Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Macro APO Review plus Example Images!

Laowa has released their new 90mm f/2.8 2x Macro APO lens for mirrorless cameras and it's an excellent lens, but with some issues!
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[@samuelnewton1987]

Good morning Stewart, thank you again for such an informative video. Your captures are sooooooo inspiring. Keep up the incredible work Brother.

[@StewartWoodArt]

Many thanks!

[@cjtuba1]

Great video Stu, love the mistakes at the end, really funny! Cheers, Chris

[@StewartWoodArt]

Thank you my friend

[@영락똘섭]

I wonder the name of the flash and diffuser you use. It looks very good

[@clarkejones8090]

Excellent presentation . Lovely images. Thank you Stewart.

[@StewartWoodArt]

Many thanks

[@CGN-Toni]

Hi Stewart, did you shoot the spider-pix on stack-mode or were they really a simple one-shot from a bigger distance but cropped in? Nice video anyways. Thank you and all the best.

[@StewartWoodArt]

Most are a single shot as I wasn't actively shooting focus bracketed images at this point.

[@isabellegauthier1254]

Great vid, thank you. Especially love the bloopers at the end. I'd like to ask you what is the brand of flash diffuser you're using. Thanks

[@ajcaiado1]

Hi Stewart, I have a Sony a7IV and would like to know if this is a good lens for ultra macro photography? Which is the minimum focus distance in manual mode? Does focus peaking work in manual mode? Can I get sharp images by doing handheld focus stacking? Thanks.

[@Monsieur-Estrada]

Amazing review! What about sunstars with this lens?

[@PaulIddoninPreston]

Looks excellent Stewart - no wonder you have been keeping quiet!!! (PS - I'll have your old 100mmm lens then lol... )

[@greyhound0z]

hi im confused its advertises as Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO but on the lens itself is ffi ca dreamer, ive purchased the lens and its came with the dreamer lens but on the box its the apo ultra??

[@petertown9467]

Hi Stewart I've just bought this lens on a canon mount, I have the R3 but having a setup problem. When I focus I don't have focus peaking or any other any guides on the screen. Is this normal or am I being a moron? I am getting focus but not able to control where the area is. Any assistance you can give me would be very much appreciated.

[@ProfessorPocketTCG]

You make spiders, look so cuddly and beautiful. 😅I love it

[@marcopaglionicoin3ufw952]

Hi, I was undecided between the Nikon Z-105 MC and the Laowa 90 mm. I think I will choose the latter for the macro. with Z attack. I see it more selective, sharper, not that the nikon is less, but I think it will give me great satisfaction with flowers and macro fauna. I photograph Mushrooms and lichens, and some rare flowers. Precisely for this reason do you think it will be able to give me satisfaction? Thanks and congratulations for the video. and If you tell me what shutter aperture you used. Greetings Mark

[@robbeard6929]

Just an idea. Maybe, just maybe you might be able to cut a bike inner tube, say 2inches and stretch it over the focus ring.

[@StewartWoodArt]

I'm using rubber wrist bands.

[@hjones451]

I have the new lightweight Laowa 65mm 2x magnification lens on my Sony a6000 - It doesn't appear to be matching the detail of my Sony 90mm f2.8 macro lens. It may need an extension tube, or possibly this could be down to familiarity.

[@greyhound0z]

Hi new subscriber, I want to get into macro, would you recommend this lens for a beginner??

[@craigmaisfield3247]

Great Review. Personally I think laowa should give you the lens for your time etc promoting the lens..

[@StewartWoodArt]

Don’t think that will happen lol

[@philippelang.photographie]

Great video, thanks! What flash & diffuser are you using is this video? It look really compact...

[@StewartWoodArt]

I use a custom made crafty bells diffuser.

[@robertgoodwin2456]

Hi Stewart, where can you get service on Laowa 100mm in UK please. Bob

[@TheDarkSixMusic]

Hi Stewart ! Great video once again ! I love your example images especially the jumping spider with the white intricate foreground. I Have a Mirrorless camera (Z6) with the laowa 100mm macro and the Godox MF 12 twin flashes do you think I would have any interes in buying the new 90mm lens ?

