner

Image details
Title: New Life
Species: Common frog (Rana temporaria)
Location: Messingham, England

Shot info
Gear: Canon EOS R3 + Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe lens
Exposure: 1/400sec, f/14, ISO 5000

The story behind the photo

Terreros-Martin explains, "During 2020, many of us around the world were isolating at home due to various lockdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"My dad and I decided to build a reflection pool in our back garden as a way to continue photographing the wildlife around our house, which mainly consisted of birds and hedgehogs at night.

"Fast forward four years, and the pool remains unused and unloved, at least by us. Over this time, however, it seems that various frogs have taken a liking to our pool, so much so that they have spawned in it.

"Using the Laowa 24mm Probe lens, I was able to partially submerge the lens into the pool and photograph what was happening underwater.

"The lights at the end of the probe illuminated the scene, allowing me to capture a close-up macro image of a single egg still attached to the rest but hanging on the edge of the spawn ball.

"Seeing the details of the developing embryo was an incredibly unique and special moment for me, both as a photographer and as a biologist.

"This experience also serves as a reminder that, given the chance, nature can bounce back. Even in our own gardens, we can find incredible wildlife moments."

The BWPA competition

The British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) is one of the UK's most respected nature photography competitions, celebrating the diversity and wonder of wildlife.

Photographers compete across adult and youth categories, with winning images published in a hardback book by Graffeg.

For more winning images and full results, visit the BWPA website and explore the incredible work of this year's photographers.

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Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from May to December.

I love the quirky, distorted perspective coming from fisheye lenses – the problem is that there’s a limited number of shots that the unusual perspective works well with. But Laowa has unveiled a new fisheye zoom with a few unusual tricks – and an endearing nickname. The Laowa 4.5-10mm f/2.8 CF Zoom Fisheye is a parafocal lens that has both the circular and rectangular fisheye look in one lens that’s so small photographers are calling it a “muffin lens.”

The lens leaked last week, but Laowa has now officially unveiled the new lens, complete with a price and a spec sheet. The lens comes in multiple mounts, including Canon RF, Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z, Sony E, and L-Mount. The lens is designed for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds rather than full frame.

What caught my eye first was that at 4.5mm, the lens captures a circular image on a black background. But at 10mm, the lens fills the frame with a rectangular image that still has some of that ultra-wide perspective distortion.

The two-looks-in-one isn’t entirely unheard of – Canon does this with the RF 7-14mm f/2.8-3.5L Fisheye STM, and Laowa also does this with the full frame 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye – but it’s a nice versatility boost regardless.

But the second feature that grabbed my attention is that the lens is parafocal, which means that as you zoom in or out, the focus distance doesn’t change. That allows creators to zoom in and out while shooting video without losing focus – and I really love this effect in the video samples Laowas has already shared.

The lens is manual focus only, which is hardly surprising given its availability in seven different mounts. The lens supports focusing on objects as close as 10cm to really exaggerate that fisheye perspective distortion.

Even with APS-C sensors, the lens captures a dramatic 180-degree field of view at 4.5mm – and it’s packed into a rather compact lens (for an f/2.8 anyway). Some are already calling it a “muffin lens,” a humorous term that means lenses that aren’t quite small enough to be called pancakes.

The lens weighs around 338g / 11.9 oz. That’s not small enough to earn the pancake moniker, but I think that’s still rather lightweight given that it’s an f/2.8 zoom. Ultra-wide zooms with bright apertures tend to be unusually heavy, but that doesn’t appear to be the case here.

The new lens is already available for pre-order across multiple mounts, including at Laowa’s website and, in the US, B&H. The lens retails for $399, which converts to about £297 / AU$557 / CA$550.

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Laowa is back again with yet another weird and wacky lens. This time it's not one of their bizarre probe lenses, but rather a fisheye lens with a difference: it can zoom. This isn't the first time Laowa has given us such a lens, as it already has the CF 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye lens. But where that's a full-frame optic, the new Laowa CF 4.5-10mm F2.8 Zoom Fisheye is for APS-C bodies, hence the incredibly short minimum focal length.

The CF 4.5-10mm will be available for Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Canon EF-M, L-Mount and Micro Four Thirds cameras, and unsurprisingly with so many mount options, it's manual focus only. However, with such a large depth of field when shooting at these extremely short focal lengths, manual focussing will be very forgiving.

The lens is comprised of 13 elements arranged in 9 groups, incorporating 4 extra-low dispersion elements and a single ultra-high refractive index element. At 4.5mm you'll be rewarded with a huge 180-degree angle of view, and we assume this is only possible by capturing a circular fisheye perspective. Whether or not this changes to a diagonal fisheye image when you zoom to 10mm remains to be seen. This is how the recent Canon RF 7-14mm f/2.8-3.5L Fisheye STM works, and it results in a versatile creative tool that's able to give you a range of unique perspectives.

Laowa has managed to keep the new CF 4.5-10mm F2.8 relatively compact, as it measures a manageable 59.3mm in length, with a diameter of 68.9mm. It's also reasonably light at 330g.

Right now we only know that the CF 4.5-10mm F2.8 is coming - there's still no exact release date. Some sources have stated that the lens will be priced at 2780 yuan (approx. $410 / £306), and could have a pre-order price of 2500 yuan (approx. $368 / £275). If true, this would massively undercut the cost of Canon's RF 7-14mm f/2.8-3.5L Fisheye STM, which has an RRP of $1,899 / £1,719. The CF 4.5-10mm would also be significantly less expensive than Laowa's own 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye that costs $699 / £699, although both those lenses are full-frame optics.

An image of a full-frame wide-angle zoom prototype by Laowa (Venus Optics) for Sony E-mount has appeared online but, with no focal length markings on the barrel, we’re left to speculate what the mystery model is.

The image making the rounds on rumor sites appears to have originated from Laowa founder Li Dayong on social media. The photo shows a lens on a full-frame camera, and while the aperture ring is labeled, the photo gives no hints as to the focal lengths. Interestingly, though, there are three rings suggesting aperture, focus, and zoom. Plus, there's a switch for manual to autofocus.

Laowa has autofocus lenses, but those optics are prime lenses. The leaked photo hinting at both zoom and autofocus comes as another Chinese lens brand, Thyooch, has teased its first autofocus zoom lens. As Chinese lens brands increase in popularity, the addition of a budget lens that has both zoom and autofocus could mark a significant milestone.

Interestingly, however, Photo Rumors published a story the same day highlighting a social media post, supposedly by Laowa, polling followers on what they’d like to see in a wide-angle f/2.8 zoom.

While I can’t confirm that the post’s creator is in fact Laowa and not just an enthusiast, they put forward some sensible ideas, which you can see below with translations following.

Poll translated to English

Title:
Ultra-wide fast zoom lenses — which would you choose?

Options:

12–24mm F2.8; bulbous front element, ¥12,000–15,000

12–20mm F2.8; supports 86mm flat filters, ¥8,000

14–24mm F2.8; supports 77mm flat filters, ¥6,000

16–35mm F2.8; supports 77mm flat filters, ¥6,000

I’d love to see a 12-20mm f/2.8 lens hit the shelves as this would bring not only something different to the full-frame market, but also added versatility; this focal length is typically reserved for prime lenses, with the main third-party options being the Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 and Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD.

However, 14-24mm is the go-to focal length for wide-angle FE lenses and is a zoom range that still has room for new fast glass entrants, which Laowa is likely to capitalize on.

You’ve got the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art, praised for sharpness and low distortion, and then the Samyang AF 14-24mm f/2.8 FE, which is more compact than the Sigma, but that’s about it.

Additionally, the 86mm filter thread required for the wider-angle 12-20mm f/2.8 Laowa prospect could be a gamble, and Laowa will surely want to test the waters with a surer bet featuring a 77mm filter thread first.

All we know so far about this Laowa prototype is what can be seen in the image, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for further updates.

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In late December we reported that Venus Optics, makers of Laowa lenses, seemed to be working on a new macro lens capable of a whopping 10x magnification. For context, a typical macro lens usually offers a 1:1 reproduction ratio (1x). 1x magnification means the object you're photographing is reproduced at exactly the same size on the image sensor of your camera as it appears in real life.

Well, the rumors from December are true, as the lens is on display now at The Photo and Video Show 2026. Its official name is the Laowa 17.5mm f/1.7 5-10x Ultra Macro APO, and we now know some more of the lens's specifications. It's a full-frame lens comprised of 17 elements arranged in 12 groups, it has an 11-blade aperture, and a minimum working distance of 22.48mm. The lens itself measures 70.2 x 156mm and weighs 618g. Expect mount options for Sony E, Nikon Z & F, Canon RF & EF, and L-mount cameras. With so many mounts, focussing is inevitably manual only, but for precise, considered macro shooting, autofocus is much less important than with other forms of photography.

Another stand-out feature of the 17.5mm f/1.7 5-10x Ultra Macro APO is its swappable front section. This gives you the option to fit a barrel tip with an opening in its side, through which a light can be shone. This is a very handy feature, as with such a close working distance at 10x magnification, it would otherwise be very difficult to effective illuminate the object being photographed.

Also on display at this year's show is the Laowa FF 45mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro 1-5x APO. This is a slightly more conventional macro lens than the 5-10x optic, featuring 13 elements in 9 groups. But like the 5-10x lens, it gets an 11-blade diaphragm and has full-frame sensor coverage. The advantage of having a lower magnification ratio is you get a slightly more practical 40.35mm working distance, making it easier to light your subject. The 1-5x lens is roughly the same size and weight as its 5-10x sibling, with a 70.2mm diameter, 149.5mm length and 646g weight. It will also be available in the same mount options. As with many other Laowa macro lenses, these new models should keep aberrations to a minimum thanks to their APO (apochromatic) optical construction, which is designed to supress both lateral and longitudinal fringing. This is crucial for high magnification close-ups where even minor fringing could otherwise be very distracting.

We don't yet know when either lens will be available to buy, or for how much, as both are still in the prototype stage and minor tweaks could still be made before they enter production.

Probe lenses can shoot closer and shoot through tighter spaces than standard lenses – and the well-known brand behind many such lenses has finally launched the world’s widest macro probe lenses.

The Laowa 15-24mm T8 and 15-35mm T12 Macro probe zoom lenses bring the widest focal length yet to the brand’s lineup of unusual macro optics, mixing a wide view with a 1.6x to 2.3x macro reproduction ratio for extreme close-ups.

But the lens’s zoom isn’t the only feature adding versatility to the two optics. The lenses are available with four different front tube barrels to shoot from different perspectives and fit in tiny spaces. The standard direct tube offers the usual view of what’s in front of the lens, while there’s also a 90-degree tube to look up or down, a 35-degree tube, and a periscope option. The front barrels are not interchangeable, however, so cinematographers wanting more than one front barrel view will need to purchase multiple lenses.

Besides allowing the smallest portion of the lens to fit in more places with the different tubes, the tube itself is waterproof, so that portion of the lens (not the whole lens) can shoot underwater or through splashes and messes. A marking on the lens designates which part of the lens is submersible and which is not.

If the Laowa 15-24mm T8 and 15-35mm T12 Macro sound familiar, you’re not imagining things; the lenses were originally teased at the NAB show in April 2025. Laowa says that the lenses have been refined “through extensive testing and user feedback,” and both optics are now ready to ship.

The Laowa 15-24mm T8 Macro probe has the widest view for any full-frame probe lens yet, according to the company, with its 110.5 degree field-of-view. The ultra-wide view can exaggerate perspective, but also fits more in – which could be a key feature on a probe lens designed to shoot through tight spaces.

The 15-35mm T12 has a narrower aperture, but delivers what Laowa says is the largest zoom range for any probe lens so far. The wider zoom range, Laowa says, is made for more dramatic dolly zoom effects

The lens’s maximum macro reproduction is achievable at full zoom, which means the shorter 15-24mm T8 Macro can achieve up to 1.6x and the 15-35mm T12 Macro up to 2.3x

Both lenses use a native Arri PL mount, but Laowa offers interchangeable bayonets (sold separately) for the Canon EF, Canon RF, Sony FE, Nikon Z, and L Mounts. The full-frame lens can also be adapted to Super 35 with the Laowa 0.7x parafocal reducer to retain the ultra-wide perspective, turning the lenses into 11–17mm T5.6 and 11–25mm T8.4 with the focal reducer.

The lens price varies based on the module it's paired with, but prices start at $3,499 / £3,439 / AU$6250 / CA$5,099 for the Direct View 15-24mm. The lenses are available now from Laowa as well as retailers, including B&H in the US and Wex Photo in the UK.

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Laowa has launched two new specialist lenses designed for architectural and landscape photography: the Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D Tilt-Shift, and the 17mm f/4 Zero-D Shift.

Both lenses benefit from Laowa's signature Zero-D design that minimises optical distortion, while ±12mm shift capability for the tilt-shift version and an ±11mm shift adjustment for the shift-only lens enables you to dial out any keystone effect when shooting architecture.

The lenses are intended to be used with full-frame mirrorless cameras, but their image circles are large enough to enable compatibility with medium format bodies, albeit with a slightly reduced ±8mm shift capability.

The 17mm f/4 Zero-D Tilt-Shift's added shift capability allows you control over the focus plane, making it especially useful for shooting creative compositions with a miniature effect. The tilt-shift version is even more versatile thanks to its 25cm close-focusing ability, letting you emphasize close-up subjects while still preserving a sense of background space.

Both lenses are comprised of 18 elements in 12 groups and include an aperture diaphragm with a generous 14 blades for smoother bokeh and a softer, subtler sunstar effect.

Laowa has also designed the 17mm f/4 to be simple to use. It has an integrated Arca-Swiss lens foot, allowing it to be mounted directly to an Arca-compatible tripod head - no separate QR plate required. Both versions of the lens also feature a 360-degree lens body rotation mechanism which has clicks every 15 degrees, allowing you to quickly and accurately switch between vertical, horizontal, and diagonal orientations.

The Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D Tilt-Shift and Shift will be available to buy from March 10. Expect to pay $1,249 for the 17mm f/4 Zero-D Tilt-Shift, and $999 for the 17mm f/4 Zero-D Shift. 

Both lenses are manual focus only and will be available in the following mount options: Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, L Mount, Fujifilm GFX, and Hasselblad XCD (the tilt-shift version is not compatible with the Panasonic Lumix S5 II, S5 IIx, S1 II, S1R II and S1 IIe).

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.

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.

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.

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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Laowa appears to be working on a new macro lens. This in itself isn't particularly noteworthy, as according to the official Venus Optics website (the parent company of the Laowa brand), there are currently 17 Laowa macro lenses. However, this latest lens is rather special thanks to it offering up to 10x magnification.

For context, a typical macro lens usually offers a 1:1 reproduction ratio (1x). 1x magnification means the object you're photographing is reproduced at exactly the same size on the image sensor of your camera as it appears in real life.

Laowa already produces a macro lens with 5x magnification - the 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro - yet this new lens promises double that, which is no mean feat.

The 10x Ultra Macro optic is said to have a working distance of 40.35mm in the 1-5x magnification range, and 22.5mm if you want 5-10x magnification. Further details and specifications are currently limited, but it's said that this is a full-frame lens compatible with multiple mounts. Judging by the early product shots, it seems the lens could ship with a native PL mount, with separate adapters sold to convert this to RF, Z, E, or L mounts. This system is used by the even more specialist Laowa Aurogon FF 10-50X NA0.5 Supermicro APO macro 'lens' (it's actually a kit containing an objective lens which can be fitted with one of four extension tubes, each offering a different level of magnification, up to a whopping 50x!).

