There are so many budget lens manufacturers that I’ve begun losing count. What I haven’t lost track of, however, is how strong the quality has become.
I have waxed lyrical about macro photography many times on Fstoppers and I don’t foresee that stopping either. Fewer times, but still reasonably regularly, I will sing the praises of the many indie lens manufacturers — primarily out of Asia — who are creating exceptionally fast glass for a fraction of the price we used to have to pay for it.
The trade-off has always been that you don’t get autofocus. I suspect that someday soon that will change, but with many lenses, if removing the autofocus will lower the price by 50-75%, I’m probably interested. That said, it can make certain genres far more difficult, though the one it very rarely does, is macro.
Macro photography is a genre I have shot deep into 6-figures of frames and the vast majority — even ones of insects — have been manual focus. I have found it far more reliable to move myself as opposed to the camera trying to figure the scene out. So, when you can get a 40mm f/2.8 macro that is nice and sharp but without AF, I am interested; particularly when the price is lowered to $99! That lens — the one in the video — is the TTArtisan 40mm f/2.8 Macro Lens for Sony E
