Venus Optics Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe Lens Canon EF

Previously funded in Kickstarter and ranked 2nd in the all-time most funded lens project, this is the world’s first consumer-grade probe lens which focuses from 2:1 macro to infinity and with a compelling wide angle ‘Bug Eye’ perspective. The wide angle design means much more depth of field at close distance than conventional telephoto macro lens so that more background details can now be seen. The front barrel of the lens is designed to be waterproof and a LED ring light is mounted at the tip of the lens. It can cover both standard 35mm full frame & Super35 image sensor and it is super light to carry.

Macro lenses in the market tend to have a long focal length (from 60mm to 120mm) and the subject fills most of the frame, isolating it from the surrounding environment. Our Laowa 24mm, instead, allows you to focus really close (2cm @ 2:1) to the subject, showing a great amount of detail and texture. But at the same time, you can enjoy a compelling wide angle ‘Bug Eye’ view (84.1°) so that more background details can then be included in the shots. You can easily create a very informative and stunning macro bug-eye perspective that no other lenses can do. The fact that it can focus really close to the subject enables a lot of shooting possibility.

With Laowa probe, you can now take advantage of the 2:1 maximum magnification to shoot really small bugs and reveal details that cannot be seen by naked eye. It is particularly useful for videography as both finer details and environmental background can be captured in one shot.

The wide angle design also means much more depth of field at close distance (compared to the telephoto macro lens) so that more background details can now be seen. Being able to focus so close but still having a deep depth of field is a BIG advantage for both studio and wildlife shooting.

For traditional macro lenses, you need to get so close to your subject in order to take a good macro shot but some areas are just simply inaccessible. Thanks to the 40cm (15.7″) long barrel, you can focus really close to the subject but still keep yourself and your camera distance away. This feature is super useful and makes your macro shooting so much easier. Imagine how convenient it will be to shoot a frog hiding in the bushes using our Probe lens, compared to getting your typical 100mm macro lens super close to it to avoid leaves blocking your subject.

From a filmmaking perspective, the Tubular Lens barrel also allows shooting a lot of “slide in” shots through tiny areas. Imagine sliding the lens between candles on your birthday cake or sliding the lens inside a drink bottle. Something that no other lenses in this earth can do. Our opening product showcase shot in the main video was also shot with this technique.

Getting proper lighting onto the subject is not always an easy task for macro photography. Typical macro lenses have large lens barrels (at least 60mm or above in diameter), blocking most of the light from hitting the subject. Our Laowa probe, on the other hand, features a 20mm diameter lens tip which makes it super easy to get sufficient illumination.

In order to bring you an even more exciting perspective and take your photos or video to the next level, the front barrel of the Laowa probe has been made waterproof. The waterproof design also implies shooting in dusty environment or with fine powders are not going to be a problem anymore. You can literally use it ANYWHERE.

With so many features equipped in one lens, Is this thing going to weigh as heavy as a big rock? Despite the weird look and long tubular tube, the Laowa probe is actually super light and easy to carry. It weighs only 1.04 pounds (474 grams), even lighter than a bottle of Coke.

From indie to professional. From macro to wide angle. From still to video. From studio to wildlife. This lens is designed for everyone. This lens is designed to bring each and every photographer and videographer a new striking perspective to shoot.