Should you really buy a $40 lens?
Japanese camera companies have had a stranglehold on lens manufacturing for decades with super precise high-quality lenses, that also had super high prices. However, that grip might be slipping with more and more new companies popping up worldwide with impressive camera optics.
The latest company to try its hand at making lenses is a company called SG-IMAGE, which is about to launch its first lens – a 25mm f/1.8 lens for APS-C cameras – and according to reports, will cost just US$40!
I am not a snob when it comes to buying lenses, half of my collection is old beat-up glass from yard sales, and cheaper third-party glass regularly beats out manufacturers' own. You can get some quality lenses for some bargain prices, but I have to advocate for drawing a line in the sand somewhere – and that line might well be $40.
I would argue that the lens is what makes a photo, not the camera. A digital sensor is a digital sensor – sure some of them handle noise better than others, and the color science of each manufacturer's JPEGs often pushes you to one system over another. But the lens you choose to attach to the camera is what defines the overall image to a greater extent. The aperture, the compression, the contrast, the sharpness – all the result of the glass in front of your sensor.
Therefore the idea of spending hundreds of dollars or more on a camera and then skimping out on the lens just doesn't really sit well with me.
I know it is a little unfair to judge a lens that I haven't seen or tested, but having shot with hundreds of lenses in both my photography career and in my role as reviews editor on this site, I can tell you, things that are cheap, often are so for a reason. But still, I would love to get my hands on this new lens from SG-IMAGE and be proved wrong!
According to the announcement post, the lens will have the following specs:
7 elements in 5 groups
7 aperture blades
stepped aperture
minimum focusing distance of 0.25m
43mm filter interface
all-metal lens body
weighs about 185 grams
Sony E, Nikon Z, Fuji X, Canon R, Canon M, M43, L mount
While they might not get as low as $40, you can find more of our tips for the best cheap lenses in our guide.
Original post: Federation of Independent Photographers
