It is an interesting time we live in. Just 5 years ago only few people knew a maximum aperture as fast as f/0.95 even exists let alone were able to afford a lens being that fast. Now we have such lenses with different focal lengths and at affordable price points. One of the most affordable ones is the Brightin Star 50mm 0.95 FE, so let us find out what this lens has in store for us and how it compares to some of the other super fast 50s.
In the SLR era the “Nifty Fifty” was the lens of choice for many: a compact, fast and at the same time affordable 50mm lens. For the Sony FE system the next best thing we got so far is the Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G, but it isn’t as fast and also not that affordable.
To my surprise TTArtisan is now the one trying to revive the Nifty Fifty and despite being a mirrorless design it is as small as the smallest SLR 50s. But did they succeed? Let’s find out in this review.
Continue reading Review: TTArtisan 50mm 2.0 – Return of the Nifty Fifty
The Laowa 12-24mm 5.6 is Laowa’s second ultra wide angle zoom, the first being the Laowa 10-18mm 4.5-5.6. The 10-18mm offers a very appealing focal length range in a compact package, but there were some optical compromises hard to overlook. This 12-24mm lens is supposed to yield better optical performance at the cost of a less extreme angle of view at the wide end. Is it the better lens at the end of the day? Let us find out in this review.
Over the years Laowa has steadily been expanding its line up of shift lenses, after the 17mm 4.0 MSC and the record breaking 15mm 4.5 Shift we are now getting their third shift lens, the Laowa 20mm 4.0 Shift. Let’s have a closer look at this latest addition.
The M-System seems to be extremely popular in China, as we still see an increasing amount of manufacturers offering new M-mount lenses from this country. The latest is Syoptic with this 50mm f/1.1, sometimes referred to as “Mr. Ding 50mm lens”. Some of the few samples I found online showed very appealing bokeh rendering, so I ordered one as soon as it was possible in Europe. It took longer than expected, but I finally have it in my hands, so let’s have a closer look.
This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.
Update March 2022: tests of E-mount version added
Update October 2022: An improved version of this lens has been released under the “Mr. Ding Studios” branding. You can find a full review here.
