All posts by Martin

Martin M.H. lives outside Stockholm, Sweden. He is a M.Sc. in Computer Technology but he has been a passionate photographer for over 50 years. He started his photographic adventures when he was thirteen with an Agfamatic pocket camera, which he soon replaced with a Canon rangefinder camera that his mom gave him in his teenages. After that he has been using Canon SLR, Nikon SLR manual focus and Autofocus, Sony mirrorless crop sensor, Nikon DSLR and Nikon Mirrorless. He has photographed any genre he could throughout the years and you can see all kind of images in his portfolio. During the later years though it has been mostly landscape, nature, travel and some street/documentary photography.

REVIEW: Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro (APS-C)

Introduction

Viltrox has been on a roll lately, releasing new lenses at a rapid pace. One of their latest additions is the APS-C 56mm f/1.2 Pro, equivalent to an 85mm on full-frame—a classic and highly popular focal length for portrait photography. As the name suggests, this lens belongs to the Pro series, following the earlier 75mm f/1.2 and 27mm f/1.2 models. Both of those lenses delivered excellent performance on APS-C cameras, so I’m eager to see how this new release stacks up.

camera-icon2I tested the X mount version of this lens on a Fujifilm X-S10.
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Fujifilm X-S10 | Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro | f/1.2
Fujifilm X-S10 | Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro | f/1.2
Fujifilm X-S10 | Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro | f/1.2
Fujifilm X-S10 | Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro | f/1.2
Fujifilm X-S10 | Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro | f/1.2

Continue reading REVIEW: Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro (APS-C)

REVIEW: Viltrox Spark Z3 Flash

Introduction

Viltrox previously released the retro-styled manual flash Z1. Now they’ve followed up with a new flash that operates in both Manual and Auto (TTL) modes.

As I haven’t had enough time with the flash to make a full review, I’ve put together a preview with a handling section here. Later on, I’ll test the flash in the field and complete the review with my experience and sample images.

camera-icon2I tested these falshes on a Nikon Zf  and a Nikon Zfc.
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Viltrox Spark Z3 flash | TTL | 60mm | f/16
Viltrox Spark Z3 flash | 35mm | f/2.8
Viltrox Spark Z3 flash | 35mm | f/16
Viltrox Spark Z3 flash | 35mm | f/1.8
Viltrox Spark Z3 flash | 60mm | f/16

Continue reading REVIEW: Viltrox Spark Z3 Flash

REVIEW: Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 Air (APS-C)

Introduction

On the same day that Viltrox introduced the AF 14mm f/4, an affordable autofocus ultra-wide-angle lens for full-frame cameras, they also announced a 9mm f/2.8 autofocus lens for APS-C cameras — the widest AF prime lens for crop sensors and another addition to their compact, lightweight Air series.

camera-icon2I tested this lens on a Nikon Zfc via a Megadap adapter (Sample images were taken with a Sony a6700)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f2.8
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f2.8
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f6.3
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f3.5
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f2.8

Continue reading REVIEW: Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 Air (APS-C)

REVIEW: LOMOGRAPHY Petzval 55mm F/1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II Art Lens

Lomography New Petzval Mark II 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control

Introduction

Inspired by a 19th-century design with a cult following, Lomography has brought the spirit of Joseph Petzval’s optics into the mirrorless era. Over the years, Lomography has released several lenses based on Joseph Petzval’s original 1840s optical designs. The Lomography Petzval 55mm f/1.7 Bokeh Control MKII is the company’s first Art Lens built specifically for full-frame mirrorless cameras. It’s a reimagining of the original design, aiming to replicate the aesthetic qualities of those early lenses: a sharp centre and wild, swirling bokeh that makes any merry-go-round effect fade in comparison.

I’ve reviewed other lenses that produce a somewhat similar effect — such as the Helios 40, Helios 44, and TTArtisan’s remake of the Carl Zeiss Biotar 75/1.5 — but in terms of effect, those are more like corrected versions of this lens, taming the aberrations that create its distinctive bokeh.

While I usually follow a standard testing procedure, you’ll see that there’s little point in doing so with this lens. After all, it’s not sharpness charts or corner performance that matter here—this is a lens about feel, character, and swirly chaos. So, this will be part review, part test—let’s dive in!

camera-icon2I tested this lens on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf )
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/1.7 | BC7
Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/2
Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/1.7 | BC7
Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/1.7 | BC7
Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/1.7

Continue reading REVIEW: LOMOGRAPHY Petzval 55mm F/1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II Art Lens

Review: Pergear CFexpress Typ B 512GB

Introduction

Pergear entered the memory card market later than many of the bigger players, but in 2022 and 2023 they launched high-spec CFexpress Type B and Type A cards at far more budget-friendly prices. They’re quickly carving out a place for themselves alongside more established brands.

When they asked if I wanted to test their newest card, I agreed—mainly because I wanted to see how it stacks up against the cards I already use in my cameras. Let’s take a closer look.

camera-icon2I tested this card on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!

Continue reading Review: Pergear CFexpress Typ B 512GB