Phil Rudin

it's not wrong, the lens has already had a short video where the reviewer points out the AF stops at 1.5 meter. I have a 150 macro that's goes to 1:1 with a focus gear. Excellent lens but I mostly set it at 1:1 and use it with +5 to +15 C/U lenses, keepers are about 50% of what I get with AF 90 & 105 with the same C/U lenses. Not thinking I want to go down that road again. The results from the 180 in close macro look excellent in the short review video.

I want to make it clear that in the top photo I used blocks of foam flotation zip tied to the lens and that any vignetting is from the foam and not the lens. The bottom photo is what the lens will look like with the float collar in the final product, so no vignetting. Regarding wider apertures, for full frame rectilinear lenses in the 16mm to 10mm range the common rule of thumb is to start at F/13 or smaller. Wide Wet lenses at the 28mm end are reported to allow one to two 2.5 extra stops with like corner sharpness. I have attached two photos both taken at F/8 and close but not exactly the same distance to subject. The first photo is the Aquista 120 using the Sony 28-60mm at 28mm with the A7RV, the second is the WACP-C same lens at 28mm on Sony A1, both images are full frame. To my eye the 120 appears to render a slightly wider field of view and a flatter image, I.E. less center bulge associated with fisheye. You can be the judge regarding corners.

This lens has been announced and not to burst everyone's bubble but it is a high end Cine lens. Canon Announces the CINI-SERVO 11-55 T2.95-T3.95 Cinema Lens

Not apples to apples at all. WWL-C is for 24mm at wide end and more designed for compact cameras. The Aquista 120 is currently listed at $1660.00 and it is designed for full frame at 28mm.

The Marelux Aquista 120 wet lens that I have been using is a prototype and lacks any flotation. When I first tested the Nauticam WWL-1 prototype (one of several) about a year and a half before its release that lens did not have any flotation either. When Aquista 120 (130 degree AOV) And Aquista 100 (110 degree AOV) arrive they should both have an aluminum float collar. Both the Aquista 120 & 100 are designed to work with a 28mm full frame equivalent lens at the wide end. As a Sony user I have found no better choice than the Sony FE 28 to 60mm which has been my goto lens for most of the wet wide lenses I have tested. These include (with Sony 28-60) Nauticam WWL-1, WWL-1B, WACP-C, WACP-1 and Marelux Aquista 120. I would say the prototype A-120 I.Q. is most similar to WACP-C. Photos of the Aquista 120 mounted on A7CR housing with some foam blocks which tend to vignette and without any flotation. The bayonet mount on the flat port 32 used for the lens on Sony housings. The prototype lens and the final product concept.

This week Laowa, (Venus Optics) released a new lens roadmap which includes the already released AF FF 12mm F/2.8 and the Laowa AF FF 180mm F/4.5 CA-Dreamer Macro 1.5X lens. The list also includes two video lenses and two TS lenses. A 180mm AF macro that goes to 1.5:1 would be a welcome addition to the Laowa line and will likely first be released in Nikon Z and Sony FE lens mounts. This is a lens that should have great potential for those of use that are addicted to super macro. In the attached photo the lens appears to have internal focus which is a good thing and top aperture of F/22. Laowa has an excellent reputation when it comes to exotic manual focus macro lenses and the Laowa AF 10mm and AF 12mm lenses (Laowa's firsts entries into AF) have been excellent both in speed and tracking ability. Looking forward to trying the new 180 macro.

As I reported in the review several manufactures are selling housings for these cameras. The Marelux MX-A7CII/R housing that I used for the review has access to all the same buttons and features as the Sony A1 housing. I am using the same custom function buttons as with A1, A7R 4&5 with slight differences in placement.

My review for the Sony A7C II and A7CR cameras has posted today in uwpmag.com issue #146. This is article #123 for me since beginning to write for UWP over ten years ago. These are great little full frame cameras with a verity of housing choices and price points. Cushion Starfish, Blue Heron Bridge, Palm Beach, Florida, USA, Sony A7CR, Sony 28-60 Zoom at 28mm, Marelux housing and flat port 32, Aquista 120 W/A wet lens, two Marelux Apollo S strobes. ISO-320, F/20, 1/160th sec. Glassy Snapper, Palm Beach, Florida, USA, Sony A7CR, Sony 28-60 Zoom at 60mm, Marelux housing and flat port 32, Aquista 120 W/A wet lens, Marelux Apollo S strobes, ISO-400, F/11, 1/125th sec.

The Nauticam port chart recommends the 105 flat macro port for the Sony FE 90mm lens. This port works with all accessories including the EMWL #3 and bayonet mount. With Marelux the Sony 90mm uses the flat macro port 97 which has the same 67mm threads which will allow the bayonet mount and the EMWL #3 to be used. I don't see any reason why the EMWL should not work the same on Marelux as it would on Nauticam. Adapting a Nauticam port to Marelux is not going to be the same. I use the Nauticam SMC-1 on the Marelux 90 macro ports and the results are the same with Sony or Tamron 90mm macro lenses.

As long as you are using the recommended Marelux macro port the MFO-3 wet lens should work the same. I have used wet closeup lenses from several manufactures on both Marelux and Nauticam with like results.

When the Laowa 12mm is mounted on the Sony A7RC camera in the MX-A7RC housing the front of the lens is parallel to the flange on the housing, I found the best results using a 40mm extension with the Marelux 230mm optical glass fisheye port. Attached are with the 40mm and 230 port.

Started on another promising looking lens today, the new Laowa 12mm F/2.8 FF AF Dreamer a (122 degree) rectilinear. Using the Marelux 230mm optical glass dome with 45mm of extension for this photo at ISO-125, F/14, 1/160th sec. Still working out the best extension length. Any extension suggestions?

You can read my Sony FE 16-25mm F/2.8 review in the current issue of UWPMAG.com for my take on this lens.

I often test other ports for my own use but the 140mm is not a port that will be recommended by manufactures so I went with the 180mm which will be recommended along with the 230mm. Will test with the 140mm at some point but didn't have time before this review.