Laowa's probe lens gives a bug's eye view, even underwater

Macro probe lens isn't exactly a new idea, and in fact, it's a favorite tool amongst underwater photographers. For those who prefer sticking to the land, though, they now have an option. Laowa, a brand known for its special photography lenses, is leveraging Kickstarter to launch its 24mm f/14 Probe Lens. Given the aperture value, this piece of kit relies on its built-in LEDs at the tip of the lens, and these are powered by a micro-USB port further up the barrel (a cable with an L-shaped plug is included; reversible on both plugs). Thankfully, the lens is waterproof up to said port, meaning you can still take extreme macro shots in shallow water -- as is the case wit h my aquarium photos and videos.

This 2:1 manual lens consists of 27 elements with an aperture range from f/14 to f/40, plus an 85-degree field of view. The standard version comes with mount options for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony FE, Pentax K, with the cine version compatible with either Arri PL and Canon EF. I was able to quickly borrow one for my Sony A6500, and as a macro newbie, it took me a while to get used to this manual lens -- it's surprisingly hard work due to the lack of stabilization, so a small, sturdy tripod is highly recommended. I also had to keep adjusting the aperture to adapt to the LEDs' brightness.

Still, I was able to capture some fun shots inside my small aquarium. After a few attempts, the shrimps came out sharp, and there wasn't much chromatic aberration which was surprising. The results were even more impressive on video, so long as I kept the camera steady. Likewise, I had fun with some still macro shots of some moss on my potted plants; just too bad the weather had been gross, otherwise I would have loved to take the lens into the wild.

For those who are interested, the lens is still available on Kickstarter starting from $1,399 (it'll retail at $1,499; add $200 for the Cine PL-mount version), and the first batch is estimated to ship in October. Head over to the campaign page for more cool sample shots.

Source: Kickstarter



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2PNlAa2
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me


Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to...
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic...
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs? ...
Read more