Laowa 180mm Macro Lens Firmware Update Adds Autofocus and Focus Bracketing

Laowa is renowned for creating some of the most innovative and advanced camera lenses available, including their renowned Probe lens and impressive ultra-macro lenses. If you’re into tele-macro photography, you must have come across Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5X Ultra Macro APO.

When this lens was first released, its autofocus (AF) capabilities were quite limited. It only worked for distant subjects, at a distance of around 1.5 meters and beyond. This meant that you had to manually adjust the focus when trying to get those amazing close-up shots.

Recently, Laowa has released a new firmware update for the Laowa 180mm Macro Lens, enhancing autofocus for extreme close-ups and adding support for focus bracketing. This is a fantastic improvement for anyone who dislikes spending ages manually focusing on tiny, unpredictable insects.

Dual Focus Mode: AF for Your Extreme Close-Ups

The biggest news is that you can now reportedly use autofocus (AF) even when photographing small subjects. Laowa has introduced a feature called “Dual Focus Mode,” which could significantly enhance your focus stacking process.

This mode allows you to easily switch between manual focus for precision and autofocus for quick adjustments when setting up your shots.

To activate this new feature, press the dedicated function button on the lens for two seconds. Laowa says this will activate Dual Focus Mode immediately. After that, you adjust the focus ring until your subject is almost sharp; that’s the rough part you handle. Then, half-press the shutter button, and it should quickly lock the focus point. A long press on the button will turn off this feature, bringing you back to the usual AF settings for distant subjects or MF.

For macro photographers, this is a transformation. Being able to use AF to quickly find that initial focus point saves a lot of time. Anyone who has tried to set focus on a small, moving subject manually knows how frustrating that can be.

The 180mm Ultra Macro APO Specs You Already Love

This is Laowa’s first tele-macro lens, offering a remarkable 1.5X ultra-macro magnification.

The company claims that it features advanced apochromatic (APO) optics, designed to minimize chromatic aberration throughout the frame, resulting in sharp details and excellent clarity. It’s perfect for everything from close-up nature shots to detailed product photography.

Laowa 180mm Macro Lens Firmware Update and Dual Focus Mode are only compatible with the selective autofocus mounts: Sony E, Nikon Z, and Canon EF. If you have a Canon RF or L-mount version, you’ll unfortunately have to stick to manual focus unless you use a compatible adapter for the Canon EF.

Personally, I think that adding autofocus to the macro range greatly enhances the versatility of the 180mm APO lens. It eliminates a significant challenge in high-magnification photography — finding the correct focus point without having to move the camera.

The lens also supports focus bracketing, which means your camera can automatically manage the most tedious part of focus stacking. This allows you to start from a precise AF point. It seems clear that Laowa is committed to providing macro photographers with speed while maintaining the outstanding image quality they’re known for.

[Image credits: Laowa]

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