Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro lens review with samples (Full-frame & APS-C)
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- čas přidán 23. 05. 2019
- Another lens with a difference from Venus Optics - this one was a lot of fun to test out.
Find it here (Amazon affiliate link) (Be sure to get the right lens for your camera system - this is the Sony E mount version):
geni.us/laowa100mmmacrosony
All pictures taken by me on Canon 6D, EOS M3, and Sony a7R II cameras.
Support me on Patreon! / christopherfrost
Equipment I use to make my videos (Amazon affiliate links):
Canon EOS R5: geni.us/CanonEOSR5Body
Canon EF-RF Adaptor: geni.us/CanonEFtoRF
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 'Art': geni.us/Sigma50mm14Art
Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM: geni.us/CanonRF35mm18Macro
Marumi Fit and Slim CPL Filter: geni.us/MarumiFitSlim77
AudioTechnica AT2020USB+ Microphone: geni.us/AT2020USBPlusMic
Rode Smartlav+ Microphone: geni.us/RodeSmartLavalierPlus
Rode SC3 adapter: geni.us/RodeSC3MicAdaptor
Zoom H1n Recorder: geni.us/ZoomH1nMiniRecorder
DJI Mini 2 Drone: geni.us/DJIMini2FlyMore
Music:
'Opportunity Walks', Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b... - Jak na to + styl
A very interesting lens, and a great review. I've got a copy in transit to me right now for review, so I look forward to playing with it. Spring is a great time for macro.
I ever wait your reviews to buy a lens but this time...
This is a must-buy. All metal, APO, 2:1, 450$...
What else?
I look forward to your review Dustin
Hey Dustin. Do you think it makes a difference if I use a breakthrough photography or BW front filter instead of the one they provide? I know in macro every detail counts. What do you think? Thanks.
@2:52 a small addition, from the venus optics site :
"Only Canon EF version is equipped with a CPU chip and motor for aperture control via the camera. All other mounts are manual and aperture is controlled by the aperture ring on the lens."
Also another difference, the Cannon EF version has only 9 aperture blades while the other versions have 13 ....
So for Rf mount also better to go for EF version and use with adapter.
Christopher, I just discovered your channel and thank you for the quality of the reviews you deliver. For me, your charts, explanation without long-winded side stories are the perfect blend of reviews I seek. Much, much appreciation for your work and sharing it with us.
I basically wait your review before buying any lens. :)
Same here.
Chris Frost and Dust. Abbott.
LOL Same here Wei Liu !!!
Same. In addition, I make my decisions based on the reviews.
Same here.
The CA control on this lens is crazy! the best that I have seen.
what is CA?
It means chromatic aberration mate
@Foto4Max Well, there really aren't many macro lenses faster than f2.8 and even some of those aren't true macro(they "only" achieve a 1:2 magnification) and this one being able to do 2:1 while still being able to focus to infinity it's a one of it's kind of lens.
Marcos is this lens really that great? I admit to being a canon snob who loves their really sharp 180mm macro lens. I’ve also used canons IS 100mm and own the 65mm MPE lens. Love macro. Is this 100mm really just as sharp and how about the colors? What are your thoughts on the 15mm wide angle macro too? Thanks
Agreed
As always, another well done lens review, thanks, Jay!
I pre-ordered this lens earlier this month after my old macro lens broke - can't wait to get my hands on it!
I was looking forward to your review - I really value your opinion on lenses, and enjoy your videos immensely!
Hi Christopher, I really hoped that you make this lens review and you did it! Thank you very much it was very useful!
Great review as always! This will be the next lens I buy! And congratulations on Laowa posting your review on their website! Keep up the awesome work!
YESSSSSS THAT IS WHAT WE WERE WAITING FOR!!!
Thank you so much Chris! Your reviews are just the best.
Laowa - Venus Optics So are your products, we had to wait a bit for this lens but it was worth it :)
I have been waiting different CZcamsrs to test this lens, turns out you are the first few CZcamsr to test it, lovely :)
Thank you for the fantastic review ! One of the most competent out here.
