YoloLiv enters lens market with 18 mm F1.4 MFT prime for the YoloCam S7

YoloLiv has announced its first lens: an 18 mm F1.4 prime for the Micro Four Thirds mount, designed specifically for use with its YoloCam S7 live streaming camera.

The YoloCam S7 looked to have an impressive spec aimed at the higher end of the streaming market when it launched last year, but sourcing the right Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens could be a problem. It recommended the Panasonic 15 mm f/1.7 or 25 mm f/1.7 primes, but availability has sometimes been an issue, not to mention the cost of the 15 mm lens with its Leica certification.

So, it made its own. Its new 18 mm F1.4 MFT is compact and fast, and features a 7-element in 7-group optical design and nano multi-layer coating to suppress flare and ghosting. Four aspherical elements and three low-dispersion elements handle aberration correction, with the aim of delivering consistent sharpness edge-to-edge.

Featuring seven aperture blades and a range of F1.4 to F22, the lens supports a stepper motor autofocus system alongside full-time manual focus override. This means you can nudge focus manually after an AF lock without switching modes. The metal mount features gold-plated contacts and passes EXIF data back to the camera.

Filter compatibility is 46 mm. Maximum diameter and length are 63 × 73.7 mm (2.5 × 2.9 in), with a minimum focusing distance of 0.19 m (7.5 in) and a maximum magnification of 0.1x.

One important note is that for now compatibility is limited to the YoloCam S7.

Pricing and availability

The lens is priced at $299 and is expected to ship in late March or early April, available through YoloLiv's own store, Amazon, and its network of distributors. That makes it considerably cheaper than the $597 Panasonic 15 mm f/1.7, but more than the $197 25 mm f/1.7. The S7 itself is currently listed at $699.