I sold my Laowa 60mm. This is my new macro photography setup.

👇📸👇 LIST OF ALL THE PRODUCTS IN MY SETUP 👇📸👇
🔎 My favorite macro lens: bit.ly/mwlaowa85 (I always buy Laowa lenses from their website - best price, good service, and fast, free shipping worldwide)
💥 Flash: amzn.to/3xhpc9E
🔋 Flash batteries: www.gpbatteries.com/products/...
📷 Sony A7 IV Camera: amzn.to/3BKQ1Ij
🎗 This is my camera strap: amzn.to/3tPBJSc
⚪️ I use this diffuser: www.popeshield.com
How I make my videos
📹 I use this small gimbal video camera outdoors to film: amzn.to/3oZGLsr
🎹 I get my music from Epidemic Sound: bit.ly/mwepidemic
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Thank you for watching my videos. 🥰

[@MicaelWidell]

Thanks for watching! Also find me in these places: 💌 newsletter: mwroll.com 🌄 instagram: instagram.com/mwroll 🎖 patreon: patreon.com/micaelwidell 🐦 twitter: twitter.com/micaelwidell 💬 discord: bit.ly/widelldiscord macro lens buying guide: lensguide.micaelwidell.com

[@henrikchristiansen3282]

I wrestled withe same decision and picked the 85mm as well. I have been using it and totally love the weight and size. The diffuser was an issue but I got the crafty bells diffuser recommended by Steward Wood and a little velcro and it is great.

[@EBzerozero]

Thx for the update. Enjoy!

[@Poisoned2010]

i had the 100mm laowa lens, but as you mentioned the size and weight made it difficult to used compared to a smaller macro lens. I was at the sony store and saw that sony had a (albeit not as nice as the laowa) 50mm macro lens. The image quality isnt bad for me as a hobbyist. It focuses to infinity, a MF/AF switch, and a focus distance switch. So I can use it in a pinch to take some non-macro photos. I usually just go out to photo flowers with just that lens since its very light weight and small in size.

[@barisckoyuncu]

I just tried the lens guide and it's very helpful. Thanks a lot!

[@michaelbuddy]

super helpful. I have so many heavy lenses, I can see why anyone who shoots a lot is relieved to go smaller even with a couple so-called drawbacks.

[@stevenml5748]

Thank you. The lend guide is great!

[@taylorhickman84]

I've been considering the 90mm, but that 85 is an attractive package and you bring up a great point about how the small size helps get into tight spaces. I currently have the 100mm, but suspect I have a bad copy as I get a lot of diffraction starting at f8.

[@kerryngriffis3557]

I love my macro diffuser kit from crafty bells, packs flat and reflects the light down over the subject, nice diffusion and very decent price

[@GregShaw]

I’ve just got my R6 but going to stick with the 100mm EF and use the EF/RF converter for now. Will look at the 90mm eventually

[@groundcontrol6876]

6:21 That's EXACTLY what kept me from just outright buying such a "perfect" lens as soon as I learned about it through your channel. I even took the test and tried a bunch of different answers and most of the time it recommended the 85mm, but since it seems so difficult to get my flash diffused (same flash as you) because the flash sits so close to the tip of the lens that it's basically firing all the light straight over it and not down onto the subject. So then I thought the 90mm would be the best option, but I saw you with the 60mm and still linked it as your favorite so I wanted to wait until you posted more content with the new lenses :). Honestly, it's amazing that it's so light and compact and I'm sure it feels super comfy, but I'm already used to the 105mm Sigma art macro lens and buying a diffuser for the 90mm would probably be much easier, even if in the end I decide to go with an AK Diffuser. Idk, just seems like the weight savings and compactness would be lost on me since I don't travel much and my camera pretty much lives in the same spot in my bag and it fits with the lens attached already. So I was between the 60mm or 90mm pretty much but after this vid, I'm pretty dang sure I just want the 90 and will likely be extremely happy with it, specially if I get that custom built diffuser for it ;) Thanks for the video! Edit: I'll probably still buy the 85mm as well because I wanna try what an ultralight setup like that feels and their lenses are so reasonably priced.

