Laowa, a brand typically associated with innovative hobby lenses like its macro probe offerings, is going up market. Its latest launch is a fast, premium telephoto prime: the 200mm f/2 AF FF. Designed to take on Sigma's mighty 200mm F2 DG OS Sports, Laowa's latest lens manages to be slightly lighter than the Sigma, at 1,588g, while still incorporating autofocus. But don't go thinking this means the Laowa is compact - it's far from it. With a maximum diameter of 118mm / 4.7", the 200mm f/2 AF FF is a hefty beast, and it takes equally large 105mm filters. The massive girth is a necessary by-product of having such a large aperture at a focal length this long: you simply can't have a lens this fast at 200mm without some large-diameter lens elements. The 11-element optical stack is arranged in 9 groups and includes two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, one AD (Anomalous Dispersion) element and one UHR (Ultra High Refractive index) element, all in the name of increased sharpness and clarity, with reduced chromatic aberration.
