Photographer and YouTuber Arthur Reutov has published a new video showcasing the Nanoha Super Macro lens from Japanese company Yasuhara, which claims this product is the only microscopic lens available for cameras. The Nanoha is, as Reutov notes, quite unique in that not only is it a powerful macro lens, but it also features built-in LEDs for illuminating the subject.
The Yasuhara Nanoha is a 5x magnification macro lens designed for use with mirrorless cameras. The company says its lens is capable of microscopic imagery, enabling photographers to get unique up-close shots without using a microscope. The Nanoha name is inspired by the word nanometer, referencing the lens capabilities.
According to Yasuhara, the effective F-number for its Nanoha lens at 5x magnification is F11. The company says that its macro lens exceeds the brightness of the Canon MP-E65mm F2.8 macro lens, which has a magnification range from 1x to 5x. With Nanoha, the lens must be around 11mm (0.4in) from the subject in order to focus.
The most notable aspect of the lens is its integrated lighting system, which includes a battery, multiple LEDs, and a USB connector for recharging the battery. The inclusion of this lens light eliminates the need to use an external light, which could introduce shadows that are difficult to get around with such a minuscule focus distance.
Yasuhara provides a gallery of sample images captured with Nanoha, showing off what its lens is capable of. Here to provide a better look at the offering is Reutov, however, who presents the model, details its build quality and quickly goes through the lens features.
‘This is super crazy, unique, it is a lens unlike any I’ve ever used,’ Reutov said, demonstrating how he captures images with the Nanoha. The shallow focus distance means the lens must be placed flat on a surface above the subject in most cases, which is where the plastic housing and integrated LEDs come in.
Ultimately, Reutov notes that the macro lens won’t work for every photographer, pointing out that capturing live insects, for example, would be essentially impossible with Nanoha due to the focus sensitivity and need for, in some cases, focus stacking. Ultimately, though, Reutov notes that Yasuhara’s offering is ‘a very fun lens to use … it’s pretty cool to see how much it magnifies. It’s like having a microscope attached to your camera.’
The Yasuhara Nanoha Macro lens is available now in Sony E, Canon EF-M and MFT mounts from Yasuhara and B&H Photo for $ 399.99.
Sony has announced the impending release of the LA-EA5, its newest A-mount to E-mount lens adapter. In addition to changing mounts, the new adapter provides autofocus support for Sony A-mount SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) lenses, SAM (Smooth Autofocus Motor) lenses, and even non-motorized screw-drive lenses in still shooting modes.
An illustration showing the internal construction of the LA-EA5 adapter, with emphasis on the screw-drive motor.
Despite the ability to power non-motorized screw-drive lenses (limited to the a7R IV and a6600, at least for the time being), the LA-EA5 features a compact form factor, thanks to clever internal gear and motor positioning. Sony says the adapter provides ‘full support for focal plane phase-detection autofocus (stills only), wide-area focal phased detection autofocus (stills only), Real-time Eye AF for both humans and animals, Real-time Tracking and AF/AE (auto exposure) tracking for SSM/SAM lenses on nine most recently introduced E-mount cameras at up to 11 frames per second depending on the camera model.’ The supported camera models, as of this press release, are as follows:
Sony a7 III
Sony a7R III
Sony a7R IV (up to 10 fps)
Sony a6100
Sony a6400
Sony a6600 (up to 11 fps)
Sony a9 (up to 10 fps)
Sony a9 II (up to 10 fps)
Sony a7S III
Sony says the LA-EA5 will be available in October 2020 for a suggested retail price of $ 250 / $ 330 CAD. You will be able to find a full compatibility list on Sony’s support page (currently shows ‘Coming Soon’ as of posting this article).
Press release:
Sony Electronics Announces New LA-EA5 Lens Adaptor for A-Mount Lenses
New Adaptor Enables Advanced Autofocus Capabilities When Attaching A-mount Lenses to Latest E-mount Bodies
SAN DIEGO – September 1, 2020 – Today, Sony Electronics Inc. announced the new LA-EA5, a 35mm Full-frame A-mount lens adaptor that allows users to easily pair advanced E-mount camera bodiesi with A-mount lensesi.
