Laowa f/2.8 APO Ultra-Macro Lens Nikon Z, 100mm
The Laowa 100mm f/2.8 from Venus Optic is a fast fixed focal length that lets you capture stunning macro shots at 2x magnification with a minimum focusing distance of 24.7cm. It features two lowdispersion elements that effectively reduce chromatic aberration and color fringing for clear, precise imaging of your subject. You also have the option of focusing to infinity making the lens suitable for portraiture with attractive background blur. The telephoto lens has a much longer focal length than a normal lens. This reduces the angle of view and makes photographed objects appear closer and larger than they actually are from the point of view where you are with your camera. This type of lens is therefore particularly suitable if you want to take formatfilling photographs of distant objects. In addition, telephoto lenses are great for cropping subjects because of their shallow depth of field highlight the subject you want in your picture by blurring the background. This lens can only be focused manually. While manual focusing takes longer and is more challenging than working with autofocus, it does offer some advantages: It allows you to focus on exactly the point you want, enabling you to take shots that are exactly what you want. Even in situations where autofocus would quickly become overwhelmed for example, in low light, smooth surfaces with little texture, or in foggy weather you'll prefer to focus manually.
The Laowa 100mm f/2.8 from Venus Optic is a fast fixed focal length that lets you capture stunning macro shots at 2x magnification with a minimum focusing distance of 24.7cm. It features two lowdispersion elements that effectively reduce chromatic aberration and color fringing for clear, precise imaging of your subject. You also have the option of focusing to infinity making the lens suitable for portraiture with attractive background blur. The telephoto lens has a much longer focal length than a normal lens. This reduces the angle of view and makes photographed objects appear closer and larger than they actually are from the point of view where you are with your camera. This type of lens is therefore particularly suitable if you want to take formatfilling photographs of distant objects. In addition, telephoto lenses are great for cropping subjects because of their shallow depth of field highlight the subject you want in your picture by blurring the background. This lens can only be focused manually. While manual focusing takes longer and is more challenging than working with autofocus, it does offer some advantages: It allows you to focus on exactly the point you want, enabling you to take shots that are exactly what you want. Even in situations where autofocus would quickly become overwhelmed for example, in low light, smooth surfaces with little texture, or in foggy weather you'll prefer to focus manually.
The Laowa 100mm f/2.8 from Venus Optic is a fast fixed focal length that lets you capture stunning macro shots at 2x magnification with a minimum focusing distance of 24.7cm. It features two lowdispersion elements that effectively reduce chromatic aberration and color fringing for clear, precise imaging of your subject. You also have the option of focusing to infinity making the lens suitable for portraiture with attractive background blur. The telephoto lens has a much longer focal length than a normal lens. This reduces the angle of view and makes photographed objects appear closer and larger than they actually are from the point of view where you are with your camera. This type of lens is therefore particularly suitable if you want to take formatfilling photographs of distant objects. In addition, telephoto lenses are great for cropping subjects because of their shallow depth of field highlight the subject you want in your picture by blurring the background. This lens can only be focused manually. While manual focusing takes longer and is more challenging than working with autofocus, it does offer some advantages: It allows you to focus on exactly the point you want, enabling you to take shots that are exactly what you want. Even in situations where autofocus would quickly become overwhelmed for example, in low light, smooth surfaces with little texture, or in foggy weather you'll prefer to focus manually.
The Laowa 100mm f/2.8 from Venus Optic is a fast fixed focal length that lets you capture stunning macro shots at 2x magnification with a minimum focusing distance of 24.7cm. It features two lowdispersion elements that effectively reduce chromatic aberration and color fringing for clear, precise imaging of your subject. You also have the option of focusing to infinity making the lens suitable for portraiture with attractive background blur. The telephoto lens has a much longer focal length than a normal lens. This reduces the angle of view and makes photographed objects appear closer and larger than they actually are from the point of view where you are with your camera. This type of lens is therefore particularly suitable if you want to take formatfilling photographs of distant objects. In addition, telephoto lenses are great for cropping subjects because of their shallow depth of field highlight the subject you want in your picture by blurring the background. This lens can only be focused manually. While manual focusing takes longer and is more challenging than working with autofocus, it does offer some advantages: It allows you to focus on exactly the point you want, enabling you to take shots that are exactly what you want. Even in situations where autofocus would quickly become overwhelmed for example, in low light, smooth surfaces with little texture, or in foggy weather you'll prefer to focus manually.
in 4 offers
The lowest price for Laowa f/2.8 APO Ultra-Macro Lens Nikon Z, 100mm right now is $779.00 at digiDirect Australia, compared across 4 retailers.
