Chinese manufacturer AstrHori announced a new wide-angle APS-C probe lens to add to its existing AstrHori 28mm F13 2X micro probe lens (full frame) announced last year. The new AstrHori 18mm f/8 is faster than the existing model but very similar externally.
Probe lenses
Venus Optics (under the  Laowa brand) was the first to introduce a probe lens several years back. Since then it also announced a second model – the Laowa 24mm T14 2X PeriProbe which has a different head design similar to a periscope.
Those lenses have been used to create very unique shots with their very long design which allows them to enter places that normal lenses can’t reach.
As versatile and unique as the Laowa probe lenses are quite expensive and so out of reach for users who would like to experiment with them but can’t justify their cost considering their very limited use cases.
AstrHori Probe lenses
Last year AstrHori decided to release its take on a probe lens in the form of the 28mm F13 2X micro probe lens. This model is not as wide as the Laowa probe lens (and based on a few online comparisons also not as sharp) but it is significantly less expensive.
But AstrHori didn’t stop there. It decided to make a probe lens that will fit APS-C bodies as well. The new lens is not identical to the original design it adds two more optical elements and one more group and is also a little heavier at just over 700g. The length of the lens and min focus distance are the same (45cm long and the min focus distance is 0.5cm).
Both lenses have 2X macro capability and have a very similar angle of view (18mm on an APS-C sensor is equivalent to about 27mm on a 35mm sensor).
Both the 18mm and 28mm are waterproof at the tip so you can capture the subject underwater (this is true for the Laowa probe lenses as well) and they both have a small USB-powered LED (useful to help locate your subject but we would not use it to actually shoot anything important). The lens has gears on both the aperture and focus rings.
Finally, both the 18mm and 28mm come in different mounts including Sony/Nikon/Fuji/Canon/M4/3 cameras.
Pricing and availability
Although we are not entirely sure how the new lens is different than the original AstrHori 28mm F13 (apart from the few things noted above) the pricing seems to be very similar at around $720 or just around half the price of the Laowa probe lens.
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Iddo Genuth 
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