New Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Delivers Incredible 5x Magnification

Aug 15, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A split image: on the left is a close-up of a black camera lens on a white background; on the right is an extreme close-up of a dragonfly's head, showing its large compound eyes and fine facial hairs.

Chinese lens company Zhong Yi Optics (ZY Optics) has released a brand new Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 macro lens for full-frame and medium-format cameras, which can deliver up to 5x magnification.

Zhong Yi Optics describes its new macro lens as a “pioneering ultra macro optic engineered to magnify the Macroverse.” To achieve this, the $399 lens delivers an unprecedented 1-5x magnification range and promises “exceptional image quality.”

The lens features 13 elements arranged across eight groups, and Zhong Yi says the optical formula and coatings minimize chromatic aberrations and deliver “razor-sharp images” across all focus distances. The lens covers both full-frame and medium-format image sensors and has a nine-bladed aperture diaphragm.

With its 55mm focal length, the new 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens has a working distance of 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) at 1:1 macro reproduction and just 65 millimeters (less than 2.6 inches) at 5:1 reproduction. The minimum working distances at 2x, 3x, and 4x are 97 millimeters (3.8 inches), 79 millimeters (3.1 inches), and 71 millimeters (2.8 inches), respectively.

A black Zhongyi 1x-5x macro camera lens stands vertically against a plain white background, showing yellow focus markings and aperture values. — The lens extends when focusing closer.

The lens is quite long for a 55mm f/2.8 prime lens, which is not unusual for a macro lens, especially not one with such powerful macro capabilities. The lens extends to 162 millimeters (6.4 inches) when working at 5x macro focus distances. The Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro weighs 690 grams (24.4 ounces). The lens accepts 58mm filters.

Given the very short working distance at high magnifications, lighting can be tricky. The lens solves this issue by including a front LED ring light, which can be attached to the front of the lens and is powered via USB-C. The lens also includes a detachable Arca Swiss tripod foot, which is a welcome feature.

A Sony Alpha mirrorless camera with a large, black telephoto lens attached, mounted on a tripod adapter, photographed against a plain white background. — The Zhong Yi Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens shown with the included LED light attached.

Unsurprisingly, the Zhong Yi Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens is a manual focus prime. This is pretty typical for third-party macro lenses, especially ones with such a high magnification ratio and relatively low price.

Zhong Yi Optics Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Sample Photos

Close-up macro photo of a damselfly’s face, showing its large blue compound eyes, delicate antennae, and fine details against a blurred green background. — © Alberto Ghizzi Panizza

Close-up of a green tendril with dewdrops hanging from it, each drop reflecting a purple flower in sharp detail. The background is softly blurred in shades of purple and green. — © Alberto Ghizzi Panizza

Extreme close-up of a dragonfly’s head and upper body, showing large compound eyes, fine hairs, detailed mouthparts, and segmented legs, with clear texture and color contrast against a blurred background. — © Alberto Ghizzi Panizza

Close-up of a thistle flower with spiky purple petals and a textured green stem, set against a dark, blurred background. — © Fabrice Lombard

A close-up of a green grasshopper clinging to a blade of grass, surrounded by blurred green foliage. The insect’s detailed body and brown eyes are in sharp focus against the soft background. — © Fabrice Lombard

Close-up image of a spider with brown, white, and tan markings on its body, resting on a rough, brown surface. The spider's multiple legs and eyes are clearly visible. — © James Spensley

Close-up of a woodlouse, showing its segmented, dark brown exoskeleton and tiny legs, crawling on a rough, orange-brown surface, likely decaying wood. The details of its body segments and texture are clearly visible. — © James Spensley

Close-up view of a jumping spider's face, showing its large, reflective central eyes, hairy body, and intricate details of its facial features. The spider's iridescent coloring and fine hairs are clearly visible. — © Jimmy Chan

Pricing and Availability

The Zhong Yi Optics Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens is available now for $399. The lens comes in a wide range of mounts, including Canon EF, Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Fujifilm GFX, L-Mount, Nikon F, Nikon Z, Sony E, and Hasselblad XCD.

Image credits: Zhong Yi Optics. Sample image credits are included in the individual photo captions. The insect photo included in the header photo was flipped horizontally for aesthetic purposes. The unaltered version is included in the article itself.