[Klaus]

I reckon JoJu will complain again ;-) 

However, this one has electronic coupling on Canon EOS - still no AF though.
Very nice optically.

https://www.opticallimits.com/canon_eos_ff/1060-laowa100f28

[Rover]

Haha I got it wrong when guessing what 100mm lens you were testing - didn't figure Laowa would dip their toes in the world of electronically coupled lenses. Maybe one day I'll be able to buy an AF Laowa lens for my grandson/granddaughter.

Looks like a pretty cool lens, and I was just contemplating getting a macro lens after having to photograph the life of ant farms with a goddamned fisheye lens, for lack of alternatives. Although since this has no AF, obviously I'd rather look elsewhere. Maybe at the Tamron 90mm VC.

[JJ_SO]

Like you said in the conclusion, AF doesn't matter that much for a macro and for a 2:1 it's even more questionable. I don't complain, I just won't buy it - admittedly because my macro needs are not beyond the 60 and 105 mm. Whoever wants to buy a lens made in China without repair possibility in Europe, go ahead.

But congratulations! You were the first one coming out with a review

[thxbb12]

Thanks for the review, Klaus.
Regarding the results at f22, how come the MTF50 values at 50MP can be lower than the ones at 21MP?
It doesn't seem to make any sense. Surely, in the worst case (regardless of diffraction) at 50MP it should be equal, but not lower.

[davidmanze]

Good review of one of my favourite lens types ..... macro lenses...... and it's now macro season ...(northern hemisphere)

  Looks like a nice macro for those delving into super close stuff..... the fact that the front element rests within the lens barrel has it's disadvantages though (object shading and critter disturbance).... which makes for a longer lens and a more crowded space for shooting as nothing retracts frontally   .... a strange choice .... with most makers choosing internal focusing.
 Lots of metal and 2:1 ratio and no AF puts it firmly in the "dedicated macro bracket" .....

    ......for around $450 it's got a lot going for it!

[Brightcolours]

I prefer front lens elements levitating in front of the lens barrel as well, Dave.

[JJ_SO]

"Object shading" when the front element is retracted at ∞? Which mountain are you shading with the lens? I think it's a good idea to use the focus ring partly as lenshood and as well mechanical limit to not touch the front lens at close distance.

"The lens does - seemingly - show a depth-of-field scale but this has more decorative values rather than being useful (it is way too coarse)." DoF scales never were really useful. As if there would be any kind of sharpness at f/22...

[davidmanze]

I prefer front lens elements levitating in front of the lens barrel as well, Dave.

Yeah that's right JoJu ..... macro Everest photography!

The limitation is not when you are at max 2:1 distance ..... that we always be the same....but when you are at 1:1 or even 3:1 you still got that
"non levitational barrel" (new technical term)   ...... poking into your subjects face!

     Probably not recommended for wasp's nest photography

   Humble polite request Klaus:   ..... 

   Please could you check the 1:1/1:2 ratio distance from the barrel's end to the subject please? ...........it may be of interest to readers .....maybe it's a non issue?

[Klaus]

Thanks for the review, Klaus.
Regarding the results at f22, how come the MTF50 values at 50MP can be lower than the ones at 21MP?
It doesn't seem to make any sense. Surely, in the worst case (regardless of diffraction) at 50MP it should be equal, but not lower.

MTFs (and more so the numbers) are not comparable across test system - and testing on  a 5Ds is different than on a 5D mk 2.
On a lower mp sensor the edges are simply more receptive to sharpening - and at f22 we are talking about the sharpening of blur.

[davidmanze]

Looking at my very much loved AF 105mm F2.8D micro ....(those were the days)   ..... there are two concentric tubes within the front barrel  ..... the inner one containing the front element ....
  ..... Nikon had obviously thought carefully to make sure that when at 1:1 the front element sits very close (0.7mm) from the barrel front (almost no shading)...... cleverly, as you focus towards infinity , both inner tubes retract independently until the outer tube then provides lens shade to the front element which now recessed by 3cms!

           ..........a very expensive way of doing things in all metal ..... and apparently it uses a complicated series of cams to do it ....... it was the reference macro of it's day

                                      ..... and a  master-stoke of design!

Sigma 105mm F2.8 macro (another good macro) has only one tube and the front element is always recessed .....at 1:1 that gives you shading when you don't want it.