Laowa Aurogon – 10x-50x Macro Lens 🤯

The Laowa Aurogon 10x-50x Macro Lens Kit is a groundbreaking tool for extreme macro photography, offering unprecedented magnification for both mirrorless and DSLR cameras. The kit includes a base lens and four interchangeable rear segments, allowing for magnifications of 10x, 20x, 35x, and 50x. Despite its niche market, the kit provides excellent value and convenience, with a numerical aperture ranging from 0.15 to 0.5. The kit is designed for ease of use, but requires a steady setup and potentially a motorized focusing rail for optimal results. Priced at around $1500, it offers a comprehensive solution for those venturing into high magnification photography.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Laowa Aurogon is an extreme macro lens offering 10x to 50x magnification, unprecedented in the market.
• 📦 The lens comes as a kit with a suitcase, including the main lens part and four different back parts for varying magnifications.
• 💡 The lens is designed for ease of use, allowing photographers to directly attach it to their mirrorless or DSLR cameras without needing additional adapters or equipment.
• 💰 Priced at around 1500 US Dollars, the Laowa Aurogon kit is considered good value for money compared to the cost of individual microscope lenses.
• 🔍 The lens has a numerical aperture range from 0.15 to 0.5, which is comparable to high magnification microscope lenses.
• 📷 For extreme magnifications, photographers need to stack hundreds of photos using software like Helicon Focus to achieve sharp images.
• 🛠️ A steady setup with a focusing rail is necessary for successful stacking at high magnifications, preferably a motorized one for precise control.
• 💡 The lens is available for various camera mounts, making it versatile for different camera systems.
• 🔧 A criticism of the kit is the lack of a tripod collar, which would help balance the setup and reduce wobbling during focusing.
• 📘 The absence of a manual is noted, which could be problematic for users unfamiliar with extreme macro photography techniques.

Q & A

What is the Laowa Aurogon lens capable of?

The Laowa Aurogon lens is capable of extreme macro photography, with magnifications ranging from 10 times to 50 times.

How many different magnification options does the Laowa Aurogon lens kit include?

The Laowa Aurogon lens kit includes four different magnification options: 10 times, 20 times, 35 times, and 50 times.

What is unique about the Laowa Aurogon lens compared to other macro lenses?

The uniqueness of the Laowa Aurogon lens is that it can be directly attached to a mirrorless camera or a DSLR, and it offers extreme magnifications that are not commonly found in other macro lenses.

How does the Laowa Aurogon lens kit compare in price to traditional microscope lenses?

The Laowa Aurogon lens kit is priced around 1500 US Dollars, which is potentially a good value for money when compared to the higher costs of good quality microscope lenses.

What is the numerical aperture range of the Laowa Aurogon lens?

The Laowa Aurogon lens has a numerical aperture range from 0.15 to 0.5, with a maximum numerical aperture of 0.5 being considered very good for high magnification lenses.

What are the requirements for using the Laowa Aurogon lens kit effectively?

To use the Laowa Aurogon lens kit effectively, one needs a steady setup with a focusing rail, preferably a motorized one, and a flash or very long shutter speeds due to the darkness at high magnifications.

How does the lack of a manual affect the usability of the Laowa Aurogon lens kit?

The lack of a manual makes it difficult for users who are not experts in microscopes or extreme magnification macro photography to understand how to use the kit effectively, including focusing stack settings and step sizes.

What is the criticism regarding the weight distribution of the Laowa Aurogon lens when used with a focus slider?

The criticism is that the lens setup is front-heavy when mounted on a focus slider, which can cause wobbling and instability. A tripod collar is recommended to balance the weight distribution.

What are some sample subjects the reviewer used with the Laowa Aurogon lens kit?

The reviewer used a ballpoint pen, a coin, a hair from their beard, and details from a shell and an eye in their sample photos.

How does the reviewer assess the image quality of the Laowa Aurogon lens kit?