[@ChristopherPisz]

I got my LAOA 90mm Macro lense for Canon RF mount today. The instruction manual is about as big as half my thumb and there is no way in hell I can read it with old man eyes. I cannot seem to find it online. Does anyone know where the manual might be available online where I can zoom on it? I am noob to photography as is and using my intuition has broken 1000 dollar parts before. There are two things that seem to twist on the lens. I assume from the markings that the one closest to me is F-stop and the thicker one is focus. I am not seeing how to adjust magnification. Or maybe magnification is focus and I just have to get closer and farther? It is no xmm-ymm after all? Is that how this works? Also, what does the plastic attachment do for me?

[@ColdCoffeePhotography]

Laowa steps up once again, all bits crossed we can get some moisture resistance and auto aperture in the future then surely they will rule the macro lens world!!!

[@StewartWoodArt]

We can hope so :)

[@rpjcleaningservices1733]

What's your view partnering this with the canon R7

[@StewartWoodArt]

It should work great.

[@dw.imaging]

@1:10 bro excellent video as always. I guess I’m super sensitive today, that little lower 3rd audio was shrilling. It actually hurt my ears.

[@StewartWoodArt]

Ha ha ha, thanks man.

[@ChaitanyaShukla2503]

I wish it had electronic aperture like their 100mm Macro for EF mount.

[@StewartWoodArt]

That would be great but unfortunately they can’t get it working on the RF mount.

[@CrashEd1664]

Is the 90mm macro available in the UK yet? I can't find any stock.

[@robgerety]

Excellent. Thank you. I'm searching for a macro for my Canon R5. This is at the top of my list at the moment. I am wondering how the full manual lens behaves on an R5. If you are stopped down does the viewfinder get dark making focusing difficult. I have a vague memory that my R5 gives me a choice to set the viewfinder to mimic the actual exposure or not. Does that come into play? Can you have a bright viewfinder even when stopped down on the Canon R5?

[@StewartWoodArt]

You can brighten up the EVF but the FPS in the EVF will drop quite low.

[@methodical100]

Would you say this lens is worth selling my canon 100mm for? I would love to rent one but they do not have Laowa in there rental pool.

[@andrewcul]

is there a lens you would recommend for macro video?

[@StewartWoodArt]

Canon EF or RF 100mm

[@colintraveller]

I have the 100mm version which i use with ethier my 850D sometimes 90D . I took the uv filter off . And i never use a diffuser never gave it a thought of buying one . I just the flash as it is . Weather conditions depending . ie Sunny weather if the 90mm was avail for EF Would i get it ...tbh highly doubt it . However i did watch a truly bad review/Demo of Canon's RF version of their 100 mm Macro Lense . He never bothered to use it in the wild . Prior to buying the Laowa i was talked into buying the Sigma 105mm Macro .. Tbh it's not a patch on the laowa .the difference is night n day . As for the fault you mentioned .I looked at mine again just to give me peace of mind . Mine doesn't have it .. Any thoughts on the smaller x5 Macro lense

[@StewartWoodArt]

Thank you, I'm currently using the 5x lens from Laowa but I don't use it enough to warrant a full review.

[@robertgoodwin2456]

Hi Colin does the focus indicator work in the VIEWFINDER on your 90D mine works on a 200D, but not on my 7DII or 90D. Can't get any sense from Laowa Hong Kong. Also won't show firmware version on any camera.

[@colintraveller]

@@robertgoodwin2456 Dialect For HK is Cantonese , Use Google translate then reply back in cantonese to them . Am at work at the moment , I use the camera in P mode never M ..tooo much faffing about it . When using the Lense . Tbh i can"t mind at the mo as am in work so can't factually answer your question can't check , tbh i've never noticed

[@colintraveller]

@@robertgoodwin2456 Yes ... I was doing night sky captures after work ..no issues at all

[@robertgoodwin2456]

@@colintraveller Thanks, it looks as if I need firmware updates. Fine on Canon 100D/200D. No indication on 7DII or 90D. Will not show firmware version on any camera.

