@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 ....
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.
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.
@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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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?
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.
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😂
I read that that electronic aperture control is just for the canon version. a nikon and sony version can be preordered, too. aaaand the have different numbers of aperture blades!
I really hope it does end up having electronic contacts on the Sony version! Wondering if they made a different design for manual aperture control?.. and why! I'd prefer to adapt and get the exif, than have a native mount without.
@@KeyLimeyPie222 www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-100mm-f-2-8-2x-macro-apo/ i also cant understand why it is different for sony :( At least sony has the most aperture blades...
@@snmemich Saw that the day it was announced.. I'm just hoping somehow that it's wrong! :'( I didn't notice the aperture blade difference until you said that, though!
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 :)
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.
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?
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. :)
Hi Chris, i remember You reviewing Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8... Now adapter MC-11 got special update to improve its performance on sony mirrorless.. do you still have an access to that lens? It would be amazing to see how it performs on 42mpix mirrorless body.. Could you re-visit that lens please?
@@christopherfrost Thank you kindly for the answer :) Pitty, its 5-6 years that the lens is on the market and yet its still one of a kind...Would love to see how it would perform on Sonies ... :-/ Take care :)
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 🙌
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?
I shoot mostly narrative short films and want to get a macro lens for close up shots of eyes, mouths, hands and object details. I doubt I will need the 2X level of magnification for this, but presume I can also use this lens for a 1X macro type shot. Would you recommend this lens over a used Canon 100mm macro lens? The Canon lenses are readily available for $450-500, and highly regarded. My cameras use EF and L mount, and I already have the Sifma EF to L mount adapter. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!
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!
100mm on Fullframe or ~150mm on APS-C. I think this would make a great portrait lens. Flaring and colour fringing are usually worse on macro lenses tho. I use Tamron 90mm/f2.8 (macro) for portraits and it works great. I would think this lens does too.
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?😇
I'd love to see a direct comparison between this lens and the canon rf 100mm macro. Given the massive price difference yet not so different image quality, it would be a fun watch
Hello! Have you ever been able to find a comparison of these lenses? I’m choosing between the two now and I can’t figure out which one is better in terms of photo quality
@@damien_black I can't remember if I'm honest, but I own the Laowa and I'm very happy with it. However, having auto focus is definitely missed sometimes. The Laowa magnifies closer than the Canon so that's why I chose it
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?
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!
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?
I've been trying to decide whether or not to buy the Canon 100mm f2.8 L macro lens for a while now. If AF isn't a big deal to me, would you recommend this lens instead?
@@christopherfrost Thanks! I really love your reviews by the way. I know if a lens is on your channel, I'm always going to see all the important information and no filler material. All quality content. Thanks!
I'm from Argentina, and boy... I did not see 7:14 coming. I 100% don't mean to start a political argument or anything like that (I completely understand that, having won a war, the UK's claim on the islands is perfectly legitimate). It's just that, having grown up here, I'm used to hearing the opposite claims. Political statements; public places, schools, hospitals, whole counties named after the islands; you know the drill. It's interesting seeing the subject approached from the other side. I love your videos :) I check them out as soon as I see a new one is up! And this lens is just wonderful, I've been looking for a decent macro lens for a while and at this price this one looks like an amazing alternative.
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!
I thank you for the video, but I assume you're throwing Nikon Z in your tags. I am trying to find Nikon specific videos or reviews and the tags are pulling this up on searches. This is the second vid that's using Sony but falls under Nikon searches.
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.
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.
This lens is nice, but the problem I’m having is a large ring around the image at 2.8 & 3.2. I use it on a Canon T6s. Do you think the problem is because I use an APS-C camera?
same thing with my canon m50 with eos-ef adapter. Rings were the immediate first thing I noticed when looking through he liveview, and thought would have to send it back, but took a few photos and when you playback you don't see the rings so disaster averted thnkfully, mildy annoying when looking at your subjects in the live-view but not the end of the world - seems to be a good lens so far...