We're also told that the lens will be light and compact and its exterior length will not change when adjusting magnification. The full-range parfocal focusing design also means focus shouldn't shift when changing magnification. As with many other Laowa macro lenses, this latest offering should keep aberrations to a minimum thanks to its APO (apochromatic) optical construction which is designed to supress both lateral and longitudinal fringing. This is crucial for high magnification close-ups where even minor fringing could otherwise be very distracting.

We don't yet have details on pricing, availability, or even an official lens name. But considering the existing Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro lens retails for $399, while the highly specialized Laowa Aurogon FF 10-50X NA0.5 Supermicro APO will set you back $1500, it's likely the new 10x lens will be priced somewhere in between.

Story credit: Weibo, Camera Beta

Venus Optics, the company behind Laowa lenses, has launched a new tilt-shift lens. The Laowa 35mm f/2.8 Zero-D Tilt-Shift 0.5× Macro.

This full-frame optic has been designed to combine wide-angle perspective, tilt-shift functionality, and macro capabilities into a single, compact lens. It offers ±10° of tilt for precise plane of focus manipulation, along with ±12mm of shift for advanced perspective correction.

Mount options include full-frame Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and L-mount cameras, but there are also variants available for medium format Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD cameras, on which ±8mm of shift is available without noticeable vignetting. The Zero-D label denotes that the lens should produce virtually no optical distortion - a must when shooting geometric subjects like interiors and architecture. Furthermore, the lens's APO (Apochromatic) design is said to reduce chromatic aberration while improving edge-to-edge sharpness.

In addition to its tilt-shift ability, the 35mm f/2.8 Zero-D also boasts a 0.5x maximum magnification and a minimum focusing distance of just 22.8cm, which Venus Optics says is the closest in its class for a tilt-shift lens. This opens up close-up macro shooting options, while the relatively fast f/2.8 maximum aperture makes the lens suitable for low light and night-time shots.

The optical path is comprised of 14 elements arranged in 12 groups. The front element features what Venus Optics calls a 'Frog-Eye Coating' that resists water, dirt and smudges. A 15-blade aperture diaphragm should provide smooth background bokeh when shooting close-ups, while a 77mm thread enables the fitment of front filters. A nice touch is the integrated Arca-Swiss lens foot that enables quick and easy tripod attachment, which is very handy for the precision work that the lens is designed for. The lens measures 148.9mm long by 104.9mm in diameter and weighs 1,350g. Focussing is manual only, regardless of mount option, but this needn't be a deal-breaker given the slower, more considered nature of architectural and macro photography.

The Laowa 35mm f/2.8 Zero-D Tilt-Shift 0.5× Macro is available to buy now, priced at USD $1,249.

Also read our guide to the best tilt-shift lenses

Venus Optics is a Chinese company that was founded back in 2013 by a group of photographers and optical experts. I’ve always been impressed by their ability to ‘think different’ and to dream up new types of lenses as well as reinventing some exotic old favorites. For me, recent highlights include the Laowa FFII TS 100mm f/2.8 Macro 1X, which combines full 1.0x macro magnification with tilt & shift dynamics. Then there’s the Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye, which delivers both circular and diagonal fisheye effects in one package, much like the now obsolete Canon EF and Nikon F mount forerunners. The new Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF that I’m reviewing here also takes its design cues from sadly obsolete Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM and Nikon AF-S 200mm f/2G ED VR II lenses that were launched back in 2008 and 2010 respectively.

The Laowa is mostly reimagined for the mirrorless era, although with Canon RF approval being hard to come by, the lens is available in Nikon Z and Sony E mount editions, plus a Canon EF version that you can use on DSLRs or on mirrorless EOS cameras via an EF-EOS R mount adapter. Either way, it’s little more than half the weight of the Canon and Nikon lenses, and between a third and half the price to buy. A more direct competitor in new lenses is the Sigma 200mm f/2 DG OS Sports, which is available in Sony E and L-mount versions, and is only about 250g / 8oz heavier. Whichever way you look at it, the Laowa aims to be one of the best telephoto lenses on the market, as well as one of the fastest.

Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF: Specifications

Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF: Price

I wouldn’t expect fast telephoto lenses to come cheap and sure enough, the discontinued Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM used to cost $5,999, and the Nikon AF-S 200mm f/2G ED VR II sold for $4,559. As I’d also expect, the new Sigma 200mm f/2 DG OS Sports that’s designed for mirrorless Sony E and L-mount cameras is less expensive, with a price tag of $3,299 / £2,999 / AU$6,500. 

The Laowa massively undercuts all of them, past and present, with a launch price of just $1,799 / £1,799 for the Canon EF edition and $1,999 / £1,999 for the Nikon Z or Sony E version. 

Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF: Design & Handling

It’s all relative. As Einstein said, “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute.” Sure, this lens is ‘relatively’ lightweight, being little more than half the weight of direct Canon and Nikon equivalents of old, but it still looks and feels an imposing beast of a lens. It weighs in at 1,588g / 3.5lb (more on that later) and is a decidedly chunky affair. Keeping the genius physicist in mind for a moment longer, or maybe L’Oréal, ‘here comes the science bit’. If you put a 200mm telephoto focal length plus a fast f/2 aperture on one side of the equation, large, wide-diameter glass elements will sit on the other.

Sure enough, it’s the optical elements that govern the girth of this lens, sucking in enough light to enable its f/2 aperture rating at 200mm. As such, the lens itself has a diameter of 118mm / 4.7" and comes complete with a 105mm front filter thread. Like I said, it’s big.

That big front element takes the lead role in an optical path that features 11 elements in all, arranged in 9 groups. Of these, specialist glass includes two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, one AD (Anomalous Dispersion) element and one UHR (Ultra High Refractive index) element. The aim is for enhanced sharpness and clarity with the minimum of aberrations.

On the outside and somewhat unusually, the lens is finished in a beautifully deep shade of blue rather than black, and a gray version is available by special order. Just behind the front element at the forward end of the barrel is a rank of four customizable function buttons, set at 90-degree intervals. The upshot is that they fall neatly under the thumb in any and every shooting orientation. Just behind this is the manual focus ring, which is pleasantly tactile and operates with silky smoothness.

Behind the focus ring on the left hand side of the barrel are an AF/MF focus mode switch, along with an autofocus range limiter. The latter is a 2-way rather than 3-way switch, simply giving the option of locking out the short end of autofocus travel between 1.5m and 5m. You can therefore throw the switch and swap from full autofocus range to just the longer 5m to infinity segment. There’s also another customizable function button positioned just below the two focus mode/range switches.

Continuing the hands-on appeal of the lens, there’s a physical aperture ring. It’s a control ring that’s dedicated to aperture adjustment rather than being multi-functional, which I like as it has the advantage of clear markings in one-third f/stop increments all the way from f/2 to the narrowest available aperture of f/22. There’s also an ‘A’ (Auto) position, for camera-controlled aperture adjustment. You’ll need this for the likes of Program and Shutter-priority shooting modes. One slight criticism of mine is that, as with many modern lenses that feature aperture control rings, there’s no locking switch to lock it at the Auto setting. As such, a little care is needed not to nudge it from this setting accidentally.

We’re all gone video crazy nowadays and few of us only shoot stills. The Laowa obliges with a click/de-click switch, which is positioned on the right hand side of the barrel. It’s clearly marked, easy to use, and enables stepless, silent aperture adjustments when shooting video. Enough said.

Not all lenses are created equal, and not even all versions of this exact same lens are identical. The Nikon Z and Sony E mount editions both feature a 43mm drop in filter at the rear, and it’s a rather nice one at that. As well as having quick and simple pinch-action levers for releasing the holder and swapping between filters, it also has a thumbwheel for adjusting rotation-specific filters like circular polarizers, when they’re in situ and held within the lens. Adopters of the Canon EF version of the lens might feel a little miffed that the filter holder is absent from their version.

I said I’d get back to the weight of the lens, so let’s do it. At the risk of repetition, it’s 1,588g / 3.5lb. Yes it’s a lot lighter than the old Canon and Nikon 200mm f/2 lenses and a bit lighter than the Sigma equivalent, but the Laowa is definitely no lightweight. I found the lens was light enough to enable long periods of handheld shooting but I wouldn’t want to mount it on a tripod or monopod via the attachment socket in my camera body. I’m thankful therefore that the Laowa has a rather nice tripod mounting ring which operates smoothly and has click steps at 90-degree intervals for easy leveling.

If you’d rather have a more streamlined lens without a protruding tripod mounting ring, you can’t remove it altogether. However, while the ring stays in place, you can remove the foot after which you’re left with a relatively small square stub that takes up very little space. Going ‘belt and braces’ on safety, there’s a lock/release screw for the foot, plus a pushbutton for releasing it. The foot itself follows the recent trend of having an Arca-Swiss profile, so you can mount it directly into a compatible tripod head without having to use an additional quick-release plate.

The Laowa also goes large on its hood, which has a circular rather than petal-shaped profile. It’s not a bayonet-fit hood but instead uses a lock/release screw which is quite common among large-diameter hoods for telephoto lenses. It’s also reversible so you can mount it backwards on the lens to save stowage space.

To do a proper job, the hood is quite large as is fitting for a telephoto lens. When it’s mounted in its forward-facing business orientation, it does add quite a bit to the overall length of the lens but there’s really no way around that.

At the back end of the lens is naturally the mounting plate. As with the rest of the lens, it has a high-quality look and feel. As I’d expect, it’s made from metal rather than plastic and features a weather-seal gasket, as well as gold-plated electronic contacts.

Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF: Performance

I always think that the performance of any lens boils down to whether or not it delivers the results I want, and handling plays a large part in this. I’m happy that the weight of the lens is sufficiently light to enable long periods of handheld shooting, which is often essential for sports and wildlife photography, to which the focal length is well suited. Moreover, the advanced controls including customizable function buttons, click/de-click aperture ring and the autofocus range limiter all boost performance in practical terms, for both stills and videography.

Naturally, the bottom line is image quality. The Laowa does impressively well in all areas. Sharpness is excellent even when shooting wide-open at f/2. There’s plenty of bite on tap, with very good clarity and contrast even when shooting under very dull lighting conditions. The quality of bokeh always comes to the fore when shooting with fast lenses and, again, the Laowa is very convincing. There’s a natural looking fall-off between focused and defocused areas, the latter looking smooth and dreamy, and with negligible longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA) or ‘bokeh fringing’. The 9-blade aperture isn’t quite as well-rounded as in some recent lenses that feature an 11-blade aperture, including the new Sigma 200mm f/2, but it still retains high-quality bokeh when stopping down a little.

Obvious choices for using this lens are action, sports, wildlife and event photography, as well as portraiture, landscapes and even astrophotography. It’s nothing if not versatile! In most cases, the main attraction is being able to cover the distance with its 200mm focal length, along with a fast aperture that can isolate the main subject within a scene, with a tight depth of field. Meanwhile, at medium to narrow apertures, the focal length delivers a compressed perspective, which can be useful in landscape scenarios and for creative effect.

Autofocus isn’t the quickest I’ve ever used. It doesn’t exactly snap into place but is nevertheless well able to track moving subjects in sports and wildlife scenarios. I also found that it worked well in subject-recognition modes with continuous autofocus. Face/eye focus tracking is a major bonus for portraiture with this lens and I found that it gave an excellent hit rate with highly consistent accuracy, when testing the lens with my Nikon Z 6II.

A glaring omission in the lens is optical stabilization. This was featured in the obsolete Canon and Nikon 200mm f/2 lenses, as well as in the new Sigma equivalent where it’s rated at 6.5-stop performance. To some extent, you’re covered by IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) featured in all Nikon Z full-frame bodies and all but the first generation Sony mirrorless full-frame cameras. If you buy the Canon EF version of the Laowa, you might well miss stabilization which isn’t featured in any Canon DSLRs or the first generation of EOS R mirrorless cameras, which are viable with an EF-EOS R mount adapter. Either way, optical stabilization tends to be more effective than IBIS when using telephoto lenses. I found that the IBIS of my Nikon Z 6II gave me roughly a 3-stop advantage, enabling consistently sharp handheld shots at shutter speeds down to 1/25^th of a second.

You could argue that image stabilization is less of a necessity due to the relatively fast f/2 aperture enabling quick shutter speeds under low lighting conditions, without having to bump up your camera’s ISO setting very far. However, you might well want to use narrower apertures to enable a larger depth of field, which can be very tight in close-up to medium-distance shooting.

Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF: Sample Images

Based on a tough test for the lens, the following gallery contains example shots taken in very overcast, dull lighting conditions in the floating harbor of the English city of Bristol. I’ve included a variety of shots, some based on the widest aperture of f/2 to highlight the qualities of bokeh with a small depth of field, and others using a medium aperture of f/5.6 to show image quality at more general settings.

Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

In our short-range lab tests, center-sharpness took a bit of a drop wide-open at f/2 but remained very impressive across the rest of the frame. I found that center-sharpness remained very impressive at f/2 in my real-world tests at more typical telephoto shooting distances. From f/2.8 through to f/11, both lab-test and real-world sharpness is superb across the entire image frame, and truly exceptional towards the edges and corners.

Fringing:

There’s a little color fringing towards the edges and corners of the image frame but it’s of quite a low order and easily within the scope of automatic in-camera correction for the Nikon Z and Sony E mount versions of the lens. Sorry, I can’t vouch for the Canon EF mount version.

Distortion: 0.65

There’s the slightest touch of pincushion distortion but it’s much less than with many telephoto lenses and will go unnoticed in the vast majority of images, even with automatic in-camera correction disabled.

Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF: Verdict

The Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF is a big, hefty and expensive lens. In its favor, however, it’s a lot less big, heavy and expensive than the old-school Canon and Nikon equivalent lenses that were made for DSLRs. I rather like that the new Laowa is made for Canon DSLRs as well as for Nikon and Sony mirrorless cameras, but I suspect this is more down to the tight-lipped and non-sharing nature of the Canon RF electronics. Ultimately, the lens is sufficiently compact and lightweight for long periods of handheld shooting, making it an excellent choice for sports, wildlife and event photography. Sharpness, clarity and contrast are impressive, bokeh is beautiful and the lens makes a stellar job of isolating subjects against fussy backgrounds, as well as compressing perspective for creative effect. All in all, it’s a superb lens with exotic handling characteristics, at a relatively affordable price for its type. It’s a beauty.

Alternatives

Laowa, a brand typically associated with innovative hobby lenses like its macro probe offerings, is going up market. Its latest launch is a fast, premium telephoto prime: the 200mm f/2 AF FF. Designed to take on Sigma's mighty 200mm F2 DG OS Sports, Laowa's latest lens manages to be slightly lighter than the Sigma, at 1,588g, while still incorporating autofocus. But don't go thinking this means the Laowa is compact - it's far from it. With a maximum diameter of 118mm / 4.7", the 200mm f/2 AF FF is a hefty beast, and it takes equally large 105mm filters. The massive girth is a necessary by-product of having such a large aperture at a focal length this long: you simply can't have a lens this fast at 200mm without some large-diameter lens elements. The 11-element optical stack is arranged in 9 groups and includes two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, one AD (Anomalous Dispersion) element and one UHR (Ultra High Refractive index) element, all in the name of increased sharpness and clarity, with reduced chromatic aberration.

Extra features include four customizable function buttons, set at 90-degree intervals around the front of the lens barrel, while further back is an autofocus range limiter to lock out the short end of the autofocus travel. A physical aperture ring is also present, plus there's a de-click switch to enable stepless aperture adjustment when shooting video.

Buy the Nikon Z or Sony E versions of the lens and you'll also get a 43mm drop in filter slot at the rear of the barrel. This is teamed with a thumbwheel for adjusting rotation-specific filters like circular polarizers - handy. You will have to do without optical stabilization though, but this needn't be a deal-breaker, thanks to the lens's large aperture enabling fast shutter speeds, and the high likelihood that the lens will be used with an IBIS-enabled camera anway.

