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

Review: Nikon AF-S 58mm 1.4G – Better than its reputation?

35 Comments

Introduction

nikon af-s 58mm 1.4g n nano high resolution bokeh portrait sony a7rII a7rIII a7rIV sharpness resolution lateral ca chromatic aberration aberrations zf z6 z6iii z8 z9 z7 z7ii z6ii
Nikon AF-S 58mm 1.4G via FTZ II on Nikon Zf

The Nikon AF-S 58mm 1.4G is a lens disregarded by many for its high price and subpar test results, yet some love it for its rendering qualities and claim it is the best lens in this focal length range for portraiture. Therefore I have always been intrigued by this lens and thanks to a reader I now got the chance to have a closer look at it and present you this review to find out if it is actually better than its reputation.
Update 2024: general update of the whole review
Update 2025: CA section reworked, additional sample pictures added

Sample Images

nikon af-s 58mm 1.4g n nano high resolution bokeh portrait sony a7rII a7rIII a7rIV sharpness resolution lateral ca chromatic aberration aberrations zf z6 z6iii z8 z9 z7 z7ii z6ii
Nikon Zf | FTZ II | Nikon AF-S 58mm 1.4G | f/1.4
nikon af-s 58mm 1.4g n nano high resolution bokeh portrait sony a7rII a7rIII a7rIV sharpness resolution lateral ca chromatic aberration aberrations zf z6 z6iii z8 z9 z7 z7ii z6ii
Nikon Zf | FTZ II | Nikon AF-S 58mm 1.4G | f/1.4
nikon af-s 58mm 1.4g n nano high resolution bokeh portrait sony a7rII a7rIII a7rIV sharpness resolution lateral ca chromatic aberration aberrations
Sony A7III | Nikon AF-S 58mm 1.4 | f/1.4
nikon af-s 58mm 1.4g n nano high resolution bokeh portrait sony a7rII a7rIII a7rIV sharpness resolution lateral ca chromatic aberration aberrations
Sony A7III | Nikon AF-S 58mm 1.4 | f/1.4

Continue reading Review: Nikon AF-S 58mm 1.4G – Better than its reputation? →

7Artisans, Leica M, Review

Review: 7Artisans 75mm 1.25

55 Comments

Introduction

7artisans 75mm 1.25 noctilux leica sony review 42mp sharpness resolution contrast a7riii a7rii a7riv a7iii 24mp 61mp ttartisan ttartisans coma astro astrophotography milkyway point light sources
7Artisans 75mm 1.25 via Metabones adapter on Sony A7rII

The 7Artisans 28mm 1.4 FE+ is a surprisingly well rounded prime for a very reasonable price. Now 7Artisans released an even faster 75mm f/1.25 lens. But is it as good as the 28mm lens? Read on to find out.

Sample Images

7artisans 75mm 1.25 noctilux leica sony review 42mp sharpness resolution contrast a7riii a7rii a7riv a7iii 24mp 61mp ttartisan ttartisans bokeh rendering out of focus oof smooth
Sony A7rII | 7Artisans 75mm 1.25 | f/1.25
7artisans 75mm 1.25 noctilux leica sony review 42mp sharpness resolution contrast a7riii a7rii a7riv a7iii 24mp 61mp ttartisan ttartisans bokeh rendering out of focus oof smooth
Sony A7rII | 7Artisans 75mm 1.25 | f/1.25
7artisans 75mm 1.25 noctilux leica sony review 42mp sharpness resolution contrast a7riii a7rii a7riv a7iii 24mp 61mp ttartisan ttartisans bokeh rendering out of focus oof smooth
Sony A7rII | 7Artisans 75mm 1.25 | f/1.25

Continue reading Review: 7Artisans 75mm 1.25 →

lenses, Review, Sigma, Sony E-mount

Review: Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art

35 Comments

Introduction

sigma 40mm 1.4 art dg sharpness resolution contrast high 42mp a7rii a7riii bokeh za sony vignetting light fall off falloff
Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art on Sony A7rII

The Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art DG is one of the heaviest non-super-tele prime lenses and on first sight it also looks more like a serious tele lens than a medium wideangle. But is it also as good optically as it is heavy? Let us have a closer look!

Sample Images

sigma 40mm 1.4 art dg sharpness resolution contrast high 42mp a7rii a7riii bokeh za sony vignetting light fall off falloff
Sony A7rII | Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art | f/1.4
sigma 40mm 1.4 art dg sharpness resolution contrast high 42mp a7rii a7riii bokeh za sony vignetting light fall off falloff
Sony A7rII | Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art | f/1.4
sigma 40mm 1.4 art dg sharpness resolution contrast high 42mp a7rii a7riii bokeh za sony vignetting light fall off falloff
Sony A7rII | Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art | f/1.4

Continue reading Review: Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art →

Comparison, lenses, Review, Sigma, Sony E-mount

Comparison: Sigma Art 35mm 1.2, 35mm 1.4 and 40mm 1.4

40 Comments

Introduction

comparison sigma art 35mm 1.2 1.4 40mm hsm dg dn review sharpness contrast bokeh infinity portrait coma
Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN – Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art DG – Sigma 40mm 1.4 DG

Sigma now offers the DSLR designs 35mm 1.4 Art and 40mm 1.4 Art and the newly designed 35mm 1.2 Art for Sony E-mount cameras. Let us find out what the differences between those 3 are and if there is a reason to get one of the bigger, heavier and more expensive lenses.

Continue reading Comparison: Sigma Art 35mm 1.2, 35mm 1.4 and 40mm 1.4 →

camera, Opinion, photography, Review

How good a camera you need? – A closer look at the Huawei Mate 20 Pro

21 Comments

Introduction

huawei mate 20 pro phone photography smartphone small sensor resolution review bokeh computational photography
Huawei Mate 20 Pro | 27mm equivalent | polarizer

Very often we get asked questions like: should I get lens X or lens Y? Out of lens X, Y and Z: which is the best performer? Which 35/50/85mm lens should I buy? Do I need a camera with 42mp? Is the Zeiss Batis 18mm 2.8 or the Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 sharper?
For several reasons we usually cannot answer these questions: rarely we know what you want to use the lens or camera for and often the difference between a good and a bad sample of the same lens is bigger than that between two different lenses.
So, to give you a different perspective, in this article we will look at the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, a smartphone with above-average camera capabilities and see what results can be obtained from this pocketable 200g device.

Sample Images

huawei mate 20 pro phone photography smartphone small sensor resolution review bokeh computational photography
Huawei Mate 20 Pro | 27mm equivalent
huawei mate 20 pro phone photography smartphone small sensor resolution review bokeh computational photography
Huawei Mate 20 Pro | 16mm equivalent
huawei mate 20 pro phone photography smartphone small sensor resolution review bokeh computational photography
Huawei Mate 20 Pro | 80mm equivalent

Continue reading How good a camera you need? – A closer look at the Huawei Mate 20 Pro →