If you’re a portraiture photographer that loves to create big bokeh then you’ll be pleased to hear that Laowa has released the second lens from its Argus stable and the 45mm f/0.95 FF is sure to turn heads.
Designed for use with full-frame mirrorless cameras from Sony (E-mount), Canon (RF mount) and Nikon (Z-mount), the lens features a 13 elements in 9 groups construction that includes one aspherical lens, one ED element and no less than three UHR elements for enhanced image quality.
The big headline behind this lens of course is that incredibly fast maximum aperture of f/0.95, which will not only allow the user to create incredibly shallow depths of field helping your subject stand out in the frame, but will also keep shutter speeds fast, enabling photographs to capture sharp images in low light conditions when handholding the camera.
The focal length of 45mm gives a 51.3° angle of view, which is close to that of the natural perspective from the human eye, making the lens well suited to portraiture work. Tipping the scales at 835, the manual focus lens focuses internally to allow the users to add filters to the 72mm filter thread and there is a closest focusing distance of just 50cm, so you can capture frame-filling tighter headshots of your subjects.
Other features of the impressive prime optic include an Aperture Ring Click Switch Mechanism switch for videographers to de-click the aperture ring. This feature is in place to prevent the click sound being picked up on any audio captured when using the lens to shoot movie footage and widens the appeal of the lens to videographers who want to take advantage of that f/0.95 max aperture and include shallow depths of field in their footage.
What’s more, that internal focusing design also reduces focus breathing, which Laowa explains can eliminate the distraction of the changes in the angle of view when moving the focus from one object to another.
That beautiful bokeh you can see in the sample images from Laowa is enhanced by the aperture design, which features 15 smooth blades and gives a very signature look. The 45mm builds on the success of Laowa’s first Argus lens, the 35mm F/0.95 FF and will cost around $799.
