Category Archives: Manufacturers

Review, Viltrox

REVIEW: Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 Air (APS-C)

15 Comments

Introduction

On the same day that Viltrox introduced the AF 14mm f/4, an affordable autofocus ultra-wide-angle lens for full-frame cameras, they also announced a 9mm f/2.8 autofocus lens for APS-C cameras — the widest AF prime lens for crop sensors and another addition to their compact, lightweight Air series.

camera-icon2I tested this lens on a Nikon Zfc via a Megadap adapter (Sample images were taken with a Sony a6700)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f2.8
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f2.8
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f6.3
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f3.5
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f2.8

Continue reading REVIEW: Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 Air (APS-C) →

Nikon, Review, Sony E-mount, Viltrox

Review: Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 FE

32 Comments

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 →

Laowa, Macro, Review, Sony E-mount

Review: Laowa 180mm 4.5 Apo Macro 1.5:1

18 Comments

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, Sony E-mount

Review: Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G

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

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 →

Leica M, Voigtlander

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

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

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
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 III | f/11
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
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 III | f/11
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
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 III | f/11
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
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 III | f/5.6
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
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 III | f/8.0
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
Leica M10 | Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 III | f/8.0

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