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.

Leica M, Review, Voigtlander

Review: Voigtländer 28mm 1.9 Ultron

October 19, 2024 BastianK 9 Comments

Introduction

voigtländer 28mm 1.9 ultron leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution m39 ltm thread mount — Voigtländer 28mm 1.9 Ultron on Leica M10

The Voigtländer 28mm 1.9 Ultron was Cosina’s first fast 28mm lens when released in 2001 and it should still be the fastest 28mm lens for M39/LTM to this day – not that the difference between f/1.9 and f/2.0 is relevant in any way.
In the meantime there have been two successors (that I already reviewed) and I am really curious, to find out now, how it all started. Let’s have a closer look at this 28mm lens with its odd f/1.9 maximum aperture.
This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Voigtländer 28mm 1.9 Ultron →

Review, Sony, Sony E-mount

Review: Sony FE 20-70mm 4.0 G

October 12, 2024 BastianK 18 Comments

Introduction

fe 20-70mm 20-70 4.0 g 4.0g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma — Sony FE 20-70mm 4.0 G on Sony A7rII

One thing is for sure: the move to fullframe mirrorless led to the boundaries of lens design being pushed further and this Sony FE 20-70mm 4.0 G is a good example of that, as there has never been a zoom with this range before. As a do-it-all travel lens this range is way more appealing to me than those variable aperture 28-200mm or 24-240mm super zooms. But to realize a lens with these parameters, surely some compromises had to be made. Let’s find out about them in this review.

Sample Images

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Nikon, Nikon, Review

Review: Nikon AF-S 105mm 1.4 E

October 5, 2024 BastianK 9 Comments

Introduction

nikon af af-s 105mm 1.4 1.4E N nano ed if sharpness review contrast resolution 42mp 61mp 24mp vignetting coma bokeh build quality flare resistance — Nikon AF-S 105mm 1.4E via adapter on Sony A7rII

The Nikon AF-S 105mm 1.4E was one of Nikon’s last fast primes designed for the F-mount. And when it was released, I felt like it is supposed to be the replacement for an 85mm 1.2 lens Nikon users never got. Is this the best portrait tele lens ever made for the F-mount? Let’s try to find out.

Sample Images

nikon af-s 105mm 1.4 e n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9 — Sony A7III | Nikon AF-S 105mm 1.4E | Monster LA-FE2 | f/1.4

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Analogue, Nikon, Sigma

Analogue Adventures – Part 35: Kodak Eastman Double-X 200

October 2, 2024 BastianK 21 Comments

The nice thing about this series: sometimes very unexpected things happen. A friend from Hong Kong sent me a roll of Eastman Double-X 200 black and white film. The regular readers already know I am not a huge fan of black and white film, but they also know I could never resist using a film I haven’t used before, so here we are. This did not end how I expected it to though.
Processing and scanning was done at urbanfilmlab in Germany, the pictures in this article are from one roll of film.

kodak eastman double x dx 200 expired black white bw sw schwarz weiss weiß nikon f80 sigma — Nikon F80 | Eastman Double-X | Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX | f/1.4

Continue reading Analogue Adventures – Part 35: Kodak Eastman Double-X 200 →

Review, Sony E-mount, Viltrox

Review: Viltrox 28mm 4.5 AF Pancake

September 26, 2024 BastianK 35 Comments

Introduction

viltrox af 28mm 4.5 fe pancake review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii — Viltrox AF 28mm 4.5 FE on Sony A7rII

We didn’t see many pancake lenses for Sony’s fullframe E-mount cameras that actually deserve that title and when it comes to those featuring auto focus it starts to look really dire. Viltrox comes to rescue by offering this Viltrox AF 28mm 4.5 FE Pancake lens with the nickname “Chip”. As is always the case with such small lenses, there are some quirks to be aware of, so let me walk you through them.