The Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra-Macro: A $399 Full-Frame 5:1 Lens

Venus Optics has just announced its new Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra-Macro lens, an “affordable extreme macro option for full frame cameras.”

The lens provides a magnification range of 2.5:1 to 5:1 and “offers a flexibility for photographers to capture macro subjects with different sizes,” Venus Optics says.

Here’s a size comparison between the Laowa 25mm (above) and the $1,049 Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens (below):

With a wide focal length of 25mm, photographers can shoot with a relatively deeper depth of field than when using longer macro lenses. Macro shooters who use a focus stacking technique can create the same images while needing fewer shots to stack.

There’s an extended working distance of 40mm (~1.57in) when shooting at 5x, and the small lens barrel allows more light to reach the subject even when you’re working up close.

It features 8 lens elements in 6 groups, reduction of chromatic aberration and color fringing, a weight of just 400g (14oz), an 8-blade aperture, and an angle of view of 10.3°.

Here are some sample photos captured with the lens:

The new Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra-Macro lens is now available through the Venus Optics website (and through authorized retailers) for Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, and Sony E mounts for $399.