Laowa has never been particularly interested in making the same lenses as everyone else. While most manufacturers compete over increasingly familiar variations of fast primes, standard zooms, and conventional macro lenses, Laowa tends to wander into the strange, neglected corners of optical design. This is the company that gave us the unusually long 24mm Probe Lens, followed it with a Periprobe that can effectively look around corners, and built an entire reputation around lenses that most companies would never consider commercially viable. So grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and enjoy this deep dive into what makes the Aksen series so unique.
That is precisely where Laowa shines. The company is not necessarily chasing the largest segment of the market; it is often chasing the largest gaps in the market. The new Aksen Ultra Macro series is another perfect example, but this one deserves a little more than a quick announcement. There is a surprising amount of engineering packed into these two lenses, along with some genuinely clever ideas hiding beneath their rather industrial appearance.
At first glance, the Aksen lenses may look like another pair of specialized macro optics, but they are not. These are full-frame, internally zooming, parfocal ultra-macro lenses covering a combined magnification range from 1X through 10X. More importantly, they maintain a fixed working distance while changing magnification. Pay attention, because this is not a conventional macro lens, and it certainly is not simply another Probe Lens.
First Things First: It Is Aksen, Not “Action”
Before anyone accuses Laowa of making a typo, no, Aksen is not a misspelling of “Action.” According to Laowa, the name combines two ideas. In linguistics, aksen means accent: the distinctive character carried by a voice. In optics, the name also draws from the concept of an optical axis, the central line along which light travels through a properly aligned lens.
Laowa’s explanation is that an accent gives a voice its identity, while an optical axis represents precision. The Aksen name is intended to unite those two ideas: distinctive imagery produced through careful optical alignment. It is admittedly a bit of marketing poetry, but at least now you will not spend the rest of this article wondering whether someone at Laowa lost a battle with autocorrect.
Two Lenses Covering 1X Through 10X
The Laowa Aksen system consists of two lenses:
- Laowa Aksen 45mm f/2.8 1–5X Ultra Macro APO
- Laowa Aksen 17.5mm f/1.7 5–10X Ultra Macro APO
Together, the pair provides continuous magnification coverage from 1X to 10X on a full-frame sensor. For some context, a traditional 1:1 macro lens reproduces a subject at life size on the sensor. On a 36mm by 24mm full-frame sensor, a subject measuring 36mm by 24mm will fill the frame at 1X magnification.
At 5X, the area filling that same frame shrinks to approximately 7.2mm by 4.8mm. At 10X, the captured area is only 3.6mm by 2.4mm. In other words, the 45mm begins where a conventional macro lens reaches its most impressive party trick, while the 17.5mm picks up at 5X and continues into territory more commonly associated with microscope objectives, industrial imaging systems, and carefully assembled do-it-yourself rigs.
Laowa describes the 17.5mm as the first commercially available 5–10X macro lens. We have not independently verified that claim, but ready-made, full-frame options in this magnification range are certainly uncommon.
The Clever Part Is Not Simply 10X
The headline magnification figures will attract plenty of attention, but 10X is not necessarily the most interesting part of the Aksen design. The clever bit is how Laowa changes magnification.
High-magnification macro systems can be frustrating because adjusting magnification often alters several other variables at the same time. The lens may physically extend, the working distance may change, focus shifts, lighting must be repositioned, and diffusion that was carefully placed millimeters from the subject suddenly no longer fits. At ordinary shooting distances, these may be minor inconveniences. At 5X or 10X magnification, where the usable working area is measured in millimeters, they can derail an entire setup.
The Aksen lenses address this with a combination of three important characteristics: internal zoom, parfocal operation, and fixed working distance.
Fixed Working Distance
The 45mm 1–5X maintains a working distance of 40.35mm throughout its magnification range, while the 17.5mm 5–10X maintains a working distance of 22.48mm. Working distance refers to the physical space between the front of the lens and the subject. With the Aksen, changing magnification does not require the front of the lens to move closer to or farther away from the subject.
That means the camera, subject, lighting, flags, reflectors, and diffusion can remain in place while the operator reframes by adjusting magnification. It is worth emphasizing how useful this can be. Extreme macro work is often less about pointing a camera at something small and more about constructing a miniature set around it. At these distances, a reflector can be the size of a postage stamp, and a diffusion frame may sit only a few millimeters outside the image. Even a tiny physical change can block a light, cast a shadow, or collide with the subject. A fixed working distance removes one substantial variable from that equation.
Internal and Parfocal Zoom
Both Aksen lenses also zoom internally, so their physical length remains constant while moving through the magnification range. The 45mm measures approximately 121mm long, while the 17.5mm measures approximately 127.5mm. Neither lens extends toward the subject while zooming.
