Venus Optics has made some very fine macro lenses in the last couple of years with my favorite being the Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe lens and now, the company has just unveiled another first and this time, it is aimed at people who shot Micro Four Thirds. Meet the new Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO.
The new Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro is the world’s first 2x macro lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras and is special because it offers 2:1 maximum magnification ratio without the need for an attachment of any sort, which is a first for a native MFT lens.
In real-world terms, that means you can go from this (0.25x):
All the way to this 2x magnification:
The lens is a fully manual focus lens but with an electronic chip that connects with your camera and allows for the recording of EXIF data and the ability to change the aperture from within the camera. The lens features 14 elements divided into 10 groups that include three Extra-Low Dispersion elements that are intended to keep both lateral and longitudinal chromatic aberration in check. The lens uses a 7-blade aperture that can be set anywhere between f/2.8 to f/22.
Here’s a closer look at the new macro lens:
And some sample images provided by Venus Optics;
The Venus Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO for Micro Four Thirds cameras is currently available to order for $400 here.
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