Announced: New Songraw 50mm f/1.2 autofocus E/Z/L lens

Songraw is displaying the new 50mm f/1.2 Full Frame lens at the NABshow. This is the first ever lens from this new Chinese company. Here are the specs:

  • 13 aperture blades
  • 15 elements in 10 groups
  • 0,52m close focus
  • 72mm filter size
  • Click/Declick aperture ring
  • AF/MF switch
  • E/Z/L mount versions
  • Price around $1,000
  • Available end of April

Here is an image from 2nd focus:

Here is an interview by CineD:

More tariffs insights from Fstoppers, Northrup and TheVerge

In the video above from Fstoppers, you can clearly see the confusion over these tariffs. In fact, prices will go up on every item, including those made in the US, since everyone relies on parts and raw materials made in different countries. And no, the tariffs will not shift any significant amount of production to the US, as in most cases the tariffs would have to be many times higher to make local US production competitive.

And there are also two more problems:

  1. In most cases, there is no production network in the USA for goods that are currently manufactured in ASIA. And it would take many years to build such a network.
  2. I doubt that for you USA workers the ‘US dream’ is to get those ‘nice’ factory jobs from Vietnam, Bangladesh and other countries. Particularly when you already have a 4% unemployment rate…will you really go work in a sweater shop?

The Verge writes:

As for whether these tariffs could potentially encourage Big Tech to restart domestic manufacturing, it’s highly unlikely. Even with these tariffs in place, it’s still cheaper for these companies to manufacture devices like smartphones, laptops, and wearables overseas. And even if they did want to move some industry back home, that wouldn’t be possible overnight. The U.S. has lost a lot of its manufacturing capacity, particularly for consumer electronics, in the last few decades.

My MAGA readers pointed out that this is just part of a ‘super-smart’ negotiating tactic by Donald Trump. That may be, but still, a lot of damage has already been done by this super-smart tactic:

  • Your 401k is reduced by 20%. If you have to dip into your savings now, you’re going to feel the pain.
  • Since people’s savings have lost value, they will spend less to buy things, and that will slow down the economy.
  • The economy and businesses hate unpredictability. So product releases will slow down, investment will fall… and the likelihood of a recession will increase.
  • The rest of the world is annoyed by the US’s actions. They will try to turn their backs on the US.

Again, I know Trump’s arguments, and there are certainly some arguments in favor of tariffs (e.g. greater independence from China in certain important areas like semiconductors and other reasons). But I think global constructive co-operation is beneficial for everyone in the long run, for the US, for China and for the rest of the world, and yes… it will never be completely fair, that is an impossible task and it doesn’t have to be to grow the economy.

 

All camera manufacturers hit by new USA tariffs up to 46%

Important note: We are not talking about politics here, but simply about the economic impact of the new tariffs on camera gear.

Here is how tariffs will affect cameras and lenses produced in different countries:

Japan: 24%
China 34%
Vietnam: 46%
Thailand 36%
EU: 20%

All current camera and lens manufacturers do produce cameras and lenses in those countries. This sounds like a big blow to the entire industry.

🇺🇸 Cameras Made (or Assembled) in the USA

🏆 1. RED Digital Cinema

• Made in California (Irvine)

•High-end digital cinema cameras used in Hollywood (e.g., RED Komodo, V-RAPTOR).

•Designed, manufactured, and assembled in the U.S.

•Mostly used for filmmaking, not consumer photography.

🏆 2. Blackmagic Design (select products)

• While Blackmagic is Australian, some camera assembly for U.S. sales happens locally.

•Example: URSA Mini Pro series.

•Not fully U.S.-made, but components or customization may be done domestically.

🏆 3. Military, Industrial & Scientific Cameras

•Brands like FLIR, Teledyne DALSA, and Vision Research produce high-speed, thermal, or industrial-grade cameras.

•Often made or assembled in the U.S. for aerospace, defense, or research.

🚫 Not U.S.-Made: Consumer Brands

Most consumer-focused brands do NOT manufacture in the U.S., including:

•Canon – Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, and China

•Nikon – Thailand and Japan

•Sony – Thailand and China

•Fujifilm – Japan and China

•Panasonic – China and Malaysia

•OM System (Olympus) – Vietnam and China

•Leica – Germany and Portugal (not USA)