The Zeiss Makro-Planar 2/100 is faster than almost any other macro lens and one of the sharpest lenses ever built. Lets put it to the test!
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Category Archives: Canon EF-Mount
User-Guide to wide-angle lenses for Sony a7 a7ii a7rii
We summarize our experience with all the native Sony E-mount wideangle lenses and a few manualones in the 20-35mm bracket to give you a compact resource for choosing the right lens for your Sony a7.
We have no association with any 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 on the 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.
This guide has not been updated in a long time, best have a look at our general FE guide which contains all of the lenses recently released until we find the time to update this piece.
For lenses below 21mm check out our guide to ultra-wideangle lenses for the Sony a7.
If we have left any question unanswered please leave a comment 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.
Sony FE 4/16-35 ZA OSS
Status: Phillip reviewed a loaner from Sony and bought his own copy more than a year ago. He uses it regularly. Jannik owned but sold it in favor of the Loxia 2.8/21.
Jannik: A lovely lens with decent image quality and effective image stabilization. Personally, I tend to shoot always too wide with such a zoom lens although I miss it’s great versatility.
- At f/4 the center is excellent across the zoom range, for best corners I would stop down at least to f/5.6, better f/8 where they are quite good.
- Pronounced distortion at the ends, average vignetting and annoying ghosting for some scenes but fine most of the time.
- This is neither a light nor a small lens but it isn’t huge either. Build quality is good.
- A very versatile lens: It covers a very wide focal range with good optical quality and thanks to the stabilizer even on the a7 one can shoot before sunrise without a tripod. The price is significant but justified.
518g | $1348 | full review | sample images
buy from Amazon.com | Amazon.de | B&H photo (affiliate links)
Continue reading User-Guide to wide-angle lenses for Sony a7 a7ii a7rii
Review: Laowa 12mm 2.8 Zero-D
Introduction
It is a very interesting time for wide angle junkies like me: after the smallish Voigtlander 10mm 5.6 and 15mm 4.5 I now get the chance to review the fast Laowa 12mm 2.8 Zero-D. It is the fastest rectilinear lens wider than 14mm and the widest rectilinear lens as fast as f/2.8 and I am very curious to find out about the optical qualities!
Last Update: Review finalized, Longitudinal CA, Bokeh, Alternatives, preliminary conclusion added (08/09/16)
Sample Images
Review: Laowa STF 105mm F2.0 (T3.2)
Venus Optics is a new player in the field of high performance manual lenses. Their new Laowa Smooth Trans Focus 105mm F 2.0(T3.2) has a special apodization element which should give this lens extraordinary bokeh. That’s the theory, in this review I will put it to the test.
Sample images
Most images in this review are linked to the full resolution, just click on them. There is also a Laowa STF 105mm F 2.0 flickr album.
Review: Canon EF 135mm 2.0L – the Lord of the Rings on Sony a7rii
Introduction
The Canon EF 135mm 2.0L is often referred to as being the “Lord of the Red Rings” and many think it is one of the – if not the – best and sharpest among all L-lenses. On the other hand the optical design dates back more than 20 years now, so let us find out how the lens performs when coupled with the 42mp A7rII!
Sample Images
Continue reading Review: Canon EF 135mm 2.0L – the Lord of the Rings on Sony a7rii