The reviewer does not have expertise in microscope lenses but feels that the kit performs well, noting a slight vignette in the corners and attributing any blurring to diffraction.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to the Lava Aragon Macro Lens Kit

The video begins with an introduction to the Lava Aragon macro lens, an extreme magnification lens kit capable of 10 to 50 times magnification. It is designed to be attached directly to mirrorless or DSLR cameras and comes with a variety of attachment parts to achieve different magnifications. The presenter commends Lava for creating a niche product that didn't exist before and highlights its convenience and value for money compared to traditional microscope lenses and setups. The lens uses numerical aperture to indicate its absolute aperture, with a range from 0.15 to 0.5, which is considered very good in comparison to high magnification microscope lenses. The video also discusses the availability of different camera mounts for the lens kit.

05:02

📸 Practical Usage and Challenges of the Lava Aragon Lens

The presenter discusses the practical aspects of using the Lava Aragon lens, including the challenges of achieving a sharp image at high magnifications due to the extremely shallow depth of field. To overcome this, hundreds of photos need to be taken and stacked using software like Helicon Focus. The presenter recommends using a motorized focusing rail for precise focusing and highlights the need for a flash due to the darkness at high magnifications. The video also addresses the lack of a tripod collar and manual, which would aid in the stability and ease of use of the lens kit. The presenter shares their own solutions and suggests that Lava is working on providing these accessories.

10:03

💡 Sample Photos and Image Quality Assessment

The presenter showcases various sample photos taken with the Lava Aragon lens kit at different magnifications, including a ballpoint pen, a coin, a hair from the presenter's beard, and the eye of a gecko named George. The images were captured using specific settings such as numerical aperture at 0.5, shutter speed at 1/250th of a second, and ISO between 100 and 350. The presenter discusses the impact of diffraction on image sharpness and the need to crop the photos slightly to remove vignetting. Despite not being an expert in microscope lenses, the presenter feels that the image quality is good and that the blurring observed is likely due to diffraction. The video concludes with the presenter's opinion that the Lava Aragon lens kit is a good value for money and is well-suited for those interested in extreme macro photography, offering convenience and ease of use.

Keywords

Laowa Aurogon

Laowa Aurogon is the brand and name of an extreme macro lens kit being discussed in the video. It is a unique product in the market, offering magnifications ranging from 10x to 50x, which is unprecedented for lenses designed to be attached directly to mirrorless cameras or DSLRs. The lens kit is notable for its high magnification capabilities and its convenience in macro photography, as it comes with different parts to achieve the desired magnification levels.

Macro Lens

A macro lens is a type of photographic lens that is designed to produce a life-size or larger image of small subjects, allowing for close-up photography. In the context of the video, the Laowa Aurogon macro lens is an extreme example of this type, with its ability to achieve magnifications up to 50 times, which is highly unusual and specialized for capturing fine details in miniature subjects.

Magnification

Magnification in photography refers to the process of enlarging the image of the subject more than its actual size. In the video, magnification is a central concept, as the Laowa Aurogon lens kit offers adjustable magnification levels from 10x to 50x, enabling photographers to capture minute details of their subjects that would be invisible to the naked eye.

DSLR

DSLR stands for Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera, a type of digital camera that uses a mirror and prism system to direct the light from the scene into the viewfinder, allowing the photographer to see exactly what will be captured. In the video, the Laowa Aurogon macro lens is mentioned as being compatible with DSLRs, meaning it can be attached to these cameras to achieve extreme macro photography without the need for specialized microscope lenses.

Numerical Aperture

Numerical Aperture (NA) is a dimensionless, unitless quantity that describes the light-gathering ability of a lens or optical fiber, with higher NA values indicating a greater capacity to resolve fine details. In the context of the video, the Laowa Aurogon lens has a numerical aperture ranging from 0.15 to 0.5, which is significant for macro photography at high magnifications, as it affects the depth of field and the amount of light that enters the lens.

