Category Archives: Comparison

Comparison: Super Fast 35mm f/0.95 | f/1.2 Fullframe Lenses

Introduction

35mm fullframe comparison 0.95 1.2 f/0.95 f/1.2 voigtländer laowa viltrox sigma lab argus nokton art dg dn contrast resolution bokeh vignetting coma sharpness loca ca
Sigma 35mm 1.2 DG DN Art | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP | Laowa 35mm 0.95 Argus | Voigtländer VM 35mm 1.2 Nokton III

35mm are the favorite focal length of many reportage, event and wedding photographers. In the last years we saw boundaries being pushed as we can now choose from f/1.2 lenses with autofocus and manual focus lenses that even offer a maximum aperture of f/0.95. I gathered five recent ones of these super fast 35mm lenses with maximum apertures ranging from f/0.95 to f/1.2 and will compare them, to give you an idea which might work best for your needs.

Continue reading Comparison: Super Fast 35mm f/0.95 | f/1.2 Fullframe Lenses

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?

Guide to Ultra Wideangle lenses for the Sony A7/A9/A1 Series

Leica M10 | Laowa 9mm 5.6 | f/8.0

We summarize our experience with all the native E-mount and a few manual legacy lenses in the 9-18mm bracket to give you a compact and independent resource for choosing the right super- to ultra-wide-angle lens for your Sony A7 cameras. In this summary we also included some adapted lenses we think are worth mentioning.

We also have a general guide to FE lenses, guide to 20-28mm lenses as well as a guide to 35mm lenses, 50mm lenses and 85-200mm portrait lenses.

We have no association with any lens manufacturer apart from occasionally loaning a lens for a review. 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. 

Many of these lenses are manual focus only (MF) whereas some of them feature auto focus (AF). There is also a noticeable amount of lenses listed here that do not feature electronic contacts to communicate with the camera (no Exif).

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, Laowa 10mm 2.8 AF, 15mm 5.0 Cookie and Sony 16-25mm 2.8G added, cleaned up

Continue reading Guide to Ultra Wideangle lenses for the Sony A7/A9/A1 Series

REVIEW/COMPARISON: Laowa FF II TS 55mm & 100mm f/2.8 Macro 1X

Introduction

Laowa FF II TS 55mm f/2.8 1X Macro on Nikon Z7II
Laowa FF II TS 55mm f/2.8 1X Macro on Nikon Z7II

UPDATE 20.12.2024:
Reworked the close-up sharpness section and added both 1:1 and 1:2 magnification test shots for both lenses.

The Laowa FF II TS 55mm and 100mm f/2.8 Macro 1X lenses are true macro lenses, offering 1:1 magnification along with tilt-shift functionality that enhances control over the focal plane.

While major camera and lens manufacturers like Canon, Sony, Nikon, Leica, Panasonic, Hasselblad, Sigma, and Tamron have largely overlooked this niche in mirrorless cameras, Laowa has stepped up to fill the gap. Their lenses, available in almost all major mounts, feature tilt and shift capabilities that open up new creative possibilities for photographers.

The tilt function allows precise control over the focal plane, enabling photographers to either extend or limit the in-focus area. This makes these lenses perfect for capturing intricate product details or adding selective focus for artistic compositions. With such versatility, Laowa’s lenses offer greater creative control over depth of field, making them a valuable tool for specialised photography needs

Since these two lenses are almost identical in shape, build, and handling, and were released simultaneously, I decided to combine my review of both. This way, I can avoid repeating the same points and provide a direct comparison, so you can see them side by side.

camera-icon2I tested these lenses 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 higher resolution here

Sample Images

Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 100mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/11
Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 100mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/11
Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 55mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/5.6 (Shift panorama)
Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 55mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/5.6 (Shift panorama)
Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 55mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/2.8 | Tilted
Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 55mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/2.8 | Tilted
Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 55mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/2.8
Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 55mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/2.8 No Tilt
Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 100mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/2.8 | Tilted
Nikon Zf | Laowa FF II TS 100mm f/2.8 1X Macro | f/2.8 | Tilted

Continue reading REVIEW/COMPARISON: Laowa FF II TS 55mm & 100mm f/2.8 Macro 1X

Comparison: Fast 55/58mm f/1.2 | f/1.4 Manual Fullframe Lenses for F-mount

Introduction

voigtländer sl iis nokton nikon f 58mm 1.4 ai-s fast review 42mp sony nikon z 61mp z6 z7 z8 z9 a7riv a7rv contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting portrait
Nikon 55mm 1.2 Ai | Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton | Voigtländer 58mm 1.4 SL IIs Nokton

I guess you did not expect to see a comparison of fast 55-58mm f/1.2 to f/1.4 lenses for Nikon F-mount in 2024, but I also did not expect to see Cosina releasing a new F-mount lens in 2023, so here we are. We will be looking at the Nikon 55mm 1.2 Ai, the first F-mount lens as fast as f/1.2 from 1965, its modern reincarnation by Cosina, the Voigtländer 55mm 1.2 SL IIs Nokton from 2023 and Cosina’s fan favorite F-mount portrait lens, the Voigtländer 58mm 1.4 SL IIs Nokton, which is around since 2007.

Continue reading Comparison: Fast 55/58mm f/1.2 | f/1.4 Manual Fullframe Lenses for F-mount