[@vpr5562]

Please, may i ask about model of your flash and defuser please? And thank you for the review :)).

[@StewartWoodArt]

I’m using a Godox MF12 twin macro flash with a custom made crafty bells diffuser.

[@unclebuck5957]

Is this lens better than the Canon Ef 100 macro?

[@StewartWoodArt]

Image quality yes but build quality no.

[@CEKTAHTb]

What is the difference between 90mm and 100mm Laowa?

[@StewartWoodArt]

The 100mm is for DSLR cameras and the 90mm is for mirrorless cameras.

[@davidsadler2181]

Great review! Would there be any difference in quality between a 90mm RF version on my Canon R6 and a 100mm EF version on my 5D mark iii? Also, how would the EF version perform on my R6 with an adapter compared to the RF version connected directly to my R6? Decisions?!

[@StewartWoodArt]

No difference in quality between the RF 90 and the EF 100mm. As for the performance, I'm currently using the EF 100mm on my setup. I use it in most of my videos and it works great on my EOS R.

[@dashas5198]

@@StewartWoodArt Any particular reason you're using the EF 100mm version of the laowa (which requires an EF-RF adapter, and is thus longer) over the 90mm one? Is it because there's electronic communication with the EOS R this way, while with 90mm there's none? I'm on the fence about choosing laowa 90mm (RF mount) vs 100mm (EF mount with adapter) for my eos R; I've seen some people prefer the 100mm pathway for the electronic communication (for reasons I don't entirely get, actually, so any tips would be appreciated), but the 90mm is shorter+lighter with some improvements, so.... Aside from that, thank you for those delicious macro shots Stweart! Was fun to see your setup working out in the field, bloopers included haha

[@StewartWoodArt]

First reason, Laowa wouldn't let me keep the 90mm lens lol. The main reason I use the 100mm is because of the electronic communication, it makes it easer to focus as the aperture only closes when you take the picture. So, when you're focusing the aperture is wide open allowing more light for you to see your subject, the 90mm is a manual lens and when you set the f-stop (f/8) it stays at that aperture, this means less light for focusing. It's not a big issue at all but having to buy a new lens just to fix the front element issue is a no for me at the moment, other wise I would have both!

[@dashas5198]

​@@StewartWoodArt ahaha thank you for the reply, it clears a few things up! So essentially with the 100mm EF I would have an easier time focusing/seeing what I'm doing when there's less light available (plus be able to use focus assist), while with the 90mm I'll just have to adjust and guess a little. With the 90mm I do get the front element issue gone though, and 120mm length as opposed to around 155mm for 100mm with adapter. Probably going for the 90mm then, thanks a lot for the info! (Though I did see you have a review of the older canon EF 100mm USM L lens, so out of curiosity, how does this one compare against the 100mm laowa in your experience?)

[@StewartWoodArt]

The canon has better build quality with weather sealing, image stabilisation and autofocus. The Laowa has more magnification and is sharper.

[@SeanHolifield37]

What is that diffuser that you are using? If you dont mind

[@StewartWoodArt]

It's a Crafty Bells custom made diffuser, you can find a build log on my Patreon page.

[@SeanHolifield37]

@@StewartWoodArt Awesome thank you!

[@luisa9628]

How does this lens stack up against the 65mm 2x APO for those of us with aspc sensors?

[@StewartWoodArt]

I’ve not tested it on a mirrorless APSC canon camera yet as I don’t have one.

[@hjones451]

One ordered, arriving bext week

[@annieareyouok185]

Hi, ive a blackmagic 4k with a speedbooster to ef. Would you recommend the 90mm or 100mm?

[@annieareyouok185]

Blackmagic Has a micro4/3 sensor, but the speedbooster an ef.

[@tahersand6825]

Wat kind of cam u were using sir? R or R5?

