Review on Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO Lens for Nikon F: Unleash Sharpness and Precision in Macro Photography by Calvin Hodges

The optics of this lens are just amazing. I think if you're working on static subjects with a tripod, this is one of the best macro lenses you can buy at any price point, but otherwise don't expect versatility or ease of shooting. Not ideal for portrait photography with a DSLR unless you are very experienced at manually focusing with a long lens. If you're shooting with a film SLR or a top-focus mirrorless camera, you're fine. I have concerns about the build quality. It feels very snug and solid in the hand, but the aperture lever dangles a bit in mine, making an audible lens rumble when it's detached from the camera, and sounds a bit odd and brittle when stopped when I press the shutter button. The aperture ring isn't rigid enough and can easily be accidentally adjusted unknowingly when handling the lens, and the (reasonable) rigidity of the focus ring exacerbates this problem. The lens cap and hood also do not snap smoothly and satisfactorily. I usually have to fiddle around a few times trying to make sure they're in place, and sometimes I think the lens hood is on correctly but find it's crooked or falling off. But maybe I just got hold of a defective example of this lens and am still considering replacing it if aperture lever play turns out to be rare. I've also seen how prone this lens is to flare and fogging, as mentioned in the reviews, but this can easily be avoided if you control lighting conditions and know what you're doing. For more technical work or studio work on a tripod I cannot recommend this lens enough. Note, however, that it doesn't work in the camera's automatic mode, doesn't have autofocus, and doesn't have image stabilization. Image quality is on par with some of the most expensive options for macro photography at this focal length, but I think for most situations you can buy a 20-year-old Tamron for half the price and get results that are good enough for most professional uses, so too Which lens is right for you depends on your specific needs. Get a Sigma or Tamron if you're under $1,000 and want a flexible autofocus lens with great image quality. If you need an extra boost in picture quality but want to save some money and ignore the limitations, this is your answer. If you need 2x zoom without a teleconverter it's the only option on the market with this focal length, but I don't even see the need for 1x zoom for my own photos. However, with no aberrations or distortions and excellent sharpness and contrast, this lens excels when shooting goods in the studio.