Venus Optics’ New Macro Lenses

Venus Optics has announced the new Aksen Ultra Macro Series, introducing two full-frame macro zoom lenses that push magnification well beyond what most photographers are used to. The lineup includes the Aksen 45mm f/2.8 1–5x Ultra Macro APO and the Aksen 17.5mm f/1.7 5–10x Ultra Macro APO, with the latter being the first commercially available 5-10x ultra macro zoom lens.

Both lenses are designed for extreme close-up photography, but one of their biggest selling points is that they are parfocal. That means focus stays locked as the magnification changes, so you do not have to constantly refocus while zooming. The lenses also maintain a fixed working distance throughout the zoom range, with the 45mm offering 40.35mm and the 17.5mm 22.48mm, while the internal zoom mechanism keeps the physical length of the lens unchanged.

Venus Optics says both lenses have been designed to deliver excellent optical quality despite operating at such high magnifications, where chromatic aberration often becomes much more noticeable.

The Aksen 45mm f/2.8 1–5x Ultra Macro APO uses 13 elements in 9 groups and features an 11-blade aperture with an aperture range from f/2.8 to f/11. It accepts 56mm front filters, while the PL mount version also supports 37mm rear filters. The lens measures 70.2 × 121mm and weighs 599 grams.

The more unusual Aksen 17.5mm f/1.7 5–10x Ultra Macro APO is built from 17 elements in 12 groups and also uses an 11-blade diaphragm, although its aperture range runs from f/1.7 to f/5.6. It accepts 42mm front filters, measures 70.2 × 127.5mm and weighs 570 grams.

One feature unique to the 17.5mm lens is a built-in coaxial optical system, a technology more commonly found in industrial machine vision equipment. According to Venus Optics, this design provides more even, shadow-free illumination while increasing edge contrast, making it particularly useful for photographing very small subjects at extreme magnifications.

Both lenses ship with a specially designed tripod collar that mounts directly to Arca-Swiss compatible tripod heads. They also include 15mm support rods for attaching additional accessories, while the 17.5mm lens comes with an 8mm Coaxial Light Adapter as standard.

The new Aksen Ultra Macro Series will be available for Arri PL, Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Leica L, Canon EF, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds mounts. Both lenses can be purchased in either a photography or cinema version. The photography models are priced at $749, while the cinema versions cost $1,499.

A few sample shots: