Now that the tariff war between the United States and China has effectively been reduced for 90 days, photographers and manufacturers can breathe a sigh of relief. With China having to pay only 30% of tariffs to the United States, a drop from the original 145%, things seemed to have looked up for American consumers. While we are unsure what the future holds, this is a good sign for the Chinese manufacturers, as one of the biggest photography trade shows will take place in May: 2025 China P&E show (Photographic Equipment and Electrical Imaging Machinery). Here is a look at the lenses you can expect to see this month.
With the exit of Photokina, Japanese and Chinese photography trade shows are now filling in the chasm. Japan had the CP+ Show, and China is having its own P&E Show. Per Photo Rumors, there are several Chinese lens manufacturers who will be showcasing their lenses. Here is a quick look at them.
7Artisans
7Artisans has recently unveiled the AF 85mm f/1.8 lens for L-mount. The lens has a focal range of 0.8m, 11 aperture blades, and is priced at $299. While we expect the lens to be there, the company will also unveil the 10mm, whose aperture is not yet unveiled. From the looks of it, it is a pancake lens, and it could cater to Sony, Fujifilm, and Leica mounts. However, we will only know what the company has stored on the day of the opening of the trade show.
Laowa
According to reports on Weibo, Venus Optics is set to release the Laowa 15mm f/4.5 wide-angle 1:2 macro lens for full-frame cameras. However, the image also shows more AF variants, but we aren’t sure what the focal range could be. However, since the 15mm was unveiled at the CP+ Show, we guess the other lenses could be as follows:
- Laowa 35mm f2.8 tilt-shift 0.5X macro
- Laowa 8-15mm f2.8 fisheye
- Laowa Proteus 2X anamorphic zoom series
- Laowa Ultima 12-120mm T4 8K S35 broadcast zoom
Meike
Per the poster, Meike is set to debut new new lnese. One is the 35mm f1.8 for Sony, Nikon, and Leica mounts, while the other is a mystery. Per the road map, Meike is yet to announce the AF 24mm f1.8, which will join the likes of AF 55mm f1.8 Pro and 85mm f1.8 II Pro. The latter lenses are priced well, and hence, there is enough excitement around the new arrivals.
Songraw
In April, Songraw announced its AF 50mm f1.2 ‘Moonlight’ lens for Sony, Leica, and Nikon full-frame cameras. The specifications are already out, which means one will get the chance to hold and test the lens themselves at the trade show.
- 15 elements in 10 groups, including two aspherical lens elements
- 13 aperture blades
- Minimum focusing distance of 52 cm/20.4 in
- 72mm filter thread
- “Moonlit” branding is inspired by its low-light performance
- 900g weight
The China P&E trade show will begin on May 16 and end on May 19. Over these three days, we will see many new launches, not just of lenses but also of other photographic accessories. However, it remains to be seen how different these new lenses are and whether they will be able to compete with their German, Korean, and Japanese counterparts. Stay tuned for more.
