Category Archives: Sony E-mount

Review: Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 FE

Introduction

viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF on Sony A7rII

We have already seen some affordable compact ultra wide angle lenses from the Chinese manufacturers, but so far none of them came with autofocus. Thanks to Viltrox this is about to change, so let’s have a look together at this Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 FE.

Sample Images

viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/5.6
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/5.6
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0 | Ai Denoise
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0 | Ai Denoise
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0

Continue reading Review: Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 FE

Review: Laowa 180mm 4.5 Apo Macro 1.5:1

Introduction

laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Laowa 180mm 4.5 Apo Macro on Sony A7rII

Compact 180-200mm primes are pretty much dead today and have been replaced by bigger and heavier zoom lenses. Personally, I have been hoping for a modern incarnation of something like the Voigtländer 180mm 4.0 SL Apo-Lanthar or the Sigma 180mm 5.6 Apo Macro for a long time. In 2025 Laowa released this Laowa 180mm 4.5 1.5:1 Apo Macro. Is this the versatile tele prime we have been waiting for? Let’s try to find out in this review.

Sample Images

laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5 | Ai denoise
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/8.0
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Nikon Zf | megadap ETZ21pro | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5 | Ai Denoise
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5

Continue reading Review: Laowa 180mm 4.5 Apo Macro 1.5:1

Review: Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G

Introduction

sony fe 16mm 1.8 g review comparison a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp sharpness bokeh sample
Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G on Sony A7rII

Sometimes when new lenses are being announced they sound too good to be true and here that was certainly the case: the Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G has a lower MSRP than the already amazingly great Sony FE 20mm 1.8 G while being similarly sized. But not enough: it is “only” 2 mm less wide than the higher priced and much bigger Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM which doesn’t even feature a filter thread. Is this the perfect ultra wide angle prime for fullframe Sony E-mount cameras? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Image

sony fe 16mm 1.8 g review comparison a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp sharpness bokeh sample
Sony A7III | Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G | f/1.8
sony fe 16mm 1.8 g review comparison a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp sharpness bokeh sample
Sony A7III | Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G | f/2.2
sony fe 16mm 1.8 g review comparison a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp sharpness bokeh sample
Sony A7III | Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G | f/1.8
sony fe 16mm 1.8 g review comparison a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp sharpness bokeh sample
Sony A7III | Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G | f/2.8
sony fe 16mm 1.8 g review comparison a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp sharpness bokeh sample
Sony A7III | Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G | f/2.8
sony fe 16mm 1.8 g review comparison a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp sharpness bokeh sample
Nikon Zf | megadap ETZ21pro | Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G | f/5.6
sony fe 16mm 1.8 g review comparison a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp sharpness bokeh sample
Sony A7III | Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G | f/4.0

Continue reading Review: Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G

Review: Samyang 50mm 1.4 AF II

Introduction

samyang 50mm 1.4 ii mkii mk2 2 mk fe af bokeh master gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Samyang 50mm 1.4 AF II on Sony A7rII

The first generation Samyang AF 50mm 1.4 FE has some fans for its appealing bokeh, but at the same time it showed more of a subpar performance in most other categories. Samyang’s engineers seem to have been aware of that, as this lens had been updated to the Samyang AF 50mm 1.4 FE II a few years later. Let’s see if this has become an appealing yet affordable 50mm 1.4 lens that speaks to a broader audience than its predecessor.

Sample Images

samyang 50mm 1.4 ii mkii mk2 2 mk fe af bokeh master gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.4 AF II | f/1.4
samyang 50mm 1.4 ii mkii mk2 2 mk fe af bokeh master gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.4 AF II | f/1.4
samyang 50mm 1.4 ii mkii mk2 2 mk fe af bokeh master gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.4 AF II | f/1.4
samyang 50mm 1.4 ii mkii mk2 2 mk fe af bokeh master gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.4 AF II | f/1.4
samyang 50mm 1.4 ii mkii mk2 2 mk fe af bokeh master gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.4 AF II | f/1.4
samyang 50mm 1.4 ii mkii mk2 2 mk fe af bokeh master gm sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.4 AF II | f/1.4

Continue reading Review: Samyang 50mm 1.4 AF II

Review: Samyang Remaster Slim 21mm 3.5 | 28mm 3.5 | 32mm 2.8

Introduction

samyang remaster slim 28mm 21mm 3.5 32mm 2.8 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight pancake small tiny
Samyang Remaster Sim 21mm 3.5 on Sony A7rII

Many lenses I review these days are simply “more of the same”: Another 35mm 2.0, 50mm 1.8 or 85mm 1.4 with minor differences compared to the competitors. This Samyang Remaster Slim kit is a different story though. It consists of a pancake sized AF module and three optical blocks (21mm 3.5, 28mm 3.5 and 32mm 2.8) that can be interchanged. The E-mount pancake lenses I reviewed so far all came with too many compromises and many didn’t even feature AF. Can this set of three be any good? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Images

samyang remaster slim 28mm 21mm 3.5 32mm 2.8 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight pancake small tiny
Sony A7III | Samyang Remaster Slim 21mm 3.5 AF | f/3.5
samyang remaster slim 28mm 21mm 3.5 32mm 2.8 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight pancake small tiny
Sony A7rII | Samyang Remaster Slim 21mm 3.5 AF | f/8.0
samyang remaster slim 28mm 21mm 3.5 32mm 2.8 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight pancake small tiny
Sony A7rII | Samyang Remaster Slim 21mm 3.5 AF | f/3.5
samyang remaster slim 28mm 21mm 3.5 32mm 2.8 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight pancake small tiny
Sony A7rII | Samyang Remaster Slim 28mm 3.5 AF | f/4.5
samyang remaster slim 28mm 21mm 3.5 32mm 2.8 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight pancake small tiny
Sony A7rII | Samyang Remaster Slim 28mm 3.5 AF | f/16
samyang remaster slim 28mm 21mm 3.5 32mm 2.8 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight pancake small tiny
Sony A7rII | Samyang Remaster Slim 32mm 2.8 AF | f/8.0
samyang remaster slim 28mm 21mm 3.5 32mm 2.8 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight pancake small tiny
Sony A7III | Samyang Remaster Slim 32mm 2.8 AF | f/2.8
samyang remaster slim 28mm 21mm 3.5 32mm 2.8 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma sunstars z6 z7 z8 z9 lightweight pancake small tiny
Sony A7rII | Samyang Remaster Slim 32mm 2.8 AF | f/5.6

Continue reading Review: Samyang Remaster Slim 21mm 3.5 | 28mm 3.5 | 32mm 2.8