A Late-night Review of the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro APO
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- čas přidán 12. 06. 2022
- Punching well above its price point, Laowa's 90mm f/2.8 macro lens offers tremendous optical performance, a maximum magnification of 2:1, and an overreaching design perfect for today's modern mirrorless cameras - but what does that really mean?
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Excellent video! I always appreciate how thorough and well paced your videos are, while packed with useful information.
Thanks so much @Derrick Mickle 😃 Really do appreciate the feedback and continued support👍👍👍
Incredible video! So informative and uniquely designed. Thank you for your dedication. Definitely will be supporting your channel 👏🏻
Thanks @user-gc1ho1wt1h 😃 Greatly appreciate the feedback and happy to hear you found it helpful👍👍👍
The Laowa 100mm Canon EF version communicates electrically with the camera when it comes to aperture and solves the issues you mention. Clear winner, even with the added adapter weight.
Thank you Mr Fisher, because of your informative videos I have since 1 month ago purchased the Laowa 100mm macro lens for my Sony setup. It is is brilliant lens and is so much fun to use and see the results even with hand held shots. Thank you again for your awesome 😎 videos. Keep the content coming 👏
Woah @nischol bedesi, that's fantastic to hear 😃 Super appreciate the support👍👍👍
Can I ask, why you went 100 and not the 90? I'm deliberating between the two for my sony?
Great review Neil, honest thorough and really helpful. Top work. Rich 👍
Thanks @RichardBirchett 😃 Greatly appreciate the feedback and happy to hear you found it helpful👍👍👍
Great video with some wonderful photography. I love the Laowa lens and the chance to slow down with manual focus. I am looking forward to some more “made for mirrorless” lenses from them.
Well said @Karen McBride 😃 Macro photos will always benefit from more time spent composing 👍👍👍
Thank you for making this video! I love your macro images especially the frog eyes that is one of my favorite things to photograph. I currently have the canon EF 100mm which I’ve been using for about 3 years now and I was thinking of getting a laowa lens so this was super helpful
@Tasneem Ahsanullah admittedly I am often uber slow in responding to these comments, but hopefully this will timely in your decision making. The Canon EF 100mm remains my primary and favourite macro lens. It is incredibly versatile and makes macro photography fun and not overly stressful. Plus, having image stabilization is life changing/mandatory when capturing macro video. That said Laowa lenses are sharper and the increased manucaption is super fun to play with, but Increasing the magnification to 2X requires so much more thought from a technical perspective. If I were to have only one macro lens in my bag it would still be the Canon EF 100mm 👍👍👍
Thanks for making this, amazing photos! And so so helpful
Thanks @MattGriffo 😃 Greatly appreciate the feedback and happy to hear you found it helpful👍👍👍
super professional presentation, very well done, thank you!
Thanks so much @Marshal Hedin👍 Very much appreciate the feedback😃😃😃
Great video with well-thought arguments, thank you !
Thanks @Louis-Philippe Tessier 😃 Greatly appreciate the feedback👍👍👍
you know whats funny? I was just thinking about your old videos and wondering when you would post again. What great timing!
@Richard O, admittedly it has been quite a while - it's difficult to produce this pieces while balancing a full-time job, family, and other production projects... that said there are a few more in the pine line 👍👍👍
Great video, nice photos.
Many thanks @stuff we do👍 Appreciate the feedback😃😃😃
You SAVED ME from buying the 100mm.
No one else had called out that issue. Thanks.
Thanks @SoundPeke 😃 Greatly appreciate the feedback and happy to hear you found it helpful👍👍👍
@@neilfisher Funny thing is, recently bought the 90mm and canceled it the next day as I found out my Sony 135mm GM can do a touch of macro.
true
Love this lens on Canon R5. The viewfinder is nice and bright. The IBIS works very well if you input the focal length. The Canon EF 100 macro is a nice lens for sure. But, you have to use an adapter on the R bodies. This Laowa is the clear winner for R cameras. It is nice and compact, extremely sharp, zero aberrations, excellent mechanical manual focus, IBIS of the R5 works great, and the price is right. No weather sealing. True. That is the one knock.