The 200mm f/2 AF FF will be available in Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon EF mounts. The latter may seem a strange choice, given that RF has now essentially replaced EF, but with Canon still having a monopoly on full-frame RF-mount lenses, releasing an EF-fit lens that can be used with an EF-EOS R mount converter gets around the restriction.

At $1,799 / £1,799 for the Canon EF edition and $1,999 / £1,999 for the Nikon Z or Sony E versions, the Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF is far from cheap, but it is very well priced compared to its rivals. 

The discontinued Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM used to cost $5,999, and the Nikon AF-S 200mm f/2G ED VR II sold for $4,559. Even the comparatively accessible Sigma 200mm f/2 DG OS Sports for mirrorless cameras will set you back $3,299 / £2,999. 

So viewed in this context, the Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF is quite a bargain if you're after a fast tele prime for sports or wildlife shots.

Read our full review of the Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF

Laowa is arguably best known for its macro lenses, from the wacky probe lenses to optics that boast an impressive 2x magnification – but most of the brand’s macro lenses don’t include autofocus. That’s changing with its latest launch: the full-frame Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro Apo meshes telephoto reach with close focusing capabilities and autofocus – although the AF comes with some caveats.

First, the autofocus capabilities are not available in the lens’ Canon mirrorless RF mount and L-Mount – AF is only available in the Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon EF (DSLR) mounts. That’s not too surprising, considering the lens options for Canon’s full-frame mirrorless bodies don’t include third-party optics that have autofocus, and that Laowa isn’t a member of the L-Mount alliance.

The second fine print text on the lens’ autofocus is that, on the compatible mounts, it is only available from 1.5m to infinity. That means that the 1.5x macro isn’t compatible with the autofocus. Instead, the AF serves more as a way to extend the lens’ versatility beyond just macro shots.

The partial autofocus isn’t the only unusual feature on the Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5x Ultra. The company describes the lens as compact and lightweight. The Canon EF variant weighs about 484g / 17 oz and measures 88.4mm / 3.5 inches long; the Sony E is a bit larger and heavier at 521.6g /18.4 oz and 134.4mm / 5.3 inches. For reference, a standard loaf of bread weighs around 500g.

The lens is designed with 12 elements in 9 groups and 9 aperture blades. Lawoa says that an apochromatic design (the "Apo" in the name) helps reduce chromatic aberrations and enhance sharpness and color accuracy.

On the outside of the lens barrel, the printed focal distance scale includes an AF slot on supported mounts for switching from manual to autofocus. Mounts with autofocus also have electronic contacts, so metadata from the lens can be written to the file.

While the autofocus comes with caveats and isn’t supported at the closest distances, the 180mm lens joins the Laowa lineup as a longer telephoto option for getting in close to more skittish insects, as well as more background compression compared to wider optics.

The lens retails for $499 / £499 / AU$939.

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Venus Optics, the company behind the Laowa brand, is preparing for a major September unveiling that could take place at IBC, with no fewer than six new lenses set to be shown.

The most anticipated of the lineup is the long-rumored Laowa AF FF 200mm f/2 C-Dreamer, a lens that has already been spotted in leaks and is now on the verge of becoming official.

The 200mm f/2 is shaping up to be a significant release. Weighing in at just under 1.6kg, it is more than a kilogram lighter and over 5cm shorter than Nikon’s benchmark 200mm f/2 (F-Mount) while still offering the same ultra-bright aperture.

Early details suggest that the lens will be available for the Canon EF-mount, Nikon Z, and Sony E, with a GFX version also being considered – though autofocus support for this version remains uncertain.

The lens also enables photographers and videographers to switch the aperture mechanism between stepped and stepless operation, making it adaptable for both stills and video use. Laowa plans to release it in two finishes, gray and blue, with availability expected after China’s National Day holiday in early October.

With Sigma’s 200mm f/2 just released, Laowa’s new C-Dreamer may find itself at the center of an unexpected battle for dominance in the rarefied world of fast 200mm primes.

While the 200mm may be the headliner, it is far from the only lens on the way. Laowa is also preparing the FF II TS 35mm f/2.8 C-Dreamer Macro 0.5x, a tilt-shift lens that combines perspective control with close-up capability, as well as the FF II TS 17mm f/4 C-Dreamer, a wide-angle tilt-shift aimed squarely at landscape and architectural photographers.

Another addition is the AF FF 180mm f/4.5 CA-Dreamer Macro 1.5x, a new autofocus macro lens that goes beyond life-size with 1.5x magnification and will be offered across EF, RF, E, Z and L mounts.

Cinematographers are not being left out, either. Laowa is preparing to reveal a pair of new full-frame anamorphic zooms, the Sunlight 40–80mm T4.5 2x and the Sunlight 70–135mm T4.5 2x, which will extend the company’s growing reputation in the indie filmmaking world. These lenses, with their versatile zoom ranges and 2x anamorphic squeeze, are likely to attract significant attention if they make their first appearance on the show floor at IBC.

Although pricing and shipping dates remain under wraps, Laowa’s September showcase promises to be one of its most ambitious announcements to date. With six new lenses spanning still photography, macro, tilt-shift, and cinema, the company is once again positioning itself as one of the boldest and most inventive players in optics.

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Laowa has just announced that it is producing versions of its 8–15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye for Fujifilm and Hasselblad medium format camera users.

The Laowa 8–15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye was released back in June for Canon RF, L-mount, Nikon Z, Sony E – but this remarkable super-wide lens will now additionally be available in Fuji GFX and Hasselblad XCD mounts.

The interesting thing about this manual-focus lens is that its zoom allows you to have both a circular fisheye and a full-field fisheye in the same lens.

Unfortunately, however, the lens still only offers a full-frame image circle, so that the medium format image will need to be cropped at the editing stage.

The photo lens is constructed from 13 elements in 9 groups with 9 aperture blades, creating an optic that weighs about 22.9oz / 650g. It has a closest focusing distance of 0.16m (6.3in), offering a maximum magnification of 0.23x.

The new versions of the lens go on sale immediately for $699.

Check out our guide to the best fisheye lenses

There are few focal lengths in photography that carry the kind of mystique and magic that the 200mm f/2 does. It is a lens that lives in a world of its own, defying convention and offering something so distinct that once you’ve shot with it, nothing else quite compares.

For many photographers, 200mm is just the far end of a trusty 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom – a workhorse, reliable and versatile. But a fixed 200mm f/2 prime is a different animal entirely, producing images with such separation and character that they almost feel otherworldly. It’s not just another telephoto lens; it’s a statement piece of glass.

Throughout my two decades as a professional sports photographer, the Nikon 200mm f/2 was my constant companion, and frankly, my secret weapon. I leaned on it event after event, because it offered something that no other lens could. That wide-open aperture pulled subjects forward in a way that made subjects leap from the frame while melting the background into buttery smoothness. Even in chaotic arenas, with flashing lights and crowded backdrops, that lens could isolate a subject so cleanly it was as though I was carving them out with a scalpel.

It’s a lens I adored so much that at one point, I owned not one but three Nikon 200mm f/2 lenses. That might sound excessive, but when a piece of gear becomes an extension of how you see the world, it’s hard to imagine being without it. While some photographers dream of fast super-telephotos like the 400mm or 600mm, my obsession was always with the 200mm f/2. It wasn’t just sharp; it had a personality, a look that gave my images a signature style. When you’re covering sports, where so many shots can start to feel similar, that kind of tool can set your work apart.

But sports were only one chapter of the 200mm f/2’s story. Many photographers treat it as a long portrait lens, and in that role, it becomes something truly poetic. Wide open, it delivers a shallow depth of field and a dreamy roll-off that’s often compared to medium format. Faces are rendered with a creamy smoothness, and the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus has a unique quality that no other lens can quite match. Stop it down, however, and the 200mm f/2 transforms into a razor-sharp instrument capable of resolving astonishing detail. It’s a chameleon, offering both artistry and technical perfection depending on how you use it.

This is why the arrival of the new Sigma 200mm f/2 DG OS Sports lens feels so important. For years, Nikon and Canon shooters guarded their 200mm f/2 primes like crown jewels, but now Sigma is democratizing that magic. In their Sports lineup, known for durability and cutting-edge optics, the 200mm f/2 stands as a bold statement that such specialty lenses still have a place in today’s market. It means that more photographers can experience this iconic focal length without having to scour the second-hand market for aging glass.

Even more intriguing is the rumor that Laowa is preparing a 200mm f/2 of its own. Laowa has built its reputation on daring, unusual optics, and if such a lens materializes, it could bring this special focal length to an even broader array of systems, including mirrorless mounts where native 200mm f/2 primes have never existed. The thought of more photographers discovering the lens that defined so much of my career is, quite frankly, thrilling.

In an age where zooms dominate and f/1.2 primes steal the headlines, the 200mm f/2 remains something quietly, defiantly special. It is not a lens for everyone, nor should it be. It is for those who want to create images with a look that cannot be replicated by stacking features or megapixels.

To me, it will always be the lens that gave me my voice as a photographer, and I am glad to see its legacy live on through Sigma, and perhaps even Laowa. Some tools transcend trends, and the 200mm f/2 is one of them.

A new lens leak has surfaced and, if it's accurate, this could be one of the most exciting releases of the year.

Venus Optics appears to be preparing to launch a Laowa AF 200mm f/2 lens, and early images and rumors suggest it may be both compact and powerful; a rare combination in this focal length. For many photographers, especially those using a mirrorless camera or medium format camera, this could quickly become a go-to lens.

Two images have emerged as the main sources of the story. The first is a silhouetted promotional-style image labelled "Laowa AF 200mm f/2.0". It mentions compatibility with Nikon Z, Sony E and Canon EF mounts and the fact that it's coming soon:

The second image offers much more detail, showing the lens in-hand and revealing some of its design features. From this photo you can see a function button, an AF/MF switch, a focus limiter and what looks like a drop-in filter slot with a rotating dial, suggesting support for circular polarizers, variable ND filters and other creative tools.

What’s perhaps most intriguing is how compact the lens appears, especially given its specs. A 200mm f/2 lens is traditionally large and heavy, but early information claims this one will weigh under 1.6kg. If true, that would make it impressively portable, especially for a lens in this class.

Although Laowa has yet to make any official announcement, several rumor sites have published a preliminary spec list. The lens will reportedly launch in EF, E, and Z mounts, with Fujifilm X and GFX versions in development.

If accurate, this would make it the first third-party autofocus lens for the Fujifilm GFX medium format system. An important milestone that adds even more excitement to this leak.

For GFX users like myself, this leak is particularly exciting. Third-party options for GF lenses are still extremely limited and the idea of a fast, autofocus, compact telephoto prime like this, especially with Laowa’s recent history of delivering high-performing lenses at relatively affordable prices, makes this feel like a dream lens.

If this lens turns out to be real, and if it lands anywhere near Laowa’s usual price point, it’s an easy day one purchase for me. The brand's recent releases have consistently delivered optical punch and unique characteristics for both stills and video work.

A 200mm f/2 this compact, with autofocus and thoughtful features like drop-in filter support, could easily become a modern classic.

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If you’ve seen Ed Sheeran’s latest music video Sapphire, chances are you were as hypnotized by the visuals as you were by the tune.

The video follows Sheeran on a whirlwind adventure through India, wandering colorful markets, cheering at cricket matches, and cutting loose in neon-soaked clubs. It’s vibrant, chaotic, and full of life… yet somehow, Ed remains perfectly centered in the middle of it all. Literally. That framing is the result of some clever camera rigging that has filmmakers and gear nerds buzzing.

Above: Ed Sheeran's music video for Sapphire

YouTuber and optical enthusiast Mathieu Stern couldn’t let this one slide. Like many of us, he watched Sapphire and thought: How the hell did they keep Ed locked in the center of the frame while India spins around him? So, he dug in. And after a bit of internet detective work, combining behind-the-scenes shots with some educated guesses, Stern cracked the case.

The secret weapon? A Snorricam. For those unfamiliar, it’s a rig that straps around the subject’s torso, with an arm extending out to hold the camera in front of them. Hands-free, perfectly centered. The result is that trippy effect where the background feels like it’s on fast-forward while the subject stays dead steady in the frame. If you’ve seen films like Requiem for a Dream, you know the vibe. It’s intense, immersive, and in this case, it makes Sheeran’s Indian odyssey feel like a personal fever dream.

Through some behind-the-scenes Instagram snaps, Stern identified the camera as the Sony FX3. Yes, the FX3 is a compact cinema powerhouse that launched over four years ago; however, it is still punching above its weight class. This little beast brings full-frame 4K, excellent dynamic range, and cinematic color science in a body small enough to take on a backpacking trip. And apparently, it’s good enough for pop superstar Ed Sheeran.

Above: Mathieu Stern's YouTube video uncovering the equipment used

The next question was what lens gave that ultra-wide, immersive look without turning Ed’s head into a fisheye disaster? The answer: a Laowa 12mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine.

This lens is beloved by ultra-wide fans for delivering an expansive 122° field of view without the typical barrel distortion that makes straight lines look like roller coasters. Perfect for the bustling chaos of Indian streets.

A takeaway from this is that the entire FX3 and Laowa lens combo comes in at around £5,000. That’s pocket change in the world of big-budget music videos.

And here’s the kicker: at the time of writing, Sapphire is closing in on 150 million views. Proof that creativity and execution matter far more than having the 'latest and greatest' gear.

If you’re curious to see the full breakdown, I recommend checking out Stern's YouTube video, where he also recreates the look. It’s a fascinating watch for anyone obsessed with camera rigs, DIY filmmaking tricks, or just clever ways to achieve cinematic looks on a budget.

So, next time someone tells you you need an 8K cinema monster to make great content, remind them that Ed Sheeran’s doing just fine with a four-year-old camera and a lens most indie filmmakers could afford.

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Lens-maker Venus Optics has officially announced that it will be releasing a new 12mm f/2.8 full-frame autofocus lens on June 25, 2025. The Laowa 12mm f/2.8 FF II C&D Dreamer will be available in Sony E and Nikon Z mounts with full autofocus, and there will also be Canon RF and L-mount Alliance versions, although these will be manual-focus only.

While Venus Optics has garnered a stellar reputation for producing innovative and often unusual manual focus lenses with remarkably low distortion, this new lens is only the second from the brand to have autofocus, joining the recently released Laowa 10mm f/2.8 FF II C&D Dreamer, which again offers autofocus in its Nikon and Sony versions, with other mounts only having manual focus.

According to Venus Optics, the 'C&D Dreamer' designation in its Laowa lens range is broken down as follows. The 'C' signifies a compact build, the 'D' means minimum distortion, and the 'Dreamer' bit is reserved for lenses that exhibit soft, artistic image rendering.

Indeed, it is compact and light, weighing around 377 grams, depending on the lens mount, and has a reasonably svelte 72mm filter thread. And Venus Optics claims that it produces images with a near-zero distortion. We'll see if our tests bear this out when we get our hands on a review sample.

It's not the first 12mm f/2.8 Laowa lens – that honor goes to the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D, which was released back in 2016. But while this 'Zero-D' model signifies a 'close-to-zero distortion' design, it is a significantly heftier lens, weighing in at around 609 grams, and is only available in manual focus, whatever the mount.

While pricing details are expected to be officially released at the time of the announcement on June 25, I expect the lens will be competitively priced. As a rough guide, the autofocus versions of the Laowa 10mm f/2.8 lens cost £799 / £849 / AU$1,449.

I’ve been impressed with Laowa lenses in the past. They tend to be well built and deliver impressive image quality, if you don’t mind focusing manually, and often setting your aperture manually as well.

