Laowa Lens Review – 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro
I am fairly new to macro photography 📷 and never expected to write a Laowa Lens Review. I’ve always enjoyed macro photography but have never had the proper equipment to create those beautiful images seen online. You know, those images of tiny insects with water droplets covering their eyes or the picture perfect mushrooms in the forest. I wanted to take photos like that.
It started in Okinawa, I did a Night Photography Hike with a local photographer, photographing the wildlife endemic to the island of Okinawa. I had a generic lens on my Nikon D7500. Some of my photos turned out decent but the rest were barely worthy of saving. I asked the photographer I was with what lens he used and he recommended the Laowa 60mm Macro Lens.
I did my research on macro lenses, took into account the price, durability, and quality and settled on his recommendation. I’ve been shooting macro photography over the course of six months now and am very pleased with the Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro Lens. I am in no means a professional, far from it but I wrote this Laowa lens review to provide my personal experience with this lens and share some of the photos I’ve taken with the lens so far.
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The Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro Lens was the first lens produced by Venus Optics. According to their website, the Laowa 60mm was the first lens that had a 2:1 magnification ratio. Most macro lenses have a 1:1 ratio while many of the lenses at Laowa are 2:1
So what does 1:1 and 2:1 ration mean?
It’s pretty simple, at 1:1 the subject you are shooting whether it is an insect or plant is shot at its real life size, the same size as the cameras image sensor. A magnification ratio of 2:1 means the subject in focus is doubled in size, for macro photography, this is huge as the lens can pick up even the smallest details.
The Laowa lens is fully manual. This means there is no autofocus. Both the focus and aperture are manual on this lens. The range of the aperture on this lens can be manually adjusted from f/2.8 to f/22. This lens can go from infinity to 2:1.
The Laowa 60mm f2.8 2X Ultra-Macro is compatible with most big name camera brands. On the check out page for the 60mm, there is an option to select a mount adapter for your specific camera model. I own a Nikon d7500 and the Nikon F mount works great on my camera.
A Few Questions and Answers
Where is the Laowa Lens made?
- The headquarters and manufacturing is located in the country of China.
When was Laowa Lens first Established?
- Laowa Lens started in the year 2013.
Does the Laowa Lens have Autofocus?
- I believe that most if not all Laowa lenses are fully manual, meaning manual focus and aperture.
To view more Laowa products and see all their lenses, check out venuslens.net
The Laowa Lens and products are also available on Amazon.
Laowa Lens Review
I’ve had my Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro Lens for about six months now. My main goals for this lens is to shoot photos of the unique animals and insects located on the Japanese island of Okinawa. There aren’t many large animals in Okinawa. Some of the more interesting animals here include amphibians and reptiles. My kit lens (AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-40mm) for the Nikon is a great overall travel lens, but does not have macro capabilities. Based on recommendations and online research, I found the Laowa 60mm Macro lens to fit my needs.
I use a Nikon D7500 equipped with the Laowa 60mm lens and Venus Optics Macro Twin Flash KX-800 📸 . The setup, especially with the twin flash is a bit bulky and awkward looking, but I have been extremely satisfied with the quality of the photos taken.
I ordered the Laowa 60mm lens with the Nikon F mount adapter, the fit is nice and snug on the Nikon camera body.
Since the Laowa lens is fully manual, the Nikon has to be set to Manual (M) mode. On the lens itself, I feel it is very easy to adjust the magnification range and aperture. Almost every case, I switch the camera to Live View (LV) to determine the appropriate lens settings and get a good view of my subject without having to look through the viewfinder eyepiece.
Many times, I’ve placed the lens on the ground next to a subject to keep steady and am very pleased with the quality of the lens. It’s a very durable lens so I don’t have to worry to much about damaging the lens itself.
Macro photography involves a whole different skill set when it comes to photography. It’s recommended to use flash because you get so close to your subject, a lot of light is blocked. You also have to have a steady hand and patience. Not every photo you take is gong to turn out amazing. In fact, out of the several photos I take in a session, only a handful are interesting and worth saving. Like any other skill set, the best way to get better at macro photography is simply practice, practice, practice. I get out with my Nikon D7500 and Laowa 60mm at least once a week whether it be during the heat of the day or late at night.
Overall, I am extremely happy with the durability, sharpness, and quality of the Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro Lens. Using this lens has taken my love of photography in a whole new direction. I must admit, that macro photography is not easy but it is very rewarding. I am always look forward to getting out there and shooting with my Nikon D7500 and Laowa 60mm lens.
Photos Taken With the Laowa Lens
When it comes to macro photography, I prefer to photograph wildlife and I find the macro world to be fascinating. When you get a close up view of some of Earth’s tiniest subjects, you realize how cute and beautiful they are, to include animals like snails and even spiders.
Below are some of my favorite photos I’ve taken with the Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro Lens.
The common Jumping Spider 🕷 . These energetic spiders are probably some of the most popular subjects for macro photography. When seeing them at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio they are oh so cute and have quite the personality. They live up to their name “jumping spider,” and are not easy to photograph. They have high energy and probably are not big fans of having a giant camera set up right in front of them with a bright flash. I don’t blame them, because of the intensity of the flash I try and take a few quick photos and let them carry on with their lives.
Macro photography can be rewarding when photographing larger spiders and spiders catching prey in their web 🕸 . Below is a photo of a momma huntsman spider carrying and protecting her young. The other photo depicts a spider who just caught dinner.
Snails 🐌 can be great macro photography subjects, mainly because they are slow. Like many other animals, if you pay attention to them you start to notice they all have their own fun characteristics and personalities. If you look in the first photo below, you can see some sort of mite on the snail. I didn’t even notice the tiny creature on the snail until after post processing. It’s amazing what the Laowa 60mm lens can capture.
Frogs 🐸 are one of my favorite subjects to photograph with the Laowa 60mm lens. You have to be quick with these guys, one moment they are sitting perfectly still for you, then they can jump off their platform in a split second. I am lucky enough to live near a park where tons of these generic tree frogs call home.
I shot this gecko 🦎 at night while he was slowly climbing down a pine tree. These are some of my favorite photos I’ve taken with the Laowa 60mm lens. The area of focus is so detailed, mainly around the head. A photographer told me, as long as the eye is sharp and in focus then you are good to go. I feel I’ve achieved this tip while photographing the gecko.
As a photographer, we notice things that others either don’t or simply are not interested in. I am constantly seeking out subjects to photograph and sometimes stumble upon some crazy events taking place right in front of me. Below is a photo of a group of ants working together to move a worm 🪱 much larger then them all combined. The second image below is that of a cicada shell clinging to the branch of a tree.
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3 Comments
Steve Rohan
Amazing shots! Shot lots of interesting bugs around China.
zimminaround
Thanks! All of these insects, frogs, lizards, etc.. were all shot in Okinawa. It’s amazing what kind of wildlife you find on these small islands.
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