Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 APS-C format
Received my copy of the Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 APS-C format lens for the Nikon Z cameras. Just checking it out. At first glance, of course at $500 this is a bargain price for a 0.95 lens, no doubt.
Unfortunately, for my work, the center sharpness wide open is not good enough. It’s not even sharp. Soft. It sharpens up a couple stops up, yet what’s the point of having a 0.95 lens not sharp wide open? Yes, it is smaller and weighs less than my Nikon Noct95, which is built like a brick and weighs as much. One problem I found right off is that it will not mount an 11mm Z-extension. It refuses to lock and even before I am full on. Any ideas?
Will I use it. Maybe, but not as much as I planned to use if it were more stellar. As it is, not so much. Probably not.
I don’t even have anything I want to show you taken with it yet. I took some, but none were interesting to me. Oh well, here is one at FX size, that I did not try to remove the excess on.
And so, without a more thorough test, my take on this lens is that it is a no-go for my work. It is not sharp wide open. It does have a long focus throw, which I like, yet if there is nothing to focus on that is sharp enough on the wide end, what’s the point. It looks well-enough built mechanically, aside from not taking an extension lens, which I don’t understand.
I have a number of these Laowa lenses and they are kind of hit and miss. This lens, for my work, is a miss. Would love to know your thoughts and what you use it for.
Michael
