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AstrHori 18mm f/8 2x Periprobe
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AstrHori · 18 mm · Sony E, Canon RF, Canon EF, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Micro Four Thirds mount · APS-C

AstrHori 18mm f/8 2x Periprobe

From $1,169 — 1 offer
KEY FACTS
BrandAstrHori
Announcement dateFeb 2024
Released2024
Production started2024
Production statusIn Production
What We Like
+Exceptional sharpness wide open at f/8 with excellent corner clarity
+Extremely close minimum focus distance of 5mm enables unprecedented macro magnification
+Affordable at $789 for periprobe version (half the price of comparable Laowa lenses)
+Swappable direct-view and 90° periprobe tubes provide creative shooting angles
+Built-in 5W LED light with 10-level brightness adjustment for low-light macro photography
+Waterproof front barrel and 0.8 MOD cinema gears enable video production use
Worth Knowing
−Very long at ~450mm making it unwieldy and impractical for regular shooting
−Slightly softer image quality compared to some conventional macro lenses when pixel-peeping
−Front probe casts shadow over subjects at minimum focus distance, necessitating LED light
−Niche application limits appeal to macro photographers and filmmakers only

General

Brand
AstrHori
Announcement date
ⓘ
Refers to the date the manufacturer publicly announced the upcoming release and general specs of this camera.
Feb 2024
Released
ⓘ
Refers to the year this camera was officially made available for sale.
2024
Production started
2024
Production status
ⓘ
Current status of lens manufacturing (e.g., in production, discontinued).
In Production
Read our notes on general
The AstrHori 18mm f/8 2x Macro Probe lens brings its full-frame probe lens to crop-sensor cameras, including those with E, F, RF, Z, L, and M43 mounts. It can get as close as five millimeters from the subject while offering an 80-degree field of view. Even wide open at f/8, the detail is excellent and only gets better stopping down the aperture a bit. There is a 90-degree angle attachment available for the distinct tubular macro lens, and with the 90-degree view, it's possible to get top-down and bottom-up macro perspectives, which can be very helpful when doing certain product or nature photography.

Optical design

Aperture Range
f/8 - f/28
Lens Elements
23 elements in 17 groups
Magnification
2.0x (2:1)
Angle of View
80°

Build

Waterproof
Front 250mm (25cm) is waterproof
Filter Threads
None
Focus & Aperture Gears
0.8 MOD (cinema standard)

Features

Focus Type
Fully manual
Image Stabilization
No
Autofocus
No
Built in LED Light
Yes, 5W, 5000K fixed, 10 brightness levels
LED Power
External USB Type-C power
Swappable Tubes
Direct-view and 90° rotatable periprobe
Rotation Lock
4-directional

Compatibility

Design
Probe/Periprobe macro lens

Optics

Min focal length
18 mm
Max focal length
18 mm
Focal range
ⓘ
Shortest to longest focal length of the lens (zoom range start - end )
18 mm
Zoom lens
ⓘ
Zoom allows you to vary the focal length, change between long shots and close-ups
No
Closest focusing distance
ⓘ
Minimum distance for a subject to be in focus.
5 cm01500
Blades
ⓘ
Number of diaphragm blades in aperture
7020

Physical

Lens length
ⓘ
How long the lens is from front to back.
450 mm
Lens weight
712 g
Lens mount
ⓘ
The lens mount will tell you what type of lens range you can fit onto the camera body. Often the same camera company will have different lens ranges for different cameras.
Sony E, Canon RF, Canon EF, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Micro Four Thirds
Maximum format
ⓘ
Largest sensor size compatible with the lens.
APS-C