Laowa has built a reputation for very special and powerful lenses in recent years and has also shown itself to be a solid partner in crowdfunding campaigns. Instead of a new lens, the innovative Chinese company is now introducing new connection variants of well-known lenses.
The Laowa 4 mm F2.8 Circular Fisheye and the 9 mm F2.8 Zero-D get a Nikon Z variant, while the 24 mm F14 Macro Probe gets a Nikon Z and Canon RF variant. In addition, the bright 33 mm Argus F0.95 CF APO with Canon EF-M bayonet is announced.
The Laowa 4 mm F2.8 Circular Fisheye is, as the name suggests, a wide-angle lens with the typical circular image. With lenses of this type, the freedom from distortion is sacrificed to the extreme angle of view of 210 degrees in this case.
The optical structure consists of seven lenses arranged in six groups. No special lenses are used and there is no filter thread. The Laowa 4 mm F2.8 Circular Fisheye is available for around 280 euros. The lens is intended for APS-C sensors. We tested the Micro Four Thirds connection variant, see related links.
According to Laowa, the 9 mm F2.8 Zero-D has no significant distortion. With an angle of view of 113 degrees, the lens is very well suited for architecture and landscape photography, where you only have to change the image geometry a little afterward.
The lens, which costs just under 620 euros, has an optical structure made up of 15 lenses in ten groups. The lenses include aspherical ground and glass lenses with a low refractive index and are available from specialist retailers.
The 24 mm F14 2x Macro Probe is a special lens for Nikon Z and Canon RF full-frame cameras. With the endoscope-like optics and the low focus limit of only 20 millimeters from the front lens, special types of exposure can be realized without any problems.
In addition, the lens has an LED ring light that can be operated via a USB connection and is waterproof up to 20 centimeters, so that it can also be “immersed” in liquids. This special lens will be available for just under 1,900 euros.
The last new connection variant is the Argus 33 mm F0.95 CF APO with Canon EF-M connection, which was introduced in 2021. The bright fixed focal length is calculated for APS-C sensors and has an optical structure of 14 lenses in nine groups, including special glass lenses and aspherical lenses.
The lens, which weighs 590 grams, is the ideal companion for available light photographers and is available in stores for just under 600 euros.
All new lens connection variants will be available from specialist dealers from October 2021.
