Laowa 85mm F5.6 Macro 2:1 lens review. Using the 2x full frame macro lens from Venus Optics

[@genghisbunny]

I really enjoy your perspective. It's so refreshing hearing from someone who does industrial and architectural photography rather than weddings, portraits and landscapes as your bread and butter. Thanks for sharing your impressions and experience.

[@KeithCooper]

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm grateful that the testing gives me 'excuses' to try different things - it's rarely I don't learn some useful skill in the course of doing the reviews/articles.

[@tvandijk1408]

Nice review! Nice to see how you did the colourful setup on the dvd. Thanks for sharing that!

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - the colours can be really intense, but are very difficult to replicate if you move anything in the setup

[@tvandijk1408]

@@KeithCooper yes i understand, i did some pictures with holographic foils. those are tricky too.

[@mediacontent8384]

Excellent information, as always !

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks!

[@EricNBrown]

Thanks for your review. It would be nice sometime to see a comparison of a true macro lens versus using extension tubes.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks Any comparisons would be a very tricky thing to set up in a way to give genuinely meaningful results. There is no general answer The problem is that there is no simple question to answer, just a lot of different potential uses where one solution with one lens might be better. So for example, I use a TS-E90 with tubes for some close-up work, but an MP-E65 for closer and higher magnification stuff See some of the examples at www.northlight-images.co.uk/macro-on-the-canon-eos-100d-sl1/ Of course, one difficulty (for some) is my range of subjects - I don't shoot living things at all, and only work in the studio. That means I can use things like telecentric lenses if the subject warrants it www.northlight-images.co.uk/diy-telecentric-macro-lenses/

[@Fujik1966]

Hello Keith. I can’t find information anywhere about taking photos with the Laowa 100 mm f2.8 APO 2x (Canon) and Voightlander APO Lanthar 125 mm f2.5 macro (Canon) lenses when working with Fujifilm GFX. Can they provide a circle image for this 33x44 matrix or will be a vignetting? Or I won't get + as an image quality for my Canon ts-e 135 mm macro 1:1, 2:1 with extension ring? Thank you for your work. There are some elements I take note of. (Google transletter)

[@KeithCooper]

Unfortunately I've never seen any of those lenses used on a GFX sensor. I do have reviews of the TS-E135 and Laowa, but only on 36x24 sensors. One place to ask would be the medium format forum at dpreview.com

[@jessliudds]

Thank you forsharing this. One question I have is that when I put it on my R camera it shows F00. Did this happen to you?

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, it's because there are no electronics in the lens - make sure the camera is set to allow shutter release without a lens attached. The camera does not know there is a lens fitted

[@GamachePhoto]

Good day, thanks for your review. I have purchased the Laowa 85mm lens to work with my Leica M10R. However I cannot focus the lens when using the rangefinder with the lens used as a regular 85mm lens (for portrait), the resulting image is out of focus (even if it’s sharp in the rangefinder), works fine with the Visoflex or LiveView? Any ideas… lens is fine for macro when using Visoflex or LiveView.

[@KeithCooper]

Ah, I've only tried the Canon mount version... Leica is not a company who's ever put me on their Christmas card list ;-)

[@jacovanlith5082]

Shooting at 1 : 1 does it give a lost of two E.V.?

[@KeithCooper]

Difficult to say - I don't meter macro shots in that way.