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.

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

Continue reading Review: Thypoch 24-50mm 2.8 AF Voyager →

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.

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

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.

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

Pergear, Review, Sony E-mount

Review: Pergear 50mm 1.4

August 2, 2026 BastianK 14 Comments

Introduction

pergear 50mm 1.4 f/1.4 review sony e fe fullframe e-mount a7riv a7rv a7riii a7rii 42mp 61mp sharpness contrast review coma vignetting bokeh — Pergear 50mm 1.4 on Sony A7rII

In 2023 Pergear surprised us with their Pergear 35mm 1.4 lens, as it turned out to be a compact and very affordable 35mm 1.4 lens with surprisingly decent image quality. In 2026 – 3 years later – Pergear released this Pergear 50mm 1.4: similar size, similar price, different focal length and a lot more competitors. Can this new lens also convince us? Let’s find out in this review!

Sample Images

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Review, Samyang, Sony E-mount

Review: Samyang 100mm T2.3 V-AF

July 25, 2026 BastianK 11 Comments

Introduction

samyang v-af video cine 100mm af T2.3 f/2.2 2.3 2,3 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight small — Samyang 100mm T2.3 V-AF on Sony A7rII

In 2023 Samyang introduced a new line of Cine lenses called “V-AF”. Mid 2026 this lineup consists of 6 lenses, 4 of which are rehoused photography lenses. The 20mm T1.9 and this 100mm T2.3 are new designs though. At first sight there do not seem to be any disadvantages to using these lenses for photography – actually their casings look and feel much nicer than Samyang’s other lenses – and there are not a lot of alternatives with similar specifications available, so I decided to have a closer look at this Samyang 100mm T2.3 V-AF.