Thanks - about to buy an R5 (and this lens).
Does focus peaking work with this lens?
Solid review. Thank you.
Many thanks @@davidlozano5984👍 Appreciate the feedback😃😃😃
Great review ......... love it....
Many thanks @Suikhua Thang👍 Appreciate the feedback😃😃😃
Very profesional video, thank you very much.
Thanks @julian loboguerrero 😃 Greatly appreciate the feedback👍👍👍
Amazing Macro Photos.
Thanks @tennychan2187 😃 Greatly appreciate the feedback👍👍👍
Wow, good job man!
Thanks @Jorre 😃 Greatly appreciate the feedback👍👍👍
Very good review, good mix of example and talk. Many thanks for this. By the way, how does focus plaine gets affected with going from 1x to 2x? Does it get wider or narrow when going from 1x to 2x?
@Watcheye yes, the depth of field will become smaller when increasing the magnification - and this is the case for any lens.
Great review.
( I'm surprised that Laowa didn't let you keep the lens.)
Great review! At least on Lumix, you can set the focal length in the settings for manual lenses, so that the IBIS works properly.
Many thanks @@TheKimNeeper👍 Appreciate the feedback😃 Yes, it turns out that many manufacturers provide the ability to set focal lengths for manual lenses... I just missed the memo 😂😂😂
Great video!
Would you still consider the 85mm?
I don't have a need for shooting 2.8. I have primes and I would only shoot for macro subjects.
Many thanks @colton cyr👍 Appreciate the feedback😃 Honestly, considering the significant size and weight saved by having the 90mm f/2.8 with a native RF mount on my RF bodies, I don't view the 85mm f/5.6 as that attractive. That said, if you would be having to adapt the 90mm f/2.8 to your body, then the 85mm f/5.6 should still be considered. Hope this helps 👍👍👍
Hi Neil Fisher, Can you share what Speedlite you usually use for Macro Photography? What minimum GN will comfortably take over the needs?
@Tenny Chan I use a number of Canon 600ex's, usually two and sometimes three. E-TTL works well, however if I end up shooting manual it's somewhere between 1/8 and 1/32 - but that depends on plenty of variables such as magnification, subject speed, and ambient light level to name a few.
Hi Neil. I am shooting with a mirror less Nikon Z50 crop sensor. I also have the Laowa f2.8 2-5x. It is proving to be a little much for hand held use and now is only used with my focus rail setup. Have you tried the 90mm with an APSC mirrorless camera?
@skuzzy99 I ofter shoot with the Canon MP-E 65mm and completely understand how high magnifications can be a bit much for a handheld shooting style. The Laowa 90mm would do well on an APSC sensor, as it would retain the 20 cm minimum focusing distance, but effectively put more pixels on the subject. That said, the 90mm still requires a bit of time to compose, focus properly, and set up any necessary off-camera lighting - not quite as fast and "fun" to shoot with as 100mm 1:1 macro lens with auto focus.
Hopefully this helps 👍👍👍
Since the a7ii, Sony provides options to set the focal length of a manual lens so the Ibis can work for it.
@stuff we do, this is very interesting and something I wasn't at all aware of. Have used Canon and Nikon quite a bit, but definitely have a great deal of Sony. Thanks for the heads up 👍👍👍
@@neilfisher focal length can also be indicated for nikon z.
Hi Neil Fisher. So what is wrong with this focus ring, is it really that easy to rotate ? I own the 85mm, it also has the focus ring along its entire body, but there is enough resistance to make sure it won't be unintentionally rotated, is in the 90 any less resistance on the focus ring ? Thanks Damian
@Damian Hadam it's not that there's really anything wrong with the focus ring. It is easy to rotate, but not too easy. That said, it can be rotated unintentionally if grab you the lens anywhere other 1.5 centimetres of non-focus ring towards the front of the barrel.
