Lens manufacturer Venus Optics has created one of the most unusual lenses you will ever see. It is called the Laowa 24mm f/14 Replay 2x Macro lens and its design is more similar to the barrel of a gun than a camera lens.
As weird as the design is, it is not the result of physical limitations or lazy design. Instead, the long-barrel design is done on purpose to help photographers shoot shy macro subjects without scaring them away.
The full-frame lens features a two-to-one maximum macro reproduction ratio and is said to work in “extreme” temperatures and conditions, although details of the exact temperature range and capable environments is unspecified.
In fact, not much at all has been shared about the lens in terms of specs. No mention of the amounts of elements used or even a release date have been made. The only information available seems to be that the lens will be released sometime in 2017 for both Nikon F and Canon EF mounts.
No price has been mentioned, but Laowa is known for affordable glass, so it is not likely to break the bank.
The ultimate question is whether or not it will it actually work as intended, in terms of not scaring insects away? That is uncertain as well.
What can be said is it will most definitely scare away human subjects. Not to mention, you probably will not be fitting this in any camera bag you currently own, as it looks to be about 18-inches long.
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