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.

Nikon, Review, Tokina

Review: Tokina 50mm 1.4 Opera

June 23, 2026 BastianK 11 Comments

Introduction

tokina 50mm 1.4 opera nikon canon sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9 — Tokina 50mm 1.4 Opera via FTZ II on Nikon Zf

At the end of the DSLR era in 2018 also Tokina thought it would be a good idea to release a high performance 50mm 1.4 lens to compete with the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art DG HSM and the Zeiss Otus 55mm 1.4. In Tokina’s lineup this Tokina 50mm 1.4 Opera is a bit of a unique offering, as it is the only prime lens carrying the “Opera” tag and we haven’t seen another one after. Is this as amazing a 50mm 1.4 lens Tokina claims it is, or just a relic from the past? Let’s try to find out.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Tokina 50mm 1.4 Opera →

Leica M, Review, Thypoch

Review: Thypoch 28mm 2.8 Eureka Limited Edition

June 20, 2026 BastianK 5 Comments

Introduction

Thypoch 28mm 2.8 Eureka Limited on Leica M10

As the second entry of its lineup of more compact “Eureka” M-mount lenses Thypoch released this 28mm 2.8 in a limited edition run. This is certainly an M-mount lens with a very unique look but it also has a direct competitor: the Funleader x Brightin Star 28mm 2.8 XSlim Pro. So which one is the better compact 28mm lens? Let’s find out in this review.
Lens is being tested on 42mp Sony A7rII and 24mp Leica M10

Sample Images

thypoch eureka 28mm 2.8 compact leica m10 m11 m9 m8 m10r review 42mp 24mp 61mp contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting limited — Leica M10 | Thypoch 28mm 2.8 Eureka Limited | f/2.8

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Analogue, Color Negative

Analogue Adventures – Part 53: Harman Phoenix 200 ECN-2

June 17, 2026 BastianK 3 Comments

This Harman Phoenix 200 is said to be a newly designed colour negative analogue film that hit the market in early 2024. Many people did not expect anyone except for Kodak and Fuji even being able to produce a (new) color negative film, so it created quite the buzz. I already had this film developed in C-41 and I wasn’t too happy with the results, so this time I tried the ECN-2 process.
Processing (ECN-2) and scanning was done at Silbersalz 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 100).

harman phoenix 200 review nikon f analogue film tübingen ecn-2 f80 f100 f5 f6 — Nikon F80 | Harman Phoenix 200 | ECN-2 | Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX | f/5.6

Continue reading Analogue Adventures – Part 53: Harman Phoenix 200 ECN-2 →

Review, Sony, Sony E-mount

Review: Sigma 24mm 2.0 DG DN Contemporary

June 13, 2026 BastianK 11 Comments

Introduction

sigma 24mm 2.0 dg dn c contemporarly e fe l small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii — Sigma 24mm 2.0 DG DN Contemporary on Sony A7rII

With its Contemporary “i” series primes Sigma tries to find the balance between moderaly fast maximum aperture, moderate size and metal casing with external controls. I already reviewed the Sigma 17mm 4.0 DG DN C before, this time I will have a look at the Sigma 24mm 2.0 DG DN C. There is strong competition in this field, so let’s find out who this Sigma lens is for.

Sample Image

Continue reading Review: Sigma 24mm 2.0 DG DN Contemporary →

Nikon, Nikon, Review, Vintage

Review: Nikon 135mm 2.0 AF DC-Nikkor

June 2, 2026 BastianK 13 Comments

Introduction

nikon af af-d 135mm 2.0 defocus control dc ed if sharpness review contrast resolution 42mp 61mp 24mp vignetting coma bokeh build quality flare resistance — Nikon AF 135mm 2.0D DC via Monster LA-FE2 on Sony A7rII

At the beginning of the 1990s Nikon released two special portrait lenses featuring a “Defocus Control” mechanism, which allows you to make the bokeh smoother or harsher. This Nikon AF-D 135mm 2.0 DC is the longer of the two DC lenses and in this review I will tell you how it works and if it is still a useful portrait lens today.