Laowa Makes Microscopy Affordable with 10-50x Aurogon Lens
Venus Optics announced the Laowa Aurogon 10-50x Supermicro APO lens set this summer, although details were extremely scarce at the time. Now Venus Optics has completely revealed the lens, including full specs and many incredible sample images.
The Laowa Aurogon FF 10-50x NA0.5 Supermicro APO lens set is the first all-in-one microscopic photography kit available for photographers that is ready to go straight out of the box. The APO lens set includes a base lens, available in PL, EF, RF, F, Z, E, L, and GF lens mounts, and swappable magnification tubes.
Regardless of the magnification the photographer selects, 10x, 20x, 35x, or 50x, the working distance remains the same at 0.79 inches (20 millimeters). The length and weight of each magnification tube lens vary, ranging from 4.4 inches (112mm) to 10 inches (253mm) and 13.3 ounces (377 grams) to 21.5 ounces (609g).
Beyond changing the magnification using the different lens tubes, users can also adjust the brightness of each optic. NA, which stands for numerical aperture, ranges from 0.15 to 0.5. As Nikon explains as part of its microscopy website, “The numerical aperture of a microscope objective is a measure of its ability to gather light and resolve fine specimen detail at a fixed object distance.” Some moderately complex math is required to calculate NA.
As for the relationship between NA and f-stop, “It is important to remember that f/# and NA are inversely related,” explains Edmund Optics. (https://www.edmundoptics.com/knowledge-center/application-notes/imaging/lens-iris-aperture-setting/ The critical thing to understand is that because the Laowa Aurogon lens set includes adjustable NA, users can select the optimal NA for their camera sensor, lighting setup, and desired depth of field.
Flexibility is an important part of the Laowa Aurogon 10-50x Supermicro set. Not only can photographers and videographers adjust the NA of the optics, by being gable to swap between different magnification ratios, up to 50x, it is possible to resolve incredible details that are impossible to see with the naked eye or even with a macro lens, like Laowa’s popular 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5x Ultra Macro lens.
“For years, many enthusiasts have longed for a lens that is camera-ready, has high image quality, and less expensive option for getting into an even more extreme micro world. The Aurogon is an excellent macro lens for photographers to capture magnified details with any full-frame camera. Revealing the fascinating unseen micro world under 10X, 20X, 35X, and even 50X magnification ratios,” explains Venus Optics.
The lens incorporates an apochromatic optical design as evidenced by the “APO” designation in the model’s name. Venus Optics says this ensures “excellent image quality and color rendition.” The APO lens set promises “exceptional aberration control.”
Venus Optics also offers an add-on Tube Lens Slip Ring set for users requiring a made-ready setup for stabler shooting. “The set of tube clip rings comes with two rings. One for attaching the objective lens and one for the longer barrels of higher magnifications. You may also remove the inner ring of the front ring to use it on the tube lens. The position of the rings can be adjusted depending on different setups,” the company explains. The slip ring can also be used to attach the microscope lens set to a rail platform at the front, allowing the user to move the subject rather than the optics.
“Embark on a new era of microscopic photo exploration with Laowa Aurogon. Get ready to discover the unseen worlds and make the microscopic your playground, not just in the lab but anywhere with your camera,” the lens maker adds.
Pricing and Availability
The Laowa Aurogon FF 10-50x NA0.5 Super Micro APO lens set is available to purchase directly from Venus Optics and through authorized resellers. The lens set is $1,500 and includes the complete set of magnification tubes, including 10x, 20x, 35x, and 50x optics. The add-on Slip Ring is $150 per set.
Additional Samples
Image credits: Images courtesy of Venus Optics. Individual photographers are credited in the captions.