Using the new LA-EA5 A-mount adaptor, users can now access the acclaimed autofocus and high-speed shooting capabilities found in Sony’s latest E-mount camera bodiesi with A-mount SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) and SAM (Smooth Autofocus Motor) lensesii, as well as A-mount lenses that do not have internal focus motors.
Full support is provided for focal plane phase-detection AFiii, wide-area focal phase-detection AFiii coverage, Real-time Eye AF for both humans and animals, Real-time Tracking and AF/AEiv (auto exposure) tracking for SSM/SAM lenses on nine most recently introduced E-mount camerasi at up to 11fpsv depending on the camera model. When used with the Alpha 7R IVvi or Alpha 6600vi, for the first time, these capabilities are possible with lenses that do not have internal focus motors, such as the Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA and Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA.
The LA-EA5 combines a compact design, featuring an aperture drive unit and a newly developed compact AF drive unit. To ensure comfortable operation when used on an E-mount camera body, the new adaptor’s diameter matches that of the A-mount, perfectly aligning with the edges of the mount. The LA-EA5 allows easy operation on full-frame E-mount bodies, even when a vertical grip is attached to the camera body.
Pricing and Availability
The LA-EA5 is available in October 2020 for a suggested retail price of $ 249.99 USD and $ 329.99 CAD.
Exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new lens and Sony’s other imaging products can be found at alphauniverse.com, a site created to educate and inspire all fans and customers of Sony’s ? – Alpha brand.
Notes
i. As of Sept. 2020, focal plane phase-detection AF is supported for SSM/SAM lenses on the Alpha 7 III, Alpha 7R III, Alpha 7R IV, Alpha 6100, Alpha 6400, Alpha 6600, Alpha 9, Alpha 9 II, and Alpha 7S III. Focal plane phase-detection is supported for lenses that do not have internal focus motors on the Alpha 7R IV and Alpha 6600.
ii. STF lenses are manual focus only. Teleconverters are not supported.
iii. Autofocus is not available during movie recording.
iv. For AE tracking, the aperture is fixed for the first frame while shutter speed and ISO are used for exposure adjustment.
v. Maximum continuous shooting speed is 10 fps with the Alpha 7R IV, Alpha 9, and Alpha 9 II, and 11 fps with the Alpha 6600. Continuous shooting speed may change depending on the attached lens.
vi. The Alpha 7R IV must be updated to software V1.20 or later, and the Alpha 6600 must be updated to software V1.10 or later.
Update (September 1, 2020 at 10:50am ET): Updated the article to clarify that support for non-motorized screw-drive lenses is limited to a7R IV and a6600 camera systems.
Phase One has announced the release of the Rodenstock 90mm F5.6 lens, the latest in its growing collection of glass for its XT Camera Systems.
One of the stand-out features of the XT-HR Digaron-W 90mm F5.6 is its 120mm image circle, which is large enough to account for the 24mm of shift the XT Camera System offers on both the X- and Y-axes for correcting perspective distortion.
The lens, which Phase One suggests is designed with landscape and architectural photography in mind, features an aperture range of F5.6-F22, uses an electro-magnetical shutter (1/1000th-60 min) rated for over 500,000 actuations, has a 72mm front filter thread and uses a five-blade aperture diaphragm. It measures in at 160mm (6.3”) long, 107mm (4.2”) wide and 90mm (3.5”) in diameter, with a weight of 1,200g (2.65lbs).
The MSRP of the Rodenstock XT-HR Digaron-W 90mm F5.6 is $ 12,990. It’s available now through authorized Phase One Partners.
Phase One is also teasing another Rodenstock lens, which it says will be over 100mm (<40-degree angle of view) and will be announced by the end of the year. Phase One says ‘several [optical designs] are under investigation, exploring the best balance of image circle, lens speed, size, weight, and complexity.’
