If you’ve switched over from a Nikon DSLR to a Nikon APS-C mirrorless model like the Z50 there may be one lens missing from your kit bag. Well, now mirrorless photographers can get up close to tiny subjects thanks to the release of Laowa’s 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO.
Of course, Nikon shooters who have traded in their DSLRs such as the D500 or D850 can use their F glass via the FTZ adapter, but the Laowa is the first native mount lens for Nikon’s APS-C mirrorless model, the excellent 20-megapixel Z50. So, what’s special about this optic? Well, as you may have guessed by the name, the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO is capable of producing 2x life-size images of your subjects, which is particularly useful for fans of insect photography.
The lightweight macro lens tips the scales at just 335g, making it a portable option that won’t weigh you down if you need to carry a kitbag around all day and the addition of the Z mount option means the Laowa optic is now available in most fitments – including Canon EF-M, Fuji X and Sony E-mount.
The 65mm f/2.8 also inherited the excellent Apochromatic optical(APO) design from Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X macro, which the brand explains; ‘suppresses the chromatic aberration at both in-focus and out-of-focus areas to the minimum.’ Along with close up nature photography, the 65mm f/2.8 2x would also be a useful addition to those using their Z50 as a B-camera for movie making, enabling users to tightly frame subjects and also create a very shallow depth-of-field thanks to the maximum aperture of f/2.8.
The Laowa’s 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO is priced at around $400, and Laowa also took the moment to announce that the popular 11mm f4.5 wide angle optic is now available for full-frame Canon RF mount models, such as the EOS R, RP, R5 and R6. The 11mm f/4.5 FF RL is a compact rectilinear wide-angle lens for full-frame (FF) mirrorless cameras and will be very useful for landscape and architecture photography. With a compact design and a minimum focusing distance of just 19cm, the lens weighs in at just 254g and features a design that includes two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements.
