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.

Uncategorized

Prime Day Photoshop+Lightroom offer for Amazon Prime Members (EU/UK) | Update: also at B&H

October 7, 2026 BastianK 7 Comments

It is Prime Day again so a good opportunity to stock up on Lightroom or Lightroom+Photoshop licenses.
The photography plan used to include only 20GB of storage, now it is 1TB but the price sadly increased.
These deals are still better than paying the normal monthly rate though.

Lr+PS + 1TB for 1 year = 115€ (13€ less than last year)
https://amzn.to/4voiLj8

For my US readers also available at B&H for $125
B&H

LRr + 1 TB for 1 year = 66€ (9€ less than last year)
https://amzn.to/4f0g3um

(affiliate links/advertising)

Make sure to tick the “One-Time-Purchase” (“Einmalkauf” in German) box!

Most websites push all kinds of software “deals”, but here you rarely find those. Why is that? Because most of them are not good deals, especially the software related ones. Margins on Preset packages, Tonal mask Addons, Luminar, Topaz and whatnot are huge and this is the sole reason people push those, not because they are actually good products. But I will never recommend you something that I wouldn’t want to use myself.

What I actually am using myself (and constantly so) is Adobe Lightroom + Photoshop.

As was already the case the last years there is a Prime Day offer for all the Amazon Prime members that are using the Lightroom+Photoshop subscription. You can get a one year subscription for 115€ here (affiliate link) instead of the usual 284€. If you are not using Photoshop and only need Lightroom you can get a one year subscription for 66€ here (affiliate link) instead of the usual 142€.

Now probably you are like me and you already have the plan anyway and now comes the highlight: it even works if you already have the subscription. Order, get the discount code, click on “redeem” in the Amazon Email and the next billing month will be December 2027 instead of December 2026. Offer should be valid for everyone in the EU as well as the UK. This is the link where you can redeem your code after you bought it.

If you haven’t done so, this is also a good opportunity to try out the latest AI-based generative fill I already talked about here.

Nikon, Nikon, Review

Review: Nikon AF-S 18-35mm 3.5-4.5G

October 7, 2026 BastianK 9 Comments

Introduction

nikon af-s 18-35mm 3.5-4.5G G ed zoom uwa ultra wide angle astro 42mp sony nikon z 61mp z6 z7 z8 z9 a7riv a7rv contrast sharpness vignetting portrait — Nikon AF-S 18-35mm 3.5-4.5G via FTZ II on Nikon Zf

After serving the professionals first with the Nikon AF-S 14-24mm 2.8G in 2007 and the prosumers afterwards with the Nikon AF-S 16-35mm 4.0G VR in 2010, Nikon came out with this Nikon AF-S 18-35mm 3.5-4.5G aimed at the entry level market in 2013. Overlooked by all those that already owned one of the aforementioned lenses, this one offers surprisingly good image quality in a very lightweight package, so let me tell you more about this now very affordable ultra wide angle zoom for the F-mount in this review.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Nikon AF-S 18-35mm 3.5-4.5G →

Astrophotography, Review, Sigma, Sony E-mount

Review: Sigma 14mm 1.4 DG Art – World’s widest f/1.4 lens

September 26, 2026 BastianK 13 Comments

Introduction

sigma 14mm 1.4 art dg fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf — Sigma 14mm 1.4 DG Art on Sony A7rII

When it comes to 14mm fullframe lenses, Sigma likes to break records. The Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG HSM Art was the fastest 14mm lens for DSLRs when it was released in 2017 and this Sigma 14mm 1.4 DG Art is the fastest 14mm lenses for mirrorless cameras since 2023. This lens’ purpose is obviously astrophotography and on paper it is the ideal lens for milky way and especially aurora shooting. By my experience these fast ultra wide angle lenses have very high sample variation though, did Sigma manage to solve that issue? Let’s find out in this review.

Continue reading Review: Sigma 14mm 1.4 DG Art – World’s widest f/1.4 lens →

Nikon, Nikon, Review

Review: Nikon Z 135mm 1.8 S Plena

September 23, 2026 BastianK 14 Comments

Introduction

z 135mm 1.8 s plena nikon nikkor prime f/1.8 super fast 42mp 61mp 24mp nikon zf z6iii z8 z7ii z9 review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma AF — Nikon Z 135mm 1.8 S Plena on Nikon Zf

While many of the higher end lenses released these days often feel like “more of the same” and maybe even a bit interchangeable, Nikon’s engineers had a clear concept in mind when designing this Nikon Z 135mm 1.8 S Plena. It doesn’t happen often that Nikon awards one of their lenses with a name, so this Plena must be something special, right?

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Nikon Z 135mm 1.8 S Plena →

Leica M, Light Lens Lab, Review

Review: Light Lens Lab 35mm 1.4 Aspherical “11873”

September 19, 2026 BastianK 5 Comments

Introduction

light lens lab 35mm 1.4 nine element 9/5 double aspherical aa dual review leica m10 m11 m9 42mp 24mp cinematic contrast sharpness rendering bokeh film analogue — Light Lens Lab 35mm 1.4 Aspherical on Leica M10

When it comes to 35mm M-mount lenses, you may think the current Leica 35mm 1.4 Summilux-M FLE MK II ($6900) is the most expensive one, but then there is also the slower Leica 35mm 2.0 Apo-Summicron-M ($9500) and if you are up to date you have also heard of the faster Leica 35mm 1.2 Noctilux-M ($9650). But all these lenses are nothing compared to a Leica 35mm 1.4 Summilux-M “11873” AA “Double Aspherical” from 1990, fetching around $20000 on the used market. Light Lens Lab decided to recreate this rare lens from the past while adding some small improvements on the way. Let’s have a look at this Light Lens Lab 35mm 1.4 Aspherical “11873”.