The all-time low was $693.00 on 30 Apr 2026 — today's price is 12% above the lowest ever. That's a little above the best price we've seen.
Prices last updated 8 June 2026.
Last updated at 08/06/2026 14:39:11
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO Lens - Nikon Z Mount
Delivery between 15–17 June $8.95
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens for Nikon Z
Delivery between 15–23 June $9.90
Laowa 100mm F2.8 2:1 Ultra APO Macro Lens - Nikon Z Laowa Camera Lens - Best For Macro
Free delivery between Wed – Thu
Laowa f/2.8 APO Ultra-Macro Lens Nikon Z, 100mm
Free delivery between 11–19 June
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
I've been shooting macro since 2009 and using a great Sigma 150mm 2.8 Macro lens and have produced some amazing images.I purchased the Laowa 100mm 2.8 Macro 2x after watching and reading so many great reviews about the lens.Well...I have to say that this lens is SHARP and produces beautiful images with good contrast and colors on my Canon EOS body.If you are into macro photography....Get yourself one of theseVenus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens...You won't regret it!!This lens works for portraits and many other types of images also.I will note that the lens has a learning curve for beginners but is easily learned and very usable if effort is given.Great and beautifully sharp macro lens!!
originally posted on adorama.com
I've ended up owning both the automatic aperture and manual aperture versions of this lens. Both are optically excellent and I'm enjoying the 2:1 capability in a versatile lens that is easy to use. I've been using this lens primarily for plant photographs, ranging from pictures of a whole shrub to handheld focus stacking for very small flowers & other plant parts.Contrary to my expectation, though, I find myself preferring the manual aperture lens. This is primarily because the automatic aperture is not particularly accurate, yielding slightly different exposures in a focus stack. I can work around this, but it's annoying. The manual aperture, on the other hand, turns out to be easier to use than I expected. Figuring out where the focus plane is when the lens is ... MoreI've ended up owning both the automatic aperture and manual aperture versions of this lens. Both are optically excellent and I'm enjoying the 2:1 capability in a versatile lens that is easy to use. I've been using this lens primarily for plant photographs, ranging from pictures of a whole shrub to handheld focus stacking for very small flowers & other plant parts.Contrary to my expectation, though, I find myself preferring the manual aperture lens. This is primarily because the automatic aperture is not particularly accurate, yielding slightly different exposures in a focus stack. I can work around this, but it's annoying. The manual aperture, on the other hand, turns out to be easier to use than I expected. Figuring out where the focus plane is when the lens is stopped down takes a bit more care and practice if (like me) you're only used to focusing with lenses wide open. I've screwed up a couple of pictures that way, but after a few days with the lens I think I've gotten over the learning curve. I do wish there was a tactile indication of where you are in the f-stop range, though.
originally posted on adorama.com
I've ended up owning both the automatic aperture and manual aperture versions of this lens. Both are optically excellent and I'm enjoying the 2:1 capability in a versatile lens that is easy to use. I've been using this lens primarily for plant photographs, ranging from pictures of a whole shrub to handheld focus stacking for very small flowers & other plant parts.Contrary to my expectation, though, I find myself preferring the manual aperture lens. This is primarily because the automatic aperture is not particularly accurate. For single exposures, I don't get exactly the aperture I intended, but I also don't care whether a picture ends up being f9.2 or f10, or whatever the discrepancy ends up being. For me, this is not quite ideal in principle but irrelevant in ... MoreI've ended up owning both the automatic aperture and manual aperture versions of this lens. Both are optically excellent and I'm enjoying the 2:1 capability in a versatile lens that is easy to use. I've been using this lens primarily for plant photographs, ranging from pictures of a whole shrub to handheld focus stacking for very small flowers & other plant parts.Contrary to my expectation, though, I find myself preferring the manual aperture lens. This is primarily because the automatic aperture is not particularly accurate. For single exposures, I don't get exactly the aperture I intended, but I also don't care whether a picture ends up being f9.2 or f10, or whatever the discrepancy ends up being. For me, this is not quite ideal in principle but irrelevant in practice. For focus stacking, though, it means that the pictures in the stack are all slightly differently exposed. I've been manually adjusting the exposures to match before running the stack through Zerene Stacker. This seems to work well enough, but it's an extra tedious step for a kind of photography that is already on the tedious end of the spectrum.
