Get double-life-size magnification with the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO for Nikon Z-mount cameras
(Image credit: Venus Optics)
UPDATE: If you've been waiting for another macro lens option for your mirrorless Nikon, the wait it over! Venus Optics has brought the rather good Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO to the Z mount.
Until now the best Nikon Z lenses were almost entirely absent of macro lenses, but the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO is the second native option for the system (after the Meike MK-85mm f/2.8 Macro). What's more, it features a 2:1 reproduction ratio – meaning that it will make objects appear twice as large as their real-life size.
Already available for Canon EF-M, Sony E and Fujifilm X mounts, this lens is designed for the APS-C format – which means it will be most at home on the Nikon Z50, but will work with the Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z7 II in crop mode. In both cases, the crop factor gives it an equivalent 99.45mm field of view, similar to the popular 100mm macro focal length.
We rank the Laowa as one of the best macro lenses available, and it's also one of the cheapest – available now for just $399 / £409 for all mounts.
ORIGINAL STORY (24 Jan 2020): Venus Optics has done it again... introducing yet another unusual lens to add to its line-up of optical oddities. The Chinese company is developing a reputation for producing lenses that others wouldn't dare to make, which it markets under the Laowa brand.
The latest example is the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2X Macro APO – a low-cost manual-focus macro lens for APS-C-sensored mirrorless cameras.
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With an effective focal length around 100mm, this is the perfect lens for shooting ultra-close-ups of insects, coins and flowers. But it is also a great lens for portraiture.
What makes this macro lens unusual is that it provides a two-times-life-size maximum magnification, allowing you to focus down to just 17cm. What's more, unlike many of its rivals has a metal casing.
Focal length: 65mm Aperture range: f/2.8 – f22 Angle of view: 24.4° Lens construction: 14 elements in 10 groups Aperture blades: 9 Minimum focusing distance: 17cm Maximum magnification: 2x Autofocus: no Full frame: no Dimensions: 57x100mm Filter thread: 52mm Weight: 335g Mounts: Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon EF-M
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