Press release:
Phase One Adds 90mm Lens to XT 150MP Camera Offering
Brings Large Format Feel to Full Frame Medium Format Field Camera
COPENHAGEN, Aug. 31, 2020 – Phase One today announced a remarkable new lens for its breakthrough XT Camera System: the Rodenstock 90mm. Embodying characteristics and workflow elements familiar to those shooting large format, the focal length of this lens offers outstanding sharpness and unbeatable image quality: with minute depth of field, uniform bokeh, and precise focus.
In concert with the powerful and highly integrated Phase One IQ4 Infinity Platform – a camera platform flexible enough to support evolving technology – this newest of Phase One’s Rodenstock lenses puts the XT camera in a class by itself.
Designed for landscape photography, the XT Camera System’s ability to shift 24mm on both the X- and Y-axes allows photographers to correct all perspective distortion and also to create panoramic/stitched images at tremendous scale/resolution. Since the 90mm’s 120mm image circle far exceeds the XT’s movements, this lens uniquely delivers perfect uniformity throughout all camera movements or flawless uniformity throughout camera perspectives. The combination of f/5.6 and a 67° angle of view uniquely focuses the subject.
All five available Rodenstock lenses are fitted with the Phase One designed and digitally integrated X-Shutter — an intelligently controlled electromagnetic shutter born from Phase One’s experience with industrial applications. It ensures robust handling for the long term.
The XT – Rodenstock HR Digaron-S 23mm f/5.6 is the highest quality wide-angle lens available.
The XT – Rodenstock HR Digaron-W 32mm f/4 is an exceptional quality wide-angle lens with a large image circle and almost no distortion.
The XT – Rodenstock XT – HR Digaron-W 50mm f/4 is an ideal balance of a “normal” focal length perspective and wide-angle aesthetic, a close equivalent to human vision.
The XT – Rodenstock HR Digaron-W 70mm f/5.6 is a normal focal length lens with impeccable image quality and a large image circle.
XT – Rodenstock HR Digaron – W/SW 90mm f/5.6 is the longest focal length lens and largest image circle with exceptional image resolution for getting closer to your subject.
“The 90mm focal length defines the ‘feel’ of large format photography,” said Drew Altdoerffer, Product Manager at Phase One. “When it comes to Large Format aesthetic, this is the focal length artists have in mind and a longer focal length is a welcome addition to the XT.”
To hear more about this newest lens and how it fits into the existing family of lenses, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0mmKVd_LT8&feature=youtu.be
Availability and Pricing
The XT Camera System is available now through Phase One Partners worldwide: www.phaseone.com/partners.
The Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price for the XT – Rodenstock HR Digaron – W/SW 90mm lens is $ 12,990.
The Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price for the XT IQ4 150MP Camera System, including a lens is $ 58,990.
All camera systems are sold with a 5-year limited warranty, including an uptime guarantee of the IQ4 Digital Back and unlimited lens actuations for the warranty period.
For more information, please go to: www.phaseone.com/XT or book a demo on: www.phaseone.com/xt-demo
Venus Optics has released its latest lens, the Laowa 11mm F4.5 FF RL lens for full-frame mirrorless camera systems.
The ‘FF’ and ‘RL’ initialisms in the name of the lens refer to the lens’ full-frame (FF) and rectilinear (RL) design. The fully-manual lens is constructed of 14 elements in 10 groups, including two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements, which results in a 126-degree angle of view on full-frame cameras.
Despite its compact size, the lens features a 62mm front filter thread, making it ‘the world’s widest rectilinear lens with a front filter thread for full-frame mirrorless cameras.’ Other features include an aperture range of F4.5-F22, a five-blade aperture diaphragm, a minimum focusing distance of 19cm (7.4”) and rangefinder coupling on Leica M-mount cameras.
The lens measures in at just 63.5mm (2.5”) long, 58mm (2.3”) wide and weighs just 254g (8.9oz). Below is a gallery of sample images, provided by Venus Optics:
THe Laowa 11mm F4.5 FF RL lens is available to order now from Venus Optic’s website for Leica M, Leica L, Sony FE and Nikon Z mounts. The Leica M version costs $ 799, while the other mounts cost $ 699.