[@csc-photo]

Back again, after watching this twice I’ve decided the 90 2.8 is my choice for a 2.0x. The 85 5.6 is a close second. Would still love to see a direct comparison vid with side-by-side examples. Thanks!

[@jyoung4930]

After watching many of your videos, I decided in the end to go with the 85mm. I was doubting the choice a bit, but I figured that the 85mm is _very_ lightweight and small for the capability, and the extra 15mm on the 100mm doesn't help me much if the lens is physically longer anyway (ie, you still have a similar distance to the subject). I wanted a lens I could carry in the bag and not have it dominate the weight of the bag. As it turns out, I almost only ever shoot at f/11 with the 85mm anyway, so the f/5.6 max aperture is no problem whatsoever. It's small, light, comfortable, and very sharp. I, like you, now pair it with the MK320 flash, and I have customized one of those Dorr-style flash diffusers in order to get it to be a tight fit on the 85mm using some white elastic stitched on. The whole setup works great. I also doubt the Pope shield a bit with this setup, because the Pope projects from the front of the lens itself, which means you have quite a large object sticking out of the front - that can push objects away, or get dirtied up on tree trunks (or wind up with creatures walking on it), and it also blinds you for initially acquiring your subject with the camera.

[@guillemarin8387]

Beautiful Lens. Enjoy it my friend you deserve it 🎉💥👍🏻

[@marknathan7744]

I am very interested in this set up and diffuser arrangements for it .Look forward to see you use it.

[@lucabajno822]

I started with macrophotography during the 1st lockdown with the good sigma 105mm and I'm still using it, being my only macro lens at the moment. Having an apsc-DSLR camera, I think my next lens will be the Laowa 60mm. Looking forward for a new job and a new mirrorless camera with the new Laowa lenses, I have tried them on a workshop and I just love them...they're so tiny...

[@andrew41134]

Congrats your new purchases 🥳🥳🖤🖤

[@highwayman1224]

I want the 90mm for my Sony A7RIIIA because I want to try out a 2x macro lens but they're backordered at the moment. So last night I found a nice used Laowa 50mm that I can use on my Olympus and panasonic micro four thirds to play with the 2x and see if I like it then I'll get the 90mm when they get some in stock.

[@prashaanthdavid4463]

Great video at the right time... Maybe a side by side comparison bw 85 vs 90 would be great

[@Bobcat-1967]

Check out the Altura softbox, comes in two different sizes and very cheap.

[@csc-photo]

I've been looking at Laowa's 2.0x macro options - the 100 2.8, 90 2.8, and now the 85 5.6. The 65 2.8 looks great too but I tend to go for longer lengths. Can't decide! 😆 I have Nikon's Z 105 2.8 MC, absolutely gorgeous images - it's big and a 1.0x so I'd like to add a small 2.0x option as well. I'll check out your lens guide too, thanks!

[@ZedExGaming]

You probably already made your choice but seeing as you already have 1x macro lens have you considered the 25mm ultra macro lens?

[@ajcaiado1]

I also have a Sony a7iv. Can you share your camera settings for macro photography? Thanks.

[@BobSouthDakota]

I love my Laowa 85mm mounted on the R6. I made a DIY diffuser from a translucent plastic bottle about 7 inches wide. It seems to work wonderful and cost zero. I would have used a plastic lamp globe like you showed but I'm having a hard time finding one.

[@michaelbuddy]

something like milk jug material? Like a mini milk jug or one of those kiddie juice bottle?

[@BobSouthDakota]

@@michaelbuddy Yes, and works perfectly.

[@kerryngriffis3557]

I love my laowa 50mm for my mft camera, I just wish there were other loawa lenses available for mft. Do you know if Venus optics has any Intention of bringing ging out further mft lenses?