I have just purchased this lens, primarily to shoot Wedding Rings, have had a play and love the results. However, I did notice that my cameras (a7iii and a9) do not register aperture setting on the screen, Is this normal?
Yes, @Auld Reekie Biker as this lens has no electronic communication with any camera body - the aperture value will always be missing from EXIF data 👍
Liked your review. I have this lens on a Sony AR7-iv. The trick you mention with the autofocus getting the camera to open up and brighten the viewfinder does not actually work. Being as you mentioned a purely mechanical lens the camera's menu "greys out" the autofocus settings. Therefore when I engage autofocus by either a partial press of the shutter button of pressing the AF button on the camera odes nothing at all. I find the dark view a real hinderance and am surprised that none of the reviews I have read mentions this bug.
You can fix that in the camera's menu (a setting regarding preview rendering, I believe.
I am looking to use this on a Z6ll, so without electrical contacts, do you not get ant metadata? I noticed you showed metadata on your shots.
@Steve Kunder you'll only be without the aperture in a photo's EXIF data. Everything else will still be there. I recorded the aperture of the shots featured in this video with ol' school pen and paper - knowing that they'd be shown with EXIF data 👍
Hope this helps.
Like most reviewers that have a dismissive attitude of no electronics or autofocus capabilities, stating you don't need it for macro - what about the other 90% of the time when the lens is used for work other than Macro, especially for a lens like the Laowa 90mm. Try shooting some pics of your pets or kids running around - good luck!
I own two Laowa macro lenses but,
- I will stick with my Nikkor 105 MC with a programmable control ring and buttons, 5-axis stabilization, excellent autofocus, full electronics, and exceptional image sharpness. When the 105MC is used with a DCR-250 goes well beyond 1:1. The Laowa 90mm is only about 2 oz lighter than my Nikkor 105MC and $400.00 cheaper. I don't mind paying more to get more.
The point made was that autofocus isn't used frequently at high magnifications. At no point was any other genre of photography discussed. You're correct, in that this is not a versatile or flexible lens. It's marketed squarely at photographers using it for its macro abilities. That said, I was quite successful in using the Laowa 90mm to photograph kids and pets terrorizing the house. Like yourself, my Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 is still my most frequently used macro lens, as it is versatile and reliable, but like the Nikkor 105mm, its sharpness falls noticeably short of the Laowa 90mm and 100mm.
Just remember that not everyone has the option to pay more to get more.
@@neilfisher I own the Laowa 100 and of course the Z mount 105. Sharpness? I beg to differ.
Very well explained and presented video. I own the basic Sony A6000 and need to take flowers macro pictures to show on a web page on a regular basis, it seems this Laowa’s 90mm f/2.8 macro lens is the one I can use. Can I use this lens with this camera?
@Alfredo Unda yes, as your Sony A6000 features an E-mount, it is compatible with this lens 👍👍👍
@@neilfisher Thanks Neil!! Please, keep the good work..
How long has ultra macro photography been around? I just discovered this stuff recently. How long have these lenses been in existence? And have they been available to say, professional companies and movie studios for longer than they've been available to the public due to high pricing?
i have canon R. is it good buy laowa 60mm at the beginning?
I want to make high res Iris (eye) photography. Is this + sony a7iii a good combo?
Thanks for a great video! I am currently using the Laowa 85mm 2X lens on my Nikon Z7 mirrorless camera and am considering getting the 90mm. I was just wondering, do you think there is any advantage over the 85mm, to make this a worthwhile proposition?
@Peter Heaps, that's a tough one - the 90mm is nearly double to weight of the 85mm, with the latter having a 4 centimetre shorter minimum focusing distance. If you're currently happy with your 85mm and don't have need for a slightly longer working distance or the couple extra stops of aperture - I don't see a real reason to move to the 90mm.
Just my two cents 👍👍👍
@@neilfisher Many thanks! Will stay with what I have for the moment..