Focus Stacking

Focus stacking is a photographic technique that involves taking multiple images at different focus distances and then combining them into a single image with a greater depth of field. This technique is particularly useful in macro photography, where the depth of field is often very shallow. In the video, the presenter uses focus stacking to combine hundreds of photos taken with the Laowa Aurogon lens to achieve a sharp image at high magnifications.

Motorized Focusing Rail

A motorized focusing rail is a piece of equipment used in photography to move the camera or lens in precise, controlled increments during focus stacking. This device helps to ensure that each image in a focus stack series is in perfect alignment with the others, facilitating the creation of a composite image with a greater depth of field. In the video, the presenter recommends using a motorized focusing rail for achieving the best results with the Laowa Aurogon lens at high magnifications.

Diffraction

Diffraction is a phenomenon in physics where light waves spread out after passing through a small aperture or around an obstacle. In photography, diffraction can affect image sharpness, especially at high magnifications where the aperture is often wide open to allow more light into the camera. The video discusses the impact of diffraction on the images captured with the Laowa Aurogon lens at high magnifications, resulting in a softening of the image despite the high level of detail.

Camera Mounts

Camera mounts refer to the mechanisms or accessories that enable a camera to be securely attached to a support, such as a tripod or a rail system. In the context of the video, the Laowa Aurogon lens kit is available with various camera mounts to ensure compatibility with different camera systems, allowing photographers to easily attach the macro lens to their existing equipment for high magnification photography.

Image Quality

Image quality refers to the clarity, sharpness, and overall visual fidelity of a photograph or video. It is determined by various factors, including the optics of the lens, the resolution of the camera sensor, and the techniques used during capture and post-processing. In the video, the presenter evaluates the image quality of photos taken with the Laowa Aurogon lens at different magnifications, noting the effects of diffraction and the need for focus stacking to achieve sharp, detailed images.

Vignette

A vignette is a reduction of light towards the corners or edges of a photograph, creating a visual gradient from bright in the center to dark at the edges. This effect can be intentional as an artistic choice or unintentional due to lens characteristics. In the video, the presenter notes a slight vignette in test photos taken with the Laowa Aurogon lens at high magnifications, which required cropping to eliminate from the final images.

Highlights

The Laowa Aurogon 10x-50x Macro Lens is an extreme macro lens that offers unprecedented magnifications for photography.

This lens kit is designed to fit directly onto mirrorless cameras or DSLRs, providing a unique option for photographers seeking high magnification.

The kit includes a variety of lens parts that allow for magnifications of 10x, 20x, 35x, and 50x, giving photographers flexibility in their close-up shots.

Laowa has created a niche product for a small market, filling a gap in the industry for extreme macro photography.

The Laowa Aurogon kit is priced at around $1500, which is competitive when compared to the cost of high-quality microscope lenses.

The lens features a numerical aperture range from 0.15 to 0.5, which is considered very good for high magnification photography.

The kit is compatible with various camera mounts, making it accessible for a wide range of photographers.

To achieve sharp images at such high magnifications, photographers need to stack hundreds of photos using software like Helicon Focus.

A steady setup with a focusing rail is essential for successful macro photography at these magnifications to avoid blur caused by vibrations.

The lens requires the use of a flash or very long shutter speeds due to the darkness encountered at higher magnifications.

The reviewer recommends using a motorized focusing rail for ease of use and stability when photographing at extreme magnifications.

The lens kit lacks a tripod collar, which would help with balance and stability when mounted on a focus slider.

Laowa is working on a tripod collar to accompany the lens kit, which the reviewer highly recommends for better usability.

The kit does not come with a manual, which could be challenging for those not experienced in extreme macro photography or using microscope lenses.

The reviewer suggests using a stack of 100 to 150 photos for a well-focused image when working with this lens kit.

Examples of subjects photographed with the lens include a ballpoint pen, a coin, a hair from the reviewer's beard, and detailed shots of an insect and its eye.

The reviewer notes a slight vignette in the corners of full-frame images, which may require cropping to eliminate.

Despite the challenges of extreme macro photography, the Laowa Aurogon 10x-50x Macro Lens kit is deemed to offer good value for money and ease of use.