{"id":71260,"date":"2025-05-15T15:47:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T14:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=71260"},"modified":"2025-05-16T07:39:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T06:39:10","slug":"review-comparison-laowa-15mm-f-4-5-macro-0-5x-vs-15mm-f-4-1x","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-comparison-laowa-15mm-f-4-5-macro-0-5x-vs-15mm-f-4-1x\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW\/COMPARISON: Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x (vs. 15mm f\/4 1x)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LaowaIntroduction<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 0.5x macro is one of the very few lenses that combine an ultra-wide angle of view with close focusing capabilities, offering up to 1:2 (half life-size) magnification.<\/p>\n

Laowa previously introduced a 1:1 macro version back in 2019, but it came with a few quirks. It featured a shift mechanism that added bulk, the full 1:1 magnification required you to get extremely close, almost touching the subject, and its sharpness at infinity focus left much to be desired.<\/p>\n

With this newer lens, Laowa has aimed to address all those issues in a more compact, practical design. Have they succeeded? Let\u2019s find out in this review, as I compare it to its predecessor in each section.<\/p>\n

\"camera-icon2\"I tested this lens on a 46 Mp<\/a> Nikon Z7ii<\/a> (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf<\/a>)
\n\"\"You can see this review as\u00a0a\u00a0YouTube\u00a0video\u00a0here<\/a>!
\n\"\"Sample images in high resolution here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sample Images<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/4.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/13<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/13<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F\/14<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n15mm f\/4.5 Macro 0.5x<\/strong><\/td>\n15mm f\/4.0 Macro 1x<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Focal Length<\/td>\n15mm<\/td>\n15mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Angle of View<\/td>\n110.5\u00b0<\/td>\n110\u00b0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
# of Aperture Blades<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max Aperture<\/td>\nF\/4.5<\/td>\nF\/4<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Min Aperture<\/td>\nF\/32<\/td>\nF\/32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Min Focus Distance (Working distance)<\/td>\n129 mm (35 mm<\/span><\/strong>)<\/td>\n122 mm (10 mm)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Filter Size<\/td>\n62mm<\/td>\n72mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lens Mount<\/td>\nAuto-Aperture<\/strong>: Sony E, Nikon Z,\u00a0 Canon EF<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Manual-Aperture: Nikon F, Canon RF, L Mount <\/span><\/td>\n

Canon EF \/ Nikon F \/ Sony A \/ Pentax K \/ Sony E\/ L mount<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/td>\n308 g<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n410 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Size (D x L)<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00d8 70 mm x\u00a0 78\u00a0 mm<\/span><\/strong> (Z)<\/span><\/td>\n\u00d8 <\/span>64 x 94 mm (E)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elements\/Group<\/td>\n16 \/ 11 (2 aspherical elements, 3 HR elements and 3 ED elements)<\/span><\/td>\n12 \/ 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buy new:<\/strong> LAOWA Store<\/a>, B&H, Amazon (anywhere) for $399 (Affiliate links)
\nBuy used: eBay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Disclosure<\/span><\/h2>\n

Loawa kindly provided this lens for test and review purposes, but this is a completely independent review.<\/p>\n

Handling & Build Quality<\/span><\/h2>\n

As with other Laowa lenses, the build quality is excellent, predominantly featuring metal construction and tight assembly. This lens is manual focus only, with a large metallic focusing ring as its sole control point. The focus ring has a throw of about 90\u00b0 and turns with medium resistance, though it is nicely damped. The lens extends by about 1 cm when focusing at minimum focusing distance (MFD), but the front element does not rotate.<\/p>\n