LENSES
Laowa
90mm F2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO
Does 2x magnification mean twice the value? Matthew Richards finds out
PRICE: £569/$499
FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.21m
WEIGHT: 619g
Build and handling
Coming three years down the road from the TIPA award-winning Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO, the newer 90mm is designed purely for mirrorless cameras, adding Leica L to the line-up of mount options while still supporting the previous RF, Z and E threesome. Fairly compact for a 90mm macro lens, the Laowa is nearly 4cm shorter than the previous 100mm mirrorless lens. It feels robust and well-engineered although it lacks any weather-seals, either on the mounting plate or barrel joints. The manual focus ring has both a long rotational travel and smooth operation, making ultra-fine adjustments much easier.