Category Archives: lenses

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

May 15, 2025 Martin 26 Comments

Introduction

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-icon2 I 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/4.5

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

May 11, 2025 Martin 22 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-icon2 I 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 | @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 →

Canon, Canon EF-Mount, Review

Review: Canon TS-E 135mm 4.0L Macro

May 7, 2025 BastianK 5 Comments

Introduction

61mp 42mp high res resolution canon tilt shift ts-e pc-e perspective control TS T/S sony adapter 135mm 4.0 l macro review resolution contrast bokeh makro — Canon TS-E 135mm 4.0L Macro via megadap adapter on Nikon Zf

At the end of the DSLR/EF-mount era Canon released a bunch of newly designed extremely high quality TS-E lenses. This Canon TS-E 135mm 4.0L Macro is one of them. It is also Canon’s longest Tilt/Shift lens so far. Is this the dream lens for product photography? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Canon TS-E 135mm 4.0L Macro →

Analogue, Nikon, Nikon, Projects

Analogue Adventures – Part 40: Fujichrome Provia 100F

April 30, 2025 BastianK 11 Comments

In the Fujichrome world, Provia is supposed to be the more neutral slide film compared to Velvia. I wasn’t a huge fan of Velvia 100, so let’s see how this Provia 100F worked out for me.
Processing (E-6) and scanning was done at urbanfilmlab in Germany. The pictures you see in this article are from one roll.

fuji fujifilm fujichrome slide film provia 100f france review nikon f analogue film hamburg germany f80 — Nikon F80 | Fujichrome Provia 100F | Nikon AF-S 24-70mm 2.8G

Continue reading Analogue Adventures – Part 40: Fujichrome Provia 100F →

Leica M, Review, Thypoch

Review: Thypoch Simera 75mm 1.4 – Their best lens yet?

April 26, 2025 BastianK 18 Comments

Introduction

thypoch simera 75mm 1.4 fast portrait leica m10 m11 m9 m8 m10r review 42mp 24mp 61mp contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting — Thypoch Simera 75mm 1.4 on Leica M10

Thypoch continues completing their f/1.4 M-mount lens lineup with this Simera 75mm 1.4. Almost the same size as the Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.5 Nokton, only 40g heavier, but with floating elements and a better minimum focus distance. Is this Thypoch’s best lens yet? Let’s find out in this review!