I was wrong about Chinese lenses...
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Jared Poland from photo.com admits he was wrong about Chinese lenses, having tested and been impressed by their build quality, autofocus capabilities, and affordability. He discusses the emergence of new third-party lens manufacturers like Vro and Laowa, which offer good alternatives to more expensive brands for beginners. Poland also shares his experience using these lenses for sports photography and low-light situations, suggesting they're suitable for new photographers on a budget. He invites viewers to share their experiences and offers a free guide on his website for improving low-light photography.
Takeaways
- 😀 The speaker admits he was wrong about Chinese lenses after testing some out and finding them surprisingly good.
- 🔍 He has tested two VRO lenses and a LAA lens, all of which had good build quality, metal construction, and nice optics.
- 🔄 These lenses also offer autofocus capabilities that work on mirrorless cameras, representing a new generation of third-party lenses.
- 🚫 The autofocus is not perfect in every situation, but it's a significant improvement for third-party lenses.
- 🌐 There are other Chinese manufacturers like Meike, Seven Artisans, and Astor, offering very inexpensive lenses.
- 📸 The speaker encourages viewers to share their experiences with third-party lenses in the comments.
- 👎 In the past, cheap lenses like Yongnuo had a poor build quality, feeling almost breakable.
- 🎯 Despite initial skepticism, the tested Chinese lenses performed well, even with autofocus on Sony and Nikon cameras.
- 💰 The speaker suggests that these lenses are a good affordable option for beginners in photography.
- 📈 Chinese manufacturers are improving in quality, focus speed, and usability, becoming a potential threat to established brands like Tamron and Sigma.
- 🏆 Professional photographers should still opt for higher-end lenses from brands like Sony, Nikon, and Canon, but for beginners, Chinese lenses are a viable option.
- 📚 A free guide for better low-light photography is available on the speaker's website, fronos.photo.com.
Q & A
What was the initial opinion of the speaker about Chinese lenses?
-The speaker initially had a negative opinion about Chinese lenses, but after testing some, they found that they were wrong in their initial assessment.
Which Chinese lens brands has the speaker tested so far?
-The speaker has tested lenses from the brands VRO and LAOWA, both of which surprised them with their build quality and performance.
What is special about the new generation of third-party lenses mentioned in the script?
-The new generation of third-party lenses, including those from Chinese manufacturers, are designed to work with autofocus on mirrorless cameras, which was not common in the past.
Is the autofocus on these new lenses perfect in every situation according to the speaker?
-No, the speaker clarifies that while the autofocus works, it is not perfect in every situation.
What other Chinese manufacturers are mentioned as trying to enter the lens market?
-The speaker mentions MEIKE and Seven Artisans as other Chinese manufacturers trying to enter the lens market, along with ASTOR, though the speaker notes that the names might not be accurate.
What was the speaker's experience with Yongnuo lenses in the DSLR days?
-The speaker describes Yongnuo lenses as cheap and poorly built with a plastic feel, indicating a low-quality product.
According to the speaker, who are the better options than Chinese lenses for quality?
-The speaker suggests that Tamron and Sigma are better options than many Chinese lenses, as they have a long history of producing high-quality lenses.
What is the speaker's recommendation for beginners in photography who need affordable lenses?
-The speaker recommends starting with VRO and LAOWA lenses, which are more affordable but have shown good quality and performance in their tests.
How does the speaker view the use of these Chinese lenses for professional work?
-The speaker advises that professional photographers or those aspiring to be professionals should stick with first-party lenses from brands like Sony, Nikon, and Canon for their reliability and accuracy.
What does the speaker offer to help with taking better pictures in low light situations?
-The speaker offers a free guide for taking better pictures in low light situations, which can be obtained by visiting fronos.photo.com and signing up for the Orange Box.
What is the speaker's final stance on Chinese lenses after testing them?
-The speaker concludes that they were wrong about Chinese lenses and that these lenses have come a long way, offering good value for beginners and intermediate photographers.
