The lens offerings for Laowa are potentially confusing. There is a 60 f/2.8 2X macro that does cover full frame for macro shooting and then there is the 65 f/2.8 2X APO macro that is APS-C exclusively. The 60mm lens that covers FF for macro is fatter (70mm instead of 57mm) and weighs more (503g vs. 335g) but is actually slightly shorter (95mm vs. 100mm). So although the 60 and 65 from Laowa are sort of APS-C lenses the 60 is suitable for a FF camera as a macro lens, whereas the 65 is not. Both lenses are available in Sony E mount.
Steve Spencer wrote:
The lens offerings for Laowa are potentially confusing. There is a 60 f/2.8 2X macro that does cover full frame for macro shooting and then there is the 65 f/2.8 2X APO macro that is APS-C exclusively. The 60mm lens that covers FF for macro is fatter (70mm instead of 57mm) and weighs more (503g vs. 335g) but is actually slightly shorter (95mm vs. 100mm). So although the 60 and 65 from Laowa are sort of APS-C lenses the 60 is suitable for a FF camera as a macro lens, whereas the 65 is not. Both lenses are available in Sony E mount....Show more →
Thank you Steve. That was very helpful. More posts like this would keep a lot of us informed. I'm serious about that. You are correct that this lens is confusing in it's distribution and it's information as to what it really is, and does.
No seriously, who cares? Plenty of resolution in crop mode, no need to carry around a brick of a lens for macro.
You are comparing lenses designed for different systems. If we follow your logic, full frame lenses and cameras would be irrelevant for any photography application. You may not think the full frame advantage in resolution and dynamic range is noticeable but perhaps others do not share the same opinion.
I do understand the limitations of using the 65mm apsc on full frame but after watching this video I decided it was worth a try to see if the differences were noticeable in my style of shooting.
keepcoding wrote:
Just about as helpful as your arrogant comment
I was referring to the amount of time people have freed up to talk about things that matter the most to us. What's "Arrogant" is assuming things that you don't fully understand. Stay safe
Rehype wrote:
I do understand the limitations of using the 65mm apsc on full frame but after watching this video I decided it was worth a try to see if the differences were noticeable in my style of shooting.
26mp is perfectly fine for my needs. I bought one to use on my A7riv specifically. Not a macro shooter by any means but this lens is so small that I don't feel bad including it in my pack when out in the woods.
nhsonyshooter wrote:
26mp is perfectly fine for my needs. I bought one to use on my A7riv specifically. Not a macro shooter by any means but this lens is so small that I don't feel bad including it in my pack when out in the woods.
Totally agree. It was one of my challenges using the 100mm when out hiking and shooting macro handheld. The reduction is weight and longer focus throw is more than welcome even if there is a slight tradeoff in optical performance. Ill be able to do some testing on my A7RIV when the lens arrives in a few days.
Mar 31, 2020 at 07:31 AM
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Rehype wrote:
Totally agree. It was one of my challenges using the 100mm when out hiking and shooting macro handheld. The reduction is weight and longer focus throw is more than welcome even if there is a slight tradeoff in optical performance. Ill be able to do some testing on my A7RIV when the lens arrives in a few days.
The loss in resolution from 61 MP to 26 MP, the loss of a stop in dynamic range at low ISO and the one stop increase in noise at high ISO, IMO, is not a slight tradeoff in optical performance. But I totally understand how you may feel this significant loss in optical performance may be worth it to you, it just wouldn't be to me.
Steve Spencer wrote:
The loss in resolution from 61 MP to 26 MP, the loss of a stop in dynamic range at low ISO and the one stop increase in noise at high ISO, IMO, is not a slight tradeoff in optical performance. But I totally understand how you may feel this significant loss in optical performance may be worth it to you, it just wouldn't be to me.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. For my style of shooting/processing I dont think the differences will be very noticeable in real world images but I look forward to testing it out.
nhsonyshooter wrote:
26mp is perfectly fine for my needs. I bought one to use on my A7riv specifically. Not a macro shooter by any means but this lens is so small that I don't feel bad including it in my pack when out in the woods.