Meyer Optik Görlitz is back at it again with the release of a new prime, the Lydith 30mm F3.5 II. While it bears the same name as its predecessor, which was released under the previous owners of the Meyer Optik Görlitz brand via Kickstarter back in 2017, this new version features an entirely new optical design and construction.
Like its predecessor, this mark II version is based on the original Lydith lens, released back in 1964. OPC Optics, the new owners of the Meyer Optik Görlitz brand, doesn’t share the exact optical construction, but if it’s true to the original 1964 lens, it will feature five elements in five groups.
The original Lydith F3.5 lens and its optical construction.
The lens features a minimum focusing distance of 15cm (6in), features a stepless aperture (F3.5–16) and has a 52mm front filter thread. It comes in a variety of full-frame and APS-C lens mounts, including Canon EF, Fuji X, Leica L, Leica M, M42, MFT, Nikon F, Pentax K and Sony E.
Below are a few low-resolution sample photos, captured with the lens:
The Game Boy Camera was never meant to be a serious piece of photographic equipment, so what happens when you pair the Nintendo Game Boy peripheral with a serious piece of glass to take some portraits? Just ask Sam McKenzie, of YouTube channel 3D Printor, who took it upon himself to adapt a Tamron 70–200mm zoom lens to the 0.1MP Game Boy Camera.
Detailed in the above video, McKenzie 3D-printed an adapter he came across on Thingiverse and attached it to the front of the Game Boy Camera. With the adapter and lens in place, he went out for an ultra-low-resolution portrait shoot to see what the Frankenstein’d camera was capable of.
The modded Game Boy Camera mounted to a Manfrotto Pixi tripod next to a print of the 0.1MP portrait.
While capturing the image was simple enough, getting it off the Game Boy and turned into a canvas print was less intuitive. This process wasn’t featured in a video, but in an email sent to DPReview, McKenzie said:
‘The Super Game Boy for SNES allows you to play Game Boy games on your TV […] so I used an old VHS to DVD making software and USB capture card I had from the early days of DVD and thankfully it worked with the SNES.’
Once he had the image, he ordered a small canvas print and within the week it was at his front door.
The canvas print, in all its pixellated glory.
You can find more of McKenzie’s 3D printing projects on his YouTube channel.
Image credits: Photos by Sam McKenzie, used with permission.
The post Fujifilm 16-80mm f/4 Lens Review: The Best All-Purpose Fujifilm Lens in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Is the Fujifilm 16-80mm f/4 OIS the right lens for your needs? Who should think about purchasing it? Can it satisfy beginners? Professionals? Everyone in between?
That’s what this article is all about.
For weeks, I’ve been testing the Fujifilm Fujinon XF 16-80mm f/4 OIS.
And now I’m ready to share my conclusions.
So if you want to find out how this lens performs…
On the surface, the Fujifilm 16-80mm f/4 is an all-purpose lens that can do pretty much everything.
It offers:
An excellent focal length range, stretching from wide to standard to (slight) telephoto (24-120mm on a Fujifilm APS-C camera)
Fujifilm’s image stabilization technology (OIS), promising up to 6 stops of extra sharpness
A well-built, weather-sealed body with relatively compact dimensions
A fixed f/4 aperture, which can’t offer the same low-light or bokeh capabilities as an f/2.8 lens, but is still decently wide
0.25x (1:4) magnification
A reasonable $ 800 USD price tag
Put all this together, and you’ve got a lens that should be able to find its way into the kits of landscape photographers, architectural photographers, street photographers, walkaround photographers, and travel photographers alike (and can even work for the occasional close-up shot!).
But all-purpose lenses like these tend to fail in a couple of ways.
First, they’re often optically mediocre, especially on the extreme ends of their focal length range.
Second, they’re sometimes slow to focus, which immediately takes them off the table for street photographers, and can be a big issue for travel and walkaround photographers, as well.
So does the Fujifilm 16-80mm f/4 suffer from these same issues?
