Laowa ACRIS 35mm f/2.8 1X AF Macro APO Is the World’s First Full-Frame AF 35mm with True 1:1 Magnification

Venus Optics has just announced the Laowa ACRIS 35mm f/2.8 1X AF Macro APO, and the headline claim is that it’s the world’s first full-frame autofocus 35mm lens to offer true 1:1 life-size magnification. That’s a combination nobody has pulled off before at this focal length, at least not with AF. At $449, it’s aimed at macro and nature photographers who want the intimacy of 1:1 detail without the tunnel-vision compression of a 90mm or 180mm macro. If that sounds like your kind of lens, keep reading.

The company is known for wide-angle macro lenses, and generally unusual gear (like that awesome probe macro lens). Traditional macro lenses tend to be longer, which isolates subjects beautifully but cuts them off entirely from their environment. A 35mm macro lets you get in close while still showing the world around your subject.

The focusing system is worth understanding before you assume this works like any other AF macro. Autofocus handles the range from 0.5m to infinity, which covers everyday shooting, street, environmental portraits, and general use. However, to get into true macro territory (from 0.5m down to 1:1), you need to switch to a dedicated Macro Focus Assistance mode. It hands control over to manual micro-stepping. Autofocus is fast and responsive when you need it, and the manual focus ring feels smooth and precise when you’d rather focus by hand. It also works well with focus bracketing, and that’s pretty useful for macro photographers.

A major caveat worth flagging is that, in autofocus mode, the maximum magnification drops to roughly 0.1X. You only get the full 1:1 in the manual Macro Focus Assistance mode. That’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s an important distinction if you were imagining hand-tracking a fast-moving insect at life-size with your camera’s AF system.

Optically, the lens uses 13 elements in 10 groups with Laowa’s Apochromatic (APO) design. This means longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberration are kept in check across the frame, including the out-of-focus areas. Edge-to-edge sharpness and clarity at 1:1 magnification is a hard problem to solve, and Laowa is making strong claims here.

Build quality follows Laowa’s professional line approach: all-metal housing, weather sealing against dust and moisture, and an internal focusing design that keeps the barrel length fixed. A dedicated Focus Assist Button handles mode switching on the fly. Mount options cover Sony E, Canon EF, and Nikon Z for the AF version, but Canon RF and L-Mount available in manual focus only.

Laowa ACRIS 35mm f/2.8 1X AF Macro APO Specs

Specification	Details
Product Name	Laowa ACRIS 35mm f/2.8 1X AF Macro APO
Format	Full Frame
Focal Length	35mm
Aperture Range	f/2.8 – f/22
Angle of View	63.4°
Lens Structure	13 elements in 10 groups
Aperture Blades	AF: 9 / MF: 13
Min. Focus Distance	180mm (AF Range: 0.5m – ∞)
Min. Working Distance	48.6mm
Max. Magnification	1X (AF: ~0.1X)
Filter Thread	Ø72mm (AF) / Ø67mm (MF)
Dimensions	Sony E: Ø79mm × 114mm \	Canon EF: Ø79mm × 87.4mm
Weight	Sony E: 560g \	Canon EF: 530g
Mounts	AF: Sony E, Canon EF, Nikon Z / MF: Canon RF, L-Mount

Sample Photos

Pricing and Availability

The Laowa ACRIS 35mm f/2.8 1X AF Macro APO launches on September 30, 2026, at 14:00 GMT (22:00 HKT) through the official Venus Optics website and authorized global resellers. US MSRP is $449, with pricing varying by region. We’ll keep you posted!

[Sample images courtesy of Venus Optics]

---