Outlines
🔎 Reevaluation of Chinese Lenses
The speaker admits to being previously mistaken about the quality of Chinese lenses, specifically mentioning brands like VRO and LAA. They highlight the surprisingly good build quality, metal construction, and optics of these lenses, as well as their autofocus capabilities on mirrorless cameras. While acknowledging that autofocus isn't perfect in every situation, the speaker encourages viewers to share their experiences with third-party lenses, especially those from lesser-known Chinese manufacturers. The discussion also touches on the affordability of these lenses as a viable option for beginners, comparing them to the cheaper, plastic lenses of the DSLR era.
📸 Embracing Affordable Chinese Lenses for Beginners
The speaker continues to discuss the value of Chinese lenses, such as VRO and LAA, for beginners or those on a budget. They suggest that these lenses can provide a faster and better experience, leading to quicker progress in photography skills. The speaker also mentions using these lenses in low-light conditions and offers a free guide for improving low-light photography, available on fronos.photo.com. The advice is given to consider these lenses for their affordability and performance, especially when starting out. However, for advanced amateurs and professionals, the speaker recommends more established brands like Tamron and Sigma for their reliability and accuracy. The speaker concludes by expressing their openness to trying more Chinese lenses and sharing their findings with the audience.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Chinese lenses
💡Autofocus
💡Build quality
💡Third-party lenses
💡Viltrox and Laowa
💡7Artisans and Meike
💡DSLR
💡Affordability
💡Tamron and Sigma
💡85mm and 35mm lenses
💡Low-light situations
💡Fronos Photo
Highlights
The speaker admits being wrong about the quality of certain Chinese lenses.
Surprised by the build quality of the tested Chinese lenses, featuring nice metal construction and optics.
Chinese lenses offer autofocus capabilities that work on mirrorless cameras, a new generation of third-party lenses.
Autofocus on these lenses is not perfect in every situation, but it is a significant improvement.
Other Chinese lens manufacturers like Mikey and Seven Artisans are emerging in the market.
Inexpensive lenses from Yongnuo in the DSLR era were of lower build quality compared to the current Chinese lenses.
The tested lenses from VRO and LAOWA performed well, with competent autofocus on Sony and Nikon cameras.
Third-party lenses are expected to be available for Canon RF Mount in the future.
Chinese lenses are becoming good enough for beginners, offering an affordable option to start with.
Tamron and Sigma are superior in quality to Chinese lenses but the latter are improving rapidly.
Professionals should opt for first-party lenses, but Chinese lenses are suitable for beginners and hobbyists.
The speaker used Chinese lenses for sports photography and was satisfied with the results.
Chinese lenses offer affordable options for faster glass like 85mm and 35mm lenses.
LAOWA is making a unique 10-28mm lens at an affordable price.
For beginners, investing in Chinese lenses can lead to better photography results and progress.
The speaker used the lenses in low light situations and found them satisfactory.
A free guide for better low light photography is available on fronos.photo.com.
The speaker plans to test more Chinese lenses and report back to help viewers make informed decisions.
