Venus Optics Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens for FUJIFILM X

just picked this up this week and honestly it's already one of the best value purchases I've made for my kit. The image sharpness is genuinely impressive. At 2:1 magnification you're pulling out detail that most lenses simply can't touch at this price point. I shoot with a flash and diffuser setup at f/8, ISO 200, 1/200s (flash sync speed) and the results are consistently sharp and clean. Check the photos I've attached to see what it's capable of. The handheld macro technique does take some getting used to, but once it clicks it's a proper lightbulb moment. Worth sticking with it. One thing to be aware of is that the closer you get to 2x magnification, the closer you'll need to be to your subject. At full magnification you're almost touching it. Build quality is solid too. It feels well made in the hand, nothing cheap or plasticky about it. It's also a tiny little lens that takes up hardly any space in your bag. Being fully manual is a non-issue for macro work since you're fine-tuning focus by hand anyway. For Fujifilm X mount shooters looking to get into macro without spending a fortune, this is a no-brainer. You'd pay significantly more for a comparable autofocus macro lens and still not get the 2:1 magnification this offers. Highly recommend it.

Focus ring is smooth and long allowing precise focusing. The lens is all metal, great build quality, still feels very light yet sturdy. As can see from the photos, it works great from macro to regular photography. It’s also very compact so seriously just perfect for everyday everything photography.

I have been very impressed with this lens overall. The sharpness is excellent when you nail focus. As with any true macro lens, depth of field becomes razor thin at close distances, so getting everything perfectly sharp takes patience and practice. Since this is a fully manual lens, anything moving can be difficult to capture, but that is more a matter of technique than a flaw in the lens itself. For the price, the image quality is very strong. When conditions are right and focus is dialed in, the level of detail is impressive. The 2x magnification opens up creative possibilities that you simply cannot get with standard lenses. Another big advantage is the size. It is small and compact, making it easy to toss into a camera bag without adding much weight. That portability makes it more likely to actually come with me rather than staying at home. It is also surprisingly usable for portraits, especially if you are looking for a very sharp, detailed look. Overall, this is a great value macro lens that delivers excellent results as long as you are comfortable working with manual focus and the inherent challenges of macro photography.

he Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro is an incredible lens for macro work on Fujifilm X. The sharpness is outstanding—details come through with crisp precision, even when shooting at 2:1 magnification. Colors and contrast are excellent too, and the APO design really does help minimize chromatic aberration. It’s important to know this is a manual focus–only lens. If you’re comfortable focusing by hand, it’s a joy to use and gives you full control over your shots. For macro especially, I actually prefer manual focus since it lets me nail the exact point I want sharp. Build quality is solid, with a reassuring weight that makes it feel professional without being bulky. For anyone serious about macro photography on Fuji X, this lens is a gem. The image quality alone makes it worth it.

Was not sure what to expect, as I’m not someone who usually buys third party products. But for documenting family jewelry it seems fine. Using it on a Fuji XT-4. I am quite impressed by the quality and construction of this lens. I do not need anything electronic or auto-focus. (That may change if I want to go outside and shoot flowers.) The price is well worth it. I have no issues with manual focus or anything else. Besides macro photos of jewelry, I wanted to try the lens for focal stacking. Attached is one of nine stacked images as well as the finished image from the focal stacking software, Helicon Focus. I recommend this lens.

Feels solid, operates smoothly. Macro magnification up to 2X, focus distance, and aperture out to f/2.8 are clearly marked and easy to set, manually. You need to be comfortable using viewfinder histogram and blinking or zebras for exposure, and edge-detection highlighting for focus, because this non-electronic lens has no communication with the camera at all. In practice I find this actually works better for controlling exposure, focus distance, and depth of field, for stationary or slow-moving subjects, but you have to pay attention. When I want a record of f-stop and magnification, I take a photo of the lens with my phone to get a time stamp. Excellent for macros, with plenty of working distance in front of the sturdy metal lens hood. Really perfect for its tasks. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that I can’t get the lens hood to stay on when it’s reversed for storage. Minor inconvenience really. It’s always secure when mounted forward in normal use.

✔Bright and sharp edge to edge ✔APO design defeats chromatic aberrations ✔Super closeup macro a pleasure Really benefits from a tripod. I'm adding a macro rail to my arsenal as this is the first lens I've owned that justifies that addition. From 0.25:1 through 2:1 macro range means getting closer and closer to the subject to retain focus and a macro rail will definitely help. At f/2.8, the lens gathers plenty of light for indoor use. The carraway seeds with saffron and sea salt with peppercorns were shot under indoor lighting with no supplemental light sources. Tripod mounted, ISO 400 Provia, @ 2.5 seconds and 1 second respectively. Handheld, I captured the rock bed @ f/8 and cloudscape at f/22 under mostly cloudy skies. I completed my testing with a tripod mounted excursion through the local botanical gardens to gather the rest of the images for this review. Mostly shot at f/8 and testing how the lens treats film recipes. The lens plays well with various film recipes. Despite the sharpness of the lens, it doesn't impose a harsh digital aspect to the images. which I've seen from some other lenses I've used on Fujifilm cameras. IMHO, some lenses are like a chameleon that blends harmoniously with various recipes, as the Laowa 65mm does. Others stamp their personality over every recipe. Both types have their use: dreamy vs documentary. The Laowa 65mm f/2.8 has that dreamy quality. I believe that studio work is the best use case for this lens. Even with the compact nature and reasonable weight, I see myself wanting a tripod outdoors to unlock the brilliant macro potential of this lens to best effect. Add a macro rail and easily unlock super closeup macro in-studio. UPDATE: The macro rail came in. I mounted my X-M5 and Laowa 65mm onto the macro rail. Outdoors, bright sun, f/22 with focus set at 2:1. I've attached 2 photos from that shoot. I focused on a single bloom of Veronica Polita (Grey Field-Speedwell). The tiny flower is only about 5mm across and the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 really does help you capture the tiniest details!