There have been a number of 15mm ultra-wide-angle primes, including the fast Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D, the perspective-changing Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift, the diminutive Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF, and the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide Angle Macro.

The last of these claimed to be the world’s widest full 1.0x macro lens, but is difficult to use and is arguably out of date and out of touch. It was only ever available in two mount options for Canon and Nikon DSLRs, along with optional additional mount adapters for mirrorless cameras sold separately.

The replacement 15mm macro lens that I’m reviewing here sets its sights at a more modest 0.5x maximum magnification, and is available in a number of dedicated mount options straight out of the box. Quite the two-trick pony, it aims to be one of the best macro lenses on the market, as well as one of the best wide-angle lenses.

Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro: Specifications

Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro: Price

At the time of writing this review, Laowa only stated a selling price in US dollars, the lens being available from the company’s website for $399. That translates to about £299 in the UK and AU$619 in Australia, based on the exchange rates of the day. I feel that’s a very competitive price for a full-frame lens that combines an ultra-wide-angle perspective with a 0.5x macro capability, along with a solid metal build. As I’ll come to next, however, some versions of the lens are smarter than others.

Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro: Design & Handling

The design and handling of this lens vary depending on what mount option you buy. All of them are manual-focus lenses and the Canon RF, Nikon F and L-mount versions are manual-aperture as well. You therefore need to set the aperture via the control ring on the lens itself, which operates in click steps.

The Canon EF, Nikon Z and Sony E mount versions of the lens have built-in electronics and communication with the host camera, so that you can set the aperture from the camera body, as well as using the full range of PASM shooting modes. These versions of the lens don’t have an aperture control ring, just a focus ring, as per the Sony E mount edition that I used for this review.

As a full-frame compatible 15mm prime lens, the Laowa delivers an ultra-wide viewing angle of 110.5 degrees. There’s nothing particularly unusual in that, but the combination of such a wide perspective with 0.5x macro magnification makes this lens something rather special and out of the ordinary. It’s main party trick is that you can get in really close and shoot tiny objects in the context of their surroundings. I often like to use ultra-wide lenses to exaggerate perspective, lengthening the apparent distance between foreground subjects and background, and this lens takes this possibility to the extreme, and then some.

Not just for close-ups, the lens focuses all the way from 0.13m to infinity. That puts plenty of other shooting scenarios within its remit, including landscapes and cityscapes, architectural interiors, real estate photography and more besides. You could also include astrophotography but the f/4.5 aperture rating is a little slow for this. Conversely, stop the aperture down on a bright sunny day and the 5-blade diaphragm will give you 10-point sun stars.

The throw of the focus ring equates to just under 45 degrees, or a quarter of a full turn. The net result is that even a slight adjustment of the focus ring can make a big difference. Manual focusing is often preferred for macro photography but, even so, it can be a real challenge. There’s also the matter of the very short working distance between the front of the lens and the subject when you’re using the shortest focus setting. I’ll come back to these points in ‘performance’ below.

The 5-blade aperture diaphragm that I mentioned earlier gives an operating range of f/4.5 (wide-open) down to f/32. Narrower apertures are often preferred in macro photography to give anything more than a marginal depth of field, but you run the risk of degrading sharpness due to diffraction at very narrow apertures. Some might prefer the manual aperture control ring of some variants of this lens. I prefer the camera-driven control enabled by the electronics in other versions.

The optical layout of the lens is based on 16 elements arranged in 11 groups. These include 2 aspherical elements, 3 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and 3 HR (High Refractive index) elements. The overall aim is to optimize sharpness and clarity while minimizing color fringing and other aberrations.

Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro: Performance

I found that levels of sharpness where pretty good on the whole. That said, it’s best to avoid shooting wide-open, or stopping down too far if you want to make the most of the sharpness on offer. The lens is a little soft wide-open and diffraction impairs sharpness at very narrow apertures, so you’re best off sticking to apertures of f/5.6 down to f/11. Even at medium aperture settings, sharpness tends to drop off towards the edges and corners of the frame.

Sharpness in practical terms depends mostly on two factors – the accuracy of manual focusing and the absence of camera-shake. Let’s start with focusing. You might think that the focus peaking option of mirrorless cameras will enable consistently accurate manual focusing. Forget it. Focus peaking is simply too vague, and the throw of the focus ring can be a little too course to enable the kind of ultra-precise focusing required for macro shots. Where possible, I found it better to use the magnified preview option in mirrorless cameras, and to make tiny forward/backward movements of the camera itself, to really nail focusing.

Most but certainly not all full-frame mirrorless cameras have the benefit of IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization). For mount options of the lens that feature built-in electronics, IBIS should be able to pick up the necessary vital statistics automatically. For fully manual lenses, you can typically dial in the relevant focal length and aperture of the lens as a menu option to enable IBIS. Either way, it can work fairly well, even at the lens’s maximum 0.5x macro magnification.

Speaking of that maximum 0.5x macro magnification, it can be a challenge to use. The minimum focus distance is quoted as 0.13m / 0.43ft but, as always, that’s measured from the focal plane of the camera, which corresponds to the position of the image sensor within the body. The actual working distance between the front of the lens and the subject shrank to about 25mm or just 1 inch in my tests with the Sony E-mount version of the lens. And that’s with the petal-shaped lens hood removed.

The very short working distance means you have to get uncomfortably close to subjects to make the most of maximum magnification, and the lens can often cast a dark shadow over what you’re shooting, unless you’re able to use an artificial light source that you can fire in from a very shallow angle.

Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro: Sample Images

The following gallery of sample shots was taken at Bristol Floating Harbour in the UK, along with some extreme close-ups of garden flowers captured at or near the minimum focus distance of the lens.

Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

In our lab tests, levels of sharpness in the central region of the frame turned out to be good rather than entirely great and they’re relatively poor towards the edges and corners of the frame.

Fringing:

There’s a little color fringing which can be slightly noticeable towards the edges and corners of the image frame but it’s pretty well controlled overall.

Distortion: -1.45

For such and ultra-wide-angle lens, there’s relatively little barrel distortion. The Laowa scores very well in this respect.

Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro: Verdict

I like that the Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro offers a different shooting experience to the vast majority of ultra-wide-angle lenses and macro lenses, by combining both facets in one package. The killer feature is the lens’s ability to capture extreme close-ups of small objects, complete with a broad expanse of the background to put them into context. The extremely short working distance of around 25mm / 1 inch can make the maximum 0.5x macro magnification hard to use, and manual focusing can be tricky, but with a little patience the lens is capable of delivering very pleasing and even extraordinary results.

Alternatives

Photographers and videographers eyeing fisheye lenses have a big choice to make: circular or rectangular? But the new Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 offers both looks in one optic, creating that black-edged circular image at 8mm but offering the standard rectangular photograph when zoomed in to 15mm.

The new dual fisheye effect lens (not to be confused with the dual fisheye designed for VR creation) will be available in versions for both mirrorless cameras and for cinema cameras as the Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 Zoom Fisheye or the 18-15mm T/2.9 Zoom Fisheye Cine.

The stills photography variant comes in E, Z, RF, and L mounts and has full-frame coverage.

The cinema variant will be available in the PL mount, with E, RF, Z, L, and Z bayonets available.

At 8mm, the lenses offer a 180-degree perspective, squeezed into a circular image shape.

Zoomed to 15mm, the lens still offers the classic distortion of a fisheye but fills the frame.

Laowa calls that versatility “one-of-a-kind.” The lens mixes that versatility with a fast aperture, f/2.8 on the photo version and T/2.9 on the cinema lens. That gives the lens some capability for astrophotography and low light photography and videography.

The Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 also boasts a minimum focusing distance of 6.3 inches / 16cm, which will combine the fisheye distortion with some perspective distortion with those close-up capabilities. The lens lacks autofocus, however, and is a manual focus-only lens.

The photo lens is designed from 13 elements in 9 groups, creating an optic that weighs about 22.9oz / 650g and measures about 3.72 inches / 94.5mm long.

The cinema lens carries the same 13-element, nine-group design. The cinema version is slightly lighter and shorter at 20.8 oz / 590g and 2.46 inches / 62.5mm.

The still photo variant retails for $699 in the US and the cinema lens for $1,399. Pricing outside the US has not yet been announced, but converts to roughly £517 / AU$1,077 and £1,035 / AU$2,156.

B&H currently has the still lens available for pre-order for E Mount, RF Mount, L Mount, and Z Mount.

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Most macro lenses use long focal lengths to get up close, but the latest lens from Laowa mixes an ultra-wide focal length with close-focusing capabilities for an unusual look. The Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro is a full-frame lens that mixes the perspective distortion of an ultra-wide with the close-up capabilities of a macro lens.

Because getting in close to a tiny subject increases background blur, many macro lenses don’t show much of the surrounding environment. But Venus Optics says that the new Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro enables creators to get in close to subjects while still showcasing as much of the background environment as possible.

The newly announced lens is a manual focus-only optic available in several mirrorless and DSLR mounts. The close focusing up to 5.08 inches / 12.9 cm gives the lens the ability to produce a half macro or 0.5x close-up.

Beyond the close-up capabilities, the company says the ultra-wide 110.5° angle of view can also be used for architecture, landscapes and interior photography.

The optical construction features 16 elements in 11 groups, along with a 5-blade aperture. That puts the lens at around .68 lbs / 308. The lens takes up about 1.88 inches 47.5mm lengthwise and accepts 62mm filters.

The Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro is available for Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon EF bodies using automatic as well as manual aperture settings. The lens is also available for Nikon Z, Canon RF and L-Mount, but with manual aperture control only.

The new lens joins a wide range of unique macro choices in the Laowa lineup, including probe lenses, but the lens isn’t the brand’s first ultra-wide macro

Laowa also offers a similar 15mm f/4 lens, which is able to get you even closer with a 1:1 reproduction ratio, but sits at a higher price point.

The Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro will retail for $399 in the US; the company has not yet shared pricing for the UK or Australia.

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Laowa has announced the launch of its first-ever Probe Zoom Macro Lens, marking it as the widest and most versatile probe lens on the market – and it will be shown off at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, this weekend.

The lens comes in two options, 15-24mm T8 and 15-35mm T12, and features a selection of interchangeable modules, with a 110.5° angle of view and a 2.3x zoom range – making it an innovative addition to the existing lineup of periprobe lenses, which includes the Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe and 24mm T8 2X Macro Pro2be.

The official announcement will take place at the NAB Show, running from April 05-09, which is the premier event for the broadcast industry – making it the perfect venue for showcasing the world’s widest probe zoom, particularly since its last probe was a cine lens.

With a length of 40cm, the waterproof tubular design of the probe optic features a modular framework with 4 interchangeable front modules and 2 main barrels.

Users can work a total of eight combinations and switch between these four front modules: Direct view, Periscope, 35° view and the upcoming 90° view. The 90° module features a patent-pending front rotation design and a 360° rotational ring. The ring is installed in front of the lens body, which enables independent tube rotation without interfering with the focus and zoom ring.

The key features:

• 15mm ultra-wide perspective
• 2.3x zoom range with parfocal design
• 4 versatile modules: Direct, Periscope, 35° view and the additional 90° view
• Up to 2.3x magnification for extreme close-ups
• Unrivaled sharpness and superior image quality
• waterproof, long tubular barrel for versatile shooting conditions
• 360° rotation for front modules

"With a maximum T8 aperture, 15mm ultra-wide perspective, up to 2.3x magnification, and a waterproof barrel, this lens excels in extreme close-ups (as close as 5mm), low-light conditions, and underwater filming," says Laowa.

"It’s a versatile tool for advertising, wildlife documentaries, and cinema production, delivering unmatched storytelling potential."

The US price for the Probe Zoom Macro 15-24mm T8 – Direct View lens is $3,499 (approxiately £2,700 / AU$5,800) with the 15-35mm T12 – Direct View lens coming in at $3,999 (£3,100 / AU$6,600), Pricing varies in different countries. with shipping available by 2025 Q3.

Available mounts have not yet been confirmed, though the original 24mm lens was released for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony FE, Pentax K and Arri PL.

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Laowa continues to innovate its cine lens options by introducing a new lens line designed specifically for large-format cinematography, particularly for Vista Vision cameras.

The company has just launched four new wide-angle cine lenses – the 9mm T5.8 VV Cine, 10mm T2.9 Zero-D VV Cine, 12mm T2.9 Lite Zero-D VV Cine, and 14mm T2.6 Zero-D VV Cine.

The standout here is the Laowa 9mm T5.8, which takes the title of the widest rectilinear full-frame lens available in cinematography, offering an impressive 134.8° angle of view (AoV). Meanwhile, the 10mm T2.9 boasts the widest rectilinear full-frame lens with Laowa’s "Zero-Distortion" feature, giving it a 130.3° AoV. All four lenses are designed to cover widescreen Vista Vision sensors/film, making them compatible with a wide range of cinematic cameras.

Above: A new promotional video for the Laowa VV Cine lenses

Vista Vision is no stranger to high-end filmmaking, with its use in academy award-winning productions like The Brutalist, which utilized the format to capture its stunning visuals. These new lenses give filmmakers even more creative freedom, offering ultra-wide perspectives without compromising image quality.

With a 46.31mm image circle for the 9mm, 10mm, and 12mm lenses, and a slightly larger 46.5mm for the 14mm, these lenses work seamlessly with larger-format cinema cameras such as the Red Raptor 8K and Alexa LF. The ultra-wide design is perfect for everything from wide landscapes to tight interiors and high-energy action shots.

One of the main challenges with wide-angle lenses is distortion, but Laowa claims its "Zero-Distortion" design ensures that the 10mm, 12mm, and 14mm lenses stay virtually distortion-free making it ideal for architectural and interior filmmaking.

Lightweight and compact, these lenses weigh between 520g and 640g, making them a viable option for handheld rigs, gimbals, and drones. They also allow for 77mm screw-in filters, such as ND, polarizers, and UV filters, making them even more versatile.

The new Laowa cine lenses are now available for pre-order on Venus Optics’ official website with the 9mm T5.8 VV Cine, 12mm T2.9 Lite Zero-D VV Cine, and 14mm T2.6 Zero-D VV Cine priced at $1,499 (approx. £1,154 / AU $2,338), while the 10mm T2.9 Zero-D VV Cine is priced at $1,699 (approx. £1,309 / AU $2,651).

Each lens will be available for Arri PL, Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, and L mounts, with the 14mm T2.6 also available in Canon EF.

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While many third-party optics brands are known for being more budget friendly, Laowa is, perhaps, an optics brand best known for unusual lenses like its strange-looking macro probe lenses. But, Laowa’s lenses often fill a gap where few comparable options exist – and five upcoming lenses continue to follow that trend. During CP+, Laowa shared a sneak peek at five upcoming lenses.

Laowa shared a list of the upcoming lenses that are currently on display at CP+ on social media, but did not share specs, prices, or images of the optics yet. The list includes a 35mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift, a 15mm f/4.5 Wide Angle Macro and an 8-15mm Fisheye, as well as two cinema lenses, an Ultima 12-20 and a zoom coming to the Proteus lineup.

Laowa has only shared that the lenses are coming and on display at the CP+ show, but did not share when the lenses are expected to launch; it also has yet to reveal the specifications and pricing details. However, Sony Alpha Rumors suggests that the 35mm, 15mm and 8-15mm will be available across several mirrorless mounts, including Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z and L-Mount.

The teased 35mm f/2.8 Tilt Shift will join the brand’s growing list of specialist tilt-shift lenses, sitting between the existing 20mm and 55mm primes.

Laowa already has a 15mm f/4 Macro lens, but the existing optic is only available in DSLR mounts and the mirrorless L-Mount. Including the 15mm f/4.5 Wide Angle Macro among the list of upcoming lenses suggests that a similar optic could be coming to more mirrorless mounts.

