LAOWA Aksen Series of Ultra-Macro Lenses Launched

The first commercially available 5-10x macro lens on the market.

The Aksen series is said to fill a long-standing gap in the ultra-high magnification macro field. It is intended to provide a strong alternative for serious macro photographers, professional scientific users, and hobbyists who previously had to rely on expensive and complex homemade systems.

The innovativeness of the TIPA Award winner

The Aksen series has already garnered high praise from across the industry for its groundbreaking optical design. It won the “Best Ultra Macro Lens” award at the globally prestigious TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) World Awards (formerly known as “Axon”).

Re-examining the 1-10x magnification range

Its most notable features include its remarkably high magnification of 1-5x and 5-10x, as well as its adoption of a parfocal (parfocal) zoom design.

Unlike conventional macro lenses, the focus position maintains itself even when changing magnification, eliminating refocusing every time you zoom in or out. This saves you the trouble of readjusting the entire setup, including camera position, working distance, and lighting arrangement.

This allows for reduced preparation time without interrupting the workflow. The Aksen series maintains a fixed working distance of 40.35mm (1-5x) and 22.48mm (5-10x), and its inner zoom mechanism ensures that the length of the lens barrel remains completely unchanged across the entire magnification range. There is no need to worry about the lens barrel extending and interfering with the flash diffuser or damaging the subject.

Exceptional optical performance thanks to APO design

The advanced APO (apochromatic) design delivers superior optical performance. While chromatic aberration can become noticeable at extremely high magnifications, Aksen effectively suppresses color fringing. This delivers the high clarity and sharpness that creators demand from optical solutions.

Supports coaxial lighting

The Aksen 5-10x features a coaxial illumination block directly integrated into the lens. Laowa has made this technology, previously limited to machine vision (industrial inspection), available to all photographers.

This optical configuration enhances the contrast of the subject’s edges and provides shadowless lighting, enabling new lighting expressions. It works on its own or combined with other techniques, creating unique works.

Accessories

Aksen offers a specially designed tripod mount ^* that can be directly attached to Arca-Swiss compatible tripods . Various accessories, including follow focus mounts, attaches via a 15mm rod. In addition, all 5-10x lenses come with an Ø8mm coaxial light adapter for secure and convenient attachment of coaxial illumination.

*Included with the cinema version. The photo version sold separately.

Main Specifications