Described as "weird but genius," the Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe is a truly unique lens designed for close-up shooting. Distinguished by its long, slender lens barrel, this macro lens provides a 2:1 maximum magnification with a 1.5' minimum focusing distance and a close 0.8" minimum working distance.
$60 / Day
$45 / Additional Day
$180 / Week
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. This wide-angle design results in greater depth of field at close focusing distances than is possible with conventional macro lens. The background details are now recognizable.
The front lens barrel is water-proof affording the ability to obtain unique perspectives. The LED ring light, mounted at the tip of the lens, provides light to reduce unnecessary shadows.
“Cine-mod” version, with standard gear focus and aperture rings, is specifically designed for videography purposes. Includes variable-output Control cable and rugged aluminum carry case.
The package includes a white USB cable dimmer (with power adjustment) and metal case. Please note that the LED is powered by an external battery (not included in the package).
Bug Eye Perspective
Macro lenses in the market tend to have a long focal length (from 60mm to 180mm) and the subject fills most of the frame, isolating it from the surrounding environment. Our Laowa 24mm, allows you to focus very close – 2 cm at 2:1 – to the subject, showing more detail and texture. At the same time, you can enjoy a compelling wide angle ‘Bug Eye’ view (84.1°) so that more of the background details may be included in the image. You can easily create a very informative and stunning macro bug-eye perspective that no other lens can do! The fact that it can focus really close to the subject enables far more shooting possibilities.
2:1 Macro to Infinity Focus
As macro photographers ourselves, we usually face the problem of not being able to shoot smaller subjects. With our Laowa probe, you can now take advantage of the 2:1 maximum magnification to shoot very small bugs and reveal details that cannot be seen with the naked eye. It is particularly useful for videographers since both finer details and environmental backgrounds can be captured in one shot.
Deep Depth of Field
The wide-angle design also means much greater depth of field at close distances compared to the telephoto macro lens, more background details are now visible. Being able to focus so close but still have depth of field is a significant advantage, both in studio and in outdoor photography.
Long & Tubular Lens Barrel
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 lens on earth can do. Our opening product showcase shot in the main video also used this technique.
Tiny Lens Tip
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 obtain sufficient illumination.
The tiny 0.2 cm diameter lens tip unlocks the possibility to get really close to your subject or very low to the ground to capture a “delicious” perspective never seen before and maximizes the visual impact. Your viewers are literally walking on the pizza!
Or you can insert it into caves, bottles or burrows holes for unique footage.
Waterproof Front Barrel
You think that’s cool enough? Think again! To bring you an even more exciting perspective and take your photos or video to the next level, we have made the front barrel of the Laowa probe waterproof. The waterproof design also implies that shooting in dusty environments or with fine powders is not going to be a problem anymore. You can literally use it anywhere.
LED Ring Light
Macro photography is about Depth of Field and smaller apertures are usually required. An LED ring light, powered by an optional external battery, is embedded in the lens tip to provide additional lighting for focus assistance. In most cases, the more lighting you have on your subject, the better your shot will look. An included variable-output Control cable lets you adjust the amount of light from the LED.
Full-Frame Coverage
The Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe is compatible with Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K and Sony FE mount cameras.
