At IBC 2024 in Amsterdam, Laowa was showing its new Sword Cine FF Macro Series. According to Laowa, they feature an extremely close focusing distance and incredible magnification.
There are 6 focal lengths in the series and they all feature a constant T2.9 aperture, except for the 180mm which is a T4.6
- 15mm T2.9
- 25mm T2.9
- 35mm T2.9
- 60mm T2.9
- 100mm T2.9
- 180mm T4.6
These are dedicated macro lenses and while a set is perhaps a little niche, at their price they make a lot of sense if you are doing certain types of work.
All of the lenses cover image circles of up to 43.2mm and are available in the following mounts:
- ARRI PL
- Canon EF
- Canon RF
- Sony E
- Nikon Z
- Leica L
Here are the magnification ratios for the lenses:
| MAGINFICATION | |
| 15mm T2.9 | 1:1 |
| 25mm T2.9 | 1:1 |
| 35mm T2.9 | 1:1 |
| 60mm T2.9 | 2:1 |
| 100mm T2.9 | 2:1 |
| 180mm T4.6 | 1.5:1 |
Below you can see what the minimum focusing distance is for each lens.
| CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE | |
| 15mm T2.9 | 0cm |
| 25mm T2.9 | 3cm |
| 35mm T2.9 | 5.1cm |
| 60mm T2.9 | 6cm |
| 100mm T2.9 | 13.1cm |
| 180mm T4.6 | 15.8cm |
Below you can see what the optical construction is for all of the focal lengths.
| OPTICAL CONSTRUCTION | |
| 15mm T2.9 | 12 elements in 9 groups |
| 25mm T2.9 | 13 elements in 10 groups |
| 35mm T2.9 | 13 elements in 10 groups |
| 60mm T2.9 | 14 elements in 11 groups |
| 100mm T2.9 | 12 elements in 10 groups |
| 180mm T4.6 | 12 elements in 9 groups |
Below you can see what the focal lengths weigh:
| WEIGHT | |
| 15mm T2.9 | 640g |
| 25mm T2.9 | 755g |
| 35mm T2.9 | 750g |
| 60mm T2.9 | 736g |
| 100mm T2.9 | 957g |
| 180mm T4.6 | 734g |
All of the lenses have an 80mm front diameter, except the 15mm T2.9 which is 100mm.
Price & Availability
The Laowa Sword Cine FF Macro Series are expected to start shipping at the end of the year for around $2,000 USD per lens.