| Focal Length | 100mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/2.8 |
| Lens Mount | Nikon Z |
| Lens Format Coverage | Full-Frame |
| Focus Type | Manual Focus |
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO Lens - Nikon Z Mount
Delivery between 15–17 June $8.95
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens for Nikon Z
Delivery between 15–23 June $9.90
Laowa 100mm F2.8 2:1 Ultra APO Macro Lens - Nikon Z Laowa Camera Lens - Best For Macro
Free delivery between Wed – Thu
Laowa f/2.8 APO Ultra-Macro Lens Nikon Z, 100mm
Free delivery between 11–19 June
I've been shooting macro since 2009 and using a great Sigma 150mm 2.8 Macro lens and have produced some amazing images.I purchased the Laowa 100mm 2.8 Macro 2x after watching and reading so many great reviews about the lens.Well...I have to say that this lens is SHARP and produces beautiful images with good contrast and colors on my Canon EOS body.If you are into macro photography....Get yourself one of theseVenus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens...You won't regret it!!This lens works for portraits and many other types of images also.I will note that the lens has a learning curve for beginners but is easily learned and very usable if effort is given.Great and beautifully sharp macro lens!!
I've ended up owning both the automatic aperture and manual aperture versions of this lens. Both are optically excellent and I'm enjoying the 2:1 capability in a versatile lens that is easy to use. I've been using this lens primarily for plant photographs, ranging from pictures of a whole shrub to handheld focus stacking for very small flowers & other plant parts.Contrary to my expectation, though, I find myself preferring the manual aperture lens. This is primarily because the automatic aperture is not particularly accurate, yielding slightly different exposures in a focus stack. I can work around this, but it's annoying. The manual aperture, on the other hand, turns out to be easier to use than I expected. Figuring out where the focus plane is when the lens is ... MoreI've ended up owning both the automatic aperture and manual aperture versions of this lens. Both are optically excellent and I'm enjoying the 2:1 capability in a versatile lens that is easy to use. I've been using this lens primarily for plant photographs, ranging from pictures of a whole shrub to handheld focus stacking for very small flowers & other plant parts.Contrary to my expectation, though, I find myself preferring the manual aperture lens. This is primarily because the automatic aperture is not particularly accurate, yielding slightly different exposures in a focus stack. I can work around this, but it's annoying. The manual aperture, on the other hand, turns out to be easier to use than I expected. Figuring out where the focus plane is when the lens is stopped down takes a bit more care and practice if (like me) you're only used to focusing with lenses wide open. I've screwed up a couple of pictures that way, but after a few days with the lens I think I've gotten over the learning curve. I do wish there was a tactile indication of where you are in the f-stop range, though.
I've ended up owning both the automatic aperture and manual aperture versions of this lens. Both are optically excellent and I'm enjoying the 2:1 capability in a versatile lens that is easy to use. I've been using this lens primarily for plant photographs, ranging from pictures of a whole shrub to handheld focus stacking for very small flowers & other plant parts.Contrary to my expectation, though, I find myself preferring the manual aperture lens. This is primarily because the automatic aperture is not particularly accurate. For single exposures, I don't get exactly the aperture I intended, but I also don't care whether a picture ends up being f9.2 or f10, or whatever the discrepancy ends up being. For me, this is not quite ideal in principle but irrelevant in ... MoreI've ended up owning both the automatic aperture and manual aperture versions of this lens. Both are optically excellent and I'm enjoying the 2:1 capability in a versatile lens that is easy to use. I've been using this lens primarily for plant photographs, ranging from pictures of a whole shrub to handheld focus stacking for very small flowers & other plant parts.Contrary to my expectation, though, I find myself preferring the manual aperture lens. This is primarily because the automatic aperture is not particularly accurate. For single exposures, I don't get exactly the aperture I intended, but I also don't care whether a picture ends up being f9.2 or f10, or whatever the discrepancy ends up being. For me, this is not quite ideal in principle but irrelevant in practice. For focus stacking, though, it means that the pictures in the stack are all slightly differently exposed. I've been manually adjusting the exposures to match before running the stack through Zerene Stacker. This seems to work well enough, but it's an extra tedious step for a kind of photography that is already on the tedious end of the spectrum.
