Category Archives: camera

Review: Fujifilm X100VI – The Hype Camera

Introduction

fuji x100vi fujifilm fujicolor eterna acros velvia compact rangefinder digital 40mp 24mp review contrast resolution sharpness bokeh image quality leica q rx1 sony q2 q3
Fujifilm X100VI

The original Fujifilm X100 hit the market in 2010 and it was an instant success for Fuji. It laid the groundwork for Fuji’s complete APS-C “X” camera system and it remains so popular that they keep updating it every few years, so in 2024 already this 6th generation had been released. Thanks to an internet hype this camera series became so popular, that at some point the prices of used ones were higher than their original prices. Is all that hype justified? Time to find out.

Sample Pictures

fuji x100vi fujifilm fujicolor eterna acros velvia compact rangefinder digital 40mp 24mp review contrast resolution sharpness bokeh image quality leica q rx1 sony q2 q3
Fujifilm X100VI | f/2.0
fuji x100vi fujifilm fujicolor eterna acros velvia compact rangefinder digital 40mp 24mp review contrast resolution sharpness bokeh image quality leica q rx1 sony q2 q3
Fujifilm X100VI | f/2.0
fuji x100vi fujifilm fujicolor eterna acros velvia compact rangefinder digital 40mp 24mp review contrast resolution sharpness bokeh image quality leica q rx1 sony q2 q3
Fujifilm X100VI | f/2.0
fuji x100vi fujifilm fujicolor eterna acros velvia compact rangefinder digital 40mp 24mp review contrast resolution sharpness bokeh image quality leica q rx1 sony q2 q3
Fujifilm X100VI | f/2.0
fuji x100vi fujifilm fujicolor eterna acros velvia compact rangefinder digital 40mp 24mp review contrast resolution sharpness bokeh image quality leica q rx1 sony q2 q3
Fujifilm X100VI | f/2.0
fuji x100vi fujifilm fujicolor eterna acros velvia compact rangefinder digital 40mp 24mp review contrast resolution sharpness bokeh image quality leica q rx1 sony q2 q3
Fujifilm X100VI | f/5.6

Continue reading Review: Fujifilm X100VI – The Hype Camera

Guide to best Sony E-Mount 35mm Lenses for A7/A9/A1 series

review sharpness 42mp high resolution sample test vergleich comparison bokeh handling build quality a7riii autofocus af close macro

35mm is a very popular focal length with a wide range of applications ranging from landscape over astrophotography to environmental portraiture and many consider it the best choice when only using one prime lens. We decided to summarize our experience with all the native E-mount and a few legacy 35mm lenses for the Sony A7 series to give you a compact and independent resource for choosing the best 35mm lens for your needs.

We also have a general guide to FE-lenses, 9-18mm ultra wide angle lenses, guide to 20-28mm wide angle lenses50mm lenses, 85-200mm portrait lenses and macro lenses.

Unlike most other review sites we have no association with any lens manufacturer apart from occasionally loaning a lens for a review. We prefer independence over fancy trips and nice meals.

Before any short introduction we tell you how long we have used a lens and if we have borrowed it from a manufacturer. But in most cases we have bought the lenses new from retail stores or on the used market. If you want to support our independent reviews please consider using one of the affiliate links. It doesn’t cost you anything and helps us a lot.

If we have left any question unanswered please leave a comment or contact us on social media and we will do our best to answer it.

Last update: March 2025, cleaned up a bit

Continue reading Guide to best Sony E-Mount 35mm Lenses for A7/A9/A1 series

Review: Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM MK II – A worthy Update?

Introduction

sony fe 85mm 1.4 gm mk ii 2 mark bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM II on Sony A7rIi

The Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM is my favorite portrait lens out of the almost 300 lenses I have used so far. Being one of the first GM lenses, it features a comparably slow autofocus and some of the recent competitors offer higher contrast and resolution at f/1.4, so Sony decided to update this lens. Does it still have the bokeh qualities of the first generation 85mm 1.4 while making it smaller and sharper? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Images

sony fe 85mm 1.4 gm mk ii 2 mark bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon Zf | Megadap ETZ21Pro | Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM II | f/1.4 | Ai Denoise
sony fe 85mm 1.4 gm mk ii 2 mark bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon Zf | Megadap ETZ21Pro | Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM II | f/1.4 | Ai Denoise
sony fe 85mm 1.4 gm mk ii 2 mark bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM II | f/1.4
sony fe 85mm 1.4 gm mk ii 2 mark bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon Zf | Megadap ETZ21Pro | Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM II | f/1.4
sony fe 85mm 1.4 gm mk ii 2 mark bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon Zf | Megadap ETZ21Pro | Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM II | f/1.4
sony fe 85mm 1.4 gm mk ii 2 mark bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon Zf | Megadap ETZ21Pro | Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM II | f/1.4 | Ai Denoise

Continue reading Review: Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM MK II – A worthy Update?

Guide to the best 50mm Lenses for full frame Sony E-mount cameras: A7/A9/A1

zhong yi mitakon 50mm 0.95 m-mount leica m10 sony a7riii a7riv sharpness bokeh resolution contrast review
Sony A7rII | Zhong YI 50mm 0.95 M | f/0.95

The 50mm lens is what used to be called a “standard” lens, though perhaps a very slightly shorter focal length gives the absolutely most natural perspective. For some of us here at Phillipreeve.net it’s a length we adore, and have more 50s than any other focal length. Others of us are less keen, finding it usually too short or too long. Obviously there is no right answer here, it depends on how each photographer sees the world.

We also have a general guide to FE-lenses, 9-18mm ultra wide angle lenses, guide to 20-28mm wide angle lenses, 35mm lenses, 85-200mm portrait lenses and macro lenses.

But it is a very versatile focal length with a wide range of applications. It can be used for slightly formal portraits, moderately environmental portraits, landscape, architecture – most things except wildlife or sport. You can also, with a little quality loss, crop down to a more formal portrait angle of view, and you can – with a gain in both quality and hassle – stitch frames to get wider angles of view for certain kinds of landscape.

In this article we summarize our experience with all the native E-mount 50mm lenses to give you a independent resource in one place for choosing the best 50 mm lens for your needs. We will cover AF E-mount, MF E-mount with electronic contacts, and lenses with the E-mount but no contacts.

Unlike most other review sites we have no association with any lens manufacturer apart from occasionally borrowing a lens for a review. We prefer independence over fancy trips and nice meals.

Before discussing each lens, we tell you which of us had or has the lens, and whether it was purchased or borrowed for review. In most cases we have bought the lenses new from retail stores or on the used market. 

If we have left any question unanswered please leave a comment or contact us on social media and we will do our best to answer it.

If you purchase the lens through one of the affiliate-links in this article we get a small compensation with no additional cost to you.

Last update: March 2025, Sigma 50mm 1.2 and Sony 50mm 1.4 GM added, Sony 50 1.2 GM, 50mm 2.5 G and Sigma 50mm 2.0 DG DN updated, cleaned up

Continue reading Guide to the best 50mm Lenses for full frame Sony E-mount cameras: A7/A9/A1

Review: Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G

Introduction

fe 50mm 2.5g 2.5 g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G on Sony A7rII

In early 2021 Sony released three compact fullframe E-mount lenses and this Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G is the longest of those. While many of the competitors often cut corners with their compact lenses when it comes to build quality, feature set and sometimes also optical quality, Sony decided to go for a different approach here, offering more, but also at a higher price point. Did that pay off? And is there a market for a comparably slow 50mm prime? Let’s find out in this review!

Sample Images

fe 50mm 2.5g 2.5 g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G | f/2.5
fe 50mm 2.5g 2.5 g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G | f/8.0
fe 50mm 2.5g 2.5 g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G | f/2.5
fe 50mm 2.5g 2.5 g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G | f/2.5
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G | f/2.5

Continue reading Review: Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G