Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macro Le

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<strong>Anhui China, Jun 12, 2015</strong> – Venus Optics, the Chinese camera lenses manufacturer who had launched the world’s first 2:1 Macro Lens in last Sept, has just released the world’s widest Macro lens for full frame cameras, Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angled 1:1 Macro Lens.</p>
<p>The new Laowa 15mm f/4 1:1 Macro lens is the first lens in the market which posseses a ultra wide angle of view and 1:1 Macro ability. This allows photographers from around the world to start experiencing the rather undeveloped field of ‘Wide Angle Macro Photography’ without using an extension tube. Macro Lenses currently in the market tends to have a mid to long focal length and it limits users to take very close-up shots on the insect or flowers, without showing much of the background details like its habitat or environment.</p>
<p>The new Laowa 15mm f/4 1:1 Macro lens features an ultra wide angle of view of 110 degrees with 1:1 maximum magnification. Photographers can focus very close to the subject and let the foreground dominates in the photo but at the same time, have the background telling viewers about where and how the subject lives. You picture will immdiately become very informative and intriguing.</p>

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<p> </p>
<p>The lens can also serve as an excellent ultra-wide angle lenses with infinity focus for cameras with full frame sensors. A shift mechanism is added at the rear end of the lens with a maximum adjustment of +/- 6mm, which is extremely useful for landscape/architecture photography for distortion correction.</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p>The lens houses with 12 elements in 9 groups with 3 pieces of High Refractive elements and 1 piece of Extra-low dispersion elements to deliver crystal sharpness both in the center and the edge. Barrel Distortion was also carefully controlled. 14 pieces of aperture blades form a close-to-circular aperture, capable of creating creamy shallow depth of view. The enclosure of the lens is made of metal to strengthen its durability. Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony Alpha, Sony FE and Pentax K mounts are available.</p>
<p><strong>Pricing and Availability

</strong>The Laowa 15mm f/4 wide-angle macro lens is currently available at authorized resellers and at the English official website (<a href="http://www.venuslens.net" target="_blank">http://www.venuslens.net</a>). The recommended retail price is at USD 479. Free shipping will be provided during the promotion period. Pre-order starts from today and shipping will start from late July.</p>
 
Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macr

Is it manual focus or AF? I cant get to the site to tell, its crashed.
What is the actual focus distance? I own a Rokinon 14mm T3.1, and shoot a lot of dog videos/photos with it. Wondering if this would be worth it. Just looking for something to compare the 2 really.
 
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Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macr

Abn0021 said:
Is it manual focus or AF? I cant get to the site to tell, its crashed.
What is the actual focus distance? I own a Rokinon 14mm T3.1, and shoot a lot of dog videos/photos with it. Wondering if this would be worth it. Just looking for something to compare the 2 really.
Found it on petapixel: "The lens has a minimum working distance of 0.47cm, meaning the front element of the lens will be nearly touching your subject when shooting 1:1."

Wow thats crazy.

Also, "note: none of this initial sample shots show 1:1"
 
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Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macr

Dekaner said:
Could someone please compare this to a fisheye or a 16-35mm lens with an extension tube?
According to the information, it is an ultra wide angle lens rectilinear, with well-controlled barrel distortion. I believe that would have an effect similar to 16-35mm with a macro extension tube.
 
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wsmith96

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Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macr

Abn0021 said:
Abn0021 said:
Is it manual focus or AF? I cant get to the site to tell, its crashed.
What is the actual focus distance? I own a Rokinon 14mm T3.1, and shoot a lot of dog videos/photos with it. Wondering if this would be worth it. Just looking for something to compare the 2 really.
Found it on petapixel: "The lens has a minimum working distance of 0.47cm, meaning the front element of the lens will be nearly touching your subject when shooting 1:1."

Wow thats crazy.

