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.

Finding photo opportunities near home

Introduction

Sony A7rII | Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 | f/8.0

I love travel photography, going to exotic places and exploring landscapes and cities different from those I can find back home. But when you travel somewhere far away what you mostly do is checking before what are “the best” spots, hoping for decent weather only to actually end up at a totally overcrowded landmark with lots of other photographers, fighting for a good spot and hoping to not have too many tourists in the picture.

In this article I will try to show some alternatives that might not be as exotic, but can nevertheless be just as enjoyable and in the process might also improve your photography skills more than just “collecting” the shots from other photographers.

Sony A7rII | Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 | f/4.0

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Review: Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP

Introduction

samyang_50mm_1.2_XP_sample_16
Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP via metabones adapter on Sony A7rII

Back in 2018 Samyang – mostly known for cheap manual focus lenses like the 14mm 2.8 and the 85mm 1.4 at that time – wanted to show what they are capable of and released the first lens of their “Premium MF XP Series”, the Samyang 50mm f/1.2 XP. These faster XP lenses are only available for Canon EF mount and it seems they were devoid of any size constraints during development and even come with electronic contacts and electronic diaphragm controlled by the camera.
Despite all this it seems no one bought them though – was it due to bad marketing, lack in optical qualities or simply because of the massive size of these lenses? Let us find out in this review!

Sample Images

samyang 50mm 1.2 xp premium mf canon ef sony a7r 42mp review sharpness bokeh coma vignetting contrast
Sony A7rII | Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP | f/1.2
samyang 50mm 1.2 xp premium mf canon ef sony a7r 42mp review sharpness bokeh coma vignetting contrast
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP | f/1.2
samyang 50mm 1.2 xp premium mf canon ef sony a7r 42mp review sharpness bokeh coma vignetting contrast
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP | f/1.4

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Review: Zhong Yi 50mm 0.95 M

Introduction

zhong yi mitakon 50mm 0.95 m-mount leica m10 sony a7riii a7riv sharpness bokeh resolution contrast review
Zhong Yi 50mm 0.95 M via metabones adapter on Sony A7rII

After the TTArtisan 50mm 0.95 we got another unexpected 50mm 0.95 M-mount contender in 2020, this time from Zhong Yi, who already have some experience with making 50mm 0.95 lenses for other systems.
Let us try to found out who offers the better affordable f/0.95 for M-mount!
This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.

This lens is also part of my Comparison of 6 Super Fast 50mm M-mount Lenses together with the Leica 50mm 0.95 Noctilux-M, the Voigtländer VM 50mm 1.0 Nokton, MS-Optics 50mm 1.0 ISM, Mr. Ding 50mm 1.1 and Voigtänder VM 50mm 1.2 Nokton.

Sample Images

zhong yi mitakon 50mm 0.95 m-mount leica m10 sony a7riii a7riv sharpness bokeh resolution contrast review
Sony A7rII | Zhong Yi 50mm 0.95 M | f/0.95
zhong yi mitakon 50mm 0.95 m-mount leica m10 sony a7riii a7riv sharpness bokeh resolution contrast review
Sony A7rII | Zhong Yi 50mm 0.95 M | f/0.95

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Review: NiSi 15mm 4.0 Asph

Introduction

nisi 15mm 4.0 asph uwa review sharpness coma vignetting 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7r2 a7r3

Some time ago NiSi changed its name from NiSi filters to NiSi optics, if you ever wondered why, I can tell you now: because they also wanted to start producing lenses, not only filters.
The first lens aimed at photographers is this NiSi 15mm 4.0 Asph, let us have a look, if it is a viable alternative to the lenses of reknown manufacturers in this segment!

Sample Images

nisi 15mm 4.0 asph uwa review sharpness coma vignetting 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7r2 a7r3
Sony A7RII | NiSi 15mm 4.0 | f/5.6
Sony A7rII | NiSi 15mm 4.0 | f/4.0
Sony A7rII | NiSi 15mm 4.0 | f/8.0

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Review: MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia

Introduction

MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia on Leica M10

Whenever some lens is advertised as “the smallest lens ever made” we usually get to deal with some junky fixed focus and fixed aperture pinhole lens. The MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia is a very different story though, only 45g and less than 6mm in length but with a maximum aperture of f/2.0, a real diaphragm and rangefinder coupled focus mechanism. But there must be compromises, right?
Lens is being tested on 42mp Sony A7rII and 24mp Leica M10
Last update: June 2022

Sample Images

ms-optics ms-optical aporia apora pancake smallest lens world's leica m10 24mp 42mp review sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia | f/2.8
ms-optics ms-optical aporia apora pancake smallest lens world's leica m10 24mp 42mp review sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia | f/16
ms-optics ms-optical aporia apora pancake smallest lens world's leica m10 24mp 42mp review sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia | f/2.0
ms-optics ms-optical aporia apora pancake smallest lens world's leica m10 24mp 42mp review sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia | f/2.0
ms-optics ms-optical aporia apora pancake smallest lens world's leica m10 24mp 42mp review sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia | f/2.0
Leica M10 | MS-Optics 24mm 2.0 Aporia | f/2.0

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