7Artisans’ New 60mm f/2.8 Is an Affordable 2x Macro Lens for Full-Frame Cameras

A person holding a black Olympus camera and focusing on a red leaf. The camera's dials and zoom lens are clearly visible. The background is blurred, emphasizing the camera and the leaf in the foreground.

7Artisans announced a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens for full-frame cameras. The manual lens offers a maximum magnification ratio of 2:1, enabling photographers to get extreme close-up images.

A typical macro lens offers 1:1 magnification, sometimes even a lesser 0.5:1, so a 2:1 ratio is quite extreme. To achieve this feat, the new 60mm f/2.8 lens has a minimum focusing distance of just 0.17 meters (6.7 inches). It is worth reiterating that the lens is fully manual, meaning that both focus and aperture are controlled using rings on the barrel. The aperture ranges from f/2.8 to f/22, by the way, and has a nine-bladed diaphragm.

Close-up comparison image showing a spider's face under different magnification levels. The top section has a small square highlighting the spider's eyes with labels for 1.5x and 2x macro. The bottom section has two larger images side-by-side displaying the 1.5x and 2x macro details, revealing the spider's vibrant, iridescent eyes and mouthparts. A scale measure of 0.25:1, 0.5:1, 0.75:1, 1:1 is shown along the bottom.

The lens includes 14 elements arranged across a dozen groups. Among these elements are two extra-low dispersion elements and a pair of high-refraction elements.

The lens weighs approximately 550 grams (19.4 ounces) and is 109 millimeters (4.3 inches) long. The maximum diameter is 70 millimeters (2.75 inches), and the macro lens accepts 67mm front filters.

Per 7Artisans, its new macro lens delivers high-quality macro images with soft, blurry backgrounds. The company says its all-metal macro lens is well-suited to a range of photographic applications, including photographing flowers, food, insects, products, and even portraits.

Close-up image of a golden-colored insect with translucent wings perched on a leaf. The insect has long, slender antennae and fine details of its wing structure are visible. The background is blurred greenery. (Photo credit:  郭天奇).

The company is no stranger to making good macro lenses. Its 60mm f/2.8 Macro II for APS-C cameras, released in 2022, proved to be a solid performer for its price in PetaPixel‘s hands-on review. The company’s other non-macro lenses have typically impressed as well, delivering strong value and overall image quality.

Close-up of an insect with long, intricately patterned wings resembling butterfly wings. The wings are raised and open in a V-shape, displaying a combination of brown, blue, and white hues. The insect is perched on a green surface against a dark background.

For full-frame photographers seeking a macro lens, there are plenty of options these days. Competing Chinese lens maker TTArtisan announced a 100mm f/2.8 2:1 macro lens for full-frame cameras this summer, which removed the tilt-and-shift functionality from the same lens released in late 2023.

A hand holding a 7Artisans 60mm F2.8 Macro 2x camera lens, with green foliage in the background. The lens is black with red and white markings on it, showing the focus distances and aperture settings.

Pricing and Availability

The 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 2x Macro Lens is available now for $335 directly from 7Artisans and through Pergear. The lens will also be available through B&H, although it is not yet listed. The new macro lens is available in three mounts: Sony E, Nikon Z, and Canon RF. Additional sample images are available on the official 7Artisans website, although are not suitably formatted for inclusion in this article.


Image credits: 7Artisans

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