Thanks for your great review. I definitvely like this lens and think it's very interesting. I am looking for a really good replacement of my Zeiss 100mm Makro Planar f2 that I had for my Nikon D810 before I switched to Sony. I don't really like the Sony 90mm 2.8 Macro (especially the bokeh) and will probably sell it as soon as this Laowa Macro lens becomes available. I like the apo correction, the "pop" of the lens and 2:1 magnification.
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'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.
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!
Is the Bokeh that much more special on the 105mm STF vs the 100mm APO? If the APO has almost as good Bokeh but not as pronounced, I would choose the APO easily for the macro and $250 less.
Love your reviews! Sony has taken a favored spot in this review. No macro test shots with a Canon 6D, when you have a canon mount lens, was a disappointment. Sony may well take the crown from Canon but not yet. Don’t forget us your Canon shooters and loyal fans.
A7iii with a metabones adapter, a Canon EF lens wouldn’t auto focus in shade or low lighting but that same lens was fine in full sun. I tried all of my ef lens on the rented A7iii. No issues with the Sony G Master images, lead me to believe adapted EF lens could be inconsistent on the Sony.
@@peepers4763 I've had no serious problems with my Sigma MC-11 adaptor. Anyway, as I mentioned before, in your case, with this video, just look at the macro test shots on the Sony and imagine them being sharper :-)
I wonder which one to buy for sony mirrorless crop sensor camera (A6400). This one or Laowa 60mm macro. Judging from your reviews this one got better quality and let you photograph from further away. I'm not sure if 150mm focal length would be too much for macro work (on crop sensor). Any thoughts Chris?
150mm is the ideal focal length for shooting insects. Some macro lens even has 200mm focal length, like those from Nikon and Minolta, and they are very expensive despite being old lenses.
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
@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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Laowa never fails to deliver. Amazing sharpness and low CA everytime.
Is the sharpness REALLY good ?
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 :-)
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.
That manufacturer has so many very interesting/unique products!
That LoCA performance is amazing!
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.
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!
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?
Hi Christopher, I really hoped that you make this lens review and you did it! Thank you very much it was very useful!
Thanks for the test.
Recently I bought the Canon 100mm L Macro.
If I would have waited a little longer...
Kickass lens. Amazing it still does so well at infinity and 2:1.
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 have been waiting different RUclipsrs to test this lens, turns out you are the first few RUclipsr to test it, lovely :)
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 :)
Please make a video with all all macro lens
I own this lens , and I love it … Image quality is simply stunning
This is incredible performance for a lens at this price point. Great review!
Only the Canon EF version is auto aperture the other version are manual
Thank you for the fantastic review ! One of the most competent out here.
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😂
YESSSSSS THAT IS WHAT WE WERE WAITING FOR!!!
I read that that electronic aperture control is just for the canon version. a nikon and sony version can be preordered, too. aaaand the have different numbers of aperture blades!
I really hope it does end up having electronic contacts on the Sony version! Wondering if they made a different design for manual aperture control?.. and why!
I'd prefer to adapt and get the exif, than have a native mount without.
@@KeyLimeyPie222
www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-100mm-f-2-8-2x-macro-apo/
i also cant understand why it is different for sony :(
At least sony has the most aperture blades...
@@snmemich Saw that the day it was announced.. I'm just hoping somehow that it's wrong! :'( I didn't notice the aperture blade difference until you said that, though!
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!
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! 👏
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 :)
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.
Your voice is very calmful
They've come a long way since the 60mm, but the open ended lens barrel is a disappointment.
As always, another well done lens review, thanks, Jay!
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?
You should try the IRIX 150mm 2.8 Macro
This review is very well made and helpful. Thanks for making this video.
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. :)
Your review convinced me to get one of these which i just did!
Hi Chris, i remember You reviewing Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8... Now adapter MC-11 got special update to improve its performance on sony mirrorless.. do you still have an access to that lens? It would be amazing to see how it performs on 42mpix mirrorless body.. Could you re-visit that lens please?
Nope, don't have access to that lens anymore I'm afraid!
