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 45 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: FotoPro Origin Plus Travel Tripod

Introduction

Do you even need a tripod these days? To be honest, the necessity of tripods has been significantly reduced thanks to highly effective in-body image stabilisation, improved image quality at high ISOs and AI noise reduction, super-wide dynamic range of today’s digital sensors, and in-camera HDR modes.

Despite modern tech making tripods less necessary in some situations, they’re still invaluable in plenty of others. Tripods remain essential for long-exposure and astro photography, staging group photos, and focus stacking, to achieve sharp and crisp landscapes from close foreground to infinity, and especially for macro photography. Other applications where tripods are crucial include architectural photography, when you need to set up your camera with supreme precision, or when taking a series of shots with incremental panning to create panoramas. They also free up your hands for attaching or removing accessories like lens filters and microphones. Furthermore, tripods are indispensable for video work and studio photography.

So, which tripod should you choose?
Many of us know about high-end tripods like Gitzo and RRS, but are we always willing to pay a premium for that level of quality and reputation? And what about newer, lesser-known brands? one of them: the Fotopro Origin Plus Travel Tripod, a model that promises innovation and stability at a competitive price. Let’s have a look!

You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Long exposure on Fotopro Origin Plus tripod
Precise architectural photography in Low light (1/6 s) on Fotopro Origin Plus tripod
Panorama made of multiple exposures on a Fotopro Origin Plus
The original panorama of the previous image
Multiple exposures on a Fotopro Origin Plus tripod
Long exposure on Fotopro Origin Plus tripod

Continue reading REVIEW: FotoPro Origin Plus Travel Tripod

REVIEW: Viltrox AF 25mm f/1.7 Air (APS-C)

Introduction

Nikon Zfc | Viltrox AF 25mm F/1.7 STM ASPH ED IF

About two months ago, Viltrox released a 35mm f/1.7 for APS-C cameras. It seems they’ve been busy, as they’ve now introduced the 25mm f/1.7 in their Air series. Officially named the Viltrox AF 25mm f/1.7 Air STM ASPH IF, it certainly comes with a lot of acronyms to keep track of!

This is an unusual focal length, equivalent to 37.5mm on a full-frame camera—sitting between the classic 35mm and 40mm, both popular choices for everyday and street photography. Let’s take a closer look!

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

Sample Images

Nikon Zfc | Viltrox AF 25mm F/1.7 Air (STM ASPH ED IF) | f/5
Nikon Zfc | Viltrox AF 25mm F/1.7 Air (STM ASPH ED IF) | f/7.1
Nikon Zfc | Viltrox AF 25mm F/1.7 Air (STM ASPH ED IF) | f/4
Nikon Zfc | Viltrox AF 25mm F/1.7 Air (STM ASPH ED IF) | f/1.7
Nikon Zfc | Viltrox AF 25mm F/1.7 Air (STM ASPH ED IF) | f/5
Nikon Zfc | Viltrox AF 25mm F/1.7 Air (STM ASPH ED IF) | f/8

Continue reading REVIEW: Viltrox AF 25mm f/1.7 Air (APS-C)

Review: TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8 ED II (APS-C)

Introduction

It has been about a year since TTArtisan introduced the AF 35mm f/1.8, and now it’s time to release version 2 of that lens. I liked the first version when I reviewed it and enjoyed taking pictures with it. They have tried to improve the lens since last year and therefore we can see a couple of changes, but have they succeeded?

camera-icon2I tested this lens on a 21.5 Mp Nikon Zfc.
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Nikon Zfc | TTArtisan AF 35mm F/1.8 ED II | f/1.8
Nikon Zfc | TTArtisan AF 35mm F/1.8 ED II | f/1.8
Nikon Zfc | TTArtisan AF 35mm F/1.8 ED II | f/2.8
Nikon Zfc | TTArtisan AF 35mm F/1.8 ED II | f/8

Continue reading Review: TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8 ED II (APS-C)

TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye – Ultra Wide for Dramatic Views and Ultra Confined Places

Introduction

TTARTISAN Review test TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye f2 APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fufifilm Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

Fisheye lenses offer the widest field of view among all lenses. A non-circular fisheye provides a 180° diagonal field of view, something no rectilinear lens can remotely achieve (a 14mm lens gives you 114°, a 10mm lens 130°, and a 9mm 135°). Fisheye lenses are especially useful when you want to capture as much as possible in tight, confined spaces or wide, open areas. They also offer a unique and exciting perspective that can be creatively exploited without restrictions.

If used skillfully, fisheye lenses can produce images that look relatively normal in many scenarios, though not all. The TTArtisan 7.5mm is a non-circular fisheye lens designed for APS-C cameras, but it can also be mounted on full-frame cameras, where it produces circular fisheye images (180° both diagonally, horizontally, and vertically). Let’s take a closer look!

camera-icon2I tested the lenses on a 26 Mpx Fujijilm X-S10.
You can see this review as a YouTube video here.
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/8
Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/8
Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/8
Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/8
Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/8
Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/8
Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/8
Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/8
Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/
Fujifilm X-S10 | TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye | f/8

Continue reading TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 Pro Fisheye – Ultra Wide for Dramatic Views and Ultra Confined Places

Comparison: Which 85mm f1.8? Nikon Z or Sony FE? Or Maybe Viltrox, or TTArtisan?

Introduction

If you’re looking for an affordable short telephoto and portrait lens, an 85mm f/1.8 lens is an excellent choice. But which one should you pick—Nikon, Sony, or perhaps the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8? While all three lenses share the 85mm focal length, we’ll also consider the TTArtisan 75mm f/2, which is close enough to serve as a potential alternative. Let’s compare these lenses side by side to help you decide which one is the best fit for your needs.

camera-icon2I tested the lenses on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf , Nikon Z6, and Sony A7 III)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

NIKKOR Z 85/1.8 S
Nikon Zf | Nikkor Z 85/1.8 S | f/2
SONY
Nikon A7 III | Sony FE 85/1.8 | f/1.8
Viltrox 85/1.8 II
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 85/1.8 II | f/1.8
TTArtisan AF 75/2
Nikon Zf | TTArtisan AF 75/2 | f/2
NIKKOR Z 85/1.8 S
Nikon Zf | Nikkor Z 85/1.8 S | f/1.8
SONY
Sony A7 III | Sony FE 85/1.8 | f/1.8

Continue reading Comparison: Which 85mm f1.8? Nikon Z or Sony FE? Or Maybe Viltrox, or TTArtisan?