Laowa Sword Full-Frame Cine Macro Series – First Look

by Omri Keren LapidotSeptember 15^th, 2024

Laowa Sword Full-Frame Cine Macro line consists of six cine macro lenses covering a wide range of focal lengths. This series includes six focal lengths: 15mm T4.1, 25mm T2.9, 35mm T2.9, 60mm T2.9, 100mm T2.9, and 180mm T4.6. A full line of (at least) 1:1 capable macro lenses is a rare sight. Most, if not all, other lens manufacturers don’t cover such a range of macro lenses across their entire roster, let alone in a single cine line. But Laowa was always special in this regard.

Laowa Sword cine macro line is somewhat of a conclusion to the journey of this innovative Chinese lens maker. The company has been making unique, not to say crazy lenses, defying common beliefs.

Ahead of IBC 2024, the company debuted an exorbitant amount of new optics as a testament to their conviction (or complete lack of sleep). These include a 12-120mm T4 S35 broadcast zoom, the Nanomorph full-frame 1.5x anamorphic line, and the Sword Full-Frame Cine Macro Series. In this article, we will focus on Sword, but please stay tuned for our upcoming “First Look” at the other lenses.

Laowa Sword Full-Frame Cine Macro line – overview

Let’s dive into the details of this new line. Six lenses, most of which have a maximum aperture of T2.9 (aside from the extremes – the 15mm is T4.1 and the 180mm is T4.5). All will provide a 1:1 reproduction ratio, but three lenses will top that. The 180mm T4.5 goes to 1.5:1, while both the 60mm T2.9 and 100mm T2.9 go as far as double life-size (2:1). All will be available in either ARRI PL, Canon EF (except for the 25mm), Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, and the L-Mount.

Not just macro

Aside from their signature macro capabilities, Laowa Sword Full-Frame Cine Macro lenses can also perform as mainstream cine sets. While not physically identical, they’re all quite compact. All should also provide a consistent look due to using the same coating. Moderate aperture and high sharpness should make them relatively popular with commercial videographers, who will benefit greatly from the macro capabilities.

Everything everywhere, all at once

As their name suggests, these lenses should deliver very sharp images with consistent optical performance in a compact, affordable, macro-capable package, whose development was based on user feedback, according to Laowa. It seems as if the company checked all the boxes, at least in marketing terms. But we’ll have to look into this seemingly perfect line and see if it holds up to these high standards.

Price and availability

Laowa Sword Full-Frame Cine Macro lenses will be available at the end of 2024. Each lens will be priced at around $2,000. A discounted kit will also be available, although its price is yet to be determined.

For more information, please keep an eye on Laowa’s website.

What do you think of the upcoming Laowa Sword line? Will you primarily use the macro capabilities, or is it just a “nice to have” bonus? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!