Laowa’s Proteus cinema lens lineup currently only includes primes, with the teaser revealing that a zoom option is coming without naming the actual focal length. The teased Ultima 12-120mm lens was also on display at IBC last year, with some specs already available.

Laowa’s sneak peek on the upcoming lenses did not include an estimated launch date for the upcoming optics.

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Venus Optics, makers of Laowa lenses, has built up quite a reputation for probe lenses: long macro lenses that can help you shoot from bug-eye perspectives simply not possible when using a regular macro lens. First, there was the original 24mm f/14 Periprobe lens launched in 2018, and more recently, Laowa gave us the 24mm T8 Pro2be in 2023.

Now it's set to follow this up later in 2025 with a new Zoom Probe Lens. Currently we only have a teaser for the upcoming optic, so information and specifications are mostly under wraps. We do know the lens will have 2.3x optical zoom, which would equate to a 15-35mm focal range, and it will be parfocal, meaning your subject should stay in focus even when the focal length or 2x magnification changes. 

Laowa also states that the lens will have three different angle options: direct, periscope, and a 35-degree tilt view for "dynamic angles". As we've come to expect from Laowa's probe lenses, the barrel is waterproof, enabling creative underwater close-ups. 

We'll have to await the full product launch for details on the lens's aperture, as well as its pricing - Laowa says the lens will arrive some time in Q2 2025, adding:

"Laowa’s previous probe lenses revolutionized macro videography by capturing intricate details in hard-to-reach places, while also offering a unique, bug-like perspective that plunges viewers into a new and immersive world. Laowa is grateful that the probe lenses have been widely used and appreciated by professionals across the industry for decades. 

"We listened closely to our users' feedback and remain committed to advancing our products. With the upcoming Zoom Probe Lens, Laowa once again pushes the boundaries of innovation—delivering a wider field of view and broader focal range to meet the ever-evolving demands of professional creators."

Other probe lenses:
AstrHori 18mm f/8 2x Periscope Probe Macro review
Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe lens hands-on review

DZOFilm has announced a cool new probe zoom lens – but Laowa has tried to steal its thunder, by teasing its own probe zoom that is "designed to outperform competitors".

While the latter remains to be seen, as it won't be announced until Q2 of 2025, DZO shared full details of the former – which is one of the most unique cine lenses on the market.

The DZOFilm X-tract 18-28mm T8 FF Macro Zoom is a full frame lens that offers a 2.1:1: reproduction ratio (rendering subjects at twice their actual size), with a 6mm working distance and a 47.3cm focusing distance – which DZO points out is "reduced from the traditional 56.3cm of probe lenses."

Taking a few more shots at Laowa's probe lenses, DZO notes that the X-tract drastically reduces focus breathing to just 0.5% at 24mm ("compared to 39.2% in other 24mm probe primes") and boasts a relative illumination of 70.7% ("versus 54.9% in other 24mm probe primes").

ABOVE: Watch the X-tract 18-28mm launch video

The X-tract's construction features 25 elements in 18 groups, including 7 high-refractive-index (HRI) elements to deliver accurate color temperature – "effectively reducing the yellowish tint commonly seen in other probe lenses" (ouch!) – and DZP promises that "distortion is kept within ±2% across the entire zoom range, with near-zero distortion and focus breathing at 24mm".

The lens weighs in at a chunky 1,089g and measures 415mm in length, with an IP57 protection rating and a claimed waterproof depth of 280mm.

The DZOFilm X-tract 18-28mm T8 FF Macro Zoom is available to preorder now for $3,499 (further pricing details to follow), available in PL mount with an EF option to follow.

Laowa claps back

Not willing to let DZO get all the limelight (or get away with all its potshots), Laowa immediately announced its own zoom probe macro lens – one that will have an even greater zoom range, with parfocal performance, and a selection of angled shooting attachments.

"Laowa, the originator of the 24mm f/14 Probe, Periprobe, and 24mm T8 Pro2be, is set to launch a groundbreaking Zoom Probe Lens in Q2 of 2025," crowed the company.

"Building on its legacy of innovation, this new lens combines the signature advantages of its predecessors with industry-first features, delivering unmatched versatility and creative control for cinematographers and photographers alike."

Noting that its lens was "designed to outperform competitors and exceed market expectations," Laowa revealed that its probe would be 15mm at the wide end and offer a 2.3x zoom – which I guess makes it a 15-34.5mm lens.

The company also noted that it will possess Direct, Periscope, and 35-degree Tilt View attachments for dynamic angles, with a waterproof tubular barrel, along with up to 2x magnification.

Laowa says that the lens is coming in Q2 2025, which means we can probably expect it between April and June.

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Laowa has launched a new range of premium cine lenses. The Nanomorph LF 1.5x Anamorphic Series has been designed for large format and full frame cameras, and is aimed at theatrical and enthusiast filmmakers. Four lenses make up the new range:

• Nanomorph 32mm T2.9 1.5X LF Anamorphic
• Nanomorph 42mm T2.9 1.5X LF Anamorphic
• Nanomorph 55mm T2.9 1.5X LF Anamorphic
• Nanomorph 85mm T2.9 1.5X LF Anamorphic

Read more:
Best cinema cameras

Each lens boasts a 44.71mm-diameter image circle, making them slightly oversized for full-frame cameras. This means the extreme edge of the image circle falls beyond the periphery of a full frame sensor, reducing vignetting and improving corner sharpness. The lens' anamorphic 1.5x squeeze ratio enables a 2.66:1 aspect ratio on a 16:9 sensor after de-squeezing, producing a more pronounced cinematic effect than a conventional 1.33x lens, while being physically smaller than lenses capable of 1.8x or 2x squeeze ratios. Laowa claims its 1.5x squeeze ratio delivers a "smooth, organic waterfall focus roll-off" in out of focus backgrounds, compared to other lenses which may deliver less consistent bokeh between the centre and edge of frame. Nanomorph lenses are also said to benefit from distortion control, reducing edge distortion and thereby making more of the image frame usable for composing subjects.

The Nanomorph LF series has been engineered with controlled focus breathing, ensuring consistent framing even during focus transitions and reducing potential distractions which would be time-consuming to rectify in post production. Laowa also offers a choice of flare coatings - amber, blue, and silver - to suit your film style. There's even a built-in back-focus mechanism in each lens, making focus calibration a breeze.

All four Nanomorph LF have been designed with compactness in mind, so they can be used in a variety of usage scenarios, including handheld rigs, and even drones. The lenses have a common 86.4mm diameter, with length ranging between 113mm and 121mm, depending on focal length. Overall weight is fairly consistent across the range, too, from the 85mm lens that weighs 922g, to the heaviest lens; the 1070g 32mm optic. The default mount option is ARRI PL, but optional bayonets are available to convert the lenses to Canon EF, Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, and L Mount.

Laowa Nanomorph LF lenses are available to pre-order, priced at $1,499 each, or $5,399 for a 4-lens set.

Pre-order Laowa Nanomorph LF lenses now from B&H

Think ‘Tilt and Shift’ or ‘Perspective Control’ lenses and you’re probably thinking of architectural photography. The Shift function can effectively correct perspective, so that the walls of tall buildings don’t appear to lean inwards towards the top. Meanwhile, the Tilt function literally tilts the axis of the lens relative to the camera’s image sensor, giving anything from a really tight depth of field for a ‘toy camera’ effect, to a much larger depth of field for keeping relatively near and far objects sharp within an overall scene. This Laowa lens for mirrorless full-frame and medium format cameras has a 100mm focal length, which is too long for typical architectural photography. For this, the simultaneously announced Laowa FFII TS 55mm F2.8 Macro 1X is a somewhat better fit, more so the previously launched Laowa FF S 20mm F4.0 Zero-D Shift, which has an ultra-wide viewing angle but only a shift function with no tilt facility. However, the 100mm lens’s focal length and 1.0x maximum magnification make it ideal for macro photography, where the tilt function gives a boost to the typically tiny depth of field. All in all, the lens aims for a spot in the best tilt-shift lenses hall of fame.

Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X: Specifications

Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X: Price

The Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X is available in various mount options for mirrorless full-frame cameras, including Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E and L-mount. It’s also suitable for medium format cameras, with Fujifilm G and Hasselblad XCD mount versions on the list. Let’s cut to the chase. The lens costs around $1250/£1000. Sure, it’s not cheap for a fully manual lens with no electronics, but that helps to boost the range of mount options, and it’s massively more affordable than typical own-brand examples of the genre. For example, the full-frame Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro costs around $2,199/£2,439, and the Nikon PC-E Micro-NIKKOR 85mm f/2.8D costs about $1,977/£1,799. In the medium format camp, the GF 110mm F5.6 T/S Macro costs a whopping $3,499/£3,499, making the Laowa look like a bargain at the price, especially if pro-grade tilt and shift photography isn’t your staple diet.

Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X: Design & Handling

A big and chunky lens, the Laowa measures 85x162mm and weighs in at 1215g (2.7lbs). As such, it’s supplied complete with a tripod mounting ring that has an Arca-Swiss compatible foot. That’s all but essential, given the lens’s requirement for tripod support in macro shooting, but that’s not all. Laowa actually calls the mounting ring a ‘Shift holder’, as it also keeps the lens fixed in place when using the Shift function, so only the camera body is moved. That’s ideal in ‘shift’ shooting. In time-honored tradition, the Shift mechanism has a marked scale and features a locking knob on one side and an adjustment knob on the other. In this case, it enables a generous +/-12mm of shift movement, either side of the zero position.

Like with other Tilt and Shift, there’s no autofocus so focusing is a purely manual affair. The magnified preview option of mirrorless cameras enables you to nail focusing, even in critical scenarios like macro shooting. The focus ring has a long throw and operates with smooth precision, which is a big help. However, unlike recent own-brand lenses of this type from camera manufacturers, there’s no CPU or any electronics. Downsides include the lack of any lens-based EXIF data being stored in images. The camera doesn’t even ‘know’ that a lens is attached so with Canon EOS R system bodies, for example, you need to enable the option for shooting with no lens attached in the camera’s menu system.

It bears repeating that the shift function is arguably not this lens’s strong suit, the 100mm focal length being too long for most architectural photography scenarios. The tilt function is a bigger hit, delivering control over depth of field at any given focus distance and aperture setting. The ‘toy camera effect’ with minimized depth of field can be a fun element but extending the typically miniscule depth of field for really close-up shooting is a more major benefit. Again, there’s a locking knob on one side and a control knob on the other for making adjustments, with a respectable range of +/-10 degrees of tilt available.

Some Tilt and Shift lenses have a fixed rotation, early Nikon ‘Perspective Correction’ examples spring to mind. The upshot is that the shift function is only available for landscape orientation shooting and tilt is only available for portrait orientation, or visa versa. In some cases, a service center job would be required if you wanted to swap the orientations. As with most modern Tilt and Shift lenses, the Laowa enables you to rotate the main barrel of the lens on its mount. There’s a locking knob for applying a basic 90-degree rotation, as well as a secondary knob which enables 180-degree rotation in 15-degree click steps. That makes both tilt and shift functions available at any orientation.

It’s perhaps unfair to refer to the Laowa as a ‘dumb lens’, because it’s really very sophisticated. Even so, the term that’s often applied to lenses that lack any CPU or electronics holds true. The metal mounting plate is in keeping with the sturdy metal construction of the lens barrel but, as you’ll see in the image below, it’s bereft of any electronic contacts.

Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X: Performance

The optical path is based on 13 elements arranged in 10 groups, and features two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and one HRI (High Refractive Index) element. The overall aim is to optimize sharpness, clarity and contrast while keeping unwanted aberrations to a minimum. I tested the lens on a Canon EOS R8 full-frame camera and found that levels of sharpness were both impressive and fairly consistent right out to the extreme edges and corners of the image frame. However, I can’t vouch for extreme edge-sharpness with medium format Fujifilm and Hasselblad cameras that naturally have much larger image sensors.

Typical of 100mm macro lenses with full 1.0x magnification, the Laowa has a minimum focus distance of about 0.3m or 1’ (0.32m to be exact), as measured from the camera body’s image sensor rather than from the front of the lens. The resulting depth of field at f/11 is only about 5mm or 0.2 inches at best. The tilt function can increase this but it can’t work miracles. The following two example images aren’t full macro shots, but are still extreme close-ups of a pair of small toy soldiers, one a little further away than the other. Focusing on the closer soldier, the shots show the extension in depth of field that you gain with full tilt, compared with zero tilt.

In other image quality news, the Laowa does very well to suppress color fringing, even out at the edges and corners of the frame. It’s not a zero-distortion lens but there’s only very slight pincushion which is generally impossible to spot in real-world shooting, as demonstrated in the following test image of color pencils, as well as in the earlier example shot of Wells cathedral in the UK.

Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Testing the lens with a full-frame camera, we found that levels of sharpness are excellent in the central region of the image frame and hold up very well towards the extreme edges and corners. Importantly for a ‘macro’ lens, good sharpness is also retained at narrow apertures, typically preferred to extend depth of field in extreme close-up shooting.

Fringing:

Color fringing is consistently minimal across the image frame, and at all apertures.

Distortion: 0.3

Technically, there’s a hint of pincushion distortion revealed in our lab tests but it’s generally unnoticeable in real-world shooting, even when taking shots of buildings and other subjects with very straight edges.

Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X: Verdict

I quickly grew very fond of the Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X. I’ve long been of the opinion that Tilt and Shift lenses literally give a new perspective to photography, that’s difficult or impossible to duplicate when editing shots taken with a conventional lens. The 100mm focal length is a good choice for macro photography and for still life, which the Laowa takes in its stride. The tilt function gives excellent control over depth of field and often avoids the need for ‘focus stacking’, which can be a lengthy chore at both the shooting and editing stages. Image quality is highly impressive, build quality follows suit, making this Laowa lens great value at the price.

Alternatives

Laowa has released a considerable number of new cine lenses this year and has introduced several 'world firsts', in a bid to revolutionize modern cine lenses while making them more affordable.

Keeping up this admirable vision, Laowa has just announced the Laowa Sword Series – full-frame macro cine prime lenses that combine optical quality and affordability, all in a compact and versatile form factor. What more could a budding filmmaker need from a cine lens?

Typically, dedicated cinema equipment such as cinema cameras and cine lenses have always come at a premium, however, the new Sword Series by Laowa is stated to be a collection 'designed for everyone', lowering the entry point and increasing inclusivity. With a reduced price you may expect the lenses to lack performance, however, the lenses facilitate professional features that make them an extremely versatile option.

First revealed at BIRTV 2024, the Laowa Sword Series launches today with a comprehensive set of six primes that cover wide-angle to longer focal lengths for all shooting scenarios. The lenses are a 15mm T4.1 / 25mm T2.9 / 35mm T2.9 / 60mm T2.9 / 100mm T2.9 / 180mm T4.6.

Each lens is designed to cover full-frame formats however, this does not impact their size and weight, as the Sword Series remains light and compact. Light gear is always preferred when kitting out a video rig as every gram is felt when filming over an extended period. Each of the Sword Series weighs under 1kg meaning that the lenses offer versatility and maneuverability when used with stabilizers and gimbals, as well as lightening the load when travelling.

Laowa states that the Sword Series offers 'Superb optical performance with outstanding sharpness and excellent chromatic aberration control'. Typically I would take this with a pinch of salt, however, Laowa has claimed this with other cine lenses it has produced, which have lived up to its hype.

The best way to draw your conclusions, however, is by examining the test footage which you can see in the video above – in my opinion, it looks pretty impressive!

Where the Sword Series sets itself apart from other full-frame cine primes on the market is the macro capabilities, offering up to 2x on some of the focal lengths. The 15mm, 25mm, and 35mm each have a 1x, the 60mm and 100mm have a 2x, and the 180mm offers a 1.5x magnification rate.