Wow. What a great lense! Thank you for the review 👍
This is incredible performance for a lens at this price point. Great review!
That LoCA performance is amazing!
This review is very well made and helpful. Thanks for making this video.
This lens looks like a dream. So sharp, great color, great background blur, great bokeh balls, no fringing, metal design, reasonably priced. I so want one.
Hi Christopher. Great video as always! I would love to hear your opinion on Color Rendering and Contrast of this lens compare to Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS Lens. Thank you!
Amazing lens and review, thanks!
That manufacturer has so many very interesting/unique products!
Laowa is making great strides; who would have thought that a Chinese lens maker would be on the wish list for many photographers twenty or even ten years ago.
Your reviews are the most reliable. No bullshiting, no "bought reviews" no "woooow, this lens is a must have, wow!!! the best ever! Such a bokeh!!" blabla, just objective, real, pure information and samples. I love it.
Kickass lens. Amazing it still does so well at infinity and 2:1.
Excellent lens and review!
Laowa never fails to deliver. Amazing sharpness and low CA everytime.
Is the sharpness REALLY good ?
i kid, i love your reviews! very helpful!
I own this lens , and I love it … Image quality is simply stunning
Your review convinced me to get one of these which i just did!
Thanks for the test.
Recently I bought the Canon 100mm L Macro.
If I would have waited a little longer...
Chris, Another great review. I have notifications on for your channel and watch all your reviews. I have always wondered where you got your test chart? Thanks.
Made it myself :-) it's full of pictures I've taken myself in the past
The formula for how much darker the image becomes at macro distances is that for every 1X of magnification, the exposure/effective aperture becomes 1 stop darker. So a lens at f/2.8 shooting at 1X magnification will expose as if it as at f/4, 2X magnification will effectively be like f/5.6, and at 5X magnification will have an effective aperture of f/16! However, the depth of field still becomes thinner as you would normally expect from focusing closer.
I tall about it in my Photo101 video about macro extension tubes :-)
Thanks for the useful review :)
😱😱Freaking sharp
Dang that's a pretty solid macro lens with the added benifit of a fairly solid portrait/landscape lens. How's that stack up against the Tokina 100mm macro?
It seems Laowa is starting to become a great lens manufacturer, similarly how Sigma stepped up. Except Laowa lenses (to me) are far more interesting as options, and they optimize their lens sizes (Laowa 7.5mm f2.0 on m4/3 for example). Great lens by the look of it!
I forget who said it, but I've heard it said that Laowa finds the spaces in between other lenses and creates very interesting and niche lenses. I think that sums it up, and I'm pretty sure it was a review for the Venus Optics Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe Lens
Laowa has always been a great lens manufacturer but people never gave them a chance thinking it was just a Chinese manufacturer. Reality is, ive slowly shifted a lot of my work to Laowa. They fill out focal lengths that everyone else neglects.
Your voice is very calmful
Hi Christopher, thanx for all your great vids, do you know if this macro lens will come in Fuji X mount ?
great video. did the aperture control work with the canon version of the lens coupled with the Sony camera and adapter mount?
thanks for the great review...just want to ask you chris if this would be a great pair to my canon 90d
I just got my copy of this lens few days ago , and i love it ,
excellent build quality , smooth turning focus ring , good macro performance of cause , also a good portrait photo lens too ,
i use it with my fuji xh1 (which via fringer ef-fx pro ) , no problem at all
i also got a tripod collar and a lens bag by pre-ordered the lens
by the time i wonder you may interest in this lens , and you already got it !
i hope you enjoy it !
With the Fringer Canon to Fuji adapter, mounted to the Fuji X-H1 do you receive the full EXIF data (camera body, lens, focal length, aperture, shutter speed, date and time) recorded with the image?
Hit after Hit from Laowa! Crazy hit rate for them since the Zero D series for wide angle lovers and now these macro lenses from the 60mm and now this 100mm 2:1 lens. Such a great time to shoot mirrorless and have lenses that can resolve the newest sensors today. :)
Nice review, Chris! As a user of this Laowa 100 f/2.8 Ultra Macro with a Nikon Z7, while it has proven to be indeed, ultra-sharp, I find that the Focus "throw" is quite short! In other words, when I turn/rotate the manual focus ring on the lens, the focus point changes a LOT! Hence, it's quite difficult to rotate the ring VERY SLIGHTLY, in order to focus precisely on the desired part of the subject! Have you found this to be true, and if so, is there a workaround to achieve optimum focus easier/quicker? Thank you!