Also, "note: none of this initial sample shots show 1:1"

.47 cm!!!! Wow. How would you light your subject being that close? You would need a light from the lens
 
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Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macr

What an odd lens. The low minimum focus distance of many wide angle lenses is undoubtedly useful in unique situations, but the number of scenarios where one would need (or could us) 1:1 magnification with that kind of working distance is, well, small.
 
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wide angle macro

As for the previous question about whether it is AF or MF, I am virtually certain this will be a manual focus lens.

At first sight the idea sounds intriguing, but then I saw the sample thumbnails and realized it is actually an ugly effect. Maybe in the hands of the right photographer it could be intriguing, but I remain skeptical.
 
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Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macr

Lighting is a bitch. This is a job for a DIY person - make a UWA-specific concave diffuser for a flash. My current UWA lens (Samyang 14mm) must be longer than this one, because I believe that "1:1" length (with extension tube) would put the subject somewhere within the first element. :p As for ugly, tastes vary - I think that the effect would work well with insects in-situ on a flower. The effect isn't hugely flattering for those cats.
 
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Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens

unfocused said:
Opening up a whole new realm of cat videos.

You'd have a interesting cat that let you put the lens close enough for a 1:1 shot.

I can't think of any possible use for a lens at macro distance (1:1) where the lens comes within a hair of touching the subject. Even if you get that close, lighting it would be very difficult.

It sounds like a case of someone creating a item to catch unaware buyers with something that is virtually unusable at 1:1.
 
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dcm

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Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens

Mt Spokane Photography said:
unfocused said:
Opening up a whole new realm of cat videos.

You'd have a interesting cat that let you put the lens close enough for a 1:1 shot.

I can't think of any possible use for a lens at macro distance (1:1) where the lens comes within a hair of touching the subject. Even if you get that close, lighting it would be very difficult.

It sounds like a case of someone creating a item to catch unaware buyers with something that is virtually unusable at 1:1.

I did get a couple of photos of a cat checking out my 8-15 fisheye up close by accident a while back. Went back to try it on purpose, no such luck yet. I have used the 8-15 at/near the minimum working distance of 3.3cm which can be a challenge. To do a good job you really need to put it on a tripod witha rail at that distance rather than working behind the viewfinder. Mine were handheld hiking, etc. and I didn't have a rail at the time.
 
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Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macr

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
What an odd lens. The low minimum focus distance of many wide angle lenses is undoubtedly useful in unique situations, but the number of scenarios where one would need (or could us) 1:1 magnification with that kind of working distance is, well, small.
+1
Very fascinating but I believe they won't sell many of these lenses.
I hope they'll do so we could see other "specialist" lenses but I won't be on the want nor need list.
 
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Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macr

The point I don't understand is how it can make 1:1 macro with 12cm minimum focus distance from sensor with 15mm focal length?

Min. working distance 0.47 cm (1:1) (this is the distance of subject from the lens)
Min. shooting distance 12 cm


When I compare with a 100mm macro lens, they have around 29-31cm minimum focus where it becomes 1:1 . When I compare with a 50mm macro lens, they have 13-14cm where they become 1:1 . So actually real 1:1 is impossible with this lens, you need to put the object in to the lens :)

Do they use the DOF factor of wide angle design where a subject at 1:1 distance is in focus with a 15mm focal length and f4 aperture? With 12cm distance on a 15mm f4 lens DOF will be:

Subject distance 12 cm

Depth of field
Near limit 11.4 cm
Far limit 12.7 cm
Total 1.35 cm

In front of subject 0.64 cm (47%)
Behind subject 0.71 cm (53%)
 
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Re: Venus Optics Announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro Lens, the World’s Widest 1:1 Macr

My guess is that they have mixed up those 2 specifications - most logical conclusion since it doesn't make sense as it stands.

What the specs say:
Min. working distance (Subject to Sensor) : 0.47 cm (1:1)
Min. shooting distance (Subject to Front Element) : 12 cm

What the specs should say:
Min. working distance (Subject to Sensor) : 12 cm
Min. shooting distance (Subject to Front Element) : 0.47 cm (1:1)
 
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