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Canon has killed off its legendary MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens

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This is a day that many will mourn. While the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro is by far the more popular lens, the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro is certainly the more unique and more revered amongst many macro photographers. Offering up to 5x magnification, it certainly stood out amongst the others on the market – for any camera system. Well now, it appears that Canon has finally discontinued it, accordin to the Canon Japan website.

Unlike the 100mm f/2.8 macro, though, it looks like there may not be an RF Mount replacement for this one. There have been no announcements or hints from Canon, nor even any rumours. It was added to the Canon EF lens lineup in 1999 and I’ve had a play with one myself over the years. Even today, there is nothing else out there that really replaces it, with most “extreme” macro lenses topping out at 2x.

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AstrHori releases pictures and specs of upcoming 105mm f/2.8 tilt-shift macro lens

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105mm (and 100mm) f/2.8 macro lenses are pretty common. They’ve been the go-to macro lens for many Nikon and Canon shooters in the past and there are also equivalents available for Sony and L mount, along with a whole bunch of third-party options. One thing I’ve not seen before, though, is a macro of this focal length that’s also got tilt-shift capability. Well, it looks like Astr\hori’s about to release one!

The company has released images and basics specs for the lens, although there’s no word on an official announcement date or a price yet. It’s going to be available in Sony E, Canon RF, Leica L and Fuji GFX mounts, so it’s designed specifically for mirrorless. Naturally, for GFX, it won’t have as much range in the shift, due to the larger sensor. I’m a little surprised there’s no Nikon Z version coming, though.

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Loawa has released another macro lens – the 58mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO for mirrorless cameras

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When it comes to macro lenses, the name that springs to mind most these days is Laowa, produced by Venus Optics. Now, they’ve added another new one to their lineup, the Laowa 58mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO designed specifically for mirrorless cameras. Like Laowa’s other lenses, it’s a manual focus lens, and this one comes in four full-frame flavours. Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z and Leica L mounts.

The new lens offers a 40.9° field of view on full-frame sensors and focuses all the way from 2:1 magnification to infinity, making it suitable for not just macro but also portraits or a general walkaround lens. It features an apochromatic (APO) design to suppress chromatic aberration as well as 3 ED and 3 Ultra-High Refractive Index lenses for maximum sharpness.

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These magical slo-mo macro videos reveal the hidden beauty of everyday objects

I always say that macro photography helps us reveal a whole new world even in the most mundane, everyday objects. But if you pair extreme close-ups with video and slow motion… Well, you get a whole new level of beauty.

Macrofying, a 21-year-old macro photographer from Germany, combines all of these techniques. They zoom into the depths of everyday objects to reveal whole new worlds and show us things like candles, lighters, sand, or popcorn in an entirely new light.

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How to get started with macro photography on the cheap using extension tubes

If you’ve always thought about dabbling in macro (and let’s face it, that’s most of us) but really can’t justify going out and spending a fortune on the usual (expensive) popular macro lenses out there like the Canon 100mm f/2.8 or Nikon 105mm f/2.8, then you’re just plain out of luck, right? Well, no. Of course, there are other third-party macro lens options out there with varying levels of ability but there are also extension tubes.

Extension tubes sit between the camera and the lenses you already own in order to turn just about any lens into a macro lens. And in this video, Dustin Abbott walks us through how we can use extension tubes to shoot macro as well as the pros and cons of using them rather than a “real” macro lens.

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Fotodiox release new auto extension tubes for shooting macro with L mount cameras

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Extension tubes are one of the best ways to get started in macro. They’re easy to use with your existing lenses to be able to get started shooting really close-up subjects and they’re a lot cheaper than buying an actual dedicated macro lens. Up until recently, there haven’t been too many options when it comes to extension tubes for L mount, though. There are a couple, but not many.

Well now, Fotodiox has entered the fray with their new 15mm and 35mm L mount Auto Macro Tubes. The “auto” bit means that they maintain electronic communication between the lens and camera, giving you full control over your aperture and autofocus system when using them.

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Shooting macro with a $20 microscope lens and a DIY 3D printed adapter

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Shooting macro is one of the most interesting photography topics one can attempt. Aside from seeing a whole new tiny perspective on the world, there are so many different ways you can do it. You can buy an actual macro lens, or you can use a regular lens with extension tubes or reversing rings. You can even mount two lenses back to back. Or, you can do what Micael Widell did and use a 3D printed adapter with a microscope objective.

The adapter comes courtesy of macro photographer and 3D printing enthusiast Nicholas Sherlock, who has posted the file to Thingiverse. The adapter is available in full-frame and APS-C versions for Nikon, Canon, Sony and even M42 (which can be adapted to pretty much everything). And the microscope lens used is a cheap 4x achromatic objective for just $19.99. We’ve actually featured it here on DIYP before.

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Laowa has officially launched the new $499 90mm f/2.8 2x Macro for E, L, RF and Z mount cameras

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There isn’t really much about this lens that we didn’t already know, except for the surprisingly low $499 price tag, thanks to last month’s leaked specs, photos and video but Venus Optics has now officially announced the new Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO “CA-Dreamer” lens. The lens was expected to be announced on May 23rd, although that seems to have been delayed until today.

This full-frame lens is available in several mirrorless mounts including Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z and Leica L. It’s a manual focus lens with a minimum focus distance of 20.5cm and a magnification factor of 2x. It weighs in at only 619g, and provides what Venus Optics says is “superb optical performance and outstanding sharpness”.

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Leaked photos, video and specs reveal new Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x macro lens for full-frame mirrorless

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Well, it looks like Venus Optics is getting ready to announce at least one more lens. Not surprisingly, it’s a macro lens. Photos and specs have leaked for an upcoming Laowa FFii 90mm f/2.8 CA-Dreamer 2x Macro lens, that will be available in mounts for Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z and Leica L.

The lens is expected to be officially announced on May 23rd and while are no sample photos to show what the view through the lens looks like, enough specs have leaked to cover the basics. There are also some leaked photos and Sony Alpha Rumors even posted an unboxing video to YouTube by Camera Beta.

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Top tips to capture your most beautiful wild flower photographs ever

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Now that spring is finally here we are entering (hopefully!) wildflower season. Not only is this a beautiful time of year but it also lends itself to a host of wonderful photographic opportunities. Landscapes can be transformed into a colourful patchwork and it’s often worth going back to a place at this time of year to see how different it looks.

In this video, Leigh “Snap Chick” takes us through a few of her tips for getting the most out of the outdoors at this time of year.

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