Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5x Ultra-Macro APO FE - Lens specs

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Sony E Macro full-frame 2025

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180mm

Focal length

f/4.5

Max aperture

522 g

Weight

14mm35mm85mm200mm600mm

▲ 180mm

Max aperture

f/2.8

f/4.5

f/11

Constant Aperture

Near focus30' 10"

Far focus33' 3"

Total DOF2' 5"

Hyperfocal819' 6"

Subject distance32' 0"

Focal length180 mm

Aperturef/4.5

SensorFull Frame

Illustrative scene preview based on this lens's focal length, aperture, and sensor coverage.

This preview uses 180mm, f/4.5, and Full Frame. Subject distance is estimated to keep lens previews comparable.

Focusing

Minimum focus: 30 cm
Max magnification: 1.5×
AF motor: STM

Physical

Weight: 522 g
Dimensions: ⌀68mm × 134mm
Hood included: Yes
Color: Black

Recommended Use

Ideal for: Macro, Portraits, Wildlife

Release year: 2025
Announced: Sep 16, 2025
Approx price: $499 USD

The best

1.5x Ultra-Macro with APO design for surgical sharpness and zero aberrations.

Also

Intelligent hybrid focus system: Precise MF for macro and automatic AF for telephoto.

Summary

The Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5x Ultra-Macro APO FE is a highly specialized and unique lens from Venus Optics, designed primarily for macro photography but with a surprising hybrid twist. It offers a magnification ratio of 1.5x at short ranges, allowing for extreme detail beyond life size. What makes it truly disruptive is its hybrid focusing system: it works as a manual focus lens a short distances (up to 30 cm) but automatically switches a autofocus (powered by an internal STM motor) when focusing on subjects a more than 1.5 meters, making it useful for portrait and telephoto applications.

Optically, the lens follows the APO (Apochromatic) design philosophy of Laowa, which significantly reduces chromatic aberrations and color fringing, ensuring high contrast and sharpness throughout the frame. A Despite its long focal length and relatively slow aperture of f/4.5, the lens is remarkably light (522 g) and compact, making it an excellent companion for macro photography a pulse, where traditional 180° macro lenses mm or 200 mm may be excessively heavy.

Although it stands out in optics and versatility, it lacks weather sealing and can be sensitive to flare in direct light. However, priced at $499, it represents an incredible value for photographers looking for a dual-purpose tool that can capture the microscopic world at 1.5x magnification while still offering the convenience of AF for more distant subjects.