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 VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar

May 25, 2025 BastianK 11 Comments

Introduction

voigtländer 40mm 2.8 heliar leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution cosina — Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar on Leica M10

As only the Leica/Minolta CL and the Minolta CLE feature 40mm framelines, 40mm has never become one of the most popular focal lengths in the M-mount world and the only manufacturer that caters the needs of the 40mm fans these days is Cosina, offering no less than three different 40mm options. The smallest (and slowest) of the three is the Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar. Let’s have a closer look.
This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar →

Review, Sirui, Sony E-mount

Review: Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora

May 17, 2025 BastianK 18 Comments

Introduction

sirui 85mm 1.4 aurora fe af gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9 — Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora on Sony A7rII

Released at the end of 2024, this Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora was Sirui’s first non-cine fullframe lens aimed at photographers. It is one of the most affordable and compact 85mm 1.4 lenses, but is that enough to pick it over the strong competition? Let’s try to find out in this review!
Update June 2025: Comparison to Viltrox AF 85mm 1.4 FE Pro added

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora →

Site Update: Gallery

May 13, 2025 BastianK 9 Comments

The header bar has a new category called “Gallery”, you can also go there directly here.

This is for those of you that are mainly here for the pictures and less so for the lenses. I am starting with 9 different galleries and before extending those, I first want to see what the feedback looks like.

So drop a message in the comment section, especially if you encounter any kind of issues.

Canon, Canon EF-Mount, Review

Review: Canon TS-E 135mm 4.0L Macro

May 7, 2025 BastianK 5 Comments

Introduction

61mp 42mp high res resolution canon tilt shift ts-e pc-e perspective control TS T/S sony adapter 135mm 4.0 l macro review resolution contrast bokeh makro — Canon TS-E 135mm 4.0L Macro via megadap adapter on Nikon Zf

At the end of the DSLR/EF-mount era Canon released a bunch of newly designed extremely high quality TS-E lenses. This Canon TS-E 135mm 4.0L Macro is one of them. It is also Canon’s longest Tilt/Shift lens so far. Is this the dream lens for product photography? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Canon TS-E 135mm 4.0L Macro →

camera, Review

Review: Fujifilm X100VI – The Hype Camera

May 3, 2025 BastianK 44 Comments

Introduction

fuji x100vi fujifilm fujicolor eterna acros velvia compact rangefinder digital 40mp 24mp review contrast resolution sharpness bokeh image quality leica q rx1 sony q2 q3 — Fujifilm X100VI

The original Fujifilm X100 hit the market in 2010 and it was an instant success for Fuji. It laid the groundwork for Fuji’s complete APS-C “X” camera system and it remains so popular that they keep updating it every few years, so in 2024 already this 6th generation had been released. Thanks to an internet hype this camera series became so popular, that at some point the prices of used ones were higher than their original prices. Is all that hype justified? Time to find out.