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Laowa Periprobe / Macro Lens Setup

[BOTH] Laowa tube lenses (Periprobe, Pro2be) and periscope lenses (35° and double 45°) can be configured in Flair for focus control and target tracking. The key difference from a standard lens is the nodal point geometry: the imaging plane is offset along the tube from the camera mount, and for angled periscopes, there is also a vertical offset.

Straight Tube Lenses (Periprobe / Pro2be)

Nodal point and measure offset

Do not use the lens's own focus markings — ignore them entirely. Flair calibrates the lens from physical measurements.

Measure offset: The distance is measured from either:

  • The flat surface on the front of the tube: use a measure offset of approximately +0.01 m
  • The back of the curved surface of the tube: use approximately -0.015 m

Plus: add the X Nodal Offset from the tilt axis to the centre of the tube.

"Ignore the lens markings. With the probe you measure from the flat surface on the front or from the back of the curved surface of the tube. Set the measure offset. It will be about +0.01 for the front and -0.015 for the back PLUS the X Nodal Offset from the tilt axis to the Centre of the Tube." — @gordon_admin

Three-point calibration procedure

  1. Infinity point: Zero the focus at the infinity mark or focus on something as far away as possible and mark the barrel at that position.
  2. Mid-range point: Place a target approximately 8–12 inches away, focus on it, and enter that distance as the second calibration point.
  3. Close focus point: Place a target approximately 1 inch away, focus on it, and set as the close mark.

After these three points are set correctly, the lens should be able to target-track and work in "Follows Target" mode.

Laowa Pro2be barrel marking offset

The focus notches on the Pro2be barrel are referenced from the front Nodal Point of the lens:

  • Close focus (0.004 m) and mid-range (0.15 m) are marked from the front of the lens, not from the camera mount.
  • These differences can be resolved with either Camera Mount offsets or Measure Offset in Lens Setup.

1:1 macro point singularity

At the 1:1 ratio focus distance, the target pushes behind the nodal point. The rig will want to flip 180° (or stretch the arm fully out) to compensate. Be aware of the 1:1 point on the lens and do not target-track through it.

35° Single Periscope Module

The 35° angled module is handled with the extra settings in Lens Setup:

  • Tube length — the length of the probe tube
  • Tilt angle — set to 35° for the single angled module

Flair Classic has supported these settings for some time; recent Flair 7 releases also support them.

Double 45° Periscope Module

The double 45° periscope bends twice, effectively pointing the optical axis back to horizontal. Flair treats this configuration as a shorter straight probe with an additional vertical offset:

  • Front (X) Nodal Offset: approximately 33 cm
  • Vertical (Z) Nodal Offset: approximately –30 cm (the second 45° mirror drops the optical axis below the camera axis)

"The double 45° module can be treated as a short(er) straight probe [33cm Front (X) Nodal Offset] with a Vertical (Z) Nodal Offset — typically around –30cm." — @gordon_admin

Target Tracking with Probe Lenses

Once correctly calibrated, probe lenses can use Flair's target tracking to maintain focus on a subject as the rig moves. The calibration must be accurate — errors in the measure offset or nodal offsets will cause the focus to drift off-target as the camera angle changes.

For precise calibration verification: programme a move that changes the camera angle substantially while tracking a fixed target, then check whether focus holds through the move.

Source: Laowa Periprobe Setup — talk.mrmoco.com
Source: New Laowa 35° and double 45° periscope lenses — talk.mrmoco.com