The Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe is the world’s first consumer-grade probe lens that has been developed to provide photographers and videographers with a new perspective. The Laowa 24mm Probe lens can create a Bug-Eye perspective that cannot be done by a conventional macro lens.

The Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe lens is expected to retail at USD $1499. It is currently available to pre-order via Kickstarter at a discounted price. The earliest expected delivery date is September.

Venus Optics Press Release

Venus Optics officially announces the Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe lens, a weird but revolutionary lens for macro videography

Tubular barrel, Waterproof & built-in LED design unlock shooting possibilities.

Anhui China, Aug 1, 2018 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer who had previously launched a number of unique Laowa camera lenses, are proud to announce the Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe Lens, a unique & revolutionary macro tool. 

Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe is the world’s first consumer-grade probe lens that was developed to provide photographers and videographers with a new perspective and remove their shooting barriers while using conventional macro lenses. Below are the key features of this lens.

Bug-Eye Perspective

The new Laowa 24mm Probe lens can create a Bug-Eye perspective that cannot be done by conventional macro lens. Not only can it focus really close (2cm @ 2:1) and show a great amount of detail and texture, but also achieve a compelling wide angle 'Bug Eye' view (84.1°). More background details can then be included into the shots to create a very informative and stunning macro bug-eye perspective. For telephoto macro lenses, the subject will fill most of the frame and appear isolated from the surrounding environment instead.

2:1 Magnification to Infinity Focus

The new Laowa Probe covers a focusing range from 2:1 macro magnification to Infinity Focus. Photographers can take advantage of the 2:1 maximum magnification to shoot really small bugs/objects and reveal details that cannot be seen by naked eye. The wide focusing range (from Macro to infinity) is also particularly useful for videography as both finer details and environmental background can be captured in one shot.

Deep Depth-of-Field

The wide angle design also means much more depth of field at close distance (compared to the telephoto macro lens) so that more background details will now be visible. Being able to focus so close but still having a deep depth of field is a BIG advantage for both studio and wildlife shooting. The less blurry background allows the habitat of the subject to be visible in your photo.   

Waterproof front lens barrel

The front barrel of the lens is waterproof and it can be used to shoot in any environment. This makes shooting in liquid no longer a limitation. The waterproof design also implies that shooting in super dusty environment or with fine powders are not going to be a problem.

40cm long & Tubular Lens Barrel

Thanks to the 40cm (15.7") long barrel, photographers can focus really close to the subject but still keep themselves and cameras distance away. This unlocks the possibility of shooting in areas which were not accessible in the past. E.g. Shooting a frog hiding in the bushes using our Probe lens, compared to getting a telephoto macro lens super close to avoid leaves blocking your subject. The long lens barrel also allows photographers to keep a safe distance away when shooting lethal animals. The big camera body and lens will no longer 'alert' the subject too. 

Tiny 2cm lens tip

The tiny 0.2cm-in-diameter lens tip unlocks the possibility to get very low to the ground level to capture a 'delicious' perspective and maximize the visual impact. The viewers will be like walking on your shooting subject (e.g. Pizza) now.  Moreover, you can insert the lens into tiny caves, bottle or burrows to shoot. The smaller lens tip also enables proper lighting hitting onto the subject whereas typical macro lenses with larger lens barrels will block most of the light.

LED Ring Light at the tip

A LED ring light (powered through the micro-USB slot on the barrel) is mounted at the tip of the lens to provide additional lighting for focus assistance and video shooting. 

Full frame coverage

The Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe can cover both the standard 35mm full frame and Super35 image sensor.

Lightweight

The new Laowa weighs only 1.04 pounds (474 grams) and it’s super light and easy to carry.

The lens has one of the most complicated optics design and houses with 27 elements in 19 groups to deliver the exceptional image quality. Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony FE mounts are currently available for standard version. A cine version with click-less aperture and focus gears in Arri PL mount is also available to order.

Availability

The lens is expected to retail at USD 1,499/pc (ex-VAT). It is currently available to pre-order via Kickstarter at a discounted price. The earliest expected delivery date is September. The lens will also be available via authorized resellers from October onwards.

