New lens: Venus Optics Laowa 50/2.8 Ultra 2x Macro MFT

[bargainguy]

https://petapixel.com/2020/08/18/venus-optics-unveils-the-worlds-first-2x-ultra-macro-lens-for-mft/

MF only, but 2:1 magnification is impressive.

 

[RichDesmond]

Looks like a fun lens!

 

[frankmulder]

Specs here: https://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-50mm-f-2-8-2x-ultra-macro-apo/

Roughly the size of the Olympus 60mm, but a little bit heavier (240 g vs 186 g). Price is $ 400.

This one interests me a lot more than the 7artisans 60mm, which is bigger and a lot heavier (550 g). Of course, you could also get the Olympus 60mm if you don't need the 2:1 magnification (and that one has autofocus).

 

[RichDesmond]

Looking at the Laowa website, there's some other interesting options too, like this one:

https://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-100mm-f-2-8-2x-macro-apo/

It's designed for FF, so it would be a 4x macro on m4/3. ?
You'd have to use an adapter, so it would be all manual, but that's normally how I shoot macro anyway, so no loss there.
Only $449, and there's an available tripod collar.

 

[mike3996]

It's designed for FF, so it would be a 4x macro on m4/3.

How? A len's macro reproduction is calculated from a theoretical image plane that has no crop factor.

 

[RichDesmond]

How? A len's macro reproduction is calculated from a theoretical image plane that has no crop factor.

Hmm, now that I think about it, you're right. Oops...

I was visualizing an image on the FF sensor and the fact that on a m4/3 sensor it would be "zoomed in" by a factor of 2 because of the crop. But you're correct, that's not how the magnification factor is calculated.

All that aside, it's still an interesting lens.

 

[Bushboy]

You would be able to shoot from twice the distance though, right?
Would the angle of view be equivalent to a 200mm?

 

[RichDesmond]

You would be able to shoot from twice the distance though, right?
Would the angle of view be equivalent to a 200mm?

Twice the distance as what? As a 50mm lens, yes. However, the MFD on this lens is what it is, so there won't any difference there.
If you mean getting the same framing as on the FF system, then yes, you will be twice as far away. Which also means that at the MFD, you'll be zoomed in 2x relative to the FF image, because of the crop factor.

 

[Hypilein]

This lens looks quite interesting for underwater use. MF might be a bit of a pain, so this lens will only become an option once I get a camera with peaking housed (still use the original EM5) but that magnification without extra lenses sounds really sweet and it fits into the same port as the original lens.

 

[0000]

Manual helicoid focus + auto-aperture is my ideal for a macro lens (the latter is especially important for dark places with flash as a light source)... what makes this lens not so interesting to me is the diameter (49mm filter thread)... OTOH something like this which managed to be just a little bit less than the 46mm of the Oly 60mm would be very interesting to me... apparently I'm the only one who finds this to be a significant factor with subjects just a few centimeters from the lens...

 

[Bushboy]

No wonder we all scratching our head.....

 

[Holoholo55]

Here's a video comparing the Laowa to the Oly 60 macro. Courtesy of 43rumors.com.

 

[Hypilein]

I hope they will update their wide angle lens to also allow automatic Aperture.

 

[RichDesmond]

I hope they will update their wide angle lens to also allow automatic Aperture.

Do you often shoot shutter-priority with wide angle lenses??

 

[RS86]

Does anyone know how the MFD compares to Olympus 60mm with Raynox-250?

I'm thinking if it would be better and worth the investment.

 

[0000]

Do you often shoot shutter-priority with wide angle lenses??

Auto-aperture doesn't imply automatic selection of aperture by the camera, it just means you can focus wide open, regardless of chosen shooting aperture. As mentioned earlier, this can be very useful, especially when the light source is a flash.

Does anyone know how the MFD compares to Olympus 60mm with Raynox-250?

The Oly 60 + Raynox 250 has a MFD of ~16cm, and gives a little less than 2x (~11mm HFOV). The MFD for this lens is given as 13.5cm, and physical length is the same, so... pretty similar. You can get a little closer with this one, but the 4cm working distance with the Oly + Raynox is already uncomfortably close for the lens form factor IMHO.

 

[frankmulder]

Do you often shoot shutter-priority with wide angle lenses??

I think the point here is that this lens has electronic contacts, as opposed to being purely mechanical (like the other Laowa lenses released so far). This has the following advantages:

• You get full EXIF information for your images (model name, focal length, aperture, ...).
• You don't have to "shoot without a lens" (as it's called on Panasonic) and don't have to manually input the focal length for the IBIS to work.
• As @junkyardsparkle said, you can focus wide open, even when shooting stopped down.
• When you start (manually) focusing, it can trigger the magnified view.
• You can control the aperture from the body, just like you might be used to with your other lenses.

I'm excited about this development and I also hope Laowa will apply this to their other lenses as well.

 

[RichDesmond]

Auto-aperture doesn't imply automatic selection of aperture by the camera, it just means you can focus wide open, regardless of chosen shooting aperture. As mentioned earlier, this can be very useful, especially when the light source is a flash.

The Oly 60 + Raynox 250 has a MFD of ~16cm, and gives a little less than 2x (~11mm HFOV). The MFD for this lens is given as 13.5cm, and physical length is the same, so... pretty similar. You can get a little closer with this one, but the 4cm working distance with the Oly + Raynox is already uncomfortably close for the lens form factor IMHO.

I think the point here is that this lens has electronic contacts, as opposed to being purely mechanical (like the other Laowa lenses released so far). This has the following advantages:

• You get full EXIF information for your images (model name, focal length, aperture, ...).
• You don't have to "shoot without a lens" (as it's called on Panasonic) and don't have to manually input the focal length for the IBIS to work.
• As @junkyardsparkle said, you can focus wide open, even when shooting stopped down.
• When you start (manually) focusing, it can trigger the magnified view.
• You can control the aperture from the body, just like you might be used to with your other lenses.

I'm excited about this development and I also hope Laowa will apply this to their other lenses as well.

Thanks guys. None of those reasons affect me much, hence my ignorance.

 

[Hypilein]

Also, if you put your camera in an underwater housing you need extra controls (usually gears) that control all these things. Unless the lens is specifically supported, having two different gears is very difficult. So an automatic aperture wide angle would actually open up some opportunities to use this lens UW (focus is usually not an issue).

 

[exakta]

You can control the aperture from the body, just like you might be used to with your other lenses.

You not only can, you must, because there is no aperture ring Too bad they didn't design the 7.5mm like this.