Category Archives: lenses

Leica M, Review, Voigtlander

Review: Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar

7 Comments

Introduction

voigtländer 40mm 2.8 heliar leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution cosina
Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar on Leica M10

As only the Leica/Minolta CL and the Minolta CLE feature 40mm framelines, 40mm has never become one of the most popular focal lengths in the M-mount world and the only manufacturer that caters the needs of the 40mm fans these days is Cosina, offering no less than three different 40mm options. The smallest (and slowest) of the three is the Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar. Let’s have a closer look.
This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.

Sample Images

voigtländer 40mm 2.8 heliar leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution cosina
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar | f/2.8 | Pano from 4 shots
voigtländer 40mm 2.8 heliar leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution cosina
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar | f/8.0
voigtländer 40mm 2.8 heliar leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution cosina
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar | f/2.8
voigtländer 40mm 2.8 heliar leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution cosina
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar | f/2.8
voigtländer 40mm 2.8 heliar leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution cosina
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar | f/2.8
voigtländer 40mm 2.8 heliar leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution cosina
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar | f/2.8
voigtländer 40mm 2.8 heliar leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution cosina
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar | f/2.8

Continue reading Review: Voigtländer VM 40mm 2.8 Heliar →

lenses, Nikon, Review, Uncategorized

REVIEW: Nikon Z Nikkor 14-30mm F/4 S

14 Comments

Introduction

In my recent quest to review some of the zoom lenses in the Nikon Z series, we’ve arrived at the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S — an ultra-wide-angle zoom and one of the first in the “S” line after the 24-70mm f/4 S. The other two f/4 S zoom lenses I reviewed (24-70mm f/4 and 24-120mm f/4) delivered impressive performance, but this one is an ultra-wide — a category that has historically been more challenging to get right. That said, Nikon has marketed it as part of the “S” line, which promises higher quality. Let’s see how it performs!

camera-icon2I 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 | Nikon Z Nikkor 14-30mm F/4 S | @20mm f/16 (Stockholm, Sweden)
Nikon Zf | Nikon Z Nikkor 14-30mm F/4 S | @30mm f/4
Nikon Zf | Nikon Z Nikkor 14-30mm F/4 S | @30mm f/4
Nikon Zf | Nikon Z Nikkor 14-30mm F/4 S | @18mm f/13 (Tokyo, Japan)
Nikon Zf | Nikon Z Nikkor 14-30mm F/4 S | @21mm f/22 (Nagano, Japan)

Continue reading REVIEW: Nikon Z Nikkor 14-30mm F/4 S →

Review, Sirui, Sony E-mount

Review: Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora

12 Comments

Introduction

sirui 85mm 1.4 aurora fe af gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora on Sony A7rII

Released at the end of 2024, this Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora was Sirui’s first non-cine fullframe lens aimed at photographers. It is one of the most affordable and compact 85mm 1.4 lenses, but is that enough to pick it over the strong competition? Let’s try to find out in this review!

Sample Images

sirui 85mm 1.4 aurora fe af gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora | f/1.4
sirui 85mm 1.4 aurora fe af gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora | f/1.4
sirui 85mm 1.4 aurora fe af gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora | f/1.4
sirui 85mm 1.4 aurora fe af gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora | f/1.4
sirui 85mm 1.4 aurora fe af gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora | f/2.8

Continue reading Review: Sirui 85mm 1.4 Aurora →

Comparison, Laowa, lenses, Review

REVIEW/COMPARISON: Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro 0.5x (vs. 15mm f/4 1x)

17 Comments

Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro 0.5x on Nikon Z7IIIntroduction

The Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x macro is one of the very few lenses that combine an ultra-wide angle of view with close focusing capabilities, offering up to 1:2 (half life-size) magnification.

Laowa previously introduced a 1:1 macro version back in 2019, but it came with a few quirks. It featured a shift mechanism that added bulk, the full 1:1 magnification required you to get extremely close, almost touching the subject, and its sharpness at infinity focus left much to be desired.

With this newer lens, Laowa has aimed to address all those issues in a more compact, practical design. Have they succeeded? Let’s find out in this review, as I compare it to its predecessor in each section.

camera-icon2I 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 | Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F/8
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F/11
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F/9
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F/11
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F/4.5
Nikon Zf | Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro 0.5x | F/9

Continue reading REVIEW/COMPARISON: Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro 0.5x (vs. 15mm f/4 1x) →

lenses, Nikon, Review

REVIEW/COMPARISON: Nikon Z 24-120mm F/4 S – How It Compares to Z 24-70/4 S

20 Comments

Introduction

Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S is often said to be one of the best all-around midrange zooms Nikon has made. It offers a versatile zoom range and a fixed aperture, and it’s part of Nikon’s premium S-line series. It’s also newer than the Nikon Z 24-70/4 S I reviewed recently — a lens I liked quite a bit. With its broader zoom range, Nikon Z 24-120/4 S promises more flexibility.
But is it the better lens overall? Let’s dive into this review and see how it compares to the Z 24-70mm S!

camera-icon2I 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 | Nikon Z Nikkor 24-120mm F/4 S | @24mm f/4.5
Nikon Zfc | Nikon Z Nikkor 24-120mm F/4 S | @165mm f/5
Nikon Zf | Nikon Z Nikkor 24-120mm F/4 S | @24mm f/4.5
Nikon Zf | Nikon Z Nikkor 24-120mm F/4 S | @102mm f/4
Nikon Zf | Nikon Z Nikkor 24-120mm F/4 S | @24mm f/16

Continue reading REVIEW/COMPARISON: Nikon Z 24-120mm F/4 S – How It Compares to Z 24-70/4 S →