Purveyor of low-cost lenses 7Artisans has released an ultra-wide prime for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras at the unbelievably low price of just US$99 (converted to your local currency), with free shipping worldwide.
Unsurprisingly at this price, it's a fully manual lens, with a manual focus ring that focuses between 0.2m and infinity, and a clicked aperture ring to select the aperture range between f/3.5 and f/22. The lens is equipped with five aperture blades, which render strong light sources as attractive 10-pointed star beams when shooting at a narrow aperture.
The 10mm focal length can capture a 108° field of view. Its non-fisheye structure corrects for barrel distortion through its optical design, so that edges are straight with lines of walls, doors, and windows remaining horizontal and vertical, thus avoiding loss of image quality when correcting in post-production.
It is ideal for capturing dynamic shots of close-up subjects within expansive scenes, with closer objects appearing significantly larger than their surroundings, offering an exaggerated perspective compared to the angle of view offered by a standard focal length. Using a low-angle and shooting upwards exaggerates the perspective distortion of street scenes, while the lens can also be used to give interior spaces a sense of depth. Closing down the aperture to f/8 or above improves image quality and reduces vignetting.
With an attractive retro design, the lens has a durable aluminum alloy housing, while the optical structure consists of 9 elements in 7 groups. The compact and lightweight lens measures 59 x 34mm and weighs around 125.5g (depending on the lens mount), with a slender 37mm filter thread.
The 7Artisans 10mm f/3.5 is available in Nikon Z, Sony E, and Fujifilm X mounts, with an effective focal length of 15mm due to the 1.5x focal length multiplier. The Panasonic/Olympus M43 mount version is a little less wide-angle, with a 20mm effective focal length.