I sold my Sony 90mm macro G lens in order to get Laowa macro lenses including the 100mm 2X Ultra Macro, the main reason being the 2:1 magnification ratio. This is certainly a great advantage. The optical quality is great in the macro range and is in the same class as the Sony one it has replaced. I haven't used it outside the macro range to testify on that (I was using the Sony outside the macro range and it was still an amazing lens regarding IQ). Manual focus isn't an issue in the macro range. I was using the Sony one in manual mode anyway as AF is pretty much unusable for macro photography. The built quality is great, all metal construction and solid. Unfortunately, the lens is very long, being designed for DSLR's and being adapted to mirrorless by adding a ... MoreI sold my Sony 90mm macro G lens in order to get Laowa macro lenses including the 100mm 2X Ultra Macro, the main reason being the 2:1 magnification ratio. This is certainly a great advantage. The optical quality is great in the macro range and is in the same class as the Sony one it has replaced. I haven't used it outside the macro range to testify on that (I was using the Sony outside the macro range and it was still an amazing lens regarding IQ). Manual focus isn't an issue in the macro range. I was using the Sony one in manual mode anyway as AF is pretty much unusable for macro photography. The built quality is great, all metal construction and solid. Unfortunately, the lens is very long, being designed for DSLR's and being adapted to mirrorless by adding a built-in lens mount adapter. However, my main gripe is the loss in working distance compared to the Sony one. The Sony lens is has about 130mm working distance at 1:1. The Laowa only has 93mm working distance at 1:1 (and 70mm at 2:1). This makes it harder to photography insects by intimidating them. I wished the lens had been designed from the ground up for the mirrorless systems with short flange distance and possibly with bigger working distance. This is still possible without even changing the optical design of the lens because the lens optical assembly extends as it focuses on closer objects. However, the Laowa engineers decided to insert the whole optical assembly inside a long metal tube so probably to avoid to be forced to implement weather sealing means to avoid dust/water, etc. entering the lens construction. Then they have included a free UV filter to be permanently attached to the lens to better protect it from environmental impacts. It is because of this long tube encircling the lens that the working distance has been compromised. Without it, the lens would have had much better working distance at 1:1 magnification.This is a great lens which is less than half the price of the Sony lens though I am planing to try some long focal length macro lenses (in the 180-200mm range) using adapters on my Sony system for their great advantage of much longer working distance. At the end, I can then decide which one is a more practical tool.In the second picture, the three Laowa lenses I own are seen beside each other. The middle one being the Laowa 25mm 2.5-5x ultra macro lens is much smaller in comparison to the Laowa 100mm lens.
Excellent clarity through the entire range. One reviewer complained that the barrel is exposed while operating the zoom. However, the lens I received came with a Laowa MC UV filter attached which I have found functions well to keep dust and jumpy subjects out of the lens without reducing image quality.The length of the lens makes subject illumination a little tricky, especially if you are using extension tubes. I am using a Meike MK-MT24 flash set attached to FotoPro DMM-903s arms. That set up allows me to easily illuminate subjects regardless of how close they are to the end of the lens. See attached images for the setup and some example photographs taken with that setup on a Nikon Z6 ii.All the images are straight out the camera with no focus stacking or other ... MoreExcellent clarity through the entire range. One reviewer complained that the barrel is exposed while operating the zoom. However, the lens I received came with a Laowa MC UV filter attached which I have found functions well to keep dust and jumpy subjects out of the lens without reducing image quality.The length of the lens makes subject illumination a little tricky, especially if you are using extension tubes. I am using a Meike MK-MT24 flash set attached to FotoPro DMM-903s arms. That set up allows me to easily illuminate subjects regardless of how close they are to the end of the lens. See attached images for the setup and some example photographs taken with that setup on a Nikon Z6 ii.All the images are straight out the camera with no focus stacking or other processing. The salt shaker is at 2:1, the springtail on a fungus is at 2:1 with Meike MK-Z-AF1 11mm and 18mm Extension Tubes, and the dried rose is at about 0.75:1
Excellent lens! Pin point, crisp sharpness and a lovely, dreamy bokeh fading off when you open things up. Only criticisms are, when hand held, you have to keep an eye on the aperture. The aperture ring itself moves very easily and with an almost inaudible click between apertures, you will alter it! Often! It can also be a little on the dark/underexposed side (easily remedied, but also see above!). It is a really sweet lens and I have loved it from the first shot. Can't recommend it enough.
I love this lens. It?s got a very sturdy build, and easy to use. The macro end of focus is very clear and detailed. It?s a manual aperture and manual focus lens, but works with canon R?s by selecting ?release shutter without lens? from the menu. It?s perfect for shooting small bugs and insects, as well as larger subjects. It?s actually really nice having the aperture controlled from a ring on the lens instead of in camera. Great lens, fast shipping, highly recommended!