Well, I’m happy to report that it does not. And while I’ll go more into the details later, I’m prepared to argue that the 16-80mm is one of the absolute best all-around lenses out there, and combines impressive value with fantastic photographic capabilities.
It’s not that the lens doesn’t have any drawbacks; pretty much all lenses, especially sub-$ 1000 lenses, do! But the Fujifilm 16-80mm offers remarkable quality given the price (and will even satisfy both amateurs and professionals).
Right out of the box, the Fujifilm 16-80mm feels solid, but not in an annoyingly heavy tank sort of way. It’s just under a pound (0.97 lb/440 g), which is light enough for long days of shooting even when lots of travel is involved. You have a mix of metal and plastic on the body, and a nice, tactile zoom ring smack-dab in the middle of the barrel:
Below the zoom ring is the aperture ring, which fits nicely with Fujifilm’s old-school style and feels great. Above the zoom ring is the focus ring, which is a bit smaller and fast to focus than I’d like, but still very serviceable.
One of the great things about the 16-80mm f/4 is its size. At 16mm, the lens is under 4 inches (10 cm) long and fits firmly in one hand, so you can store it easily in a camera bag or backpack.
And even when zoomed out to 80mm, it feels relatively unobtrusive, which is nice for street photographers hoping to move through crowds unnoticed.
As I mentioned above, the manual focus ring is smoother than I’d like (there’s no real stiffness, at least not on my copy), which is a shame, given how the lens boasts 1:4 magnification for close-up shots on the fly. But the focus ring isn’t bad, and should be fine for casual macro shots.
And I haven’t even mentioned the weather sealing. Honestly, this feels like icing on the cake, and is especially important for street and landscape photographers, who shoot in all sorts of conditions and need a lens that can withstand a bit of water.
(Of course, you’ll want to make sure that you’re also using a weather-sealed body, such as the all-around awesome Fujifilm X-T4!)
Finally, one of the real bonuses on the 16-80mm is the image stabilization. This is a lifesaver in so many situations, from close-ups to low-light street shooting to handheld landscape photography and more (though the exception is photography of fast-moving subjects, where you’ll probably want to opt for a lens with a wide maximum aperture, instead).
I tested the Fujifilm 16-80mm on the Fujifilm X-T4, and focusing speeds were stellar; the lens was snappy in good light and still pretty strong in low light. I’d expect a slight drop in focusing speeds as you work with other cameras in the Fujifilm lineup, but I can say, without a doubt, that I was happy with the 16-80mm’s performance.
If you’re shooting street-style photos, this fast focusing is essential. And you’re also going to appreciate the 16-80mm’s speed if you grab the occasional action shot while doing walkaround or travel shooting.
That said, the Fujilm 16-80mm doesn’t really scream fast-paced action, so if you’re looking for some sort of wide sports lens or fast lens for indoor events, I’d suggest going elsewhere. This is thanks to the f/4 maximum aperture, which really isn’t going to get you the shutter speeds you need when shooting fast-moving subjects in low light.
On the whole, however, the Fujifilm 16-80mm f/4 autofocuses very well, and won’t let you down when it comes to capturing the occasional action shot.
In terms of focal length, I absolutely love the 16-80mm range on a crop-sensor camera. You can shoot landscapes at the wide end, zoom in for portraits, and zoom all the way to 80mm for longer street shots.
In fact, I’d argue that the 24-120mm focal length equivalent is one of the best focal length ranges available, especially compared to the standard 16-55mm kit-lens focal length range, which does well on the wide lens but just doesn’t offer that extra bit reach for travel and street scenarios.
When I buy a lens, image quality is my greatest concern.
Why?
Because I don’t care if a lens is lightning-fast and is a dream to handle if it can’t deliver sharp images in key scenarios.
Fortunately, I can confirm that the Fujifilm 16-80mm does extremely well optically. At f/4, sharpness is excellent at the center of the frame at all focal lengths, though it does fall off toward the edges of the frame, especially at the focal length extremes (i.e., 16mm and 80mm).
That said, edge sharpness is still good at f/4 when shooting in the 30mm to 50mm arena, and edge sharpness improves across the board when you stop the lens down to f/5.6 and beyond (which is really where things start to count for landscape and other detail shooters, anyway).