Hey Christopher! :) I love your channel and i'm looking for makro lenses at the moment, can you try the meike 85 mm 2:1 makro ?
Amazing Lens 🙂
Chris - - Appreciated the John 1:1 sample. A question: will this lens fit on a Nikon D750?
Wow, sound cool
This lens looks like good value. I wonder how it compares with the Voigtlaender 110 f/2.5 APO Macro which also has excellent sharpness and lateral/longitudinal chromatic aberration correction.
Very impressive performance.
Good review ...plz. Dose this lens work and compatible with Sony a 6500?
Thank you for this helpful vedio , could you please review the 105 macro sigma lens and is it a good lens , thank you 🙏
it's sharp, but it's very slow and loud in focusing and stabilization, low in colors and contrast, bloomy as like all other Sigma EX lenses and pretty dark as in t-stops.
I hope sigma refreshes the rest of their macro lineup soon.
If you can't buy it for a steal, save your money for it's eventual replacement.
Very Nice Lens!!!!
In my opinion BEST macro lens out there! Maybe there are some that are 1 or 2% better, but dor about 5 x the price. Good werk Laowa! 👏
I love when you say it's me.
Any other 2x macros with a similar focal length worth comparing this to? In the market for something - was looking at the 1:1 Canon 100mm L (primarily for food photog/film) but the 2x has such potential for fun!
Yes, just got my lens for Sony e-mount and YES it has a hood and UV filter which is awesome because I can use that UV on my other lenses, since all but one of them are 67mm... I'm anxious to start working with it ASAP😂
Your reviews are so thorough I've subbed! Question. Can/would you reverse mount a 50mm lens on this for ultra macro?
Hmm, good question, I've never tried :-)
Hi Chris! I really like your videos! I am beginning my journey to macro photography. I am a hobbyist. And I'm on the fence right deciding for 3 macro lenses (this lens, sigma 105mm f2.8, canon 100mm f2.8 non-L). They have similar prices. Which do you think I get for the price range? Thanks a lot!
Hey Chris! I’m looking at getting a refurbished 6D2, upgrading from t3i, and I’m looking for some of the better budget lenses for it. Anything that’s worth buying for portraits and sports under $450ish! (I have the new 50mm 1.8) thank you ❤️
3:58 "if you look carefully" *screen becomes 99% black*
Yes.. hardly noticeable xD
Love your reviews so much, my go-to when I wonder what a lens is like :)
An excellent review as usual! But when you say the focus ring should be more precise, what do you mean? Is it sticky/jerky or do you wish the travel distance was longer?
I wish the travel distance was a bit longer
Please make a video with all all macro lens
What macro lens would you say has the least longitudinal chromatic aberration? This one?
Weird I have this lens for my sony a7ii and it does have an aperture ring, and no body communication at all. It's also quite a bit longer due to deeper rear flange in order to compensate for the sensor position in a mirrorless camera
Chris I have a Canon R7 but stuck between 65mm and 100mm venus lenses. I watched both of your reviews, but you physically got to test them. Would you put the 65mm or 100mm on your aspc mirrorless camera? TIA!
Your videos are killer btw and I am addicted to watching them before I purchase any new lenses 🙌
Thinking about this Laowa vs. Tokina vs. Samyang. The one, immediate, use would be to photograph picture books to transfer to video. Otherwise I 'might' use it for food photography and typical garden subject photography. For these purposes, I don't see AF as a priority. Also I already have a Samyang trio (18, 35, 75). 2 to 1 sounds nice, but not sure I need it. Any other insight I should be considering? Thanks!
You mentioned an adapter is needed to electronically connect the lens. I have a Canon EOS RP.. Which is the adapter needed for this camera?
