Laowa AF 180mm F/4.5 APO Ultra Macro

Specifications01

MountNIKON Z

Focal length180mm

Max aperturef/4.5

TypeCinema · Macro · Telephoto · Prime

Weight521 g

Filter size62 mm

Physical length134.4 mm

Min focus distance0.3 m

Aperture blades9

Optical elements12

Groups9

Lens hoodbarrel-shaped (bayonet mount, supplied)

Additional Info02

Category["Nikon Z (Full Format)"]

Review AuthorKlaus

Review Rating7

Other FeaturesUSB-C port for firmware updates Focus stop button

Review VerdictThe Laowa AF 180mm f/4.5 APO Ultra Macro is a more unusual lens than the paper specs may suggest. The formal optical parameters are good without standing out. Image sharpness is decent at f/4.5, but you should stop down to f/5.6 to extract the best quality. Image distortions are low, and vignetting isn't something to worry about. Lateral CAs are a bit on the high side. The aspect that impressed us the most was the silky smooth bokeh - at least in the image background. Mechanically, there are a couple of curiosities. Combining the focus ring with an AF/MF switch is an interesting approach, which you may or may not love. The decision to limit the AF to a minimum of 1.5m is also something that we haven't seen before. Given that most 200mm-ish lenses can't focus much closer anyway, we'd state that this isn't fundamentally wrong, though. The AF itself is surprisingly quick for a third-party manufacturer. In terms of build quality, Laowa continues to impress with a tightly assembled metal body. The flattened part on the focus barrel showing the Laowa logo is pretty stylish and also nicely tactile. Some degree of weather sealing would have been nice, though. Overall, the Laowa AF 180mm f/4.5 APO Ultra Macro may not be a crowd-pleaser, but we certainly enjoyed our time with this lens. So, maybe you could as well.

Review Criteria{"Build Quality":8,"Optical Quality":7,"Price / Performance":8}

Review Published2025-09-16T11:01:10+00:00

Optical Construction12 elements in 9 groups, incl. 2x ED, 1x UHR

Field Notes02

Laowa AF 180mm F/4.5 APO ultra-macro lens for Nikon Z, designed for high-magnification close-ups with a telephoto focal length and fixed f/4.5 aperture.

AI-assisted summary — verify against linked sources

Catalog note · source: opticallimits

Sources03

opticallimits.comVisit ↗

Other Mounts03

No alternate mounts are indexed for this family yet.