Yongnuo Releases a Dirt Cheap 100mm Lens for Canon Users

Most of us in the photography and videography world have seen, used, or at least heard of Yongnuo flashes, wireless transmitters, and even those handy little video LED lights and light bars. Well Yongnuo is slowly making their mark in the camera lens world as well with their already released 50mm f/1.8 and 35mm f/2 for both Canon and Nikon. Newly spotted at the Photokina Expo is the upcoming Yongnuo 100mm f/2. Yes, the price-cutting camera accessory makers are currently in preproduction of a 100mm f/2 lens that will have a version compatible with only Canon cameras for now.

While at first glance it replicates its Canon predecessor, it's likely that holding the lens alone may feel quite different. Specifications on this lens are relatively comparable as can be seen in the charts below when looking at the breakdown between the Yongnuo and Canon versions. Comparing the image quality side by side is something we will have to wait for once it leaves preproduction and hits the market.

While this isn't the first lens release for Yongnuo, it's tough to say if this 100mm will be worth picking up. Rumor has it that the focus ring is indeed opposite from what we are used to on our current lenses, which is quite humorous although may be frustrating at the same time. Talk about a learning curve! But the more important question remains: What will the image quality look like? With a price point of around $170 USD, one may think that there has to be some obvious visual differences.

While saving your buck for additional flashes and not worrying about using it in risky situations is one thing (e.g., near water, back flashes on the edge of a cliff, etc.), is compromising quality performance worth it?  One thing I can confidently report is that the Yongnuo gear I've had in the past seems to work fine, however it does not last nearly as long as my trusty Canon flashes.

Having said that, there's also something to the idea of purchasing "cheap" or less expensive versions of certain gear for times where you anticipate it could be put in a dangerous situations. But how do you make that call with a lens? Reviews on B&H Photo of the previous Yongnuo lenses seem to be fair with a few mentioning the lack of longevity. Release date of the new Yongnuo lens is unknown at this time as they're still in the early stages of this lens.