Laowa 25 mm ultra macro

[Ilkka Nissilä]

I didn't find a recent thread of the Laowa 25 mm macro lens (2.5x - 5x). I got this lens today and decided to test it with frozen blueberries with my studio lights. This is shot at 2.5x magnification, 16 source images wide open at f/2.8 and stacked using Helicon Focus. I have shot ice at 2x using a bellows and lenses optimized for 1:1 but this is much easier to use, very compact, feels sturdily built and the result appears to be good. D850 camera, EFCS and flash with Elinchrom Silver Deep Umbrella 125cm with diffuser. I punched 67 Ws for each image and needed to use ISO 400 to get something to register. :-)

[Birna Rørslett]

I have used the Laowa 25mm f/2.8 as my main macro lens for a couple of years. The lens has pretty good performance. Image sharpness in fact is excellent (I'm using it at f/4 only and rely on stacking), but sometimes I'd wish for less chromatic aberrations. The maker ought to include ED glass for an updated version.

The build of the lens is sturdy and in general exhibits good workmanship.  I added a CPU to make it more versatile for my own fields of usage.

Fruiting Lemna minor (duckweed). 5X magnification. Z7, 25mm f/2.8 Laowa @f/4, 50 frames in Zerene Stacker

[Krille]

Can you manually focus this lens when taking lots of photos and stack them in SW
or do you have to use an "Macro- sledge" or similar
Krister

[MEPER]

What do you use to remote trigger the camera?
A dedicated trigger or Snapbridge?

I have a Z50 but it seems no remote trigger exists that will also work with the larger Z-bodies.
The ML-L7 is dedicated to Z50 but does not work with Z6, Z7 etc......very strange.....
Snapbridge is a bit of a "pain" as it does not automatic connect when app is activated. It could have been a nice feature.

[Birna Rørslett]

The Laowa lens alters magnification not directly focus. However, the distance to the subject directly relates to the magnification. Thus the two are interrelated.

In practice, one puts either the camera + lens, or the subject, on a macro rail, sets the lens to the required magnification, and run the stacking sequence through a programmable controller. The depth of field is excessively narrow, and that fact combined with the necessity of having a stable setup, means manual movement of the camera (or subject) should be avoided.

[MEPER]

I have a macro rail but it is manual. So for just trying out stacking I would adjust rails with turning maybe 1/4 round on the adjustment screw and then trigger the camera and see how it turns out during this for e.g. 30 frames. For that I would use a kind of remote trigger. Snapbridge could be one option to trigger the camera. I may get a ML-L7 alike trigger for the Z50 but would like one I could re-use when I get one of the larger Z-bodies.....

[Birna Rørslett]

For the Z7 (which 2019/20 has replaced my former D8xx approach), I'm using a release cable from the Stackshot controller. The cable connects to the USB port of the Z7. (same port as used for Foolography GPS device, but the release cable can ble plugged into the GPS if one is used at the same time).

I occasionally use other cameras for Stackshot setups, such as Df, Z6, D3200 etc., and all have designated release cables. The cameras usually are run from A/C so I don't need to worry about batteries getting exhausted. The power brick is the same, but there are different hookup adapters to these cameras. All very neat.

Apparently the Z50 has been cut down feature-wise thus there is no remote control port? I actually purchased a Z50 kit to get an additional FTZ which I badly needed, but no separate FTZ adapters were available at the time. Price for the kit was low thus the solution didn't cost much more than the FTZ itself. Haven't decided whether to keep the Z50 or not. It can be useful for special lenses such as Oude Delft X-ray optics which have a small image circle.

[Birna Rørslett]

For manual stacking, I would definitively recommend the subject be moved, not camera + lens.

Stacking will clearly show the depth zones that don't overlap, however.

[MEPER]

Power the camera from AC is a good idea. Hope I can do this with Z50 and then switch off the power down mode it usually do after some seconds. Think it is C3 user setting on Z50.
Then I can probably use Snapbridge app via WiFi to remote trigger the camera as it only need to connect once.
I will look for "free" stacking software.....if that is possible.
I assume the software can adjust for small "miss alignments" between frames......but I have no experience at all.......

[Birna Rørslett]

Stacking software can (and do) adjust and realign the framing (X-Y axes). It usually can deal with rotational skew as well. However, it cannot create detail if there is insufficient overlap, or no overlap, along the Z-axis. You might be surprised how easy it is to make "gaps" in the sequence if the movement is done manually.

The Nikon power brick can couple to a raft of cameras such as V1, Df, AW1, J-series, coolpix (not certain which models), most Dxxx models, D3200/5300, Z5/6/7 (mk1 and mk.2). You need a dummy battery insert specific for the various models, but not sure if one exists for the Z50. Probably easy to 3D design and print using a real Z50 battery as model.