REVIEW: TTArtisan AF 85mm f/1.8 Neo

August 20, 2026 Martin 12 Comments

Introduction

We’ve seen a lot of modern lenses at budget-friendly prices, often offering surprisingly good value for money. But $99* for a full-frame 85mm f/1.8? That’s the price of TTArtisan’s latest lens, and it may set a new record for affordability in this category. It’s part of their new, most budget-friendly NEO series, and given TTArtisan’s track record of delivering relatively good optical quality in solidly built bodies, I’m really intrigued to see what this lens can do. Let’s take a closer look.

TTArtisan has a time-limited $ 5-off offer, which brings the price to $94 (plus limited-time free shipping on orders over $84)

camera-icon2 I tested this lens on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Nikon Z7II | TTArtisan AF 85mm f/1.8 Neo | f/1.8

Nikon Zf | TTArtisan AF 85mm f/1.8 Neo | f/3.5

Continue reading REVIEW: TTArtisan AF 85mm f/1.8 Neo →

Canon EF-Mount, Nikon, Review, Vintage, Zeiss

Review: Zeiss 28mm 2.0 Distagon ZE/ZF/ZF.2

August 15, 2026 BastianK 8 Comments

Introduction

zeiss 28mm 2.0 milvus classic t* germany german high resolution bokeh portrait sharpness resolution lateral ca chromatic aberration aberrations zf z6 z6iii z8 z9 z7 z7ii z6ii 24mp 42mp 61mp zf.2 ze — Zeiss 28mm 2.0 ZF.2 on Nikon FM2n

We haven’t seen a lot of exciting fast 28mm primes for the mirrorless mounts (yet), so today I am having a look at the Zeiss 28mm 2.0 Distagon (ZF.2 version) first released in 2009. Is there still a reason to consider this lens today or will it suffer the same fate as the Zeiss 18mm 3.5 Distagon I previously reviewed? Let’s find out!

Sample Images

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Review, Sony E-mount, Thypoch

Review: Thypoch 24-50mm 2.8 AF Voyager

August 11, 2026 BastianK 10 Comments

Introduction

review thypoch dzo dzofilm 24-50mm 2.8 voyager af fe sony e-mount fe-mount fe lens contrast resolution sony a7riv a7rv a7v a9 a1 a9ii 42mp 24mp 61mp zomm bokeh vignetting — Thypoch 24-50mm 2.8 AF FE Voyager on Sony A7rII

By mid 2026 we have seen a lot of lenses from the Chinese manufacturers: some with class leading optical performance, some with unique specifications, some very affordable. There is one thing we haven’t seen yet though (at least not that I can recall): an autofocussing zoom lens. I would have first expected a lens like that from Viltrox, Laowa or 7Artisans, but it is Thypoch – so far specialized in all manual M-mount lenses – bringing a lens like this to the market: the Thypoch 24-50mm 2.8 Voyager. Did they succeed in designing a lens like this, or was it too ambitious? Let’s find out together in this review!
Update 08/26: I received a mass production sample and had a look if there are any changes compared to the pre production model, but I found it to perform identically. After some delay the lens finally ships to the buyers.

Sample Images

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Comparison, Nikon, Nikon, Sigma, Sony E-mount, Viltrox

Comparison: Super Fast 35mm f/1.2 AF Fullframe Lenses in 2026

August 8, 2026 BastianK 32 Comments

Introduction

z 35mm 1.2 s nikon nikkor prime f/1.2 super fast 42mp 61mp 24mp nikon zf z6iii z8 z7ii z9 review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma AF — Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S Nikkor | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 LAB FE N | Sigma 35mm 1.2 DG Art II

The year 2025 was the year of the 35mm 1.2 fullframe lenses, as we saw Nikon and Viltrox releasing their first lens with these specifications and Sigma updating their original 35mm 1.2 Art lens from 2019, releasing a completely overhauled second generation model.

How do these lenses compare? Where does the more affordable Viltrox lens stand compared to the lenses from the reknown manufacturers from Japan? Let’s find out all that and more in this comparison.

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Analogue, Nikon, Nikon, Sigma

Analogue Adventures – Part 55: Kodak Ektachrome 320T (expired)

August 5, 2026 BastianK 4 Comments

ektachrome kodak 320t tungsten slide film germany tübingen deutschland review nikon f analogue film hamburg germany f80 — Kodak Ektachrome 320T

As already pointed out: in 2025 no one makes slide film faster than ISO100 anymore. And no one makes slide film to shoot under artifical light (“Tungsten based”) anymore either. That wasn’t always the case and from 1992 to 2003 Kodak offered this Ektachrome 320T, a higher speed tungsten based slide film. These have all long expired, but thanks to our readers I got my hands on a roll. Let’s see what we can do with it.
Processing (E-6) was done at ProLab in Stuttgart, scanning was done by one of our readers via a DSLR. The pictures you see in this article are from one roll.