Venus Optics officially announces the Laowa 58mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO

[Canon Rumors Guy]

Anhui China, 22 September, 2022 – Venus Optics, the lens manufacturer that has been always endeavouring to invent unique lenses, is stoked to release the Laowa 58mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO. This mirrorless-designed macro lens offers a 40.9° angle of view on full frame sensors. And like many other Laowa macro lenses, it can focus from 2:1 magnification to infinity which makes it suitable for professional macro, portrait or a walk-around lens. It features an apochromatic (APO) design that chromatic aberration is compressed to the minimum. With 3 ED elements and 3 Ultra-High Refractive Index elements, the lens delivers an outstanding sharpness. Despite its metal housing, the lens only weighs 595g which is extremely portable. It comes with 4 mount options: Sony E / Canon R / Nikon Z / L mount and a price of USD499.

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[keithcooper]

I've got one here for testing if anyone has any questions - solid build, fully manual, but good optically

A 20min YT overview:

The problem of dust when I'm photographing electronic components ;-)

 

[Berowne]

No need for this: Venus Optics

 

[Chaitanya]

I've got one here for testing if anyone has any questions - solid build, fully manual, but good optically

A 20min YT overview:

The problem of dust when I'm photographing electronic components ;-)

View attachment 205717

Apparently Venus is going to come out with RF version of 65mm Macro, if you get hands on one please do a comparison between 58 and 65 for crop bodies.

 

[danfaz]

No need for this: Venus Optics

Explanation?

 

[keithcooper]

Apparently Venus is going to come out with RF version of 65mm Macro, if you get hands on one please do a comparison between 58 and 65 for crop bodies.

Not unless you send me a crop body to test as well...

The only crop body I have is Karen's 100D - which I did indeed test a Laowa 65mm on several years ago. A very different lens

 

[Chaitanya]

Not unless you send me a crop body to test as well...

The only crop body I have is Karen's 100D - which I did indeed test a Laowa 65mm on several years ago. A very different lens

Does Rp have a crop mode? That 65mm Macro is crop macro for mirrorless mounts and until now EF-M mount was the only option for Canon users and soon RF mount version should be available. Would like to know how these 2 lenses compare on crop RF bodies.

 

[koenkooi]

Does Rp have a crop mode? That 65mm Macro is crop macro for mirrorless mounts and until now EF-M mount was the only option for Canon users and soon RF mount version should be available. Would like to know how these 2 lenses compare on crop RF bodies.

It does, it will give you an 11-ish MP image.

 

[keithcooper]

Does Rp have a crop mode? That 65mm Macro is crop macro for mirrorless mounts and until now EF-M mount was the only option for Canon users and soon RF mount version should be available. Would like to know how these 2 lenses compare on crop RF bodies.

Maybe it does, but I'm not testing crop sensor cameras...
An APS-C crop on the RP is not much

 

[Skyscraperfan]

Is the R mount the RF mount without autofocus? I wonder if Canon lawyers will try to stop it.

 

[AlanF]

Is the R mount the RF mount without autofocus? I wonder if Canon lawyers will try to stop it.

It’s an RF mount whether or not it has AF.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I just received the email from Keith about his review but before I could go to it, I saw the post here. I'd like to be more expert at macro photography and have bought a ton of various gadgets to help but never seem to find the time to become proficent at using them. My EF 100mm L Canon macro has had the front element ring loosen so that it may have rotated. I tightened the retaining ring, but it does not seem as good as before. It may be imagination, I don't know if that front element is plain glass or a actual lens element.

 

[entoman]

Laowa offer a fabulous range of high quality macro lenses, but it's a great shame that they are fully manual. At true macro ratios depth of field is extremely limited and focus accuracy is ultra critical. The simple act of touching the lens can knock the image slightly out of focus, even if it's mounted on a really sturdy tripod.

It would be great if macro lenses had motorised MF, which could be remotely controlled via a phone app or computer, thus avoiding human contact with the camera. But sadly, given that Canon seem to be currently preventing third parties from making use of AF, the chances of Laowa or anyone else providing remote-controlled electronic MF are extremely slim.

 

[koenkooi]

Laowa offer a fabulous range of high quality macro lenses, but it's a great shame that they are fully manual. At true macro ratios depth of field is extremely limited and focus accuracy is ultra critical. The simple act of touching the lens can knock the image slightly out of focus, even if it's mounted on a really sturdy tripod.

It would be great if macro lenses had motorised MF, which could be remotely controlled via a phone app or computer, thus avoiding human contact with the camera. But sadly, given that Canon seem to be currently preventing third parties from making use of AF, the chances of Laowa or anyone else providing remote-controlled electronic MF are extremely slim.

Helicon has an autofocus/stacking adapter that can do that. They are sadly not producing it currently due to their location.

 

[entoman]

Helicon has an autofocus/stacking adapter that can do that. They are sadly not producing it currently due to their location.

For those who don't know, Helicon Soft is based in Ukraine, hence koenkooi's comment.

 

[entoman]

Is the R mount the RF mount without autofocus? I wonder if Canon lawyers will try to stop it.

If Canon have trademarked the name "RF", then it's possible that Laowa may be calling their lenses "R" simply to avoid infringement.

 

[danfaz]

If Canon have trademarked the name "RF", then it's possible that Laowa may be calling their lenses "R" simply to avoid infringement.

Just an oversight, I think. On other parts of the site, they say "RF."

 

[EOS 4 Life]

Just an oversight, I think. On other parts of the site, they say "RF."

The terms are used interchangeably.
The cameras are the EOS R line while the lens mount is the RF mount.

 

[entoman]

The terms are used interchangeably.
The cameras are the EOS R line while the lens mount is the RF mount.

Yep. The F stands for full frame, in both the EF and RF lenses/mounts. And the S in EF-S and RF-S stands for crop sensor.

But there's an anomaly here - why aren't crop sensor bodies called RS?

"RS7" would have made perfect sense for the R7...

 

[Nemorino]

Helicon has an autofocus/stacking adapter that can do that.

But You need a AF lens.

Hardware requirements

• Canon DSLR with EF-mount / Nikon DSLR with F-mount
• Autofocus lenses with internal motor

Helicon FB Tube - Helicon Soft