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Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro Review: Is It a Landscape or Macro Lens? Yes.

A camera with a Laowa lens is in focus in the foreground, with a smiling man sitting in the blurred background. The PetaPixel Reviews logo appears at the bottom left. The scene is outdoors with green trees and grass.

Venus Optics’ Laowa brand is known for its weird and wonderful lens designs. Sometimes, they are exquisite, unique designs that bring versatility to the photographer’s bag. Other times, the lenses are budget alternatives that trade some optical performance in the name of “character.” The latest version of the Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro is definitely in the latter category, but that doesn’t mean that it lacks value. At $399, this is a solid, budget-friendly optic.

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Amaran Verge Desktop Lights Promise Studio-Quality Light In an Ultra-Thin Package

A person adjusts the brightness on a rectangular LED panel light and a round LED panel light, both mounted on stands, in a dimly lit studio setting.

Lighting company Amaran (stylized “amaran”) released a pair of new Verge series lights designed for creators filming, streaming, or working from their desk or for use in small home studios. The amaran Verge and Verge Max promise softbox-quality light and wide-ranging control. The new lights are amaran’s offerings purpose-built for desktops.

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