All in all, you’re going to love the resolution that this lens can provide. You get gorgeous results in the center of the frame, and very good results at the edges when stopped down, which will be enough for most photographers, including professionals.
You also get pretty much zero chromatic aberration, limited distortion, and limited vignetting.
Now, the f/4 maximum aperture isn’t great for low-light shooting. You’re going to want an f/2.8 lens if you plan to shoot indoor events, and you’ll probably also want f/2.8 if you plan to do any astrophotography.
The f/4 maximum aperture is also a problem for portrait photography, where the goal is often to achieve a creamy background blur combined with a sharp subject; at f/4, the blur is nice, but not outstanding (as pictured below).
The Fujifilm 16-80mm f/4 is, simply put, an outstanding lens.
It offers the focal length, build quality, autofocus speed, and image quality to be taken seriously by professional landscape and street shooters. It’s also a fantastic walkaround or travel option, given its light weight and compact size, especially when attached to Fujifilm’s smaller camera bodies.
At $ 800 USD, the lens doesn’t come cheap. But the price is far from unreasonable when you consider everything it offers.
Pretty much anyone looking for an all-purpose lens who can afford the price tag. The Fujifilm 16-80mm f/4 also does well at street photography, travel photography, walkaround photography, and handheld landscape shooting, and while I wouldn’t recommend it as a primary portrait or macro lens, you can still get some use out of it in both of these genres.
So I absolutely recommend you check it out; the lens is available for $ 799 USD here!
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The post Fujifilm 16-80mm f/4 Lens Review: The Best All-Purpose Fujifilm Lens in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Chinese cinema lens manufacturer Vazen has announced the release of their new 85mm T2.8 1.8x Anamorphic lens for PL and EF mount camera systems.
The 85mm T2.8 1.8x Anamorphic lens is the first of a new ‘LF’ lineup designed for large-format cinema cameras, such as the RED Monstro, Alexa LF, Kinefinity Mavo LF and Z-Cam E2-F8.
The lens weighs just 1.5kg (3.3lbs) and measures only 17.5cm (6.9”), making it ‘the world’s lightest and smallest 1.8x anamorphic lens for full-frame cameras.’ It features an 86mm front filter thread, a front diameter of 95mm for mounting matte boxes to, 0.8 mod cine gears for follow focus systems and a minimum focusing distance of 9.6cm (3.8”).
Vazen says the anamorphic lens ‘delivers a buttery smooth oval bokeh, signature blue, but not oversaturated, horizontal flare and the widescreen cinematic look.’ When paired with 4:3 sensors, the lens yields a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Below is a video preview of the lens by Expressway Cinema Rentals:
The lens is currently available to order from the Vazen website and authorized Vazen retailers for $ 8,000. The first units will start shipping out in ‘late August.’
Vazen says it also has two other lenses in the works: a 55mm and a 105mm. These two lenses are expected to be released in ‘late 2020/early 2021’ and will eventually be sold as a three-lens set with the 85mm T2.8 anamorphic lens.
It’s well known that better optics ultimately yields better images, as higher-quality glass and components affect how the light hits the image sensor inside your camera. But just how much does cheaper glass differ from expensive glass? We’d like to think it differs quite a bit, but a recent comparison from Leica Rumors shows just how close a cheap lens can be to an incredibly expensive lens — one nearly 14X the cost.
In the blind comparison, Leica Rumors put the Leica Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 ASPH lens ($ 5,895) up against the 7Artisans 35mm F1.4 lens ($ 430). All images were shot on a Fujifilm GFX 50R, using the exact same settings. We’ve embedded the images from Leica Rumor’s Flickr account down below, presenting them in the same order Leica Rumors has on its website. You can carefully view and even download the full-resolution images from Flickr to look at more carefully. Following the images, we’ll share what photos were shot on what lens, so don’t scroll down too soon if you want to spoil the surprise.
Now that you’ve had some time to pore over the images, are you confident you know which shots are from which lens? Below are the answers:
Scenes 1–3 (Leica is A, 7Artisans is B)
Scene 4 (Leica is B, 7Artisans is A)
While this is a rather extreme comparison that is by no means scientific nor representative of the build quality or manufacturing conditions of either lens, it goes to show just how far optics, even budget optics, have come over the years. Ultimately, the best choice is the one that fits your need.
Chinese lens manufacturer Venus Optics has introduced a new Ultra Macro lens to its Laowa line-up with a 50mm F2.8 model that offers a 2x macro function. The Laowa 50mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO is claimed to be the first-ever 2x macro lens for the MTF system, and has a minimum focus distance of 13.5cm (5.3in).
Marked with the company’s ‘CA Dreamer’ slogan, the lens has apochromatic correction achieved with three extra-low dispersion elements in the 14-elements-in-10-group construction. The company says lateral and longitudinal chromatic aberrations are corrected and that out-of-focus highlights appear free of color fringes. As the lens provides the view you’d expect from a 100mm on a full-frame sensor Laowa says it also makes an excellent portrait lens.
Jimmy Chan
Paul Harcourt Davies
Nicky Bay
Paul Harcourt Davies
The lens is chipped and allows body-controlled apertures as well as full EXIF data to be recorded in the image metadata. The lens has a 7-bladed iris, a 49mm filter thread and it weighs 240g (8.4oz), while the short flange distance has allowed the company make it just 79mm (3.1in) in length.
The Laowa 50mm F2.8 2x Macro costs $ 400 before tax and is available to purchase now on the Laowa website.
Press release:
Venus Optics announced the world’s first 2x macro lens for MFT: Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO
Venus Optics, the camera lens manufacturer endeavoring in unique ultra-macro lenses, announce the release of Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens. The new 50mm lens is specially designed for Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras and it is the first- ever 2X macro lens designed for this sensor size. The lens also features an apochromatic (APO) design to minimize the chromatic aberrations across the frame. The ex-VAT retail price is USD 399/pc and pricing may vary in different countries.
1) Focus from infinity to 2X macro magnification
Unlike most of the MFT macro lenses in the market which can focus only up to 1X, the new Laowa 50mm macro lens offers a 2X maximum magnification ratio along with a minimum focusing distance of 5.3” (13.5cm). It has become the first lens ever designed with a greater- than-life-size (2:1) maximum magnification for MFT cameras, allowing photographing close subjects with finer details. The wider magnification range also makes itself flexible for shooting subjects at different sizes. The lens can focus to infinity and serve as an excellent portrait lens with its 100mm equivalent field of view on 35mm sensors.
2) Equipped with a CPU chip and motor (Automatic aperture)
The lens is equipped with a CPU chip and motor and the aperture can be controlled via the camera body. All the lens data is directly recorded on EXIF. Moreover, the focus magnifier would automatically triggered for easier focus control when the focus ring is rotated.
3) Apochromatic optical (APO) design
The new 50mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro has a optics design with 14 elements in 10 groups, three out of which are extra-low dispersion glasses to minimize chromatic aberrations across the frame. This lens has inherited the exceptional APO design from Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO, where both lateral chromatic aberration (LaCa) and longitudinal CA (LoCA or Bokeh Fringing) are eliminated.
4) Lightweight & Compactness
The 50mm lens is extremely compact and light in weight. It measures 3.1” (79mm) long and weighs only around 8.4oz (240g). Venus Optics take advantage of the short flange distance of mirrorless cameras and compress the size of the lens to the minimal. An internal focus design is also adopted so that the length of the lens can be maintained during focusing.
5) Compatible with MFT
With the previous success of the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra macro APO which was optimized for APS-C, the new 50mm lens is specially developed for MFT mirrorless camera users. It can be used on Panasonic, Olympus, BMPCC 4K, etc.
6) Pricing & Availability
The lens is currently available to order in authorized resellers and in Venus Optics official website (http://www.venuslens.net/). Shipping starts immediately. The ex-VAT retail price in the US is USD 399/pc. Pricing may vary in different countries.
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