For 2 years now I have worked on improving my equipment and techniques for high magnification macro photos of insects in the field, practising handheld focus bracketing. The goal is to use focus stacking for the final image (Helicon Focus). I have used several macro lenses (Canon 60 mm, Canon MP-E 65 mm, Tamron 90mm, ..). Somehow I was kind of hitting a wall in the sharpness of the end result. For the last 2 weeks I have switched to the Laowa 100 mm APO: a world of difference. The correction of chromatic aberration is the final key to obtain an optimal resolving power, especially when taking photos on a light table for a "Meet your neighbours" style. The same is true in landscape photography with naked branches against a white sky, because with backlighting the ... MoreFor 2 years now I have worked on improving my equipment and techniques for high magnification macro photos of insects in the field, practising handheld focus bracketing. The goal is to use focus stacking for the final image (Helicon Focus). I have used several macro lenses (Canon 60 mm, Canon MP-E 65 mm, Tamron 90mm, ..). Somehow I was kind of hitting a wall in the sharpness of the end result. For the last 2 weeks I have switched to the Laowa 100 mm APO: a world of difference. The correction of chromatic aberration is the final key to obtain an optimal resolving power, especially when taking photos on a light table for a "Meet your neighbours" style. The same is true in landscape photography with naked branches against a white sky, because with backlighting the fringe effect is maximal. I process my C-RAW photos with Dxo Photolab 4, but in my preset I don't even use purple fringe control anymore. I feel that I now get the full potential of the Canon 90D sensor, which has a very small pixel pitch.This is a manual lens, but I find that the choices made by Laowa are very wise. I am fortunate to have the only model of this lens with a chip (diaphragm control, and EXIF data). The course of the focus barrel is exceptionally short and rather stiff, and it is a big bonus for handheld focus bracketing: it allows me to slowly turn the barrel and remain centered on the subject while launching a burst of high-speed shots (the Kuangren Twin head flash at 1/128 or 1/64 of the power can keep the pace). The fact that the lens provides twice the 1:1 ratio is the final bonus.I recently joined INaturalist, so if you wish you can check the result of the switch from the Tamron 90 mm to the Laowa 100 mm APO on June 16, 2021. I now can consistently see the ommatidia in the compound eyes of subjects. Link: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&subview=table&user_id=cback&verifiable=anyIf you click on a photo, the "I" icon will display all the EXIF info of the picture. These are low-res photos but I think that any one would easily see the difference. In any case, I join a photo of higher resolution as an example.In conclusion, there are many excellent macro lenses, but the Laowa 100 mm APO is exceptional.
I brought this lens and owned it one day and returned it. The lens hood did not fit and would fall off because it couldn't be securely attached. Further there was no white dot indicator on the lens to line-up with the camera to attach the lens to the camera. This product was poorly made. Also, I wasn't impressed with the optics. The only reason I considered this lens is because of one person's You Tube video raving about the lens, he was totally miss leading. All the negative reviews that I read on this lens was totally correct. I would not recommend this lens.
The Laowa 100mm, combined with the Sony A7IV, represents a great macro solution. This lens is built like a tank. The ability to zoom in at 2:1 offers an advantage over most other macro lens offerings. I found the Laowa to be incredibly sharp from f/2.8 - f/11. Even at f/16, diffraction barely impacts photo quality.The Focus Peaking and Zoom features on the Sony A7IV work well with the Laowa to ensure your subject is in focus.Macro photography with a manual-focus lens such as the Laowa does require some patience and practice, however, so expect to spend some time refining your technique.The only improvements I would suggest would be: 1. A slightly firmer clicking mechanism for the aperture ring and, 2. Changing the gear ratio of the manual focus ring to provide ... MoreThe Laowa 100mm, combined with the Sony A7IV, represents a great macro solution. This lens is built like a tank. The ability to zoom in at 2:1 offers an advantage over most other macro lens offerings. I found the Laowa to be incredibly sharp from f/2.8 - f/11. Even at f/16, diffraction barely impacts photo quality.The Focus Peaking and Zoom features on the Sony A7IV work well with the Laowa to ensure your subject is in focus.Macro photography with a manual-focus lens such as the Laowa does require some patience and practice, however, so expect to spend some time refining your technique.The only improvements I would suggest would be: 1. A slightly firmer clicking mechanism for the aperture ring and, 2. Changing the gear ratio of the manual focus ring to provide more incremental adjustments.
| Focal Length | 100mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/2.8 |
| Lens Mount | Nikon Z |
| Lens Format Coverage | Full-Frame |
| Focus Type | Manual Focus |