Laowa also describes the lenses as parfocal, meaning focus should remain consistent while magnification changes. In practical terms, an operator should be able to move from 1X to 5X, or from 5X to 10X, without stopping to rebuild the shot and refocus at every increment. We have not yet tested the lenses, so their parfocal performance remains a manufacturer claim for now. Still, the engineering concept is compelling, particularly for motion work. A true magnification change that maintains focus, working distance, and physical lens length could enable shots that are far more difficult with conventional high-magnification optics.
There is one important reality check: exposure compensation may still be required as magnification increases. Changing reproduction ratio at this scale does not make the usual optical consequences of extreme macro photography disappear.
Why Cinematographers Should Pay Attention
The Aksen series appears to be photo-first. The extensive mirrorless mount selection, emphasis on focus stacking, and relatively compact construction all suggest that serious still photographers are a primary audience. That does not mean cinematographers should ignore it.
Extreme macro cinematography appears in more productions than one might initially assume. Product commercials, watch films, jewelry photography, food cinematography, scientific documentaries, visual-effects elements, title sequences, industrial imaging, and tabletop work can all benefit from controlled, high-magnification photography. For motion work, the fixed geometry of the Aksen system is arguably more important than the raw magnification figures.
A cinematographer could establish a miniature lighting environment around a watch movement, circuit board, gemstone, mechanical component, or cosmetic product and then alter magnification without moving the front of the lens through that environment. A motor could theoretically drive the magnification ring while the subject and lighting remain stationary. That is a meaningful distinction from many traditional macro systems, where changing the shot size often means moving the entire camera or subject along a rail.
The cinema-oriented PL versions also include industry standard gearing, a tripod collar, and detachable 15mm rods, allowing the lens to be supported independently from the camera body. Those rods can also accommodate motors, lights, or other accessories. The PL mount is described as interchangeable, with additional bayonets available for several popular camera mounts.
Coaxial Illumi-what?
The most unusual version of the Aksen 17.5mm incorporates what Laowa calls Coaxial Illumination. That sounds exceptionally sophisticated, and optically it is, but the basic idea is easier to understand than the name suggests. Think of it as a flashlight aimed perfectly through the same axis as the lens—or, more accurately, as a way of placing the apparent source of illumination directly inside the optical path.
The system uses an internal beam splitter to direct light down the optical axis of the lens toward the subject. Rather than hitting the subject from above, below, or off to one side, the illumination travels in essentially the same direction as the lens is viewing. This can be especially useful when photographing flat, reflective subjects. Conventional angled illumination frequently produces glare, hotspots, and reflections that obscure fine surface detail, while coaxial illumination can suppress many of those distractions and reveal scratches, dents, engraving, manufacturing defects, and subtle changes in surface texture.
Laowa specifically suggests subjects such as microchips, circuit boards, coins, and polished metal. Watch components, machined parts, printed materials, and other reflective surfaces also seem like logical applications. This is not a lighting technique that every cinematographer will suddenly need. In fact, most will probably never use it. But that is exactly what makes the Aksen so characteristically Laowa. The company has taken a lighting method more commonly associated with inspection systems and industrial imaging and packaged it into a relatively accessible full-frame lens.
There may be creative opportunities here as well. Laowa’s samples demonstrate coaxial illumination mixed with conventional and polarized lighting. Used alone, coaxial light can produce a clinical, almost shadowless rendering. Mixed with directional light, it could provide a controllable layer of surface information while preserving shape and dimensionality. It is deeply specialized, slightly strange, and potentially very useful, which is about as Laowa as a feature can get.
APO Correction and Full-Frame Coverage
Both lenses are designed to cover full-frame sensors and use apochromatic optical designs. The 45mm contains 13 elements arranged in 9 groups, while the 17.5mm uses 17 elements in 12 groups. Both lenses employ 11-blade apertures.
Laowa claims that the APO correction produces extremely low chromatic aberration, improved fine detail, and more accurate color rendition. The company’s comparison images place the 45mm Aksen against its existing 25mm f/2.8 2.5–5X Ultra Macro and show noticeably less color fringing at equivalent magnifications. Those comparisons are manufacturer-supplied, so we would prefer to evaluate production lenses before declaring victory. Nonetheless, chromatic correction becomes increasingly important as magnification rises. Even small amounts of longitudinal or lateral color can become conspicuous when the subject itself measures only a few millimeters across.
The 45mm offers an aperture range of f/2.8 to f/11, while the 17.5mm ranges from f/1.7 to f/5.6. Those relatively fast marked apertures should not be mistaken for abundant depth of field. At 5X and 10X magnification, depth of field remains exceptionally shallow, and diffraction, effective aperture, illumination, camera stability, and subject movement all become serious considerations.
Aksen Versus the Laowa Probe Lens
With Laowa’s reputation in macro cinematography largely built around the 24mm Probe Lens, the obvious question is whether the Aksen serves the same purpose. It does not.
