Phil Rudin

Sonyalpharrumors has now posted two photos of the Sony FE 100mm F/2.8 GM OSS macro they say will be announced next week on 9/30. The lens appears to have 1.4:1 magnification and an expanded 0.7 (up from 0.5) to 0.26 meter macro range like the Tamron 90mm F/2,8 macro.

In several longer video and print reviews, the reviewers have expressed that the macro end of this lens seems quite good while the AF end, 1.5 meters and beyond has only average auto focus. Like all terrestrial macro reviews F/5.6 to F/8 is the suggested top F/number before diffraction begins to set in. I think this is where U/W photographers and terrestrial shooters differ. Above water many are shooting from very stable tripods and using focus stacking to increase depth of field. These methods are less useful underwater where many use F/16 to F/32 frequently for increased DOF. The Laowa 180 macro is a lens that I think will appeal to a few obsessed macro shooters simply because it is unique for its focal length, 1.5:1 magnification and it ability to put more distance between the lens and subject. The lens is 1.2mm shorter than the Sigma 105mm F/2.8 art macro according to B&H specs so existing ports should work well I would think. I'm guessing someone will come up with a 3D printed focus gear for popular housing brands if the lens catches on. For hard core macro shooters this lens may turnout to be a bargain for creating unique new perspectives.

Just to get in the ballpark price wise the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens, a 1:4 lens retails in the US for $1600.00. It will be interesting to see if this lens if/when it arrives will exceed 1:1 perhaps 1.5:1 or greater. Along with the 100mm macro rumor was a Sony 10% price increase rumor which could put this new lens out of reach for many. For me the best value in this focal range is the still $699.00 Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 Macro Lens. It surpasses the now over 10 year old Sony FE 90mm G macro in just about every way. I reviewed this lens in uwpmag.com issue #142 a few months ago for anyone interested.

My experience has been with the Marelux system for Sony and the Sony FE 28-60mm using the WACP-1 with the 20mm Nauticam to Marelux adapter. This configuration allows me to zoom through the entire zoom range without any vignetting . I have also used the same setup in the Nauticam housing with the N100 to N120 35.5mm port adapter for the N120 WACP-1 with no vignetting through the entire zoom range. Without having tested the Marelux/WACP-1 with EF 28-70mm I would only be making an educated guess. My guess is that the lens should zoom through the entire range and may be slightly wider at the 28mm setting v Nauticam. .

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.

The 10mm needs a fisheye type port so 140 or 230 not 170/180. I am traveling so you can fine two or three photos with each port on my Instagram page, view the text for each photo to fine the 10mm shots. Philrudinphotography

The lens hood on both the Laowa 10mm and 12mm AF lenses are removable and small enough to be used in a dome port if you like. All rectilinear lenses work best in larger dome ports like 230mm if corner sharpness is your primary metric. I have used the Laowa 10mm in a 140mm dome port with excellent center sharpness. At 12cm it will easily focus in both ports because they are fisheye. Not so much in a 180mm dome which is not fisheye. Bottom line is that a 170/180 degree fisheyes are just not apples to apples compared to 130 & 122 degrees in rectilinear a better metric would br wet wind lenses that that are 130 degrees at 28mm on full frame.

See comments in the photo gear section.

This is Laowa's second auto focus lens, both lenses designed for Nikon Z and Sony full frame cameras. Canon RF and Leica L are also supported in manual focus only. The AF lenses have five aperture blades and manual focus are available in 5 and 14 blades. I reviewed Laowa's first AF lens, the 10mm F/2.8 in issue #138 using Marelux 140mm and 230mm dome ports. I expect the 12mm F/2.8 will have similar performance at least in the 230mm port which is most well suited to such a wide (122 degree) rectilinear lens. To answer Sokrates question, yes this is a lens I intend to review but not sure how soon.

I have tested both with 28-60 for stills. I have used CMC-1 and CMC-2 as well as stacking both, CMC-1 plus CMC-1 & 2. Regarding SMC, it depends on using the old SMC-1 & 2 or the new SMC-3. 1 & 2 are very thick which cause slight corner issues with both 28-60 and 90mm with 26-60 being more noticeable. CMC-1/2 and SMC-3 are about half as thick. If you intend to own both 28-60 and 90mm then the SMC-3 will be the better choice because it will work better with the 90mm lenses. If you intend to buy a 90mm read my review for the Tamron 90mm F/2.8 macro for Sony FE in issue #142 of uwpmag.com I owned the Sony for about tens years now and found the upsides of the Tamron to be better than those of the Sony 90mm macro. Also the savings on the Tamron will offset the higher cost of the SMC-3 over the CMC's.