Laowa states, "[The magnification rates] allow for incredibly detailed close-up shots, capturing the finest textures and nuances with unmatched clarity. Whether you're focusing on the intricate details of a subject or exploring the micro world, the Sword series' exceptional magnification ensures that every shot is rich with detail and precision".

The Sword Series goes on sale today for just $1,499 / £1,499 per lens. Alternaive you can pay $5,699 / £5,699 for a 4-lens set (25/35/60/100mm), or $7,999 / £7,999 for the full set of 6 lenses (Australian pricing to be confirmed).

The Sword Series are Arri PL mount as default, although additional options for Canon EF, Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, and L mount bayonets can be purchased separately.

If you want to see our take on the best cinema equipment, check out our guides to the best cinema cameras and the best cine lenses.

Venus Optics has certainly been busy this year, launching a number of new cine lens lines and developing several 'world first' innovative lenses. It appears the third-party lens manufacturer has decided to sneak in at least one more before the end of the year by launching a 60mm anamorphic macro lens designed for S35.

The Laowa Nanomorph 60mm T2.9 1.5X S35 Macro 1:2 is a new lens added to the Nanomorph range, a range created to offer more affordable anamorphic cine lenses. The Nanomorph 60mm T2.9 blends macro lens and anamorphic capabilities that enable the user to get creative with their filmmaking, producing an incredibly shallow depth of field that would ordinarily require a diopter to produce.

Priced at just $1,999, Laowa is delivering on its promise to make more affordable anamorphic cine lenses but in addition, the lens is also full of features that make it a unique option for modern-day filmmaking.

The 'world's first' claim regards the lens being the first 60mm 0.5X Macro anamorphic lens for S35 sensors. This combination of elements enables users to capture a 1:2 magnification ratio and a 1.5x squeezed anamorphic image. This results in extremely close details of the subject, enhanced further by the minimum focus distance of just 24cm and the cinematic nature of anamorphic.

This helps to blur out much of the frame using a smaller window of focus to draw attention to the subject, a great compositional tool and one that often requires the use of diopters, filters, or vaseline on the lens.

The T2.9 aperture produces fantastic subject separation, resulting in smooth image fall-off and spherical bokeh thanks to its 13 aperture blades. The wide aperture also facilitates good low-light performance, which is vital in the modern age of filmmaking where versatility and adaptability are key.

Other notable features of the 60mm Nanomorph include a 270º focus throw for precise adjustments, amber/blue/silver color flare options for a more customized style, a 1.5X constant squeeze ratio, and an ergonomic and uniformed design integrating with the rest of the Nanomorph line.

Above: A short film shot entirely on the Laowa Nanomorph 60mm T2.9 1.5X S35 Macro 1:2

Although designed for S35 sensors, the lens can be paired with the Laowa 1.4x full-frame expander to convert it into an 84mm T4 full-frame 1:2 macro anamorphic Lens. This enables the users to create the same level of focus distance and macro abilities on full-frame cameras such as the Blackmagic Pyxis or Sony FX6.

The Laowa Nanomorph 60mm T2.9 1.5X S35 Macro 1:2 is available now in the default PL mount and included EF mount, although adapters are available for use on Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, and L mount. The lens is priced at $1,999 / £1,580 / AU $3,000 (UK and Australian pricing converted from US price at the time of writing).

Black Friday is fast approaching, but the deals have started early. Check out our Best Black Friday Camera Deals hub for the best offers!

Got the creative munchies? A spot of GAS? Try feeding your new gear cravings with the tasty new Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF lens.

Available for all full-frame mirrorless mounts, this ultra-wide lens offers a huge 110° angle of view – though of course, that 15mm focal length will become 22.5mm if mounted to an APS-C body (or 24mm on a Canon APS-C camera).

While its size fluctuates across the different mounts, it clocks in as small as 25mm in length and as light as 104g for Leica M. However, as you can see in the image below, its design is different for every brand:

In addition to the physical differences, the Sony and Nikon versions both feature electronic contacts to communicate with the camera – so you can control the aperture from the body, and full EXIF data is recorded with your images.

Canon, L-Mount and Leica users, meanwhile, will enjoy / endure fully manual control via the aperture ring (with no aperture detail recorded in your EXIF information).

While the Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF lens is tiny compared to most primes (such as the slim Canon RF 50mm f/1.8, at 69.2 x 40.5mm) it's actually not as slim as a traditional cookie or pancake lens (like the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8, at 69.2 x 24.7mm).

It is, however, narrower than most of them thanks to its slightly conical shape. And as you can see in the image at the top of this article, it's definitely the size of a stack of cookies!

The announcement video for the lens is definitely depicting it as a video lens, with lots being made of its suitability for POV-style shots and creative close-ups (thanks to its 12cm minimum focusing distance).

It's definitely going to be useful for plenty of photographic applications, too – I personally love this kind of field of view for immersive architecture shots, and I'm also excited to try it for some landscapes.

The Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF lens is available now priced $399 / £429 (Australian pricing to be confirmed).

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Do you love shift lenses, but wish they had the flexibility of a zoom? Well, Laowa has you covered with its latest product – the world's first zooming shift lens.

Not content with launching a pair of new tilt-shift lenses last month, Laowa's newest shift lens eschews the tilt functionality in favor of adding a wide-angle zoom range.

The new Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift is an APS-C lens that offers some pretty remarkable features – starting with that 102.5°-63.9° angle of view coverage, coupled with a constant f/5.6 aperture throughout the zoom range.

Obviously the headline feature here is the ±7mm shift capability. While this, like the aperture, isn't quite as versatile as the ±11mm Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift and Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift lenses, it should be remembered that those are primes.

ABOVE: Watch the launch video

While the Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift isn't a Zero-D(istortion) optic, the company promises "exceptional distortion control" – something I'm inclined to believe, as Laowa glass tends to excel in this area.

The Zoom Shift is a pretty tiny little lens, too, measuring just 99 x 80mm (that's smaller than a soda can) and weighing in at just 575g. It has a 77mm filter thread (which requires the lens hood to be attached) and has an impressive 15cm close-focusing distance, which should invite some interesting creative opportunities.

The Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift can be ordered now, priced at $699 (approximately £537 / AU$1,053), and is available for Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, L-Mount and Canon EF-M – yes, a brand new lens for the discontinued EOS M system!

Be aware that the manufacturer makes a very similar-looking Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 lens that doesn't feature a shift function – so make sure that you order the right one!

You might also be interested in the best tilt-shift lenses, as well as these interior photography tips.

Laowa launches the Laowa Ranger Compact Cine Zoom 16-30mm T2.9 lens, a new compact wide-angle cine zoom lens for full-frame cameras.

Last year Venus Optics, the parent company of Laowa, launched the lightweight Laowa Ranger Compact Cine Zoom Series for full-frame cameras. Laowa has several cine lens ranges, however, the Ranger series pushes the boundaries of the cine zoom lens format, offering a compact and lightweight zoom alternative.

The series currently consists of 28-75mm and 75-180mm, both T2.9 lenses, so the 16-30mm becomes the widest of the series. The range now covers a focal range of 16-180mm in just 3 lenses, with more than an 11x zoom ratio.

Minimizing equipment space with cine zooms is ideal for filmmakers as often kits can be extremely large and heavy. Making the Ranger zooms as small as possible becomes a really attractive incentive, especially for those who travel often.

Once again, Laowa is pushing the boundaries of full-frame cine zoom lenses with the 16-30mm, which weighs just 800g and measures only 10.7cm in length. Lighter equipment enables improved maneuverability and versatility, making it easier to handle for smaller teams or individuals.

The lens is 16mm at its widest, providing an ultra-wide angle of view of 107°. This large angle of view enables the user to capture expansive scenes with multiple subjects, and as Laowa states, "it is able to capture landscapes and close-ups simultaneously".

The T2.9 aperture remains constant across the lens range enabling filmmakers to keep settings dialed in when zooming in and out or changing for another lens in the series. This also leads to identical optical performance and color rendition as they are specifically matched to be utilized as a set.

Other notable features of the lens include a parfocal design, a minimum focusing distance of 33cm, minimal focus breathing, and low distortion.

The lens is available in 6 interchangeable mounts, with the Arri PL as the default with an interchangeable EF mount. Additional mounts for the Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, and L mount can be purchased separately for $100 / £100.

The Ranger series comes in Standard (black lens body) and Lite versions (space-grey lens body). The Lite version also features a magnesium alloy design with a smooth and refined texture, making the lens even lighter and more durable.

Laowa Ranger Compact Cine Zoom 16-30mm T2.9 lens is available now individually priced at $2,999 / £3,189 (Standard) and $3,499 / £3,709 (Lite), or in a 3-lens set for $8,699 / £11,300 (Standard) and $10,199 / £13,250 (Lite).

Check out our guides to the best cine lenses, the best cinema cameras, and the best camera for filmmaking.

In another incredible masterclass from the Bristol Wildscreen Festival, a panel of experts talked about the importance of macro cinematography, technical tips and tricks, and unusual “crap” they all have in their kit bags. 

Chaired by Paul Williams, a BBC Natural History Unit series producer, camera operator and engineer Mohan Sandhu, camera operator Katie Mayhew, and director of photography at MPG Films Ltd Mark Payne-Gill discussed their love of macro wildlife filmmaking and camera techniques.

The talk started with a clip filmed 12 years ago by Williams and Richard Kirby, “which brought home to me just how important macro cinematography is, and the impact it can have, because more than 90% of species live in the macro realm, and yet most of the stories we tell are about big animals.”

“Hope you’ve had your breakfast,” he says, before showing a clip of a giant leech as long as his arm, sucking down a giant blue earthworm of the same size, never before filmed. 12 years later it is still the most viewed clip on the BBC channel with 49 million views. 

“I do a lot of long lens as well,” added Payne-Gill, “but with macro you just see a whole universe that you just take for granted and are just below our feet, and there are millions of insects that have yet to be discovered.”

Sandhu, who is known in the macro filmmaking industry for building his own rigs and kit revealed to the room, “virtually everything I build is made from things I get off eBay, but I also take all sorts of random things into the field. On every shoot I go on I bring six chopping boards with me that always have a use, like underneath the rig on uneven surfaces, or as a mouse mat.”

“You’re problem solving all the time when you’re building sets,” agreed Payne-Gill, “Gaffer tape, cable ties, Velcro, a pair of tweezers – I have a whole array – for picking up creatures, and 2ft ones for picking things up on set and not falling on it.”

“Loads of crap,” added Mayhew, “useful crap. Tupperware, yoghurt pots, black wrap, modelling wire, elastic bands, bongo ties - if you don’t have a motion control set up, if you tie a bongo tie around the tripod handle, and put another one attached to it and gently pull, you’ll get the smoothest pan ever because it takes out the vibration of your heartbeat. That’s the cheapest trick to get a smooth shot – two bongo ties.”

As well as insider tricks and cheats, the panel also discussed the rapid improvements in the world of macro kit, and their favorites.  

“I got hooked on macro using probe lenses in the 1990s,” said Payne-Gill, “I had to get my own because I loved the immersive feel that normal conventional macro lenses give.”

Calling Laowa probes “amazing” he added that they have opened up the genre of macro cinematography to many people due to their affordability and versatility. 

Talking us through her macro process, Mayhew explained: 

“I use more traditional macro lenses, like your 100mm, I do use probe lenses paired with a motion control slider, just to take you through the world of tiny things, where you couldn’t get a larger aperture lens through there.

“I find that using 100mm, or 15mm, and 16 to 35mm is a great lens for macro too, it gives a completely different look to the probe. While there’s a time and a place for the probe, you have options to make different cinematic choices.

“However, there’s a trick with those. There is no focus ring on them so you actually have to physically move the camera closer or further away from your subject using a mechanical rail and extension tubes.”

She added that for a lot of the macro glass you need powerful lighting, and that she’s “absolutely in love with StellarPro lights”, citing their compact shape as useful while hiking. 

The panel closed with a mention of artificial intelligence and its current and future role in post-production macro cinematography. 

“It’s amazing what they’re able to film now with AI,” said Payne-Gill, “we’re now able to go even deeper into the darkness with this technology, and it’s very exciting to see what we’ll be able to do beyond what we can do now.”

Take a look at our guides to the best macro lenses, the best ringflash for macro photography, and the best extension tubes.

One of the biggest draws for using anamorphic cine lenses is the cinematic aesthetic they produce, thanks in large part to the unique horizontal lens flaring. Laowa has targeted and enhanced this feature by creating an innovative modular anamorphic lens series.

The Laowa Proteus Flex series is a flexible and economical alternative to the existing Laowa Proteus series with an innovative interchangeable flare feature.

Above: An introduction video to the new Laowa Proteus Flex 2X Anamorphic Series

The new lens lineup is based on the existing 2x anamorphic Proteus series sharing the same lens body, and many of its renowned features. These features include a constant 2X squeeze ratio, T2 Large Aperture, close-focusing distance, low focus-breathing, and a full-frame coverage with a 1.4X expander.

However, where things get different is with the four additional lens flare modules including amber, silver, blue, and a brand-new clear flare version that reduces flare for filmmakers who require a cleaner image.

For the majority of anamorphic lenses, you have to rely on the natural lens flare color produced by the specific lens, unless you spend a large amount of time manipulating it in post-production. The new modules offer filmmakers versatility by providing four different looks with just one lens.

Changing the color of the flare produced can enhance the genre or aesthetic choices of your production, but it can also reduce it. Lens flares don't always work for certain subjects and can cause a distraction in certain scenes, so having the ability to minimize the effect with the clear filter offers further economic versatility.

The flare modules are quick and easy to install, simply screwing the selected version to the rear of the main Proteus Flex body much like a teleconverter.

Laowa states, "As the flare modules are carefully adjusted to match the specific lens body, no further optical calibration is required after the swap. The process can be done in 10 minutes without the need to ship back and forth to service facilities".

Laowa has upped its cine lens game in 2024 announcing several new lens ranges at events such as BIRTV 2024 – from zooms to fast primes, however, this just might be the most unique yet!

The Proteus Flex 2X Anamorphic Series is available now in 28/35/45/60/85/100mm focal lengths. These come with a PL mount by default, but the package also includes an optional interchangeable Canon EF bayonet.

The US price for the Laowa Proteus Flex 2X Anamorphic Series is $9,999 each. Alternatively, you can spend $24,999 for one of the 3-lens sets (Set A: 28/45/85mm and Set B: 35/60/100mm). UK and Australian prices are yet to be confirmed.

Check out our guides to the best cine lenses, the best cinema cameras, and the best anamorphic lenses.

The Beijing International Radio, TV & Film Equipment Exhibition (BIRTV) is one of the most significant events dedicated to the broadcasting, film, and TV industries in Asia. Laowa was among the brands showcasing new equipment including many exciting new cine lenses, including macro, anamorphic, and tilt-shift options!

Laowa has been releasing some incredible cine lens options of late, and much like its range of photography lenses, covers just about every shooting scenario imaginable. At this year's BIRTV not less than 6 cine lens ranges were on display, including some exciting new offerings.

According to Asobinet, Laowa's new, and to the best of my knowledge first, Ultima 12-120mm 10X S35 Broadcast lens was on show, and although not much is known about the release of the lens, there are a few features that look to impress.

Laowa states that the 10X zoom range lens offers an 'excellent optical design' with 28 lenses in 20 groups, and is ideal for 8K broadcast cameras, especially as it is Equipped with a server and can be connected to a channel system.

Also showcased was the 'soon-to-be-released' Laowa Sword series of full-frame macro cine lenses. The series will feature 6 lenses covering a focal range of 15mm to 180mm, with a maximum magnification of 1X to 2X.

