The 7artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens: An Extremely Affordable Lens With Trade-offs

The 7artisans Photoelectric 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens is a budget-friendly option that aims to provide macro enthusiasts with impressive close-up shots. This lens, unlike some of its predecessors, offers a full frame image circle, making it more versatile for those who want to experiment with extreme magnification. While the low price and features are tempting, the lens has some significant shortcomings you’ll want to consider.

Coming to you from Christopher Frost, this straightforward video reviews the 7artisans Photoelectric 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens and breaks down what it does right—and where it struggles. The standout feature is its ability to go beyond the typical 1:1 magnification, reaching up to 2:1, which allows for capturing intricate details on small subjects. This added capability makes it a solid choice for exploring extreme close-up photography without breaking the bank. But, as Frost points out, it comes with a few compromises.

The build quality is one area where the 7artisans 60mm stands out. It has a robust, all-metal design that feels solid in hand, yet lacks weather-sealing, which can be a concern if you plan on shooting in adverse conditions. The focus and aperture rings are metallic and operate smoothly, though Frost notes that the focus throw is too short for comfortable adjustments at regular distances. This limitation might frustrate you when trying to get tack-sharp focus on non-macro subjects. It’s a fully manual lens, meaning no autofocus or camera-controlled aperture adjustments, so it’s best suited for those already comfortable with manual operation.

Image quality is a mixed bag. At f/2.8, the lens shows good central sharpness on full-frame cameras, but corner performance falls off significantly. Frost explains that even at smaller apertures like f/8 or f/11, the corners remain soft, making it less ideal for capturing scenes where edge-to-edge sharpness is crucial. Macro lenses are typically used in controlled settings where corner quality isn’t the main priority, but it’s still worth noting if you plan on using this lens for more general photography. On APS-C sensors, the overall sharpness is better, but ghosting and chromatic aberrations are still present, especially at wider apertures.

Distortion and vignetting are two more areas where the 7artisans 60mm f/2.8 struggles. The lens produces noticeable pincushion distortion, which can make straight lines appear curved—something to keep in mind if you plan on photographing subjects with lots of linear detail. Vignetting, or darkening at the corners, is also prominent at f/2.8 and f/4 but starts to subside at f/5.6.

One major downside Frost highlights is the lens’ performance against bright light. The 60mm f/2.8 is prone to flaring and ghosting, which can wash out contrast and add unwanted artifacts to your images. This is exacerbated by the lack of a lens hood in the box. Despite this, the bokeh is mostly smooth and pleasing in deeply out-of-focus areas, though it can appear jittery in transitional zones. Frost also points out that chromatic aberration is low for a lens at this price point, with minimal color fringing visible even in high-contrast areas. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Frost.