[@petrduchac2580]

I would love to see diffusor options for this lens because I am struggling with it as well because it's quite tiny lens to hold normal diffusors and still have access to the focus and aperture ring.

[@jyoung4930]

One solution for you may be to do what I did. Get one of those Dorr style diffusers (they're like a pop out fabric diffuser on a spring steel ring that folds back on itself). The hole for the lens is much too large for the 85mm, so I just stitched some white elastic from a haberdashery shop across the edges of the hole to make it tighter. Works great now. Only took 5-10 minutes and ~$2 worth of elastic.

[@hjones451]

Your Lens Guide is a great idea

[@DrChip47]

Hi mate, what are you thoughts on the new 58mm I have the 100mm but find after awhile it being so long/heavy I tend to shake a little which is annoying, you answered my question in your lens guide, cheers Micael 58mm it is I have ordered it, will keep the 100mm when the camera is on the tripod 🙂

[@Bernard-ux2eb]

I sold my macro lenses and just use a Raynox DCR-150 or DCR-250 either on a Samyang AF 1.8/45 or a Carl Zeiss Planar T* 1.4/85. Way good enough on an A7RIII. I got a long metal tube hood for the Raynox macro attachments.

[@lShishkaBerryl]

I might be strange but I like the weird vignette I get with the 60mm on infinity on my A7II lmao. I'm totally into lofi toy camera styles so it works for me. I took some landscapes with it once and got some really cool earthy brown vignettes around them. The vignette changes color depending on what you're shooting which makes it more fun.

[@minibuns5397]

Yeah seriously it’s not a problem because the images with macro are center weighted anyway and shooting with a modern high megapixel camera the cropping in or making the correction in post on raw files with lens profiles is done with a click of a button.

[@michaelbuddy]

vignette looks really good. First time I ever saw it, I thought oh, this is a professional cinematic shot. Many people like it without even every saying it out loud.

[@Bo_Hazem]

Laowa is definitely the king of macro lenses so far.

[@Gabriecielo]

Laowa 58mm macro is coming soon, should be a good replacement to 60mm too.

[@alanbooth8120]

Hi Try craftey bells in Australia they do great diffusers

[@Tom-Tenerife]

I have 65 for my Fuji...is it good?

[@snoogly]

I mentioned before that I am using the 85mm (Nikon Z), the same flash you use, and an AK diffuser. It really is a tiny package, with the only drawback being the focussing scale is pretty much hidden from view, and the aperture ring can be a bit fiddly. But, this is on a Nikon Z camera, which has a much wider flange than your Sony. The lens looks rather absurd, like a mushroom, so I wonder if this is why the focussing scale is hard to see. Anyway, the AK makes for a tiny and lightweight package. I even use a larger LED light than the one provided with it, and a USB battery pack on the top of the diffuser. (PS. Good luck waiting for the pope shield! Months ago I was sent the wrong items, complained, and was told a new package was on the way. That was three months ago! Of course I was never sent a tracking number, nothing has arrived, and my latest email has been ignored.)

[@MicaelWidell]

Yeah I asked them what is going on, and they said they are moving to a new factory and are very behind on orders. It really feels like a lottery ordering stuff from them. It feels dishonest that they do not disclose on the home page that it will take months to deliver.

[@tessalia87]

I ordered a diffuser from Pope Shield six weeks ago. I emailed them two days ago for shipping status and no response.

[@paulbrowning.photography]

I just did exactly the same thing. I got the new 90mm. The 100mm was designed for the dslr cameras and I didn’t realise how old it was. The difference is unreal with the new 90. My new set up is the Sony a7riv , the 90 Laowa 2:1, Godox v860iii flash ! The weight. The length ( half the size! ) The glass cover on the end. The aperture wheel out of the way at the back. And the focus wheel has so much more range . Love your videos man!