Multiple ED lenses are included to suppress chromatic aberration and a large aperture of T2.9 enables 'excellent' low light performance. Again, there is no further information regarding when these lenses might be available, but I expect later this year.

Laowa is renowned for creating unique lenses, and it certainly maintains this mantle by providing a look at its upcoming tilt-shift cinema lenses. Tilt-shift lenses are of course very common in photography, however, I can't recall any cine-specific tilt-shift lenses.

Potentially still in production, all we know about these two lenses is the focal lengths of 15mm and 20mm, which have a T4.8 and T4.1 aperture respectively. Laowa does state that they will both have a 'unique tilt-shift function that achieves a tilt-shift of ±11mm'.

Ultra-wide prime cinema lenses, 1.5X Anamorphic Macro Cinema lenses, and the Laowa Ranger 16-30mm T2.9 FF were also on display, a statement from Laoea that it means business.

In addition to creating unique lenses, Laowa produces fantastic optical-designed glass at more often than not a competitive price point. As these new cine lenses are ready enough to show off at an event such as BIRTV, I can't imagine it will be too long before we see them released.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cine lenses, the best cinema cameras, and the best tilt-sift lenses.

Laowa is teasing the launch of the world's first-ever lens that is both a zoom and a shift lens. To date shift lenses have only been prime lenses - and the ability to have a choice of focal lengths in the one zoom will be of huge interest to architectural photographers. 

We don't know much about this lens as yet—we will have to wait until Monday, 08 July, for more information on what this innovative lens actually offers. But the launch has been announced on Laowa's Weibo social media channel, promising a video launch at 7.30pm Chinese time – so 10.30am ET / 3.30pm BST.

From the name and the teaser image, we can tell that this is not a tilt-shift lens and will only offer shift movements. Laowa already offers an attractively-priced 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift wide-angle prime that offers ±11mm on full-frame cameras. This manual-focus lens is available in Canon RF, Canon EF, Nikon Z, Nikon F, Sony FE, L mount, and Pentax K mounts. It also produces a Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift lens option.

The shift movements allow the lens to move sideways or vertically relative to the camera, correcting for converging verticals while keeping the image sensor parallel to the surface being photographed.

The launch invitation shows that the lens has a rotating collar at the rear, that allows you to move the lens so that it can shift either vertically or horizontally. And it is also clear that this a manual focus only affair. It also shows that it has a minimum focus of 0.15m (6 inches).

Rumors suggest that it will have a focal length of 12-24mm with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 - but we can't confirm this, although there is an existing Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6. It is also hard to be sure whether this is for full-frame, or solely for APS-C crop sensor cameras.

We will have to wait until next week to have the answers…

Venus Optics has just announced a new super-fast cine lens series that takes its inspiration from the existing Laowa Argus photography range and is available across three sensor size formats. 

On top of producing some of the photography market's best macro lenses, Laowa has also been making some incredible cine lenses offering anamorphic and cine zooms at a great price with superb optical quality. 

Laowa continues to expand its cine lens range further by introducing the Laowa Argus T1 Cine Series available for full-frame, Super35 (APS-C), and MFT. Releasing a range that has the capabilities to cover most cameras is an inspired idea, and will no doubt appeal to a wider range of users.

With these three formats, the Argus cine lenses are available for Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z for Full-Frame, Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, Fuji X mount for Super35 (APS-C), and M4/3 for MFT format. 

The focal lengths on offer upon launch do vary between sensor sizes with 28mm, 35mm, and 45mm available for full frame, 18mm, 25mm, and 33mm available for Super35 (APS-C), and 18mm and 35mm for MFT. 

One of the things that distinguishes the best cine lenses is consistency across the range, and all of the Argus Cine lenses have a maximum aperture of T1. This is extremely fast and offers users a remarkably shallow depth of field with smooth bokeh in the out-of-focus areas. 

Shooting wide open with large apertures such as T1 can also provide its own challenges such as chromatic aberration, however, Laowa assures users "the Argus T1 Cine series is meticulously designed to deliver exceptional optical performance. These lenses minimize chromatic aberration, ensuring maintained contrast and sharpness even when shooting wide open at T1 aperture."

The consistency continues with the build design as each lens has professional cine housing incorporating a 0.8 mod gear, an 80mm outer diameter with 77mm filter thread to accommodate most matte boxes, internal focusing, and a lens supporting thread. This is extremely important when swapping lenses as the similarities will mean minimal equipment adjustments and settings changes. 

Laowa also ensures consistent optical performance including color tone and contrast throughout the range. Laowa states, "Every focal length within the Argus T1 Cine Series is meticulously crafted to deliver consistent color rendition and lens performance. This minimizes the requirement for extensive editing in the post-production process after utilizing different focal lengths, ensuring seamless visual consistency across your projects".

Other notable features include low-focus breathing, a short minimum shooting distance (varies across focal lengths), and an average 270-degree focus rotation. 

The Laowa Argus T1 Cine Series is available now. The full-frame lenses are priced at $1499 | £1499 individually or $3999 | £3999 for the 3-lens set. The Super35 (APS-C) lenses are priced at $899 | £899 individually or $2499 | £2499 for the 3-lens set. The MFT $699 | £699 individually or $1259 | £1259 for the 2-lens set. (Australian prices to be confirmed). 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cine lenses, the best cinema cameras, and the best hybrid cameras.

Laowa is renowned for manufacturing fantastic and affordable photography lens options, and it also produces a well-regarded lineup of cine lenses – and has just added two new cine zooms to its OOOM lineup. 

The OOOM Cine Zoom Series 14-60mm T2.9 MFT Cine and OOOM Cine Zoom Series 20-85mm T4 S35 Cine lenses, are available in Micro Four Thirds and Arri PL mount respectively (where they offer equivalent 28-120mm and 30-127.5mm focal ranges, again respectively). 

These lenses offer an affordable cine zoom option, perfect for aspiring Four Thirds and Super35 filmmakers, and the image quality punches far above its weight. 

The OOOM Cine Zoom series has been left a little sparse over the past four years, with its only lens being 2020's Laowa OOOM 25-100mm T2.9 Cine – a great lens, but odd considering the range was promised to feature "Out Of Our Minds" (OOOM) cine lens options. 

Can the two new lenses deliver on the OOOM promise? At first glance, yes. They offer an impressive zoom range of over 4.2x, offering versatility and reducing the frequency of the need to change lenses. The lenses employ a parfocal design that enables the user to keep the subject in focus while changing the focal length. 

Although the lenses offer a substantial zoom range, they are relatively compact compared with other cine zooms on the market, measuring just 80mm x 172mm. This extends their versatility as lenses that can be packed and carried in a filmmaking kit bag without taking up much of the precious real estate. 

Optical performance has always been present in Laowa lenses, and continues even in the more affordable ranges. "The new cine zooms offer exceptional color rendition and contrast, thanks to its meticulous optical design," says Laowa. 

"With its ability to produce natural-colored images, colorists will save valuable time on color grading during post-production. This is particularly advantageous for interview/documentary projects where a quick turnaround is essential."

Other notable features include low focus breathing, a 56cm minimum focus distance, and compatibility with cine housing. 

Above: A video of the new Laowa cine zoom lenses and sample footage

The lenses are available now from Laowa for the very competitive price of $1,999 / £1,999 each (Australian pricing to be confirmed).

It must be said that we haven't had these lenses in for testing, and can't attest to the statements firsthand. However, looking at the example footage in the video above, the lenses look exceptional and can provide a great affordable cine zoom option for new and established filmmakers.  

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cine lenses, the best cinema cameras, and the best cameras for filmmaking. 

Plenty of manufacturers were showcasing new products at the China International Photograph & Electrical Imaging Machinery and Technology Fair 2024 (China P&E), and Laowa was key among them showing off two new tilt-shift lenses.

Laowa is a third-party lens manufacturer, making some of the best macro lenses and wide-angle lenses on the market. The recently released Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D FF is the first ever AF lens developed by the company to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Not wanting to stop there with firsts, these tilt-shift lenses are also a first for the brand. 

Tilt-shift lenses are going through a bit of a resurgence of late, thanks to social media, with many drawn to the aesthetic of making everyday scenes look like miniature worlds – and they're also a staple in the kit bags of architecture photographers, for whom they're a standard tool of the trade. 

The two new lenses on display from the Chinese manufacturer are the Laowa FFII T/S 55mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 and Laowa FFII T/S 100mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1, both to be released for the Fujifilm GF, Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z and L Mount. 

Although shown at China P&E, Laowa has yet to announce anything on its channels so information regarding availability, sample images and pricing is sparse. What we do have, however, is a list of specs that provide us with a little more information on the performance expectations. 

Starting with the similarities, judging by the photographs only, both lenses look to follow Laowa's design and build quality. They are both dust and splash-proof and are of course limited to MF, as with all tilt-shift lenses. The aperture ranges from f/2.8 - f/22, and they both offer a maximum shooting magnification of 1x. 

Other notable features included an aperture ring, ±12mm shift, ±10° tilt, 360° revolving in 15° increments, and 90° rotatable tilt/shift (55mm only).

As for the differences between the lenses, the 55mm f/2.8 has a total of 15 aperture blades, and a lens design configured of 14 elements in 11 groups. It measures 168.5 x 85mm, weighs 1,345g and has a minimum focusing distance of just 0.27m. 

The 100mm f/2.8 also has a total of 15 aperture blades but varies in configuration to house 13 elements in 11 groups. The size and weight also differ as the 100mm measures 162 x 85mm and weighs 1,215g, surprisingly lighter and thinner than the 55mm. 

Laowa is a well-respected lens manufacturer and it has been making some exceptional glass of late, so I am looking forward to seeing these in person, especially as they have a large enough coverage to use on the Fujifilm GFX system. 

Fujifilm has recently released two tilt-shift lenses, the Fujinon GF 30mm F5.6 T/S and the Fujinon GF 110mm F5.6 T/S Macro, both ranking very highly in our reviews. The sticking point for many here is, however, the price point, so it will be interesting to see whether the new tilt-shift lenses by Laowa turn out to be great budget alternatives. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Fujifilm lenses, the best super-wide angle lenses, and the best lenses for landscape photography.

We first reported on the Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens back in February, but now we’ve been able to check it out in the flesh. This super-wide lens is pretty special on two counts. First, it’s the first autofocus lens from Laowa, a company that’s made its name with manual focus ultra-wide and macro lenses. Second, it’s the widest f/2.8 rectilinear full-frame lens you can get.

We tried it out on a Sony A7 body, and it feels a good match. Autofocus lenses are typically larger than manual focus optics, but while this lens is fairly big by Laowa standards it’s still very compact compared to the best Sony lenses. It also has a terrific finish and feel, and in our brief tests the autofocus was fast and quiet.

The styling is a bit of a departure from Laowa lenses we’ve used in the past, with a dark gray satin finish rather than black. There’s also no manual aperture ring and no focus distance scale. The 10mm F/2.8 connects to the camera electronically, so the aperture is controlled by the body.

This is one of Laowa’s Zero-D lenses, though Laowa does actually describe its distortion control as "close to zero". That’s still impressive for a lens with an ultra-wide 130.4-degree angle of view. It weighs 420g and does not feel heavy to handle at all. It also has an impressive 12cm minimum focus distance.

The autofocus version of this lens will be available in Sony FE and Nikon Z mounts. You will also be able to get L-mount and Canon RF versions, but these will be manual focus only.

Laowa initially expected to start shipping this lens in March, but due to the level of demand it says  that new orders will be arriving in April. The cost will be $799 (about £628 / AU$1,552). We’re not surprised this lens is in demand! It’s a very good price for an extremely wide lens.

You can still try the new Laowa lens for yourself at The Photography & Video Show which runs at the NEC, Birmingham, UK, until Tuesday March 19.

Anamorphic lenses have a very special party trick. They squash a wide scene horizontally to fit the width of the camera sensor so that you can stretch the footage on output to get much wider cinematic aspect ratios than native sensor widths are designed for, while still using the full sensor area – so you’re not cropping out large chunks at the top and bottom of the frame.

That’s not all. Their unique construction means they create particular visual effects which are really on-trend right now, including horizontal blue streaks from highlights and oval rather than round bokeh. The anamorphic look is in demand!

But the best anamorphic lenses aren’t cheap, and they usually come as primes, which means lots of lens swapping for different angles. Laowa already solves the first problem with its highly affordable 1.5x Nanomorph and 2x Proteus anamorphic lens ranges, and it also offers a 1.33x front lens adapter for use with regular lenses.

But these new Nanomorph zooms go a step further, combining a 28-55mm T2.9 option with a 50-100mm T2.9. If you get both, you’ve got a combined 3.6x zoom range.

Laowa Nanomorph Zooms – what we know so far

The Nanomorph 28-55mm and 50-100mm are “insanely compact” according to Laowa, though these things are relative, and cinema-grade zooms are chunky beasts. These lenses are a similar size and weight, tipping the scales at around 1.5kg. They will be supplied in PL mount and offer the same 1.5x ‘squeeze’ as Laowa’s existing Nanomorph lenses.

Laowa is promising “exceptional” image quality, low distortion and chromatic aberration and “mesmerizing” bokeh and flare.

That’s as much as we know right now. If you want to find out more you can sign up now to the Laowa Nanomorph Zoom Indiegogo campaign. This will get you a discount of up to 30% when the campaign is officially launched on March 1.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Laowa, a lens manufacturer that has been pushing boundaries since its beginning, and to celebrate, it is releasing a one-of-a-kind lens. Its AF 10mm f/2.8 will not only be the company's first autofocus lens, it will also be the widest non-fisheye wideangle for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Laowa lenses are unique in many ways, and they offer specialty options that often appear in our guides to the best macro and the best cine lenses. Laowa has several different lens lineups to cover all photography and video needs, all of which have been manual focus - until now!  

I wrote about the rumors of the new Laowa AF lens last month, and we now have further details and an official sneak peek. Laowa has given us a glimpse at the new lens in a 10th-anniversary promo video which shows how Laowa lenses have made their mark on the imaging world. The Laowa AF 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D FF lens will be officially unveiled on Feb 20 and will not only be its first AF lens but the world's widest full-frame rectilinear lens.

As written previously the lens will be available for Sony FE, Nikon Z, Canon RF, and L mount, but may only provide AF options for Z and FE mounts. There has been no comment on this by Laowa, but if the case it would be a shame for Canon users as this lens looks to feature fast AF and eye-tracking capabilities.

The Zero-D part of the name refers to the lens' ability to produce zero distortion even when shooting wide open. This will excite architecture, landscape, and astrophotographers alike, as distortion is often the number one battle when shooting as wide as 10mm.

The lens design will feature the 10th-anniversary logo in addition to a newly redesigned lens body that looks incredibly sleek and modern, and much like other Laowa lenses, it will come in the classic black and blue colorway.

We are expected to hear more with the official announcement scheduled for next week, on Feb 20, 2024. 

Laowa will also be making an appearance at The Photography and Video Show next month at The NEC in Birmingham, UK ,which may provide the first chance to get hands-on with the new lens. Tickets for the show are available now and can purchased on the show website.

You may also be interested in our guides for the best lenses for landscape, the best tilt-shift lenses, and the best lenses for astrophotography. 

Laowa has built a reputation for developing specialty manual focus lenses, with attention to extreme macro and cine lenses. It has now announced its first AF lens, set to launch in the coming weeks. 

The Laowa FF II 10mm f/2.8 C&D Dreamer is a full-frame ultra-wide prime lens, which will become available for Nikon Z, Canon RF, Sony E, and L mount. Laowa is renowned for creating excellent glass and this lens looks set to follow suit, with a great selection of features that place it amongst the best astrophotography and best landscape lenses. 