The Probe Lens is a storytelling lens. Its long, narrow barrel can physically enter a scene, pass through openings, skim across surfaces, and place the camera’s perspective among miniature subjects. Its wide-angle view preserves environmental context, making small objects feel like large landscapes. The Probe is at its best when movement and perspective are part of the shot.
The Aksen is closer to a precision imaging instrument. It is intended to remain in a carefully controlled position while delivering considerably greater magnification. Rather than showing a tiny subject within its environment, the Aksen isolates microscopic details until they become the entire frame. The Probe makes small things feel large; the Aksen makes small things visible.
There are practical tradeoffs. The Probe’s extended barrel, wide perspective, and relatively generous access around the front element make it better suited to dynamic environmental macro shots. It can move through food, foliage, miniature sets, mechanical assemblies, and other three-dimensional spaces in ways that the short-working-distance Aksen cannot.
The Aksen offers substantially higher magnification, a fixed working distance, internal zooming, and potentially parfocal magnification changes. Those advantages make it better suited to studio, scientific, product, and inspection-style photography where the subject can be carefully positioned and controlled. Neither replaces the other. They solve almost opposite creative problems.
Compact, Capable, and Stylistically Confusing
Despite the optical complexity, both Aksen lenses weigh less than 650 grams. The standard-mount 45mm weighs approximately 599 grams, increasing to 639 grams in PL mount. The 17.5mm weighs approximately 570 grams, or 609 grams in PL. Both share a 70.2mm outer diameter, which should make them relatively manageable on small camera bodies, copy stands, macro rails, and compact motion-control systems.
The industrial design is another matter. Depending on the configuration, the Aksen can look like a conventional still lens, a compact cinema optic, or a microscope objective. It will almost appear more at-home in a laboratory than on-set. The coaxial version, with its side-mounted illumination port and cylindrical upper housing, is particularly committed to the industrial-instrument aesthetic.
It is not ugly, exactly. It is simply difficult to tell which end should be pointed toward the subject at first glance. Still, this is an obscure high-magnification lens with an internal beam splitter and a port for coaxial lighting. Perhaps looking like a small piece of scientific equipment is entirely appropriate.
Mount Options and Accessories
The photo versions will be offered in Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, L-Mount, Nikon F, Canon EF, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds mounts – did I get them all?! The cinema version is offered in ARRI PL with a silver interchangeable bayonet system. According to Laowa, optional bayonets will be available for Canon EF, Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon F, Nikon Z, L-Mount, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds.
The coaxial illumination version is available only for the 17.5mm 5–10X lens. A coaxial light adapter is included with the applicable still and cinema versions. It threads into the lens’s M18 x 0.5 port and accepts an 8mm light source. The tripod collar and 15mm rods are included with the cinema version and offered separately for the photo version.
Pricing and Availability
There’s no firm shipping timeline from Laowa, but expect the Akson to be available very soon!
Individual lens pricing is as follows:
- Aksen 45mm f/2.8 1–5X Photo: $749
- Aksen 45mm f/2.8 1–5X Cine: $1,499
- Aksen 17.5mm f/1.7 5–10X Standard Photo: $749
- Aksen 17.5mm f/1.7 5–10X Standard Cine: $1,499
- Aksen 17.5mm f/1.7 5–10X Coaxial Photo: $849
- Aksen 17.5mm f/1.7 5–10X Coaxial Cine: $1,599
Laowa will also offer two-lens sets:
- Standard Photo Bundle: $1,399
- Standard Cine Bundle: $2,899
- Coaxial Photo Bundle: $1,499
- Coaxial Cine Bundle: $2,999
The Standard Bundle includes the 45mm 1–5X and the standard 17.5mm 5–10X. The Coaxial Bundle substitutes the coaxial illumination version of the 17.5mm.
View the Laowa Aksen 45mm f/2.8 1–5X Ultra Macro APO at Duclos Lenses.
View the Laowa Aksen 17.5mm f/1.7 5–10X Ultra Macro APO at Duclos Lenses.
View the Laowa Aksen Ultra Macro bundles at Duclos Lenses.
Final Thoughts
The Aksen series will probably not become Laowa’s best-selling product, and it is not intended to. This is a pair of deeply specialized lenses for photographers and cinematographers working in a narrow area between conventional macro photography and microscope-based imaging. Most camera owners will never need 10X magnification, a fixed 22.48mm working distance, or an integrated coaxial illumination path.
But some creators need exactly those things, and until now, many of them have been adapting industrial optics, assembling microscope systems, or building custom rigs from components that were never designed to work together. That is where Laowa continues to excel. The company does not merely build unusual lenses for the novelty of being unusual. At its best, Laowa identifies a difficult shot, an underserved workflow, or an obscure technical problem and builds the lens that a small but enthusiastic group of users has been waiting for.
The Aksen series is clever, strange, extremely specialized, and more practical than its magnification figures initially suggest. In other words, it is exactly the sort of lens we want Laowa to keep making.