Category Archives: lenses

Review: Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron

September 25, 2023 BastianK 10 Comments

Introduction

voigtländer 75mm 1.9 ultron leica review contrast sharpness vignetting 24mp m10 42mp m11 resolution 0.5 m portrait bokeh — Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron on Leica M10

The Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.5 Nokton was and still is one of the most compelling M-mount portrait lenses for me and an epitome of what Cosina is capable of when it comes to creating very fast yet lightweight lens constructions.
Therefore it was a great surprise for me when only 4 years later Cosina released this slightly slower and only slightly lighter Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron. Which one is the better lens for you? Let’s find out in this review!
This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.
Update: because of a bug it was not possible to post comments for this post, this has been fixed.

Sample Images

Continue reading Review: Voigtländer VM 75mm 1.9 Ultron →

Review, Sony E-mount, TTArtisan

Review: TTArtisan 500mm 6.3 ED IF

September 22, 2023 BastianK 24 Comments

Introduction

ttartisan 500mm 5.6 ed if manual focus 42mp 61mp sharpness contrast review tele bokeh vignetting sony a7rv a7riii a1 a9 — TTArtisan 500mm 6.3 IF ED

The Chinese manufacturers have been busy releasing lenses in the 15-100mm range but only rarely set foot in the tele lens realm. And if they did, those were usually mirror lenses that may be compact but have plenty of other issues.
When TTArtisan asked me if I want to have a look at their new 500mm f/6.3 lens I was hesitant at first, as this is also not a focal length I need or use regularly.
But when I heard it uses ED elements, it is an internal focus design and will cost only $329 I thought it might be worth a closer look, so here we are.

Sample Images

ttartisan 500mm 6.3 ed if manual focus 42mp 61mp sharpness contrast review tele bokeh vignetting sony a7rv a7riii a1 a9 — Sony A7rII | TTArtisan 500mm 6.3 | f/6.3

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Analogue, Leica, Leica M, Minolta, Projects, Voigtlander

Analogue Adventures – Part 25: Wolfen Color NC500 ECN-2

September 19, 2023 BastianK 18 Comments

In early 2023 I managed to buy two rolls of the ORWO Wolfen NC 500 color negative film and it is something special for several reasons, so let’s have a closer look.
Processing (ECN-2) and scanning was done at Silbersalz35 in Germany.

wolfen nc500 orwo agfa iso400 asa review leica analogue film germany — Minolta CLE | Voigtländer VM 40mm 1.4 MC | f/5.6 | Wolfen 500 NC

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Leica M, lenses, Review, Voigtlander

Review: Voigtlander VM 35mm 1.2 III

September 15, 2023 BastianK 106 Comments

Introduction

cosina voigtlander vm 35mm 1.2 iii comparison sony leica m10 m 24mp 42mp 61mp review sharpness bokeh coma astro — Voigtlander VM 35mm 1.2 III via Metabones adapter on Sony A7rII

The Voigtlander VM 35mm 1.2 III Nokton is already the third iteration of the world’s fastest 35mm M-mount lens. What has changed compared to the predecessors? How does it compare to the competition? Is it any good? Let’s find out together in this review.
Lens is being tested on 42mp Sony A7rII, 24mp Leica M10 and film cameras
Last Update: September 2023 (samples, coma section, conclusion)

Sample Images

analogue photography leica m6 voigtländer silbersalz35 kodak vision 3 — Leica M6 | 200T | Voigtländer VM 35mm 1.2 | f/1.2

Continue reading Review: Voigtlander VM 35mm 1.2 III →

lenses, Review, Sony E-mount, Tamron

Review: Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2

September 14, 2023 BastianK 33 Comments

Introduction

tamron 70-180mm 2.8 di iii vc vxd g2 review sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting resolution 42mp 61mp 33mp a7iv a9 a1 a7c af auto focus — Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 G2 on Sony A7rII

Just like the 28-75mm 2.8 before, Tamron now also updated its 70-180mm 2.8 lens. We already reviewed the previous lens here and we liked it. A lot actually – except for some handling unpleasantries. With the addition of a lens button and a customizable switch I expect great improvements here, but that is not all: Tamron also decided to upgrade the lens with an internal optical image stabilizer. Let’s have a closer look!