6:50 it's been observed by other lens reviewers that mid-frame performance can be worse than edge performance. So the slightly softer corner performance on APS-c may reflect this phenomenon rather than the sensor's higher pixel density.
I can't comment on the mid-frame performance without further data, but that 24mp APS Sony CMOS has the highest pixel density among the three cameras tested. If you scale it's size up to full flame, its resolution'd become 1.5^2 * 24mp or 54mp. The relatively lower corner sharpness was likely stemmed from this.
I get confused about Sony lens nomenclature - FE and E. I bought this lens about a year or so ago after seeing your review and am using on my Sony A7RIII and it seems to be doing fine without an adapter. Am I doing something wrong to my camera?
Hey! Would you choose sigma 10-20 f3.5 or tokina 11-20 2.8 for video work? I watched all the reviews, still not sure abouth the right answer :(
Were the standard center, corner tests done in 1x or 2x magnification?
Do they have l mount for panasonic lumix s1 camera ?
How would it work for portraits?
Did I miss the mention of the "working distance" at 2:1 macro ?
Excellent review. What is the working distance for ultra macro?
Has anyone had problems with the grease on the inside barrel getting on the optics ? esp. in warm conditions. Seems to be a common complaint on B&H, Amazon, blogs
I think the nikon version has manual aperture control on the lens
Unfortunately so far dxomark hasn't tested any Laowa lenses yet. I would like to buy this lens but i have know idea about the sharpness of the lens, what is the maximum amount of megapixels that it can 'handle', transfer through this lens?
Is there a point of getting Sigma 105mm macro dg dn art over this then?
Can it use for sony a73?
Would you recommend this over the 60mm model? (for APS-C)
Could i put this on a Nikon D500 or a D810 ? Thanks
Christopher would this lens be a better buy than a CANON MACRO LENS EF 100mm f2.8 USM w/ included TRIPOD COLLAR ???
Apart from Laowa being 2X magnification, on a Canon 5D MK III and Sony A7R III, which would you record compared to Samyang 100mm 2.8?
why is there a manual and automatic lens? Was there not one or the other before, or what? Are they all auto or all manual usually?
I'm thinking of purchasing this lens for my Sony A6000, either this one or the 65mm which I know is already designed for e mount. If I go with the 100mm and shoot with my A6000, which adapter would I require in order to use this lens? Thank you.
Is this the same as the Vilrox 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro lens?
looks pretty good to me
So wich one is beter samyang 100mm or laowa 100mm ?
QUESTION : The 100mm is made for full frame, but can also be used on apsc, and the image quality looks identical, which makes it a good choice to buy.. Can the Laowa 65mm for apsc be used on a full frame? if yes, is there any image quality drop?
Is this lens can use in Canon 200 D?
I cannot decide between 60mm and 100mm venus.. Help please.
Hey Chris, nice review as always! Definitely on my wish list (but I need more info!)
Do you know anything else about the differences between the Sony and Canon mount? I'd rather not adapt to my Sony for the contacts, but looks like I'll have to.
Do the aperture blades stay open until you take a picture at a narrower aperture (adapted to Sony)?
Thanks!
Afraid I only tested the Canon mount lens.
@@christopherfrost I know, asked in case you had any inside information! :D
Still my last question, do you know if the blades stay open until you take the shot at a narrower aperture? Thank you! Love your reviews!
@@KeyLimeyPie222 I can't remember but I think on the Sony camera it closes before you take the shot
@@christopherfrost Oh shoot, even with the contacts? Thanks for the reply anyway! 😊
Just got mine today actually
Only the Canon EF version is auto aperture the other version are manual
How is this lens for portretts?
Great review. Will this lens fit directly on Canon EOS 6D Mark I? or I need to buy adapter with it.
No adaptor needed if you get the Canon EF version of the lens
Have you got a video about the Kipon 40mm 0.85 MKII? Interested in this lens.
Coming soon
I have APS-C camera, 12mp) Ordered, waiting for delivery. Thank you for video, but I did not understand half of the information, I need to learn English😉. Is this top for my camera?😇
Why is the coin blurry on the top and bottom?