Laowa has released the Argus 25mm f/0.95 MFT APO – a fast aperture prime lens designed for use with Micro Four-Thirds mirrorless cameras such as the new Panasonic GH6 or Olympus OM-1. The lens represents a value-for-money option for photographers that want to take advantage of the f/0.95 aperture to capture images rich in big bokeh.
Thanks to the 2x crop factor generated from the MFT sensor, the lens actually returns an effective focal length of 50mm, making the Argus ideal for portraiture work – especially when you consider show that f/0.95 aperture can separate the subject from the background to help them stand out in the frame.
An additional benefit of the fast f/0.95 aperture is that photographers will be able to capture sharp shots in low light conditions without needing to ramp up ISO levels too high, which can introduce digital noise into the frame. The lens features a ‘14 elements in 8 groups’ design and includes one aspherical lens, one ED glass element and three UHR glass elements.
Along with being suitable for portraiture, the Argus 25mm could also be a wise choice for videographers using the Micro Four-Thirds system as the lens features am internal focusing system, meaning videographers will be able to easy add accessories such as ND filters to help balance exposure without the lens barrel protruding out when focusing. What’s more, the lens also features low focus breathing so it helps eliminate the distraction of the changes in the angle of view when moving the focus from one object to another.
What photographers will really want to know about however is that bokeh, which is created thanks to the use of a 9-bladed aperture, which helps create bokeh which is smoothly rounded for a professional look, that works really well when pairing artificial lighting in low light conditions.
Other features of the Laowa Argus 25mm f/0.95 MFT APO include a robust metal build and a 62mm filter thread so accessories such as UV and ND filters should be easy to find. Finally, the lens is fairly lightweight given its super-fast maximum aperture and tips the scales at just 570g (1.25 lb.).
