Laowa Acris 35mm f/2.8 1X Macro APO (Auto Focus) - Sony FE

Laowa Acris 35mm f/2.8 1X Macro APO (Auto Focus) - Sony FE

The Laowa ACRIS 35mm f/2.8 1X Macro APO is a full frame macro lens for Sony E-mount cameras. With 1:1 magnification and a minimum focusing distance of 18 centimetres, you can get very close to your subject. The 35mm focal length gives a wider angle of view than a 90 or 100mm macro lens, so you also capture the surroundings, such as the leaf an insect sits on.

The bright f/2.8 aperture helps in twilight and difficult light, so you can keep your ISO lower. It also softens the background. Nine rounded aperture blades create soft, round bokeh. The lens has 13 elements in 10 groups, including one ED (extra-low dispersion) element and one Ultra High Refraction element. The APO design keeps colour fringing to a minimum, even with high-contrast subjects.

You can focus in two ways. From infinity down to 0.5 metres, autofocus does the work. Closer in, down to 1:1, you first set the approximate focus with the focus ring. Then hold the Macro Range AF button and the lens refines focus within a narrow range around that point. This allows small, precise steps, which is useful for focus stacking.

The all-metal housing is resistant to dust and moisture. Thanks to internal focusing, the length of the lens stays the same, so the front does not bump into plants or living subjects. At 1:1 there are 48.6 millimetres between the front of the lens and your subject. The lens weighs 560 grams and has a 72 millimetre filter thread.