In the mirrorless world we start to see more f/2.0 zoom lenses, a trend that started with the Canon RF 28-70mm 2.0L USM and Sony built upon with their Sony FE 28-70mm 2.0 GM and the Sony FE 50-150mm 2.0 GM. What is easily forgotten here: it was actually Sigma who first made a fullframe zoom lens with a constant f/2.0 aperture – already in 2015 and for DSLRS – the Sigma 24-35mm 2.0 DG HSM Art. Let’s have a closer look!
In the 1970s Nikon was comparably busy releasing f/1.2 F-mount lenses and the last of them was this Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1.2, first released in 1978. I already reviewed the first f/1.2 F-mount lens, the Nikon 55mm 1.2 from 1965, and also the famous and rare 58mm 1.2 Noct-Nikkor from 1977, so today we will have a look at a late sample of this Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1.2 Ai-s.
In 2017 this Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art was a unique offering, being the fastest 14mm lens as well as the widest f/1.8 lens. In the meantime many lenses with similar specifications have been released for mirrorless cameras, so is there still a reason to consider the original? Let’s find out in this review.
At the end of the DSLR era in 2018 also Tokina thought it would be a good idea to release a high performance 50mm 1.4 lens to compete with the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art DG HSM and the Zeiss Otus 55mm 1.4. In Tokina’s lineup this Tokina 50mm 1.4 Opera is a bit of a unique offering, as it is the only prime lens carrying the “Opera” tag and we haven’t seen another one after. Is this as amazing a 50mm 1.4 lens Tokina claims it is, or just a relic from the past? Let’s try to find out.
At the beginning of the 1990s Nikon released two special portrait lenses featuring a “Defocus Control” mechanism, which allows you to make the bokeh smoother or harsher. This Nikon AF-D 135mm 2.0 DC is the longer of the two DC lenses and in this review I will tell you how it works and if it is still a useful portrait lens today.
