Irix 150mm F2.8 Macro Review

Focusing

The Irix 150mm Macro is soley a manual focus lens.

Manual Focus

Manual focus with the Irix is extremely pleasant. The focus ring is easy to find and provides a smooth, well dampened movement. The level of friction is adequate and there should be no accidental movements. The lens of course comes at hard stops at both ends of its range.

Given that the lens is manual focus, users will have high expectations for the operation of the focus ring. The Irix 150mm has no trouble meeting these expectations.

The focus ring is easy to find and provides a smooth, well dampened operation. The level of friction is good and there should be no accidental movement of the focal distance. The throw is quite long, at more than 270° (note that it goes beyond infinity). Of this, about half cover the range from infinity to 0.5 meters and the remaining half covers from 0.5 meters to 0.34 meters (the minimum focus distance). This gives a high level of accuracy at close distances, where it is most needed.

The focus ring has a dotted pattern with a large raised notch. This is a rare feature in lenses both old and new, and genuinely helps to operate the ring. It is something that we wouldn’t mind included on more lenses.

The very long throw has one drawback: tracking moving subjects is inevitably harder than when using a shorter throw. The Irix 150mm is not an ideal lens for situations with rapidly changing focus distances, such as sports. Pre-focusing, anticipating, and using good technique will be necessary.

Focus lock

The three Irix lenses currently on the market include a focus lock. Located above the focus ring, this lock is controlled by turning a second, narrow ring. A quarter turn gets the lens from fully unlocked to fully locked, probably by the simple application of friction. A partial rotation of the lock increases the ring’s resistance and acts as a clamp (like, for instance, on the older FA 50mm macro). The feature is useful, and a rarity on modern lenses.

With the 15mm and 11mm lenses, we mentioned that more distance between the focus ring and focus lock would be welcome. Luckily, with the 150mm this distance has increased, simply thanks to the larger lens body. It makes operating the focus lock easier.

Verdict

As a manual macro lens, the Irix 150mm needs superb manual focusing capabilities, and it delivers. The operation of the focus ring is extremely pleasant, with good feedback and an enormous throw. The focus lock is an added bonus, which is helpful in some situations.