Can you share pics from this combo to the full frame Sony pics thread? I’d love to see them, and I’m sure at least a few others would too.
At any rate, looking forward to hearing about your experience with the combo. Since picking up an A7R4, I’ve thought about a few apsc lenses but never pulled the trigger.
I did break down and reorder the 100 macro again. Maybe second time’s the charm. 😄
bluloo wrote:
Can you share pics from this combo to the full frame Sony pics thread? I’d love to see them, and I’m sure at least a few others would too.
At any rate, looking forward to hearing about your experience with the combo. Since picking up an A7R4, I’ve thought about a few apsc lenses but never pulled the trigger.
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I did break down and reorder the 100 macro again. Maybe second time’s the charm. 😄
Ill be sure to post pics in that thread as well with the same combo.
The 100 is truly a special lens... I went back and forth on whether I should sell it for weeks!
Mar 31, 2020 at 09:28 AM
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Rehype wrote:
Thanks for sharing your perspective. For my style of shooting/processing I dont think the differences will be very noticeable in real world images but I look forward to testing it out.
For my style of shooting, I find I fairly often want more dynamic range and more low light capability. Being able to handle twice as much variation in light between brightest and darkest (that is what a stop of dynamic range means) and having twice as much light to work with when light is low (again what having a stop less noise at high ISO means) matters to quite a bit of my shooting and does show up in my real world images and I am not prepared to give that up, but of course YMMV.
Steve Spencer wrote:
For my style of shooting, I find I fairly often want more dynamic range and more low light capability. Being able to hand twice as much variation in light between brightest and darkest (that is what a stop of dynamic range means) and having twice as much light to work with when light is low (again what having a stop less noise at high ISO means) matters to quite a bit of my shooting and does show up in my real world images and I am not prepared to give that up, but of course YMMV.
For my style when shooting macro with the 100mm I'm always in the lower ISO range and since the A7R4 has plenty of dynamic range in the lower ISO range losing a stop would not be an issue for an me. (If you take a look at all the shots ive posted in this thread the ISO has been between 100-500) This is obviously because im using an external light source in most cases.
Rehype wrote:
For my style when shooting macro with the 100mm I'm always in the lower ISO range and since the A7R4 has plenty of dynamic range in the lower ISO range losing a stop would not be an issue for an me. (If you take a look at all the shots ive posted in this thread the ISO has been between 100-500) This is obviously because im using an external light source in most cases.
Exactly. Most of the time I just use the light from my phone if I want to add alittle something. Not a big deal at all.
Mar 31, 2020 at 10:58 AM
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nhsonyshooter wrote:
Exactly. Most of the time I just use the light from my phone if I want to add alittle something. Not a big deal at all.
Interesting. I find this basically never works for me. I hate mixed lighting and my iPhone almost never mixes with the ambient light in almost all my settings, of course YMMV.
Steve Spencer wrote:
Interesting. I find this basically never works for me. I hate mixed lighting and my iPhone almost never mixes with the ambient light in almost all my settings, of course YMMV.
Im using a Godox and diffuser in all the shots I posted.
Mar 31, 2020 at 01:29 PM
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Rehype wrote:
For my style when shooting macro with the 100mm I'm always in the lower ISO range and since the A7R4 has plenty of dynamic range in the lower ISO range losing a stop would not be an issue for an me. (If you take a look at all the shots ive posted in this thread the ISO has been between 100-500) This is obviously because im using an external light source in most cases.
Interesting, for me if I am going to carry external lighting, then I am not so worried about the size of the lens I am bringing. To me the kit is already getting fairly big and I switch from my light small kit to my larger higher performance kit, but of course YMMV.
Mar 31, 2020 at 01:36 PM
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