Venus Optics continues to intrigue and impress with the release of two new lenses that rank high on the uniqueness scale. The Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens is an ultra-wide option for APS-C-format mirrorless cameras, and provides a very broad field of view to suit a variety of creative applications. From wide to near, Venus’s other new optic is the close-focusing Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra-Macro lens, which, as its name suggests, is a specialized lens for photographing extremely close-up subjects within a greater-than-life-size 2.5:1 to 5:1 range.
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Looking at the ultra-wide first, the 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D is a compact lens designed for Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Canon EF-M-mount mirrorless cameras. Despite its small size and ultra-broad field of view, a sophisticated optical design, using two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements, achieves a well-corrected image with minimal aberrations or distortion. A Frog Eye Coating has been applied to the exposed elements to protect from dust and moisture, and the lens also sports a built-in petal-shaped lens hood.
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Also technically a wide angle, but designed for much closer shooting, is the 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro, which is available for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras, as well as Canon EF, Nikon F, and Pentax K SLR mounts. Certainly a niche optic, this lens is designed to only work within a 2.5:1 to 5:1 magnification range, which translates to a working range of 1.6 to 1.8" from the front of the lens. The wide-angle design helps to achieve greater depth of field than a telephoto design, and the lens’s slim barrel form factor suits handheld shooting and affords more room for illuminating close-up subjects.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