Cheers.
Peter.
What's the minimum focusing distance at 1:1?
I have a LAOWA 100MM Ef that I use with a adapter on my Canon R. Still on the fence about purchasing the 90mm RF. I was wondering if anyone else is in that same situation?
@Helen Kozlowski I have used the Laowa EF 100mm on an R5 with an adapter. Moving to the Laowa 90mm, there wouldn't be any noticeable change in optical performance, and you'll give up a bit of working distance. However, having a seal/enclosed internal focusing system is a huge plus considering the environments I work in, and the weight and length saved by not using the EF - RF adapter is significant.
How did you get the exif data for the images in this video? I thought this was a fully manual lens.
Good question @Matt DP 👍 The only information missing from the EXIF is the aperture, which I wrote down for each shot - knowing that it would be used in this video 😃
@@neilfisher Thank you. I can live with it if only the aperture information is missing.
what camera did you use for these shots ? i might have missed it if you mentioned it
@Tuvzii you didn't miss it as it wasn't mentioned, but since you asked - everything was captured with a Canon R5 👍
Which lens is sharper, the Laowa 90mm or the 85mm? If you had to choose between those two lenses for a mirrorless camera, which one would you choose and why? Would it be nice if you do a video comparing those two lenses.
@António Caiado, I have not had any experience using the Laowa 85mm and can't comment on whether which is sharper.
I have no experience with the 90mm but consider my Laowa 85mm f/5.6 the sharpest lens I have used but it is only as good as the accuracy of your manual focus. Focus peaking really works! The 90mm could be equal and is light for an f/2.8 but I never shoot wider than f/5.6 due to depth of field at beyond 1:1 and appreciate the smaller diameter making it easier to avoid shadowing the subject.
what about the lens Canon MP-E 65mm f2,8? Great macro lens
@Boris B, yes the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 is an incredible macro lens. However, the purpose of this video was to compare the Laowa 90mm to macro lenses of similar focal lengths. Additionally, the Canon MP-E 65mm is truly in a different class of macro lenses that are able to reach 5:1 magnification 👍👍👍
Would you ever use extension tubes on the Laowa 90mm 2.8?
@Ray Sanders, certainly no reason not to 👍👍👍
How is it vs the 65mm 2x macro for apsc?
@Luis A unfortunately, I've not had the opportunity to use the Laowa 65mm.
Reviewing different macro lenses, I was turned off by the Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Macro lens because they said you need to use a flash with it to keep the images bright and well-lit. I honestly don't always have the time to deal with a flash. I just want to be able to pop on a macro lens and take photos LOL (lazy I know!) Can you tell me if this lens would suit my needs? Thanks! :) I am hoping this will be "the" lens for me!
@Naomi Rivera what you're after doesn't really exist - simply due to physics. When the magnification of a lens increases, so to does the light fall off. You could use a macro lens to casually capture photos at magnifications above 1:1 very easily without the need for additional light. However, when at and beyond 1:1, the need for additional light is almost a necessity - especially if you're not utilizing long exposures paired with a tripod. The reduced depth of field and light fall off experienced at high magnifications demand additional light.
Additionally, the lack of auto focus with this Laowa 90mm would not align with the casual shooting style you're after. This lens requires time to ensure your composition if properly focused.
Hope this helps 👍👍👍
@@neilfisher Thank you for that! Macro is "new" to me so still lots to learn and figure out, lol. I am thinking a macro lens would teach me a lot of manual focus AND being PATIENT with manual focus as well, lol.
How come I cannot find any videos of these kinds of lenses, but being reviewed with video recording in mind?
Solid question @Bradimus1981. There's a not a great difference in how a macro lens is used when shooting photos or video. Most cinematographers shooting macro will use a dedicated motion control system with focus and iris motors, which really puts the importance on image quality.
@@neilfisher Well, what I will be photographing is stationary. The ant formicarium will have moving ants inside, but I just need something that can zoom in on a small area and record video well. lol
Doesn't the Laowa 100mm f2.8 also come in RF mount tho?
