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, Viltrox

Review: Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE EVO Apo

April 26, 2026 BastianK 21 Comments

Introduction

viltrox 35mm 1.8 evo apo fe af bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9 — Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE Evo on Sony A7rII

Not that long ago we reviewed the Viltrox AF 85mm 2.0 Evo – the first lens of the Evo series – and it turned out to be a very compelling lens; correcting most optical aberrations very well in a compact, affordable package. It didn’t take long for Viltrox to extend the lineup, so here is the Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 Evo and this time Viltrox even added an “Apo” tag, hinting at even better optical performance. Did they design the ideal compact autofocussing 35mm lens? Let’s find out in this review.
Update May 4th: new sample pictures added

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE EVO Apo →

Nikon, Review

Review: Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G

April 22, 2026 BastianK 41 Comments

Introduction

nikon af-s 20mm 1.8 g n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9 — Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G via FTZ II on Nikon Zf

One of the first reviews I wrote here was for the Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G in 2016. A lot has happened since: Nikon now has its own mirrorless system, many new ~20mm lenses have been released in the meantime and also my testing methods have improved. A lot of reasons, to have another look at this lens.
Update April 2026: complete rewrite of the review.

Sample Images

Nikon D800 | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/2.8

sony a7s nikon 20mm 1.8g black and white mustek prague — Sony A7s | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/2.8

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Analogue

Analogue Adventures – Part 51: Kodak Pro Image 100 ECN-2

April 15, 2026 BastianK 7 Comments

I already shot Kodak Pro Image 100 and had it developed in the typical C-41 process, this time we see how it turns out when developed in the more complex ECN-2 process.
Processing (ECN-2) and scanning was done at Silbersalz35 in Germany. The pictures in this article are from one roll of film. Per recommendation when having the film ECN-2 developed I shot it at half box speed (ISO 50).

kodak pro image 100 professional review nikon f analogue film Leica M6 ecn-2 50 — Leica M6 | Kodak Pro Image 100 | ECN-2 | SLRmagic 50mm 0.95 | f/2.0

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Review, Sony, Sony E-mount

Review: Sony FE 50mm 1.4 GM

April 11, 2026 BastianK 26 Comments

Introduction

sony fe 50mm 1.4 gm gmaster g fullframe fastest lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a7v a9ii a1 bokeh portrait — Sony FE 50mm 1.4 GM on Sony A7rII

The Sony FE 50mm 1.4 GM is a lens I surely hadn’t expected when it was released – especially only two years after the Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM hit the market. Some people say this one is better than the half-a-stop faster f/1.2 lens, but is that really the case? Let’s find out in this review!

Sample Images

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Canon EF-Mount, Review, Samyang

Review: Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP

April 1, 2026 BastianK 1 Comment

Introduction

samyang 35mm 1.2 xp premium mf canon ef sony a7r 42mp review sharpness bokeh coma vignetting contrast a7riii a7riv a7rv z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z7ii z6iii — Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP via Sigma MC-11 on Sony A7rII

In 2019 Samyang relesased this Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP. At that time, I honestly didn’t care much about it, because Sigma also released their Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN mirrorless design, which actually offered AF, making it a more sensible choice. This Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP is one of only two fullframe 35mm 1.2 lenses for EF-mount (or any (D)SLR mount actually) though, reason enough to have a closer look at it.