The first 2x macro lens for Micro Four Thirds confirms Venus Optics’ passion for developing lenses that go the extra mile. Meet the Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO, priced at $399.

Venus Optics has a series of “world’s firsts” in its growing lineup of lenses, which covers everything from still photography to cinema. Now the company announces another lens is added to its macro catalog, and this is another first, as the Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO is the world’s first 2x macro lens Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras.

Venus Optics continued endeavor in designing unique ultra-macro lenses offers, now, users of MFT sensors an excellent opportunity to see the world differently, as the photographs published here show. Images created by photographers Don Komarechka, Jimmy Chan, Nicky Bay, Paul Harcourt Davies, Richard Wong or Zy Yi demonstrate the type of images and visions it is possible to achieve with the lens.

Unlike most of the MFT macro lenses in the market which can focus only up to 1X, the new Laowa 50mm macro lens offers a 2X maximum magnification ratio along with a minimum focusing distance of 5.3” (13.5cm). Laowa says  that “it has become the first lens ever designed with a greater-than-life-size (2:1) maximum magnification for MFT cameras, allowing photographing close subjects with finer details. The wider magnification range also makes itself flexible for shooting subjects at different sizes.”

Designed for Micro Four Thirds

Due to the size of the Micro Four Thirds sensor, the 50mm macro lens, which can focus to infinity, also works as an excellent portrait lens, due to the fact that it offers a field of view equivalent to a 100mm in 35mm. So, in fact, this is a 2X for macro and 2X for lens coverage, making the the Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO an excellent acquisition for any photographer using MFT cameras.

The Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO follows the success of the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra macro APO which was optimized for APS-C. Venus Optics decided to follow with a 50mm lens specially developed for MFT mirrorless camera users. It can be used on Panasonic, Olympus, BMPCC 4K, and other models using the small sensor.

As the name suggests, the lens also features an apochromatic (APO) design to minimize the chromatic aberrations across the frame. In fact, it has inherited the exceptional APO design from Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO , where both lateral chromatic aberration (LaCa) and longitudinal CA (LoCA or Bokeh Fringing) are eliminated. The new 50mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro has a optics design with 14 elements in 10 groups, three out of which are extra-low dispersion glasses to minimize chromatic aberrations across the frame.

Internal focus design

The 50mm lens is extremely compact and light in weight. It measures 3.1” (79mm) long and weighs only around 8.4oz (240g). Venus Optics take advantage of the short flange distance of mirrorless cameras and compress the size of the lens to the minimal. An internal focus design is also adopted so that the length of the lens can be maintained during focusing.

The lens is equipped with a CPU chip and motor and the aperture can be controlled via the camera body. Laowa says that “all the lens data is directly recorded on EXIF. Moreover, the focus magnifier would automatically triggered for easier focus control when the focus ring is rotated.”

The lens is currently available to order in authorized resellers and in Venus Optics official website (http://www.venuslens.net/). Shipping starts immediately. The ex-VAT retail price in the US is  $399. Pricing may vary in different countries.