[@StewartWoodArt]

Canon EOS R

[@tahersand6825]

@@StewartWoodArt great. That makes décide whether or not to purchase it over R7.

[@киракирей-к3ц]

Но если его ставить на кроп, то эффект же будет другой?

[@c.e.m7535]

You're my hero! 😂

[@havanamiranda5586]

Can you use this on a Nikon D850?

[@StewartWoodArt]

I'm afraid not, mirrorless cameras only.

[@havanamiranda5586]

@@StewartWoodArt thank you for replying

[@havanamiranda5586]

Hi Stewart, out the laowa range any lens that is compatible with the nikon D850?

[@limoucheu8522]

@@havanamiranda5586 100 mm macro, laowa for Nikon F.

[@havanamiranda5586]

@@limoucheu8522 Thank you so much

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

I just do not use the UV filter that came with my 60mm macro... It is never on my mind as a result... Image has one less lens reflection making the image cleaner, no negative impact so far.

[@StewartWoodArt]

How do you deal with dust and dirt getting into the lens?

[@Cancington42]

Can you do a video on the flash setup you used in this video?

[@StewartWoodArt]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYK8q5qqdp6InNk

[@macsaikrisztina]

Ahh, the secret revealed finally...

[@StewartWoodArt]

Oh yes!

[@valendis]

That sound you play when displaying information on the screen is a really bad choice, that is ear piecing on my monitors

[@StewartWoodArt]

Thanks for the feedback, it has been fixed in my later videos.

[@Fotografia-moja-pasja]

I have a Laowa 100mm f / 2.8 2x Macro. I wonder why Laowa produces 90mm. A lens with similar parameters. My 100mm is great. Laowa are great lenses at an affordable price.🙃

[@StewartWoodArt]

This 90mm is slightly different from the Laowa 100mm lens :)

[@macsaikrisztina]

I was also hoping for a 150mm, that would have been an upgrade. I wonder what Stewart will tell about this lens. ;)

[@StewartWoodArt]

A 150 or 200 would be great.

[@Fotografia-moja-pasja]

@@StewartWoodArt 👍

[@lithangw]

Good content. But please, get rid off that screeching noise when the text labels come in and out of the screen. So painful to hear it.

[@Fotografia-moja-pasja]

It is certainly not much different. It seems to me that it is better to focus on the progress in framing, looking for inspiration, than constantly looking for something new. Often the time it takes to choose the right lens takes a lot of time (at the expense of progress, inspiration and enjoying nature). Regards

[@StewartWoodArt]

This new lens is designed for mirrorless cameras instead of being adapted to mirrorless like the 100mm. Like I said in the video, the fixed front end is what makes me want to use this lens over the 100mm.

[@Fotografia-moja-pasja]

@@StewartWoodArt 👍

[@киракирей-к3ц]

Хороший обзор. Если бы я только понимала

[@messylaura]

i already have the 100mm and 65mm so i don't need this one, nice video though.

[@StewartWoodArt]

Yeah, if you have the 100mm then there's no point in upgrading unless you hate the front lens filter.

[@sarundayo]

If only this lens had been made with some weather sealing... *sigh*

[@StewartWoodArt]

Would be great!

[@AR-vf7vg]

I think that good reviews should always name(!) some alternatives (needs some research) -as a minimum. Not just one or two. Then as a bonus; add personal main plus and minus.

[@RaadMambles]

That sound you put for your name transition was one of the most ear piecing disturbing sounds. I think you’re a discepticon. One who takes fenomenal photos.

[@StewartWoodArt]

I’ve already stopped used that sound lol

[@ruchirsajwan]

What is beyond infinity 😂

[@StewartWoodArt]

Exactly what it says, the focus ring goes further than infinity resulting in blurred images.

[@ruchirsajwan]

@@StewartWoodArt i guess the focus is diverging beyond infinity and the focus lines never intersect. Focus on infinity, on the other hand means focal lines being parallel and converge at infinity.

[@AR-vf7vg]

Right. Default when accepted allow for new perspectives and discoveries. Many more should fathom that potential.. Lol