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.

Accessories, Adapters, camera, lenses, Meta, Opinion, Sony E-mount

Adapting Lenses – Still worth it in 2023?

April 5, 2023 BastianK 42 Comments

Introduction

canon ef 200mm 2.0 l is usm sony 42mp high res review 1.8 comparison sharpness bokeh resolution brenizer — Canon EF 200mm 2.0 L IS on Sony A7III via Metabones Smart Adapter

There have always been people adapting lenses to other camera systems, but it was really the release of the Sony A7 that completely changed the game, being the first affordable fullframe mirrorless camera with a short flange focal distance, Liveview and built-in EVF.
This not only made it possible to use long forgotten legacy lenses from decades ago on a modern camera, it also led to some of the most sophisticated adapters we have seen so far.
This was the end of 2014 and since then a lot has changed, so let us see what are the reasons to adapt lenses and in what cases it is still worth it today.

Continue reading Adapting Lenses – Still worth it in 2023? →

Laowa, Review, Sony E-mount

Review: Laowa 28mm 1.2 FFII Argus

March 28, 2023 BastianK 32 Comments

Introduction

laowa 28mm 1.2 review fast super f/0.95 bokeh sharpness contrast a7riv a7riii a7iv a9 a1 resolution coma vignetting review — Laowa 28mm 1.2 FFII Argus on Sony A7rII

Laowa was already responsible for releasing the world’s fastest 35mm lens and now they are back doing the same for the 28mm focal length. This time around it isn’t f/0.95, but f/1.2 at 28mm – in a more compact package. This is just as impressive, especially when most manufacturers seem to have neglected the 28mm focal length altogether. But is it only impressive on paper or does it also deliver in the field? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Laowa 28mm 1.2 FFII Argus →

Analogue, Leica M, MS-Optics, photography

Analogue Adventures – Part 16: Kodak Gold 200 ECN-2 processed

March 23, 2023 BastianK 13 Comments

kodak gold 200 analogue leica m6 contax canon fd olympus om — Kodak Gold 200

Kodak Gold 200 again? Hasn’t there been an article covering this film already? Yes, but the Silbersalz35 guys started offering a new lab service in 2022 for developing some of the popular C-41 still photography films with the more complex ECN-2 process. But is it a good idea? I wanted to find out, I received the scans, so let’s have a look together.
Processing (ECN-2) and scanning was done at Silbersalz35 in Germany.
Update May 2023: more pictures added

hologon leica m contax-g 16mm 8.0 8/16 center filter review sharpness leica m10 m11 sony e-mount adapter conversion sharpness distortion carl zeiss germany — Leica M6 | Hologon 16mm 8.0 | Kodak Gold 200 ECN-2

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 40mm 1.7 | f/8.0 | Gold 200 ECN-2

Voigtländer Cosina 40mm 1.4 1.4/40 mc multi coated sc single comparison review leica m10 m11 m10r sony a7rv a7riv 61mp 42mp 24mp sharpness resolution handling build quality — Minolta CLE | Voigtländer VM 40mm 1.4 MC | f/8.0 | Gold 200 ECN-2

Continue reading Analogue Adventures – Part 16: Kodak Gold 200 ECN-2 processed →

Meta, Opinion, photography, The creative process

Finding photo opportunities near home – Part 2

March 19, 2023 BastianK 14 Comments

Introduction

ttartisan 28mm 5.6 m m-mount pancake review smallest leica contrast sharpness resolution — Leica M10 | TTArtisan 28mm 5.6 | f/5.6

In Part 1 of this series we tried to figure out what things might be interesting to take pictures of where you live, this time I want to talk about collections. A friend of mine was looking for some Stuttgart specific decoration for her walls at home and asked me if I may be able to help out. When going through my archive (read: Lightroom library) I noticed that several of these Stuttgart related pictures can be summarized in categories. It seems I actually started several collections – and subconciously so.
I will show you small collages of these collections I made and I am also curious to find out: what do you collect?

Continue reading Finding photo opportunities near home – Part 2 →

Contax G-Mount, Leica M, Review, Zeiss

Review: Contax-G 16mm 8.0 Hologon

March 12, 2023 BastianK 23 Comments

Introduction

Over the decades some exotic lenses saw the light of day that have a bit of a legendary status now and these also happen to be my favorite lenses to review. One such lens is the Contax-G 16mm 8.0 Hologon, an eccentric ultra wide angle lens still made by Zeiss in Germany, when every other part of the Contax-G system had already been manufactured in Japan. The Hologon sure looks cool, it has a history, but is it also still relevant today? We will try to find that out, see how to change its bayonet for M-mount and I will tell you what cameras it can best be used on.
Lens is being tested on 42mp Sony A7rII and 24mp Leica M10