[@eust785]

I have just bought a flash to use on my Sony full frame camera. having never used a flash before, I am pretty lost as to how to setup my camera? without a flash I always shoot on manual with auto iso. I have a Sony 90mm macro & a laowa 90mm macro lens. Can you help please?

[@larryc43230]

Thank you for the review, this new lens looks promising. I recently purchased a Canon EOS R7, which accepts RF-mount lenses but is a crop-frame (APS-C) camera. I'm wondering how this lens will work with the R7. My previous camera (now my backup) was an EOS M6 Mark II, and I used a Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO lens with that camera, but this lens has an M-mount, which can't be used with the R7. Has anyone tried the combination of a Laowa 85mm R-mount with the R7?

[@MicaelWidell]

I'm pretty sure the 85mm would be a great lens for you. I hope that Laowa will make the 65mm for RF-mount soon, as that would be the optimal solution.

[@rafam8359]

I have m50 with laowa 65mm and I m very happy

[@Lon1an]

Jag beställde en Pope shield i Juli, efter lång tid kontaktade jag dem och frågade var paketet var, det hade tappats bort och de skickade mig en ny. När jag fick den idag så är det fel beställning och passar inte ens mitt objektiv. Jag fick någon standard sak men hade beställt magnet grejen. Nu väntar jag på att de besvarar mitt mail, så får se om det löser sig eller inte.

[@williammcginnis4151]

Diffusers are always a concern for macro with flash. Have you tried or considered cross polarization?

[@MicaelWidell]

I have on my todo-list to try that some day :)

[@macdandy1972]

Interesting. No Godox MF-12? I use those flashes with my Sony A7iv and Laowa 90mm Macro lens. Best combination I could find.

[@snoogly]

I think appropriate diffusion is the cruncher with the MF12.

[@MicaelWidell]

I made a video about why I don't like the MF-12

[@el7460]

I wanna start with Iris (eye) photo. Would Sony A7iii and this lense be a good choice?

[@MicaelWidell]

Yes

[@greenbrightly]

Can you tell me where / what your T-shirt is from / is? Love the design of it. Your channel is awesome too!

[@MicaelWidell]

I think I ordered it from designbyhumans

[@dobrosawzybort1348]

For me the only thing missing from Laowa lenses is providing exif data to my Sony camera. I don't need to have anything more, I even asked them about it 2 years ago and there is still nothing on this front.

[@MicaelWidell]

Yes I would gladly pay extra for that feature. One of the EF versions of the 100mm has a chip, so if you use that with a Metabones adapter that would be one way.

[@damianhdm]

Nice, I got my 90mm delivered yesterday, I had 85mm for couple of months by in the end I went with 90mm as I like the little bit extra reach, I'm just going now to test it and will see how it performs..

[@robertbirnbach2312]

So after watching this I bought the lens. Wide open I really like it a lot and I love the size and the weight. What I did not like stopped down even to just f8 I found the hexagon bokeh too distracting. I did find a solution I got the new fuji xh2 and bought the 65mm laowa aps-c apo lens I tested both the R5 with the 85mm 5.6 and the new fuji 65mm at 5.6 and despite the ff vs aps-c I could not tell the difference in IQ I even pixel peeped. I am sure someone will be able to tell me why I am wrong about that but to my eye, even printed at 13x19 , on-screen at 100% I cant tell you one image is better than the other and the bokeh is so much nicer. the size and weight are almost the same. Not everyone has 2 camera systems but for me I think the xh2 with the lawoa will be my macro set up

[@MicaelWidell]

As long as YOU are happy with the results you have the right equipment. I don’t care that much about hex bokeh because I seldom shoot at such low magnifications where it is visible.

[@methodical100]

I recently bought the 90mm and the only bad thing i can say about it is that the lens hood really sucks. You cant take it off without the lens cap popping off and it is really hard to actually get on the lens to use. Otherwise its the best macro lens i have ever had.

[@MicaelWidell]

I agree about the lens hood. Discovered only after I made my review.