Laowa Venus Optics CA 65mm F2.8 Macro 2X Lens. This lens is amazing. However, it will take a bit of time to get used to it. First, it is totally manual. The lens does not communicate with the camera, so in the menu set: “Shoot without a lens: ON”, otherwise the camera will not take photos. Second, in macro mode the depth of field is so small, it is difficult to focus. (That is also true of all macro lenses.) I took some photos at 2X (2:1) and at 1X (1:1) magnifications and some at no magnification at all. I will include photos. (all hand held - no tripod) I love this lens. This will also take landscapes, portrait and many other genres of photos. I hope this is helpful.

E' la mia prima ottica macro, quindi non ho molto metro di paragone. Serve qualche ora per prenderci confidenza, poi è uno spettacolo

Objektiv für die Fuji XT-20 erworben. Preis/Leistung top, sehr gute Bildqualität und Abbildungsleistung, bei 2:1 ist es natürlich schwierig scharfe Freihandbilder zu bekommen, es sind schon mehrere Versuche notwendig, bei Wind geht nix mehr - am besten bei flachen Motiven nutzbar, auch kaum mehr Tiefenschärfe bei diesem Abbildungsmassstab, bis 1:1 sehr gut. Hilfreich ist es die ISO Zahl zu erhöhen, führt zu kürzeren Verschlusszeiten. Gerade bei Fuji Systemkameras ist die Bildqualität auch bei ISO 1600 sehr gut. Auch die Verarbeitungsqualität ist erstklassig. Bin sehr zufrieden und kann dieses Objektiv sehr empfehlen. Natürlich wäre ein Bildstabilisator wünschenswert, jedoch wäre der Preis dann viel höher. Autofokus vermisse ich bei Makro nicht, da man manuell fokussiert besser den gewünschten Schärfepunkt wählen kann - Fokus Peaking ist sehr hilfreich. Ich verwende fast nie ein Stativ, da man ohne schneller und flexibler ist, vor allem bei Insekten-Motiven in einer Wiese, bei Blumen und starren Motiven ist ein Stativ sinnvoll, da man die ISO Zahl reduzieren, die Verschlusszeit erhöhen, eine kleinere Blendenöffnung wählen und so die Bildqualität nochmals steigern kann. Von Offenblende bis Blende 11 sehr gute Auflösung, ab Blende 16 leicht abnehmende Auflösung aufgrund der Beugung. Die Auflösung in den Bildrändern ist auch sehr gut.

This is an amazing macro lens. I switched from Canon to Fuji and used to have the canon 100mm f2.8 L. Image quality of this lens is as good as my canon at half the price or less. The 2x magnification is amazing! This lens is manual focus which I don’t mind at all, as for real Macro photography, I anyway use manual focus. The lens also doesn’t have an image stabilizer, but my x-t50 has IBIS, so it makes things a bit more stable. Overall I am very happy with this lens and is exactly what I expected from a good Macro lens! It’s worth saying that this lens could also be used for portraits. Attached picture is taken at 2x magnification from an iPhone screen, where you can easily see the RGB pixel structures!

I’ve been using the LAOWA 65mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro for a few months, and it has quickly become one of the sharpest lenses I’ve ever used. The image quality is absolutely stunning, with incredible detail and clarity that easily rivals much more expensive lenses. Every fine texture and subtle color shift comes through beautifully, especially when working with macro subjects. I also use this lens to digitize my analog film, and it performs exceptionally well for that purpose. The level of precision it delivers allows me to capture every grain and tone accurately, which is essential for high-quality film scans. The color reproduction is clean and natural, and the lack of distortion makes post-processing much easier. That said, it’s a fully manual lens, and focusing can be challenging, especially for handheld shots. It takes patience and a steady hand to nail focus consistently, but once you do, the results are worth it. If you are used to autofocus lenses, expect a bit of a learning curve. Overall, this is an excellent lens for anyone who values optical performance and doesn’t mind taking full control of their focus. It’s not for everyone, but for macro enthusiasts and those who digitize film, it’s a remarkable tool that delivers professional results.

J'ai longtemps hésité avant de m'acheter un objectif macro. J'ai utilisé plusieurs techniques : des bonnettes Raynox, des bagues allonge, un antique (mais toujours très bon) TAMRON 90. Finalement j'ai craqué pour cet objectif et j'en suis ravi : une netteté incomparable avec ce que j'obtenais jusque la et un rapport maxi à 2. Parfais pour mon utilisation (focus stacking sur insectes)