Transcripts
I was
[Music]
wrong Jared poen fronos
photo.com and I was wrong about Chinese
lenses now before I go too far I want to
say that I was wrong about the Chinese
lenses that I ended up testing out so
far but there's a lot of different
brands out there that I haven't tried
that are super inexpensive that may not
be as good as the ones that I've tested
out now up to this point I've tested out
two vro lenses as well as a laa lens and
both of those Brands surprised me I was
surprised about the fact that the build
quality was very good nice metal
construction nice feeling Rings nice
feeling Optics everything about them was
nice they also offer autofocus that
works on mirrorless cameras this is a
new generation of thirdparty lenses that
are working with autofocus on those
mirrorless cameras now is the autofocus
going to be perfect in every situation
the answer is no but before I dive too
deep into that we got to understand that
there's other Chinese manufacturers out
there I mentioned vro and lawa cuz those
are the ones that I've tested out so far
you've got other companies like Mikey
and seven Artisans as well as one called
Astor I may not be getting the names
right but there are a lot of
Manufacturers trying to get into this
game and some of them are super duper
inexpensive let me let me pose a
question to you guys have you used any
thirdparty lenses that you were either
happy with the results or not happy with
the results or is there some company
that I haven't mentioned just yet if so
let me know Down Below in the comments
because I'm curious to hear your
thoughts on what you've used so far now
speaking of inexpensive back in the DSLR
days you had a company like young new
making a really cheap plastic feeling I
mean you can just shake this thing up
and feel how not wellb built it is now
this was designed for Canon dslrs and
they also had a Nikon version but you
know you're not getting into a good lens
when you take off the lens cap and
there's one of those just plastic
plastic protectors just peeled right
there or just stuck to the front of the
lens usually when you get stuff like
this it's like a a really cheap product
I mean I could sit here and squeeze this
and almost break it in half that's what
it feels like to me but with all of that
being said I'm surprised by the fact
that these lenses worked so well the
ones that I've tested the fact that I
can go out and get competent autofocus
on any of the Sony cameras that I was
trying as well as the nikons that I was
doing autofocus with and in the future
I'm sure these third-party lenses will
be coming to Canon RF Mount as well the
point that I'm trying to make here is
that some of these lenses are now good
enough for people that are starting out
look I do think that the Tamron and
sigma are by far better than a lot of
the Chinese options that are out there
Tamron and sigma have been around a long
time and are making quality lenses that
are far superior to the Chinese ones but
the Chinese manufacturers are starting
to creep up in quality and focus speed
and allaround usability which is a big
deal and something that Tamron and sigma
are probably going to be afraid of but
look if you're a professional you really
shouldn't be looking at these lenses but
what I can tell you is my vro and lawa
Sample images you would never look at
those and be like Yep looks like he used
a cheap Chinese lens to get those images
and I shot Sports and that isn't
something that in the past I could say
would work now I can't say that for all
of the Chinese manufactured lenses at
this point but the fact that you have
options for a couple of hundred to get
you into 85 1.8s and 35
1.8s and now lawa making a 102.8 that no
one else makes at all for a pretty
affordable price considering it's a
really interesting place to be today
these lenses have come along way and
that's why I was wrong about the Chinese
lenses that I've used so far what it
comes down to is if you're new to
photography and you need an affordable
option because you just don't have a lot
of money to spend on higher end Tamron
Sigma Nikon Canon Sony those type of
lenses I don't think you can go wrong at
the start to drop a couple of hundred
for one of these V TRS or La type lenses
I can't speak to the other Chinese
lenses that are even half the price of
the lawa and vro lenses they might be a
little more questionable but they do
work and that's the thing if you can get
into faster glass sooner as a beginner I
think you're going to see better results
even though you may not know why you're
getting those better results now you're
going to be happier with what you're
getting which means you're going to
progress as a photographer now I did use
these lenses in some prettyy lowlight
situations and if you're looking to take
better pictures in lowlight situations I
created a free guide that you can get
right now just head on over to fronos
photo.com look for this Orange Box put
your name email address in it hit send
it I'm going to send you that guide for
free so for beginners I'm okay with you
going and getting some of these lenses
just to get the feel of something faster
and better if you're an advanced amateur
I'm looking at something like a Tamron
or Sigma they are a little bit more
expensive but in my opinion going to be
more accurate more reliable and if
you're a full-time working professional
or you aspire to be a professional and
you're already getting paid to do work
you might want to just stick with the
Sony the Nikon the Canon the first party
lenses right there those we like to call
n lenses I've been calling the Chinese
lenses fourth-party lenses look they're
all thirdparty lenses at the end of the
day they're very similar people aren't
going to look at your images and go you
must have used a cheap lens here if they
allow you to get the results that you're
looking for that is all that matters
when you're starting out and learning to
become a better photographer so at this
point I was wrong about some of the
Chinese lenses I look forward to trying
out some of the other ones to see what
the differences are and I will report
back to you so that you can make
informed and educated decisions with
your hard-earned money thank you guys
very much for watching Jared Poland
fronos
photo.com see you
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