I was wrong about Chinese lenses...

Summary

In 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

00:00

🔎 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.

05:01

📸 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.

Keywords

💡Chinese lenses

Chinese lenses refer to camera lenses manufactured in China, often known for being more affordable compared to those from established brands. In the video, the speaker admits being wrong about the quality of these lenses after testing them out, finding them to be surprisingly good in build quality and performance. This relates to the video's theme of re-evaluating preconceived notions about the quality of Chinese-made camera equipment.

💡Autofocus

Autofocus is a feature in cameras and lenses that allows the device to automatically adjust the focus to ensure a sharp image. The script discusses the improvement in autofocus capabilities of third-party lenses, particularly from Chinese manufacturers, which is significant as it enables these lenses to compete with first-party options. The speaker mentions that while not perfect, the autofocus works well in many situations.

💡Build quality

Build quality refers to the physical construction and materials used in a product, affecting its durability and feel. The video script highlights the speaker's surprise at the good build quality of the Chinese lenses tested, mentioning 'nice metal construction' and 'nice feeling rings', which challenges the stereotype that cheaper lenses have poor build quality.

💡Third-party lenses

Third-party lenses are camera lenses produced by manufacturers other than the camera's original brand. The script discusses various third-party lens brands, including Chinese ones, which are offering competitive alternatives to first-party lenses. The video's theme revolves around the evolution and improvement of these lenses, making them viable options for photographers.

💡Viltrox and Laowa

Viltrox and Laowa are specific Chinese lens manufacturers mentioned in the script. The speaker has tested lenses from these brands and was impressed with their quality, which serves as a testament to the rising standards of Chinese lenses in the market. These brands are part of the video's narrative about the changing landscape of affordable camera lenses.

💡7Artisans and Meike

7Artisans and Meike are additional Chinese lens manufacturers that the speaker mentions, indicating the growing presence of Chinese companies in the camera lens market. These brands contribute to the diversity of options available to consumers, especially those looking for budget-friendly lenses.

💡DSLR

DSLR stands for Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera, a type of camera that traditionally used optical viewfinders and allowed for interchangeable lenses. The script contrasts the cheap, plastic-feeling lenses of the DSLR era with the improved quality of modern third-party lenses, illustrating the progress made in lens technology.

💡Affordability

Affordability refers to the cost-effectiveness of a product, making it accessible to a wider range of consumers. The video emphasizes the affordability of Chinese lenses as an attractive feature for beginners or those with limited budgets, allowing them to access higher-quality lenses at a fraction of the cost of first-party options.

💡Tamron and Sigma

Tamron and Sigma are well-established third-party lens manufacturers known for their quality lenses. The script compares these brands to the newer Chinese manufacturers, noting that while Tamron and Sigma are superior in many aspects, the Chinese lenses are quickly improving and becoming more competitive.

💡85mm and 35mm lenses

85mm and 35mm refer to the focal length of lenses, which affects the field of view and subject magnification. The script mentions these specific focal lengths as examples of affordable options now available from Chinese manufacturers, indicating the range of lens options that are becoming accessible to photographers.

💡Low-light situations

Low-light situations refer to photographic conditions where there is insufficient light, challenging for both camera and lens performance. The speaker mentions using the Chinese lenses in low-light conditions, suggesting that they perform well enough for such scenarios, which is an important consideration for photographers.

💡Fronos Photo

Fronos Photo is the website of Jared Poland, the speaker in the video. It is mentioned in the context of offering a free guide for taking better pictures in low-light situations, showing the speaker's engagement with his audience and providing additional resources related to photography.

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