Category Archives: Sony Alpha

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?

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

Review: Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G

Introduction

fe 24-50mm 24-50 2.8 g 2.8g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G on Sony A7rII

When it comes to standard zoom lenses, Sony offers a lot of interesting options. For those most interested in a wide zoom range the Sony FE 20-70mm 4.0 G might be the most appealing option, but if f/4.0 doesn’t cut it and the 24-70mm 2.8 GM lenses are too big and/or too expensive, Sony also has a solution: this Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G. Can its optical performance keep up with the GM zooms? Let’s find out in this review!

Sample Images

fe 24-50mm 24-50 2.8 g 2.8g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G | 50mm | f/2.8 | polarizer
fe 24-50mm 24-50 2.8 g 2.8g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G | 24mm | f/8.0 | polarizer
fe 24-50mm 24-50 2.8 g 2.8g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G | 24mm | f/8.0
fe 24-50mm 24-50 2.8 g 2.8g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G | 35mm | f/2.8
fe 24-50mm 24-50 2.8 g 2.8g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G | 24mm | f/8.0
fe 24-50mm 24-50 2.8 g 2.8g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma
Sony A7III | Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G | 50mm | f/2.8

Continue reading Review: Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G

Review: Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF – The Beginning of a New Era

Introduction

laowa 10mm 2.8 II fe C&D dreamer zero-D autofocus auto focus AF venus optics review architecture 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7rv sharpness contrast vignetting flare
Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF on Sony A7rII

2024 is a special year for Laowa, as it marks the company’s 10th anniversary. What better way to celebrate this than with a 10mm lens? But wait, Laowa already released a 9mm full frame lens, so what is so special about this 10mm lens? For starters, this lens features a maximum aperture of f/2.8, making it the world’s fastest 10mm lens and also the world’s widest f/2.8 lens. But what might be even more important: this is Laowa’s first AF lens. The beginning of a new era.

Sample Images

laowa 10mm 2.8 II fe C&D dreamer zero-D autofocus auto focus AF venus optics review architecture 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7rv sharpness contrast vignetting flare
Sony A7III | Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF | f/4.0
laowa 10mm 2.8 II fe C&D dreamer zero-D autofocus auto focus AF venus optics review architecture 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7rv sharpness contrast vignetting flare
Sony A7III | Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF | f/2.8
laowa 10mm 2.8 II fe C&D dreamer zero-D autofocus auto focus AF venus optics review architecture 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7rv sharpness contrast vignetting flare
Sony A7III | Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF | f/4.0
laowa 10mm 2.8 II fe C&D dreamer zero-D autofocus auto focus AF venus optics review architecture 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7rv sharpness contrast vignetting flare
Sony A7III | Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF | f/5.6
laowa 10mm 2.8 II fe C&D dreamer zero-D autofocus auto focus AF venus optics review architecture 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7rv sharpness contrast vignetting flare
Sony A7III | Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF | f/4.0
laowa 10mm 2.8 II fe C&D dreamer zero-D autofocus auto focus AF venus optics review architecture 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7rv sharpness contrast vignetting flare
Sony A7III | Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF | f/8.0
laowa 10mm 2.8 II fe C&D dreamer zero-D autofocus auto focus AF venus optics review architecture 42mp 61mp sony a7riv a7rv sharpness contrast vignetting flare
Sony A7III | Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF | f/4.0

Continue reading Review: Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF – The Beginning of a New Era

Review: Viltrox 20mm 2.8 AF FE and Z

Introduction

When looking for an affordable AF lens in the ultra wide angle realm my recommendation so far has usually been the Samyang 18mm 2.8 AF – also due to lack of alternatives. But in October 2023 Viltrox released this compact 20mm 2.8 AF lens and now, in February 2024 they released this super low budget lens in Nikon Z and Fuji X mount too. Not as wide as the Samyang, but noticeably cheaper. Is this my new recommendation for a low cost AF lens in the ~20mm range? Let’s find out.

Sample Images

Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 STM ASPH ED IF Z nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE 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
Nikon Z 7II | Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 STM ASPH ED IF Z | f/2.8
viltrox 20mm 2.8 af fe contrast resolution sharpness review sony 42mp 61mp a7rv a7riv a7rii a7iii coma vignetting
Sony A7III | Viltrox 20mm 2.8 AF FE | f/8.0
Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 STM ASPH ED IF Z nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE 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
Nikon Z 7II | Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 STM ASPH ED IF Z | f/2.8
viltrox 20mm 2.8 af fe contrast resolution sharpness review sony 42mp 61mp a7rv a7riv a7rii a7iii coma vignetting
Sony A7III | Viltrox 20mm 2.8 AF FE | f/5.6

Continue reading Review: Viltrox 20mm 2.8 AF FE and Z