Wide Angle Macro

How I built my own DIY wide-angle macro lens

Jan 27, 2020 by Maximilian Simson 9 Comments

The wide-angle paradox

As we know, wide angle lenses show a larger field of view and therefore make things appear smaller and appear further away than they are. Which contradicts the concept of macro photography, where we want our subject to be projected onto the sensor at a magnification ratio of at least 1.0x. So how can we combine a wide angle perspective and macro macro-capabilities?

The concept of wide-angle macro photography is not exactly new and there are other photographers out there, who built their own super-wide macro lenses. There even are a couple lenses on the market that provide 1.0x at a15mm focal length, but I much rather an interesting DIY project than spending 500$ on a niche lens.

Laowa announces two new lenses: 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro and 9mm f/2.8

Feb 26, 2018 by Dunja Djudjic 2 Comments

Laowa has introduced a couple of interesting lenses so far. Now they’re adding two new primes to their family: 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro and 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D. Both lenses come in several different mounts and promise high-quality image at a pretty affordable price. Check out the specs and a hands-on review after the jump, and see if there’s something new to add to your gear bag.

A lightweight set-up for wide angle macro to give you more depth of field

Jul 6, 2017 by Nicky Bay 3 Comments

I like experimenting with different setups, especially for wide angle close-ups. Last year, I took my wife’s Sony A7 for a couple of field trips and paired it with the Voigtländer Super Wide-Heliar 15mm f/4.5 with extension tubes for some wide angle macro photography, and the results were pretty cool! Compared to my usual DSLR setup, the lens was much smaller, allowing me to approach subjects from more compelling angles.

Nicky Bay’s Review of the Venus Optics 15mm Wide Angle Macro Lens

Jul 9, 2015 by Nicky Bay 1 Comment

[Editor’s note: we recently covered the announcement of this lens and shared a hands on review, but this one provides a more in-depth look at it. Many of you will remember Nicky from his spectacular UV macros of arthropods]

Venus Optics sent me an early pre-production copy of the Venus Optics LAOWA 15mm f/4 1:1 Wide Angle Macro, the world’s first ultra-wide angle macro lens capable of magnification up to 1:1, and I have been dabbling with it in the past week to publish a first look for this one-of-its-kind lens.

Wide angle macro photography is a rarely explored genre of macro photography, largely due to the lack of readily available equipment or accessories to allow one to focus up close with a wide-angle lens. It is also a difficult beast to tame due to the short working distance. Composition and lighting can be very different from mainstream macro photography but once you get the hang of it, the resulting perspectives can be mind-blowing and very well worth it.