Laowa is arguably best known for its macro lenses, from the wacky probe lenses to optics that boast an impressive 2x magnification – but most of the brand’s macro lenses don’t include autofocus. That’s changing with its latest launch: the full-frame Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro Apo meshes telephoto reach with close focusing capabilities and autofocus – although the AF comes with some caveats.
First, the autofocus capabilities are not available in the lens’ Canon mirrorless RF mount and L-Mount – AF is only available in the Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon EF (DSLR) mounts. That’s not too surprising, considering the lens options for Canon’s full-frame mirrorless bodies don’t include third-party optics that have autofocus, and that Laowa isn’t a member of the L-Mount alliance.
The second fine print text on the lens’ autofocus is that, on the compatible mounts, it is only available from 1.5m to infinity. That means that the 1.5x macro isn’t compatible with the autofocus. Instead, the AF serves more as a way to extend the lens’ versatility beyond just macro shots.
The partial autofocus isn’t the only unusual feature on the Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5x Ultra. The company describes the lens as compact and lightweight. The Canon EF variant weighs about 484g / 17 oz and measures 88.4mm / 3.5 inches long; the Sony E is a bit larger and heavier at 521.6g /18.4 oz and 134.4mm / 5.3 inches. For reference, a standard loaf of bread weighs around 500g.
The lens is designed with 12 elements in 9 groups and 9 aperture blades. Lawoa says that an apochromatic design (the "Apo" in the name) helps reduce chromatic aberrations and enhance sharpness and color accuracy.
On the outside of the lens barrel, the printed focal distance scale includes an AF slot on supported mounts for switching from manual to autofocus. Mounts with autofocus also have electronic contacts, so metadata from the lens can be written to the file.
While the autofocus comes with caveats and isn’t supported at the closest distances, the 180mm lens joins the Laowa lineup as a longer telephoto option for getting in close to more skittish insects, as well as more background compression compared to wider optics.
The lens retails for $499 / £499 / AU$939.
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