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.
photography, The creative process

How to: Create Environmental Portraits

26 Comments

Introduction

laowa 35mm 0.95 worlds fastest lens review bokeh 42mp 61mp laowa venus optics venuslens fullframe contrast resolution bokeh optical vignetting fall off
Sony A7III | Laowa 35mm 0.95 | f/0.95

With lenses like the Sony FE 24mm 1.4 GM, Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN, Laowa 35mm 0.95 Argus and the Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM in the E-mount lens lineup and the ongoing Instragram hype it might be a good time to talk a bit about environmental portraits.
What is an environmental portrait and what is the difference compared to a normal portrait? Which lenses work best? Which mistakes I made in the past but you can already avoid today?
These are the questions I will try to answer in this article.

Continue reading How to: Create Environmental Portraits →

7Artisans, Review, Sony E-mount

Review: 7Artisans 9mm 5.6

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Introduction

7artisans 9mm 5.6 fullframe widest lens rectilinear contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9
7Artisans 9mm 5.6 on Sony A7rII

While the Laowa 9mm 5.6 FF-RL is one of my favorite lenses, I am very well aware that a 9mm fullframe lens is not for everyone and most certainly a niché lens, which is why I was very much surprised to see 7Artisans offering their own 9mm 5.6 lens. Who makes the better 9mm 5.6? Let us try to find out in this review!

The optical and most of the mechanical construction of this 7Artisans 9mm 5.6 lens is identical to the Brightin Star 9mm 5.6, which features an additional rear filter thread, so be sure to check out its review as well.

Sample Images

7artisans 9mm 5.6 fullframe widest lens rectilinear contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 9mm 5.6 | f/8.0
7artisans 9mm 5.6 fullframe widest lens rectilinear contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 9mm 5.6 | f/11
7artisans 9mm 5.6 fullframe widest lens rectilinear contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 9mm 5.6 | f/8.0
7artisans 9mm 5.6 fullframe widest lens rectilinear contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 9mm 5.6 | f/8.0
7artisans 9mm 5.6 fullframe widest lens rectilinear contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 9mm 5.6 | f/8.0

Continue reading Review: 7Artisans 9mm 5.6 →

Analogue, Leica, Leica M, MS-Optics, Voigtlander

Analogue Adventures – Part 26: Kodak Portra 800 ECN-2

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kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om
Kodak Portra 800

In 2023 Kodak Portra 800 is the fastest (or rather most sensitive) color negative film that is still in production. Ever since using that awful Cinestill 800T I was curious what results from a real ISO 800 color film will look like, so here we are.
Exposed as ISO400. Processing (ECN-2) and scanning was done at Silbersalz35 in Germany.

kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om
Leica M6 | MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia | f/11 | Portra 800 ECN-2
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om
Leica M6 | MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia | f/11 | Portra 800 ECN-2
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om
Leica M6 | MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia | f/11 | Portra 800 ECN-2
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om
Leica M6 | Laowa 15mm 2.0 | f/2.0 | Portra 800 ECN-2
kodak portra 800 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om
Leica M6 | Voigtländer VM 40mm 1.4 MC | f/1.4 | Portra 800 ECN-2

Continue reading Analogue Adventures – Part 26: Kodak Portra 800 ECN-2 →

Leica M, Minolta, MS-Optics, Review

Review: Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 Rokkor-QF

12 Comments

Introduction

review minolta ltm m39 leica 40mm 1.7 hi-matic e miyazaki sadayasu modified lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignetting
Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 Rokkor-QF on Leica M10

In 1971 – two years before the Leitz/Minolta CL with its 40mm 2.0 lens – Minolta released the Hi-Matic E, a compact fixed lens 35mm rangefinder camera with a 40mm 1.7 Rokkor-QF lens.
While this lens is manual focus its aperture is being controlled electronically, which is why it is very difficult to turn it into an interchangeable lens that can be used on other cameras.
There might be only one person crazy enough to salvage the lens elements from such a Hi-Matic E camera, design a new housing for them and adding a manually controlled aperture diaphragm and that is Miyazaki Sadayasu from MS-Optics.
I came across one of these rare lenses in a small camera shop in Hong Kong and as this was a bit of a “once in a lifetime opportunity” I bought it without really knowing what I am getting myself into, so here we are.
This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.

Sample Images

review minolta ltm m39 leica 40mm 1.7 hi-matic e miyazaki sadayasu modified lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 | f/1.7
review minolta ltm m39 leica 40mm 1.7 hi-matic e miyazaki sadayasu modified lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 | f/1.7
Leica M10 | Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 | f/5.6
review minolta ltm m39 leica 40mm 1.7 hi-matic e miyazaki sadayasu modified lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 | f/1.7
review minolta ltm m39 leica 40mm 1.7 hi-matic e miyazaki sadayasu modified lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 | f/1.7
review minolta ltm m39 leica 40mm 1.7 hi-matic e miyazaki sadayasu modified lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignetting
Minolta CLE | Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 | f/1.7 | 500T
review minolta ltm m39 leica 40mm 1.7 hi-matic e miyazaki sadayasu modified lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 | f/1.7

Continue reading Review: Minolta/MS-Optics 40mm 1.7 Rokkor-QF →

Leica M, Review, Voigtlander

Review: Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron

10 Comments

Introduction

voigtländer 75mm 1.9 ultron leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution 0.5 m portrait bokeh
Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron on Leica M10

The Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.5 Nokton was and still is one of the most compelling M-mount portrait lenses for me and an epitome of what Cosina is capable of when it comes to creating very fast yet lightweight lens constructions.
Therefore it was a great surprise for me when only 4 years later Cosina released this slightly slower and only slightly lighter Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron. Which one is the better lens for you? Let’s find out in this review!
This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.
Update: because of a bug it was not possible to post comments for this post, this has been fixed.

Sample Images

voigtländer 75mm 1.9 ultron leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution 0.5 m portrait bokeh
Sony A7III | Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron | LM-EA9 | f/1.9
voigtländer 75mm 1.9 ultron leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution 0.5 m portrait bokeh
Sony A7III | Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron | LM-EA9 | f/1.9
voigtländer 75mm 1.9 ultron leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution 0.5 m portrait bokeh
Sony A7III | Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron | LM-EA9 | f/1.9
voigtländer 75mm 1.9 ultron leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution 0.5 m portrait bokeh
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron | f/1.9
voigtländer 75mm 1.9 ultron leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution 0.5 m portrait bokeh
Sony A7rII UT | Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron | f/1.9
 
voigtländer 75mm 1.9 ultron leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution 0.5 m portrait bokeh
Sony A7III | Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron | LM-EA9 | f/2.8

Continue reading Review: Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron →