Category Archives: camera

Review: Mr. Ding Optics 50mm 1.2 Noxlux Z

November 23, 2025 BastianK 22 Comments

Introduction

mr. ding optics studio 50mm 1.2 nikon z review m10 42mp 24mp sony a7rii contrast resolution bokeh coma noxlux — Mr. Ding 50mm 1.2 Z on Nikon Zf

The Mr. Ding Studio 50mm 1.1 Noxlux M has sadly been out of stock for quite some time, but in the meantime the manufacturer updated its design and the lens is now available as this Mr. Ding 50mm 1.2 Noxlux Z for Z-mount – with electronic contacts, still something rare to see among the manual focus lenses from China. Let’s have a look together.

This lens is in many aspects identical to the Mr. Ding 50mm 1.1 M and Syoptic 50mm 1.1, so I will reuse a few sections of my reviews of those lenses.

Sample Images

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7Artisans, lenses, Nikon Z, Review

REVIEW: 7Artisans AF 35mm f/1.8

October 15, 2025 Martin 5 Comments

Introduction

The 7Artisans AF 35mm f/1.8 full-frame lens for E-mount was released on September 4th, and now the company has added L- and Z-mount versions. It follows their earlier 24mm f/1.8 full-frame lens, which was well received by photographers. At a launch price of $299, this new 35mm sits on the budget-friendly side of the lineup, and if it performs as well as its 24mm sibling, it should offer great value for money. Let’s check it out!

camera-icon2 I 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 | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F/1.8 | f/4

Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F/1.8 | f/1.8

Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F/1.8 | f/4.5

Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F/1.8 | f/8

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camera, Review

Review: Fujifilm X100VI – The Hype Camera

May 3, 2025 BastianK 43 Comments

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

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Guides, Sony Alpha 7

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

Video March 8, 2025 The Team 109 Comments

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 lenses, 50mm 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, Sony Alpha, Sony E-mount

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

February 16, 2025 BastianK 29 Comments

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.