7Artisans’ Tiny 18mm f/5.6 Full-Frame Lens Is Cheap but Limited

Jan 14, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A black camera lens with markings indicating focal length and focus distance is displayed against a plain background. The lens number and focus range are visible on its surface.

7Artisans’ new FF 18mm f/5.6 lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras offers a wide-angle field of view in a very compact and affordable package.

The $89 lens tips the scales at a scant 146 grams (5.2 ounces) and is just 25 to 29 millimeters (0.98 to 1.1 inches) long depending on the mount. Solidly within the “pancake lens” category, the 7Artisans 18mm f/5.6 comes in Sony E, Nikon Z, and L-Mount flavors.

A hand is holding a camera lens against a clear blue sky. The lens is black with markings indicating a focal length of 1.8 and a focus range from 0.3 meters to infinity.

To achieve its small size and sub-$100 price point, the lens cuts some corners regarding features and versatility. Perhaps the most significant limitation is that it is a fixed aperture lens, meaning it only shoots at f/5.6, which is itself not an exceptionally bright aperture. Further, the lens is manual focus, so photographers must keep this in mind, too. That said, given the wide-angle field of view and f/5.6 aperture, achieving visibly sharp images should not be especially challenging. The lens can focus as close as 0.3 meters (0.98 feet).

A black camera lens with markings indicating focus distances from 0.3 meters to infinity and focal length of 18mm. The lens has a sleek design with a metal mount on the bottom. — The 7Artisans 18mm f/5.6 lens for full-frame cameras is manual focus and has a fixed f/5.6 aperture.

The 18mm f/5.6 lens has seven elements arranged across five groups, including two extra-low dispersion (ED) elements and a single high-refraction element. The lens chassis is metal, and the 18mm f/5.6 accepts 49mm filters.

The 7Artisans 18mm f/5.6 shown here on a Sony a7 III is available in E, L, and Z mounts.

Very astute readers may recall this is not 7Artisans’ first foray into 18mm pancake lenses. In early 2023, the company released the 18mm f/6.3 Mark II Cap Lens for APS-C cameras, which is in many ways the spiritual predecessor to the new 18mm f/5.6 for full-frame cameras. Like the new 18mm f/5.6, the 18mm f/6.3 II is cheap ($59, manual focus, and sports a fixed aperture, albeit a slightly slower one.

While 7Artisans isn’t calling its new 18mm f/5.6 prime a “cap lens,” it is relatively similar in its design and use case. The new lens is designed to be a compact, lightweight companion for walkaround photography and casual shooting.

A collage of four images showing a camera lens and a person holding a Sony camera. The images detail the lens from various angles, including the front and metal mount. The camera is compact, with the person in a white coat carrying it.