The lens is comprised of 15 elements in 9 groups, including extra-low dispersion glass and ultra-high refraction glass to combat excess aberration and distortion. This brings a weight of approximately 420g depending on the mount option, and despite its ultra-wide design takes a relatively-standard 77mm filter. 

The design of the lens is sleek and modern, much like other Laowa lenses, with one of the most stylish focusing rings I have seen. However, judging by the images, it does appear to lack a focus distance scale/gauge to accompany the focus ring.

The lens provides a large 130.4-degree angle of view and a minimum focusing distance of just 0.12m, enabling the user to get creative and push the limits whether shooting interior or portrait photography. Inscribed on the lens, next to the focal length and the aperture, states 'Zero-D'. This signifies that the lens provides zero distortion, even when shooting wide open.

The f/2.8 aperture promises 'outstanding low light performance', an important specification for those who photograph at night. This also aids in providing high resolution that remains constant from edge to edge.

Because this is Laowa's first AF lens, the autofocus is the most noteworthy feature, and without testing it ourselves we have to extrapolate information based on the released video and images. 

One thing of note that certainly caught my eye, however, was an illustration in the video that states that the AF mount is available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts, while the Canon RF and L mount fall under the heading MF mount. This means that Laowa's first AF lens is limited to E and Z mounts.

The lens will go on sale in March for $799 and is now available for pre-order from B&H Photo.

You may also be interested in our guides on the best wide-angle lenses, the best camera for astrophotography, and the best cine lenses. 

Laowa has just released a brand new super-wide angle zoom lens for a host of mirrorless camera mounts. 

Teased earlier this year, Laowa continues to add to its mirrorless lens lineup by adding a new super wide zoom. The Laowa 8-16mm f/3.5-5 Zoom CF is a manual focus super-wide zoom that provides an excellent choice for beginners who want to explore the world of ultra-wide photography and videography at an affordable price level. The lens is available on Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Canon RF, and Canon EF-M mounts.  

Covering an APS-C sensor size, this is a manual focus lens that offers a lightweight and easily portable option for wide shooting versatility. Weighing in at just 1.02lb and with a lens length of just over 3in makes this lens a great lightweight and compact option for shooting photos and videos on the move.

The lens also boasts an array of exciting features such as the wide angle of view spanning from 82.8 degrees to 120.9 degrees, enabling you to capture expansive scenes and diverse perspectives. Furthermore, the 8-16mm lens offers a unique sunstar effect with its 5-blade aperture, which creates a pleasing starburst in any area of light (Spotlight, Streetlight).

Other notable features include a removable 86mm filter thread, a 20cm close focusing distance, and a de-clicking focus ring. The ability to activate the de-click function on this manual focus lens is a useful addition when working in quiet environments, but it also reduces camera shake when using the lens for video.

Laowa produces a long list of lenses from probe to anamorphic but has been increasingly creating with mirrorless camera users in mind. The lenses produced by Laowa fit nicely with the modern mirrorless hybrid cameras, with features that benefit both video and stills.

The Laowa is available to order today at the price of just $549 | £448 | AU $858.

Laowa's developed quite the reputation for high-magnification macro lenses, but now it's made even its weird and wonderful probe lenses look positively mainstream. Enter the Laowa Aurogon FF 10-50x NA0.5 Supermicro APO: a full-frame lens set containing one 'objective lens', to which a choice of four different extension tubes can be attached, enabling 10x, 20x, 35x and a incredible 50x magnification.

Each lens tube facilitates the same 20mm working distance for ease of use, allowing you to standardise your lighting set-up regardless of the lens magnification being used. The objective lens measures 167mm long with a 50mm maximum diameter and weighs in at 447g. The length of each extension tube varies between 112mm and 253mm, meaning the combined objective lens + tube length ranges from 279mm up to 420mm. The focal length of the combined lens and extension tube is 18.8mm for the 10x tube, reducing to 5.56mm when the 50x tube is used. The lens uses Laowa's Apochromat (APO) design to control chromatic aberrations and improve overall image quality. Aperture range is measured numerically rather than in conventional F stops, and Laowa quotes a range between 0.15 and 0.5.

Of course with magnifications this high, mounting the set-up on a stable base is essential. To that end, Laowa also offers and optional Slip Ring set that can be used in a similar fashion to a tripod collar on a long telephoto lens, connecting the lens in two places to a solid base like a rail platform. With the correct placement and plenty of patience, it's then possible to capture macro images with the kind of magnification previously only possible with the aid of a microscope, revealing a level of detail completely invisible to most macro lenses, let alone the naked eye.

The Laowa Aurogon FF 10-50x NA0.5 Supermicro APO will be available for Canon EF and RF, Nikon F and Z, Sony E, L mount, PL mount and GFX, priced at USD $1,500. Considering this is roughly equivalent to Laowa's existing probe lenses, you're getting a heck of a lot of macro magnification for your money. The add-on Slip Ring set will retail for USD $150.

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The Laowa Argus 28mm F1.2 FF from Venus Optics follows in the confident footsteps of several predecessors in the Argus range, designed for both full-frame and crop-sensor mirrorless cameras. Previous lenses in the series have all shared an ultra-fast 0.95 aperture rating, but the 28mm is about an f/stop slower at f/1.2. That’s still super-fast in our books and an upside is that the lens is surprisingly compact and lightweight for such a speedy, full-frame compatible prime. Engineered for mirrorless cameras, it’s available in Canon RF, Leica L, Nikon Z (FX) and Sony E (FE) mount options, the L-mount version also hitting the marque for Panasonic and Sigma bodies.

Specifications

Mount: Canon RF, Leica L, Nikon Z (FX), Sony E (FE)
Full frame: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Autofocus: No
Lens construction: 13 elements in 7 groups
Angle of view: 75.4 degrees
Diaphragm blades: 13
Minimum aperture: f/16
Minimum focusing distance: 0.5m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.07x
Filter size: 62mm
Dimensions: 69x106mm
Weight: 562g

Key features

That fast f/1.2 aperture is the standout key feature but, as with other dubiously titled ‘dumb lenses’ the Laowa lacks a CPU (Central Processor Unit) so there’s no electronic communication with the camera body. As such, it’s a fully manual lens and neither autofocus nor camera-controlled aperture adjustment is available and no EXIF data is stored in image files. That’s not a deal-breaker, as we’ll come to later in ‘build and handling’. In the Nikon Z-mount version that we tested, it proved easy to input the lens’s vital statistics in cameras that feature IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization), beating the shakes in handheld shooting.

Up-market glass includes one aspherical element and two HR (High Refractive index) elements, aiming to boost sharpness while reducing the overall size and weight, along with two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements to enhance clarity and minimize lateral chromatic aberration, or color fringing.

The aperture diaphragm is particularly well-rounded, based on 13 curved blades. This helps to improve the quality of bokeh when stopping down a little, giving a more circular shape to bokeh discs derived from defocused lights and other bright spots in a scene.

To reduce ghosting and flare, the lens is supplied complete with a bayonet-fit hood that has a rectangular profile. It works very effectively but is a bit impractical for use with the likes of screw-in circular polarizing filters that require rotational adjustment.

Build and handling

Although very lightweight for a full-frame compatible f/1.2 lens, the Laowa feels very sturdy and robust, with a full-metal build that stretches to the mounting plate, barrel and even the hood. The only constructional downside is that the lens isn’t weather-sealed. That’s no real surprise, given the budget-friendly selling price for an f/1.2 prime.

An essential of any manual-focus lens is that the focus ring operates smoothly and enables fine precise adjustments. That’s certainly the case with this Laowa. Further bonuses include a focus distance scale that’s calibrated in feet and meters, along with depth of field markers for apertures of f/1.2, f/4, f/5.6, and f/11. Both the focus distance scale and DOF markers serve as a guide but you’ll still need to keep an eye on sharpness in the viewfinder or rear screen when composing shots. 

Accurate manual focusing is typically much easier with mirrorless cameras compared with DSLRs, as the exposure preview option gives a viewfinder image that remains bright at narrower apertures, and ‘focus peaking’ is generally available to highlight the edges of objects as they come into focus. A magnified preview can also be a big benefit for pinpoint manual focusing.

As a fully manual lens, you’ll also need to adjust the aperture using the onboard control ring rather than from the host camera body. Again, that’s generally no major hardship but it does mean you can’t shoot effectively in Program AE or Shutter-priority modes. On the plus side, the lens has the handling benefit of a click/de-click switch, making the aperture ring more suitable for stills and video shooting respectively. It’s not all top news though, as click steps are only implemented for full f/stops, rather than the more usual one-third f/stop increments.

Performance

Manual focusing works pretty painlessly, even for the uninitiated, and the fairly generous depth of field at medium to narrow apertures makes life easier in general shooting. On the other hand, generously wide apertures deliver a tight depth of field for close-ups, where the lens gives a pleasantly smooth bokeh. Focus breathing is very minimal so the focus distance stays fixed as you sweep through the aperture range, which is a bonus for videography.

Outright sharpness is impressive overall. In the central region of the image frame, sharpness remains good even when shooting wide-open at f/1.2, although you need to stop down to f/2.8 before edge/corner sharpness gets into its stride. From f/2.8 right through to f/16, center-sharpness is excellent.

While sharpness improves at medium to narrow aperture settings, color fringing becomes slightly more noticeable towards the edges and corners of the frame. Even so, it’s still quite well controlled and the lens performs well in terms of axial chromatic aberration or ‘bokeh fringing’, which is always a challenge for fast lenses at their widest aperture settings. This displays as color fringing around high-contrast edges in a scene that falls just in front of or behind the plane of focus, across the whole image frame. But there’s negligible axial aberration to be seen even at the widest aperture of f/1.2, where vignetting is pretty well restrained, especially considering the lens’s bright aperture and downsized construction.

Unlike many recent lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, there’s no reliance on automatic in-camera correction for distortion. The lens gives only minimal barrel distortion rarely requiring a software fix at the editing stage. And when needed in the likes of architectural photography, an editing fix is easy to apply thanks to the uniform nature of the slight barrel distortion. Resistance to ghosting and flare is also very good.

All in all, performance is very pleasing, making the Laowa a desirable super-fast prime lens with a refreshingly modest size, weight, and price tag, and a smart buy.

Sample images

Lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Center-sharpness is good at f/1.2 to f/1.4 and excellent from f/2 all the way through to the narrowest aperture of f/16. Mid-to-edge sharpness is less impressive at f/1.2 to f/1.4 but comes on song at f/2.8 and narrower apertures.

Fringing:

Axial chromatic aberration is minimal even at the widest aperture of f/1.2, where lateral chromatic aberration is also fairly slight. The latter ramps up a bit as you narrow the aperture and can be a little noticeable towards the edges of the frame when uncorrected.

Distortion: -0.89

There’s a touch of barrel distortion but, compared with many recent lenses designed for mirrorless cameras that rely very heavily on in-camera correction, it’s very slight. In most cases, distortion will be unnoticeable but it’s uniform in nature and easy to correct at the editing stage, for example in architectural photography.

Verdict

Super-fast lenses aren’t always big, heavy and expensive. This full-frame compatible Laowa wide-angle lens for mirrorless cameras cuts everything down to size with a modest size, weight and selling price, despite having an f/1.2 aperture rating and robust metal construction. It’s a fully manual lens, so you need to set the focus distance and aperture via onboard control rings, but it works and handles well, delivering very pleasing image quality.

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Imagine a full frame 24mm 2x macro lens on a stick, with direct view, 35-degree angle and periscope view versions. The Laowa 24mm T8 2X Macro Pro2be is like a cinematic version of an inspection camera, going places where regular lenses can't go but with a much higher level of quality and control than even the best borescopes.

At first glance, this might look like some kind of optical novelty, but the Laowa Pro2be is a unique and specialised filmaking tool aimed at serious productions. This is reflected in the price, which is $8,499 for the three-lens set (about £6680/AU$13300) or $2849-3349 for the individual lenses (about £2240-£2630 or AU$4460-AU$5240).

If you think that's a lot, just imagine the optical complexity of these probe lenses. In fact. you don't need to, because we can tell you. They use an incredible 33 elements in 24 groups (34 elements in 25 groups for the Periscope View lens). That must be some kind of a record.

With regular macro lenses, you're limited by how close you can get a big and bulky camera and lens combo to your subject, and capturing tiny creatures in confined spaces just isn't possible.

That's the problem the Pro2be is designed to solve. It has a longer probe length than the original design, and with up to 36.6cm waterproof length at the business end, so underwater filming is no problem. 

That's not all, even the best macro lenses (though not all) tend to max out at a 1:1 'life size' magnification, but the Pro2be goes up to 2x.

As Laowa points out, it's not just for static macro shots but can also be used for dramatic POV 'fly-through' filming in otherwise impossible spaces. This is something even the best cine lenses can't do when they're fixed to a camera or a bulky rig.

Laowa says its new probe lens isn't just longer than the original, but boasts significant improvements in image quality from its three lenses, and they all offer a T8 maximum aperture almost 2 stops faster than the first version, for more effective high-speed filming and more depth of field control.

All of the lens control takes place at the camera end, thankfully, which also features 360-degree rotation for the probe. Arri PL, Canon EF, Canon RF, Nikon F, Nikon Z, Sony E, L mounts are available, and Laowa says swapping mounts is a simple process, so you can use the Pro2be with different cameras on the same shoot.

Laowa 24mm T8 2X Macro Pro2be specifications

Format: full frame
Lens mounts: Arri PL, Canon EF, Canon RF, Nikon F, Nikon Z, Sony E, L mount
Focal length: 24mm
Aperture range: T/8-40
Diagonal angle of view: 85°
Aperture blades: 10
Min working distance: 4mm
Max magnification: 2x
Focus throw: 150°
Focusing: Manual

Direct View lens: 33 elements in 24 groups, 30.4 x 507mm, 1038g, $2849
35° View lens: 33 elements in 24 groups, 30.4 x 500mm, 1024g, $3149
Periscope View lens: 34 elements in 25 groups, 30.4 x 500mm, 1068g, $3349

We can see the Laowa 24mm T8 2X Macro Pro2be being especially interesting to natural history filmmakers, both as a three-lens set for $8,499 / £8,099 - or as individual direct view, 35° or periscope view versions for $2849, $3149, and $3349 respectively.

Venus Optics, makers of Laowa lenses, looks set to launch a new compact prime lens soon, and will be another entry in its 'Cookie' prime lens line-up. The LAOWA FFII 15mm F5.0 Cookie has already been on display at the recent Photo & Imaging show in Shanghai, and the exact specifications have apparently been published on Venus Optics' Weibo social media account.

They reveal the lens will have full-frame coverage, while still maintaining compact 67.1mm x 42mm dimensions and a low 160g weight. With the lens being so small, filter size is a tiny 39mm. Likely due to this overall compactness, the lens’ maximum f/5 aperture is relatively narrow for a prime wide-angle lens. But this needn’t necessarily be a deal-breaker if the lens is paired with a mirrorless body incorporating IBIS, thereby allowing for slower shutter speeds with lower risk of camera shake. The 15mm focal length translates to a 100-degree angle of view, while minimum object distance is advertised at just 0.12 meters. The optical stack includes two aspherical lenses to improve sharpness, 4 extra-low dispersion elements to reduce chromatic aberrations, and three high-refractive index elements to help reduce the size and weight of the lens.

The lens is likely to come in Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, Leica L and Leica M mounts, and unusually for a simple, multi-mount Laowa lens, it's pictured with electronic contacts, allowing communication with the host camera. Focus is still likely to be manual, however, although focus peaking does make this a relatively painless process.

There's no word yet on pricing or availability, but given the accessible cost of the existing Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie, the new 15mm F/5 Cookie is unlikely to break the bank.

Story credit: asobinet.com

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