They sure do, but the engineering of the lens makes it significantly longer in length than the RF mount 90mm. If you are choosing between the RF 100mm and RF 90mm, I would vote for the 90mm - just feels better in the hand, lighter in weight, shorter in length, and it's just as sharp.
@@neilfisher aight sounds g
Thank you....Liked and subbed :)
Many thanks @MrCMHUDDY 👍 Appreciate the feedback😃😃😃
@@neilfisher I got the lens on the basis of this and a couple of other excellent opinions. Thanks again Neil, keep up the good work. Craig.
You seem to basically discount AF. Im currently deciding between this and the Nikon Z 105mm, with the dilemma being 2x vs AF. How much experience do you have with auto focus bracketing features built into mirrorless cameras? The ability to set parameters, press go, and have the camera take dozens of perfectly bracketed shots seems like it would shift the lack of AF from being a non-issue into THE issue. Thoughts?
@jdpattok4357, yuppers I certainly did discount AF. When shooting at 1:1 magnification or higher, autofocus is useless. Sure, automated focus bracketing is cool but the cost savings by going with a MF lens should give you budget to grab a focusing rail.
This is just personal preference: if a camera feature didn't exist two decades ago, I've learned how to accomplished the desired finish product without it. Having a car that can park itself is nice, but I'd rather park it myself as I know how to do so.
@@neilfisher Gotcha, yeah I figure the initial focus would be done manually either way. It's for focus stacks with 30, 40, 50+ images that it seems a focusing rail would be extremely tedious, and the auto bracketing would be a game changer. My experience is with wildlife, though, so that's purely speculation on my part. Thanks for the input. Great video by the way!
Did yours also come with a free hoya FILTER ??
@colintraveller, nope. No filter included. That said, what I had was a review lens - and review lenses don't always include retail accessories and packaging. Interesting to hear you received one though 👍👍👍
@@neilfisher It was on the lense when i picked it up from the Shop though the box was untouched hadn't been previously opened . 67mm UV (0) MIJ , must have been left on by someone at the Laowa factory .
90mm or 100mm? is 90mm better or are they the same?
@TheTechHobbyist, 90mm gets my vote. It feels more modern and the open lens barrel design of the 100mm is a giant thumbs down.
Word for z7 ???
I own the 90mm and I rented the canon RF 100... and I much prefer the 90mm on my Canon camera.
7:40 Why do people continue to say this? It is extremely useful at high magnification. Focus Bracketing is a thing and would be amazing for 2x or greater stacking.
@alex ds you're not wrong, but it's also just as easy to focus stack using manual focus. Crank your camera's FPS as high as possible and hold down that shutter button while moving the focal plane across your subject 👍
@@neilfisher That is the technique I currently use and it is great. The only reason I would prefer using the FB feature is to virtually eliminate the possibility of missed frames as well as allow for much easier and quicker 2-5 shot stacks.
But is it better than the sony 90mm macro?
Good question @JUNEORJUNE 😃😃😃
Better is subjective:
Is the Laowa sharper, less costly, perfectly oriented for still photography? Yes.
Does the Sony provide greater versatility and allow for easier capture of 1:1 magnification video? Yes.
The better lens depends on your intended use case 👍
@@neilfisher mainly for macro photos
If you're mainly shooting macro photos, the Laowa might be a better option. The financial savings would allow you to invest in additional lighting - just an idea.
@@neilfisherIs this laowa model weather-proof, which includes water droplets, dust etc)
It's what I have and I love it
IBIS : "..Most stabilization systems can only guess" (if no electronic comunication)". Wich are these part of the majority? What about the precious minority ? : I have 2 A7r2 and one A7r3 : You can set the IBIS (focal length) manualy here. They are the minority "not to guess" ?
Why not mention that (for instance) 1:1 lenses can (them too) accepte macro extention tubes ? Ah its not about informing?