Category Archives: Manufacturers

Review: Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G

September 6, 2025 BastianK 12 Comments

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

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Leica M, Voigtlander

Review: Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 Ultra-Wide-Heliar MK III

August 31, 2025 BastianK 11 Comments

Introduction

voigtländer vm 12mm 5.6 iii mk mark 3 resolution contrast flare resistance distortion vignetting coma leica m10 m9 m11 monochrome mono sony nikon a7rv z6 z6 z8 z9 zf — Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 Ultra-Wide-Heliar III on Leica M10

Between 2015 and 2016 Cosina released three ultra wide angle lenses for M-mount, the VM 10mm 5.6 Hyper-Wide Heliar, the VM 15mm 4.5 Super-Wide-Heliar III and this VM 12mm 5.6 Ultra-Wide-Heliar III. While the 10mm and 15mm are still in production 10 years later, this 12mm has been discontinued after 3 years only. What was the reason for that? Let’s find out in this review.
Lens is being tested on 42mp Sony A7rII and 24mp Leica M10

Sample Images

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Nikon, Nikon, Review

Review: Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.4G

August 23, 2025 BastianK 6 Comments

Introduction

nikon nikkor af-s 85mm 1.4g n gold ring portrait review contrast resolution famous 42mp 61mp bokeh vignetting coma aspherical sony a7rII z7 z8 z9 z6 zf — Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.4G via Monster LA-FE on Sony A7rII

From 2010 to 2023 this Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.4G had been Nikon’s top of the line fullframe fast 85mm portrait tele lens. I personally used it back in the day on Nikon DSLRs until I switched to Sony’s mirrorless cameras. Now that we have decent AF adapters for these Nikon lenses I thought it would be a good idea to revisit it and see if it is still a lens worth considering today.

Sample Images

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lenses, Review, TTArtisan

REVIEW: TTArtisan 35mm F/1.4 Tilt (APS-C)

August 20, 2025 Martin 3 Comments

Introduction

TTArtisan previously released a full-frame 50mm tilt lens, designed to control focus to a thin slice of the scene, or extend it for deeper focus. It’s also fun to experiment with, especially for creating a playful miniature effect. In May 2025, they followed up with an APS-C equivalent: the 35mm f/1.4 tilt lens, offered at a budget-friendly price. Of course, it can also serve as a fast f/1.4 standard lens. Let’s take a closer look!

camera-icon2 I tested this lens on a 22 Mp Nikon Zfc
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Nikon Zfc | TTARTISAN 35mm f/1.4 Tilt | f/1.7 (Miniature world effect)

Nikon Zfc | TTARTISAN 35mm f/1.4 Tilt | f/1.4

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Irix, Nikon, Review

Review: Irix 11mm 4.0 Firefly

August 16, 2025 BastianK 7 Comments

Introduction

irix 11mm 4.0 dragonfly firefly blackstone south korea 42mp 61mp 24mp z6 z7 z8 z9 a7iv a7v a7riv a7riii a7r2 a7 a9 a1 review contrast resolution bokeh vignetting coma ca loca sunstars distortion — Irix 11mm 4.0 Firefly via FTZ II on Nikon Zf

The Irix 11mm 4.0 is the second widest rectilinear (non-fisheye) lens released for DSLRs. Because it was released at the end of the DSLR era – when many of us already made the shift to mirrorless – you actually can not find a lot of useful information on it online. So when one showed up at a dealer wit a bargain price tag I decided to finally give it a try. Let’s have a closer look!