All posts by BastianK

My name is Bastian and I am your expert here when it comes to ultra wide angle lenses, super fast portrait lenses (ranging from a 50mm f/0.95 to a 200mm f/1.8) and I also have reviewed way too many 35mm lenses. Don't ask me anything about macro or wildlife shooting though.

Canon EF-Mount, Comparison, Laowa, Leica M, Samyang, Sigma, Sony E-mount, Viltrox, Voigtlander

Comparison: Super Fast 35mm f/0.95 | f/1.2 Fullframe Lenses

April 20, 2025 BastianK 13 Comments

Introduction

35mm fullframe comparison 0.95 1.2 f/0.95 f/1.2 voigtländer laowa viltrox sigma lab argus nokton art dg dn contrast resolution bokeh vignetting coma sharpness loca ca — Sigma 35mm 1.2 DG DN Art | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP | Laowa 35mm 0.95 Argus | Voigtländer VM 35mm 1.2 Nokton III

35mm are the favorite focal length of many reportage, event and wedding photographers. In the last years we saw boundaries being pushed as we can now choose from f/1.2 lenses with autofocus and manual focus lenses that even offer a maximum aperture of f/0.95. I gathered five recent ones of these super fast 35mm lenses with maximum apertures ranging from f/0.95 to f/1.2 and will compare them, to give you an idea which might work best for your needs.

Continue reading Comparison: Super Fast 35mm f/0.95 | f/1.2 Fullframe Lenses →

Review, Sony E-mount, Viltrox

Review: Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB

April 16, 2025 BastianK 23 Comments

Introduction

viltrox 35mm 1.2 lab fe pro af bokeh master gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9 — Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB on Sony A7rII

Since its release in 2019 I have been using the Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN as my main lens for any kind of reportage work. It took until 2025 for another manufacturer to challenge Sigma by releasing a 35mm 1.2 lens with autofocus of their own. Actually, there were two at almost the same time: Nikon with their Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S and Viltrox with this Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB. As the Nikon lens sells for 3 grand it is out of reach for most people. This Viltrox lens is way more attractively priced, so let’s find out if it is time to retire my Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN after 6 years of usage.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB →

Funleader, Leica M, Review

Review: Artizlab 35mm 1.4 Classic

April 12, 2025 BastianK 8 Comments

Introduction

artizlab funleader 35mm 1.4 classic summilux steel rim leica m10 m11 m6 review contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting coma summilux 42mp 61mp 24mp — Artizlab 35mm 1.4 Classic on Leica M10

While some lens manufacturers strive for optical perfection, others decide to offer lenses with more “character” – often based on famous lenses from the past. This Artizlab 35mm 1.4 Classic is one such lens. From the outside it looks like the Leica 35mm 1.4 Summilux from 1960 and while featuring a different optical design, it is certainly undercorrected for many aberrations, creating a distinct look. Whether you like that look or not is a different question though. So let’s try to answer it with the help of this review.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Artizlab 35mm 1.4 Classic →

Astrophotography, Nikon, Review, Samyang

Review: Samyang 14mm 2.4 XP

April 8, 2025 BastianK 10 Comments

Introduction

samyang 14mm 2.4 xp premium manual focus astro wide angle ultra review architecture 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7rv sharpness contrast vignetting compact nikon z6 z7 z8 zf sony a7rii a7riii a7rv a7iv coma — Samyang 14mm 2.4 XP via FTZ II on Nikon Zf

Released in 2017, this Samyang 14mm 2.4 XP had a similarly bad timing as the Zeiss Otus and Milvus lenses its mechanical design is undoubtedly based on. By that time many people started using mirrorless cameras, so these huge DSLR designs certainly started looking less appealing. On top of that, many of us had been burned by Samyang’s (at least at that time) awful quality control, so paying a premium price for a Samyang lens? Not many people were interested in doing that. Nevertheless, some people say this is one of the best lenses for astrophotography ever made, that alone is reason enough to have a closer look at it.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Samyang 14mm 2.4 XP →

Nikon, Review, Voigtlander

Review: Voigtländer 28mm 2.8 SL IIs Color-Skopar (Nikon F)

April 5, 2025 BastianK 9 Comments

Introduction

voigtländer sl iis color-skopar nikon f 28mm 2.8 ai-s freview 42mp sony nikon z 61mp z6 z7 z8 z9 a7riv a7rv contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting portrait — Voigtländer 28mm 2.8 SL IIs Color-Skopar on Nikon FM2n

Cosina is still making new manual focus lenses for the Nikon F-mount and currently the widest option in the line up is this Voigtländer 28mm 2.8 SL IIs Color-Skopar. It may not be as small as the M-mount version I already reviewed, but for an SLR lens it can still be considered very compact and it offers a great close focus option, so let’s have a closer look at it.