[@mattihakkarainen7142]

I have a Sony A6400 mirrorless APS-C camera and was wondering whether there was any problem with setting it up with the 85mm as opposed to the 60mm. Is there any benefit taking the 60mm over the 85mm? I doubt I’ll ever upgrade to a fullframe, but not 100% sure.

[@MicaelWidell]

I would get the 65mm. It is almost the same size as the 85mm but much brighter max aperture which can come in handy. Otherwise very similar. The 85mm would work fine in your camera.

[@mattihakkarainen7142]

Thank you for your quick response, much appreciated.

[@emb3rke]

Do you not use the lamp shade anymore as a diffuser?

[@MicaelWidell]

I use it. But it works best with an external wireless flash.

[@paulbrowning.photography]

Why do you shoot at f5.6? I’ve always used f8 for stacks and f11 for singles ?

[@MicaelWidell]

I mostly shoot at f/8 and f/11 as well. But sometimes at lower magnifications when I want more background blur I use f/5.6. Or if I'm stacking and want maximum sharpness.

[@paulbrowning.photography]

@@MicaelWidell interesting! I thought f8 was the sharpest point of the lens. I don’t know why I thought that ? I’ll try f5.6 tonight. Thanks man 🙏

[@VietNguyen-hs3dm]

I am going to buy the 60mm. After watching your video, I am confusing. So, how much difference between 60mm and 90mm? 9 to 10 or 9.5 to 10?

[@MicaelWidell]

The image quality at macro distances is indistinguishable, except for a very slight vignette with the 60mm on full frame

[@Vicvines]

Could the problems with contrast be edited in post?

[@MicaelWidell]

You can never regain lost contrast in post. But I still haven't confirmed that any issues at all with contrast even exists. Remains to be seen :)

[@Vicvines]

@@MicaelWidell ok good to know. Thanks for responding

[@ilona__willemsen]

Hai there! I have the same setup as you, but that flash does not suport the sony a7iv... I doesn't matter what settings I used on that flash in manual mode or auto, it kept giving me the same amount of light. To much light. I returned that flash after I contacted Meike and they said the same thing. It does not support the sony a7iv. Don't you have the same problem?

[@MicaelWidell]

It’s funny, my flash is made for Fujifilm but still works perfectly on my Sony A7iv.

[@hjones451]

Still using this lightweight Laowa 65mm macro lens that you advised. There are situations when I need a FF, even a heavier lens - pleased with your recommendation.

[@perigee1275]

I love the 60mm with my xt3. But I don't see anyone else talking about it...?

[@jakubpulka]

How about sony 90mm or Sigma 105mm?

[@MicaelWidell]

They only go to 1x magnification so pretty worthless for my use case

[@jakubpulka]

@@MicaelWidell there was a new lens announced - M.Zuiko Digital ED 90 mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO M43 though but it might be interesting. 2:1 which is 4:1 for full frame they say :)

[@martin4306]

is the laowa 60mm still good? Is the sharpness OK?

[@MicaelWidell]

Yes of course. If you have a DSLR it is perhaps the best macro lens you can buy.

[@martin4306]

@@MicaelWidell i use the Sony a7iii😃

[@MicaelWidell]

Then you should not buy the Laowa 60mm. There are better lenses for your camera. Use my lens guide to find the best one for you.

[@Outdoorified]

Hi Micael and thank you for the great content. Quick question do laowa ship this lens to Sweden? :) thank you 🙏

[@MicaelWidell]

Yes they do

[@samsen3965]

I stick to my 100mm F2.8

[@GregShaw]

Popeshield are a joke with delivery times. Been waiting for over a month for mine. For it to be returned back to the sender because they wrote my address wrong (even though it was correct on my order)

[@Gamehighlight2023]

What is the best MAcro lens for Olympus 4/3 not Micro 4/3 THANKS !! - GREAT VIDEO..>ENJOY YOUR NEW LENS Micael.

[@MicaelWidell]

I have no idea, sorry. Never had any camera or lens with that mount.