Not entirely unexpectedly, Venus Optics has announced their new Laowa Argus 18mm f/0.95 MFT APO and Laowa Argus 25mm f/0.95 APS-C APO lenses. The addition of the two new lenses brings Laowa’s Argus line up to six lenses in total now, with two for MFT, two for APS-C and two for full-frame. Each pair offers a similar field of view range for each sensor format.
The two lenses announced today offer a 35mm full-frame equivalent field of view for MFT and APS-C users with the usual fast f/0.95 aperture for shooting in low light. The super shallow depth of field such an aperture offers also provides a dream-like quality to your photography or video. And on the subject of the latter, both feature an aperture ring click switch to de-click your aperture at will.
Laowa Argus 18mm f/0.95 MFT APO – $449
The Laowa Argus 18mm f/0.95 MFT APO features an apochromatic design to suppress longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberration in both focused and out-of-focus areas. Even wide open, this means colour fringing is minimised, meaning less hassle in post trying to correct it. For video shooters, it also has minimal focus breathing, allowing you to rack focus from one subject to another without the composition drastically changing.
With a field of view of 61.9°, it provides Micro Four Thirds users with a view similar to that of a 35mm lens on a full-frame system. The wide f/0.95 aperture ensures that you’ll still get a very shallow depth of field, despite the smaller sensor. It has a minimum focus distance of 20cm for those close-up detail shots and a 62mm filter thread.
| Focal length | 18mm |
| Format | Micro Four Thirds |
| Max aperture | f/0.95 |
| Min aperture | f/11 |
| Angle of view | 61.9° |
| Optics | 14 elements in 8 groups |
| Aperture blades | 9, rounded |
| Min focus distance | 20cm |
| Filter thread | 62mm |
| Dimensions | 80 x 83.35mm |
| Weight | 500g |
| Mounts | Micro Four Thirds |
The Laowa Argus 18mm f/0.95 MFT APO is available to buy now for $449 from the Venus Optics website.
Laowa Argus 25mm f/0.95 APS-C APO – $549
The Laowa Argus 25mm f/0.95 APS-C APO, like the 18mm above, also features an apochromatic design for maximum sharpness and minimal chromatic aberration. It features the same wide f/0.95 aperture and a similar field of view at 58.8°. The larger APS-C sensor, however, allows this wide aperture to offer an even shallower depth of field than seen on the 18mm for Micro Four Thirds.
As an APS-C lens designed for mirrorless, it’s available in multiple mount options. You can get it for Sony E, Fuji X, Nikon Z, Canon EF-M and Canon RF. And it’s all manual focus, so it’s unlikely to be pulled off the market under legal threats from Canon.
| Focal length | 25mm |
| Format | APS-C |
| Max aperture | f/0.95 |
| Min aperture | f/11 |
| Angle of view | 58.8° |
| Optics | 14 elements in 9 groups |
| Aperture blades | 9 |
| Min focus distance | 34cm |
| Filter thread | 62mm |
| Dimensions | 71.5 x 81mm |
| Weight | 575g |
| Mounts | Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Canon EF-M, Fuji X |
The Laowa Argus 25mm f/0.95 APS-C APO is available to buy now for $549 from the Venus Optics website.
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