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.

Bokeh Explained

Introduction

ttartisan 50mm 1.4 m m-mount leica m10 sony a7riii a7riv sharpness bokeh resolution contrast review
Leica M10 | TTArtisan 50mm 1.4 | f/1.4

The bokeh quality – or a lens’ rendering for that matter – is probably one of the most discussed and maybe also most important aspects of a (fast) lens. While many people think only the focal length and the maximum aperture are important, there is actually much more to it, as I will try to show you in this article. This knowledge may also aid you in finding the best lens for your specific needs.

Sony A7rII with metabones Leica-M adapter and MS-Optics Aporis 135mm 2.4 bokeh loca
Sony A7rII | MS-Optics Aporis 135mm 2.4 | f/2.4

There are two main things to consider here: bokeh quantity and bokeh quality, which we will both have a look at.

Continue reading Bokeh Explained

Best lenses for Sunstars

sunstar sun sunburst blendenstern diaphragm stroke 10 7 8 14 18
Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 | f/11 | 10 straight blades

The shape and appearance of sunstars is very important for landscape and architecture photographers. For some of them, they are even a defining element in their photos. Sunstars can appear around strong point light sources under certain circumstances, in this article I will talk about how to get them and how certain lenses (being more specific: number and shape of aperture blades) can influence their rendering.
Last update: December 2021

Sample Images

sunstar sun sunburst blendenstern diaphragm stroke 10 7 8 14 18
Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 | f/5.6 | 10 straight blades
sunstar sun sunburst blendenstern diaphragm stroke 10 7 8 14 18
Zeiss Loxia 35mm 2.0 | f/11 | 10 straight blades
sunstar sun sunburst blendenstern diaphragm stroke 10 7 8 14 18
Zeiss ZM 35mm 1.4 Distagon | f/11 | 10 straight blades

Continue reading Best lenses for Sunstars

Review: Laowa 85mm 5.6 2:1 Macro

Introduction

laowa 85mm 5.6 2:1 ff ii macro twice life size makro mirko 42mp 61mp resolution bokeh sharpness contrast
Laowa 85mm 5.6 Macro on Sony A7rII

I have a soft spot for lenses with unique parameters and a compact 85mm macro lens offering a staggering maximum magnification of 2:1 while being only 260g heavy certainly fits the bill. But everything comes at a price and a maximum aperture of f/5.6 does not exactly sound appealing, so let us find out in this review if this ends up being an issue and who this lens is for.

Sample Images

laowa 85mm 5.6 2:1 ff ii macro twice life size makro mirko 42mp 61mp resolution bokeh sharpness contrast
Sony A7III | Laowa 85mm 5.6 Macro | f/5.6
laowa 85mm 5.6 2:1 ff ii macro twice life size makro mirko 42mp 61mp resolution bokeh sharpness contrast
Sony A7III | Laowa 85mm 5.6 Macro | f/5.6
laowa 85mm 5.6 2:1 ff ii macro twice life size makro mirko 42mp 61mp resolution bokeh sharpness contrast
Sony A7III | Laowa 85mm 5.6 Macro | f/11

Continue reading Review: Laowa 85mm 5.6 2:1 Macro

Review: Zhong Yi 90mm 1.5 M

Introduction

zhong yi 90mm 1.5 f/1.5 review test comparison leica m m10 m10r m9 sony a7rii 42mp 24mp contrast bokeh sharpness
Zhong Yi 90mm 1.5 via metabones adapter on Sony A7rII

If you thought there weren’t enough super fast portrait lenses in the M-mount world available 2021 may prove to be an interesting year for you: in addition to TTArtisan’s 90mm f/1.25 there is also a (slightly more reasonable?) 90mm f/1.5 lens by Zhong Yi being released. Let us have a look what this lens has in store for us!
Lens is being tested on 42mp Sony A7rII and 24mp Leica M10
Update November 2022: the price has been reduced to $399

Sample Images

zhong yi 90mm 1.5 f/1.5 review test comparison leica m m10 m10r m9 sony a7rii 42mp 24mp contrast bokeh sharpness coma milky way astigmatism
Leica M10 | Zhong Yi 90mm 1.5 | f/1.5
zhong yi 90mm 1.5 f/1.5 review test comparison leica m m10 m10r m9 sony a7rii 42mp 24mp contrast bokeh sharpness coma milky way astigmatism
Leica M10 | Zhong Yi 90mm 1.5 | f/1.5
zhong yi 90mm 1.5 f/1.5 review test comparison leica m m10 m10r m9 sony a7rii 42mp 24mp contrast bokeh sharpness coma milky way astigmatism
Sony A7rII | Zhong Yi 90mm 1.5 | f/1.5

Continue reading Review: Zhong Yi 90mm 1.5 M