@@christopherfrost Thank you kindly for the answer :) Pitty, its 5-6 years that the lens is on the market and yet its still one of a kind...Would love to see how it would perform on Sonies ... :-/ Take care :)
Wow. What a great lense! Thank you for the review 👍
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 🙌
I love when you say it's me.
Hi Christopher, thanx for all your great vids, do you know if this macro lens will come in Fuji X mount ?
thanks for the great review...just want to ask you chris if this would be a great pair to my canon 90d
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?
I shoot mostly narrative short films and want to get a macro lens for close up shots of eyes, mouths, hands and object details. I doubt I will need the 2X level of magnification for this, but presume I can also use this lens for a 1X macro type shot.
Would you recommend this lens over a used Canon 100mm macro lens? The Canon lenses are readily available for $450-500, and highly regarded.
My cameras use EF and L mount, and I already have the Sifma EF to L mount adapter.
Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!
Amazing lens and review, thanks!
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!
Also, do you find it usable as a portrait lens at this focal length? I know you briefly commented on that subject, but any further thoughts?
100mm on Fullframe or ~150mm on APS-C. I think this would make a great portrait lens.
Flaring and colour fringing are usually worse on macro lenses tho. I use Tamron 90mm/f2.8 (macro) for portraits and it works great. I would think this lens does too.
Other thank every pimple and blackhead being clear as day due to the sharpness it should be good. Avoid backlit subjects though.
100mm is a great focal length for portrait work.
great video. did the aperture control work with the canon version of the lens coupled with the Sony camera and adapter mount?
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?😇
I'd love to see a direct comparison between this lens and the canon rf 100mm macro. Given the massive price difference yet not so different image quality, it would be a fun watch
Hello! Have you ever been able to find a comparison of these lenses? I’m choosing between the two now and I can’t figure out which one is better in terms of photo quality
@@damien_black I can't remember if I'm honest, but I own the Laowa and I'm very happy with it. However, having auto focus is definitely missed sometimes. The Laowa magnifies closer than the Canon so that's why I chose it
@@JustinMcNeil thanks for the answer!
Excellent lens and review!
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?
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!
Isn’t it available in e mount as well though? You can preorder it on e mount. Thus not needing an adaptor?
He probably did not want to buy 2.
Nordburg he didn’t buy any, they sent it to him to review for two weeks
@@Iruinyourkdr who said he bought any? I hate that guy.
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?
I've been trying to decide whether or not to buy the Canon 100mm f2.8 L macro lens for a while now. If AF isn't a big deal to me, would you recommend this lens instead?
If AF isn't a big deal just go for this Laowa lens
@@christopherfrost Thanks! I really love your reviews by the way. I know if a lens is on your channel, I'm always going to see all the important information and no filler material. All quality content. 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?
I'm from Argentina, and boy... I did not see 7:14 coming. I 100% don't mean to start a political argument or anything like that (I completely understand that, having won a war, the UK's claim on the islands is perfectly legitimate). It's just that, having grown up here, I'm used to hearing the opposite claims. Political statements; public places, schools, hospitals, whole counties named after the islands; you know the drill. It's interesting seeing the subject approached from the other side.
I love your videos :) I check them out as soon as I see a new one is up! And this lens is just wonderful, I've been looking for a decent macro lens for a while and at this price this one looks like an amazing alternative.
It is interesting the different narratives we grow up with. Glad you enjoyed the review and peace to you :-)
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!
I thank you for the video, but I assume you're throwing Nikon Z in your tags. I am trying to find Nikon specific videos or reviews and the tags are pulling this up on searches. This is the second vid that's using Sony but falls under Nikon searches.
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.
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
This lens is nice, but the problem I’m having is a large ring around the image at 2.8 & 3.2. I use it on a Canon T6s. Do you think the problem is because I use an APS-C camera?
A large ring?!
Christopher Frost Photography Yes. It’s sort of like a halo.
Christopher Frost Photography Here’s a video I did about it: m.ruclips.net/video/PSj7Rze0BrM/видео.html
same thing with my canon m50 with eos-ef adapter. Rings were the immediate first thing I noticed when looking through he liveview, and thought would have to send it back, but took a few photos and when you playback you don't see the rings so disaster averted thnkfully, mildy annoying when looking at your subjects in the live-view but not the end of the world - seems to be a good lens so far...