UK Optics Press Release

Every now and again there is a new product that is so innovative that it defies all the odds of what is currently available, with this in mind.We are pleased to introduce one of the weirdest but most ingenius of macro lenses ever. 

The Laowa 24mm f/14 Macro Probe Lens

Most macro lenses in the photographic market tend to have a long focal length (from 60mm to 120mm) and the subject fills most of the frame, isolating it from the surrounding environment. The Laowa 24mm Probe Lens, instead, allows you to focus really close (2cm @ 2:1) to the subject, showing a great amount of detail and texture, although at the same time, you can enjoy a compelling wide angle 'Bug Eye' view (84.1°) so that more background details can then be included in the shots. You can easily create a very informative and stunning macro bug-eye perspective that no other lenses can do. The fact that it can focus really close to the subject enables a lot of shooting possibilities.

The Laowa probe is actually super light and easy to carry. It weighs only 1.04 pounds (474 grams. The Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe can cover both the standard 35mm full frame & Super35 image sensor.

If You think that this is cool enough? Think again. In order to bring you an even more exciting perspective and take your photos or video to the next level, we have made the front barrel of the Laowa probe waterproof. The waterproof design also implies shooting in dusty environment or with fine powders are not going to be a problem anymore. You can literally use it ANYWHERE.

Why is it f/14 not f/1.4? Why is there a LED ring light at the front? Macro photography is about Depth of Field and so a smaller aperture is usually used. An LED ring light (powered through the micro-usb slot on the barrel) is embedded in the lens tip to provide additional lighting for focus assistance. In most cases, the more light you have on your subject, the better your shot will look.

As macro photographers, you usually face the problem of not being able to shoot smaller subjects. With the Laowa probe, you can now take advantage of the 2:1 maximum magnification to shoot really small bugs and reveal details that cannot be seen by the naked eye. It is particularly useful for videography as both finer details and environmental background can be captured in one shot.

The wide angle design also means much more depth of field at closer distances (compared to the telephoto macro lens) so that more background details can now be seen. Being able to focus so close but still having a deep depth of field is a BIG advantage for both studio and wildlife shooting.  

Understanding this weird design?

For traditional macro lenses, you need to get so close to your subject in order to take a good macro shot but some areas are just simply inaccessible. Thanks to the 40cm (15.7") long barrel, you can now focus really close to the subject but still keep yourself and your camera distance away. This feature is super useful and makes your macro shooting so much easier. Imagine how convenient it will be to shoot a frog hiding in the bushes using the Probe lens, compared to getting your typical 100mm macro lens super close to it to avoid leaves blocking your subject.

The less blurry background allows the habitat of the subject to be included in your photo. 

Shooting lethal snakes? No problem. The long lens barrel also allows us to keep a safe distance away from shooting lethal snakes. Your big camera body and lens will no longer 'alert' your subject too.

From a filmmaking perspective, the Tubular Lens barrel also allows shooting a lot of "slide in" shots through tiny areas. Imagine sliding the lens between candles on your birthday cake or sliding the lens inside a drink bottle. Something that no other lenses in this earth can do. Our opening product showcase shot in the main video was also shot with this technique.

Getting proper lighting onto the subject is not always an easy task for macro photography. Typical macro lenses have large lens barrels (at least 60mm or above in diameter), blocking most of the light from hitting the subject. Our Laowa probe, on the other hand, features a 20mm diameter lens tip which makes it super easy to get sufficient illumination.

The tiny 0.2cm in diameter lens tip unlocks the possibility to get really close to your subject (OR very low to the ground level) to capture a 'delicious' perspective never seen before and maximise the visual impact. Your viewers are literally like walking on the pizza now.

Camera Mounts (Still) : Canon EF,Nikon F,Sony FE, Pentax K

Camera Mounts (Cine) : Arri PL, Canon EF

Availability should be November and the prices will be £1599.00 for the Photo lenses and £1799.00 for the Cinema lenses

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