Christopher would this lens be a better buy than a CANON MACRO LENS EF 100mm f2.8 USM w/ included TRIPOD COLLAR ???
Is there a new version Laowa 100mm f2.8 CA-Dreamer Macro 2x?
'demanding 42 megapixel sensor' ... bingo!!!
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?
Thanks for your great review. I definitvely like this lens and think it's very interesting. I am looking for a really good replacement of my Zeiss 100mm Makro Planar f2 that I had for my Nikon D810 before I switched to Sony. I don't really like the Sony 90mm 2.8 Macro (especially the bokeh) and will probably sell it as soon as this Laowa Macro lens becomes available. I like the apo correction, the "pop" of the lens and 2:1 magnification.
What macro lens would you say has the least longitudinal chromatic aberration? This one?
Excellent review. What is the working distance for ultra macro?
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
Did I miss the mention of the "working distance" at 2:1 macro ?
2x mag is way beyond ridiculous ;) Probably sub-millimeter DoF...
The Canon legendary 1-5x macro still has the craziest magnification!
@@skyboy123454321 Laowa also has a 25mm 2.5-5X macro lens
@@SiruiProProducts Oh my bad heh.. But dam.. this 100mm reach with 2x magnification sounds great for small critters
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 ?
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 pre-ordered it with Sony e-mount.
Best macro lens on the market with the lowest price. No sense, they should price it at least 2x times more
Or you can get two!
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.
😱😱Freaking sharp
Thanks for the useful review :)
For $450 you could buy a second hand Canon EF 100mm f2.8 L IS. You don't get the 2x macro but you do get IS an AF.
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
Only the Canon version is electronically controlled! The Sony is all manual, the Nikon is mechanically coupled, but with No chip.
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 :-)
i kid, i love your reviews! very helpful!
Chris - - Appreciated the John 1:1 sample. A question: will this lens fit on a Nikon D750?
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! 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 :(
Good review ...plz. Dose this lens work and compatible with Sony a 6500?
Is the Bokeh that much more special on the 105mm STF vs the 100mm APO? If the APO has almost as good Bokeh but not as pronounced, I would choose the APO easily for the macro and $250 less.
Have you got a video about the Kipon 40mm 0.85 MKII? Interested in this lens.
Coming soon
Love your reviews! Sony has taken a favored spot in this review.
No macro test shots with a Canon 6D, when you have a canon mount lens, was a disappointment. Sony may well take the crown from Canon but not yet. Don’t forget us your Canon shooters and loyal fans.
Just look at the macro test shots on the Sony and imagine them being sharper :-)
Tried that. But my adapted canon glass, on the Sony, wasn’t consistent, especially in low light like macro work. Back to Canon.
@@peepers4763 Not really sure what you mean by that - I've certainly never had any kind of problem like that.
A7iii with a metabones adapter, a Canon EF lens wouldn’t auto focus in shade or low lighting but that same lens was fine in full sun. I tried all of my ef lens on the rented A7iii. No issues with the Sony G Master images, lead me to believe adapted EF lens could be inconsistent on the Sony.
@@peepers4763 I've had no serious problems with my Sigma MC-11 adaptor. Anyway, as I mentioned before, in your case, with this video, just look at the macro test shots on the Sony and imagine them being sharper :-)
I wonder which one to buy for sony mirrorless crop sensor camera (A6400). This one or Laowa 60mm macro. Judging from your reviews this one got better quality and let you photograph from further away. I'm not sure if 150mm focal length would be too much for macro work (on crop sensor). Any thoughts Chris?
Don't know what you mean by 'too much' but the 100mm lens is much better
150mm is the ideal focal length for shooting insects. Some macro lens even has 200mm focal length, like those from Nikon and Minolta, and they are very expensive despite being old lenses.
Waiting for review of Tokina atx-i 100mm FF lens.
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