Category Archives: Manufacturers

Review: Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM

Introduction

sony fe 50mm 1.2 gm fullframe fastest lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM on Sony A7rII

After the first fullframe E-mount cameras hit the market there was a lot of marketing fluff from the competitors that the E-mount was too narrow for fast high performance lenses. I cannot help but think this Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM had mainly been designed to prove them wrong and from everything I can see it more than succeeded at that, but let’s have a closer look.

Sample Images

sony fe 50mm 1.2 gm fullframe fastest lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM | f/1.2
sony fe 50mm 1.2 gm fullframe fastest lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM | f/1.2
sony fe 50mm 1.2 gm fullframe fastest lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM | f/1.2
sony fe 50mm 1.2 gm fullframe fastest lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM | f/1.2
sony fe 50mm 1.2 gm fullframe fastest lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM | f/1.2
sony fe 50mm 1.2 gm fullframe fastest lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM | f/1.2

Continue reading Review: Sony FE 50mm 1.2 GM

Review: Thypoch Simera 35mm 1.4

Introduction

thypoch simera 35mm 1.4 fast wide angle leica m10 m11 m9 m8 m10r review 42mp 24mp 61mp contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting
Thypoch Simera 35mm 1.4 on Leica M10

Thypoch is a new manufacturer of photography lenses and entered the market at the end of 2023 with two M-mount lenses, the Simera 28mm 1.4 and 35mm 1.4. This is a review of the 35mm 1.4, so let’s have a closer look at what it is capable of.

Sample Images

thypoch simera 35mm 1.4 fast wide angle leica m10 m11 m9 m8 m10r review 42mp 24mp 61mp contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Thypoch Simera 35mm 1.4 | f/1.4
thypoch simera 35mm 1.4 fast wide angle leica m10 m11 m9 m8 m10r review 42mp 24mp 61mp contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Thypoch Simera 35mm 1.4 | f/1.4
thypoch simera 35mm 1.4 fast wide angle leica m10 m11 m9 m8 m10r review 42mp 24mp 61mp contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Thypoch Simera 35mm 1.4 | f/1.4
thypoch simera 35mm 1.4 fast wide angle leica m10 m11 m9 m8 m10r review 42mp 24mp 61mp contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Thypoch Simera 35mm 1.4 | f/1.4
thypoch simera 35mm 1.4 fast wide angle leica m10 m11 m9 m8 m10r review 42mp 24mp 61mp contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting
Leica M10 | Thypoch Simera 35mm 1.4 | f/5.6

Continue reading Review: Thypoch Simera 35mm 1.4

Review: Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5.0 Zoom (APS-C)

Introduction

Review Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5 C-Dreamer Zoom APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5 C-Dreamer on a Nikon Z fc

Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5.0 Zoom is an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras with an impressive zoom range (equivalent to 12-24mm on fullframe sensors). It is a very compact lens and seems to fit nicely on smaller APS-C cameras. Its versatile focal length range makes it a good choice for landscape, architecture, and travel photography or whenever you want a dramatic perspective in your images. In times when it seems that all the major manufacturers (except Fujifilm) are neglecting the APS-C lens development and focusing on fullframe lenses, it is refreshing to see exciting lenses like this from third-party manufacturers. Let’s see how it behaves in real life!

Camera small iconI tested this lens on a Nikon Zfc
Youtube small iconYou can see this review as YouTube video here

Sample Images

Review Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5 C-Dreamer Zoom APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z fc | Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5 C-Dreamer | 8mm | f/8
Review CF Laowa 8-16mm f/3.5-5 C-Dreamer Zoom APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z fc | CF Laowa 8-16mm f/3.5-5 C-Dreamer @8mm | f/5.6
Review Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5 C-Dreamer Zoom APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z fc | Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5 C-Dreamer | @8mm |f/8

Continue reading Review: Laowa CF 8-16mm f/3.5-5.0 Zoom (APS-C)

Review: 7Artisans 50mm 1.8 AF

Introduction

7Artisans AF sony fe 50mm fullframe lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
7Artisans 50mm 1.8 AF on Sony A7rII

It was the beginning of 2019 when I published my first review of a 7Artisans lens, the 28mm 1.4 FE+ – an M-mount lens optimized for Sony E-mount. Now, 5 years later, this 7Artisans 50mm 1.8 AF is their first autofocus lens. Let us find out what it is capable of.

Sample Images

7Artisans AF sony fe 50mm fullframe lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 50mm 1.8 AF | f/1.8
7Artisans AF sony fe 50mm fullframe lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 50mm 1.8 AF | f/1.8
7Artisans AF sony fe 50mm fullframe lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 50mm 1.8 AF | f/1.8
7Artisans AF sony fe 50mm fullframe lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 50mm 1.8 AF | f/1.8
7Artisans AF sony fe 50mm fullframe lens contrast resolution 33mp 42mp 61mp sharpness vignetting a7riv a7rv a9 bokeh portrait
Sony A7III | 7Artisans 50mm 1.8 AF | f/1.8

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Nikon AF 180mm 2.8(D): Versions, Teardown and Repair Guide

Introduction

nikon af af-d 180mm 2.8 ed if sharpness review contrast resolution 42mp 61mp 24mp vignetting coma bokeh build quality flare resistance
Nikon AF 180mm 2.8 D on Nikon FM2n

As you may or may not know there have been several different versions of the Nikon AF 180mm 2.8 over the years. Most notable was the addition of the “D” feature in 1994, allowing the lens to transmit distance information to the camera for more accurate usage of camera flash. As this lens was first released in 1986 some of the samples approach an age of 40 years. As with every product that old, there are some things to be aware of when you are looking to buy a used sample. One of our readers, Q. Xu, did a side-by-side teardown of both versions, so we get to have a closer look at the differences between these versions and what to watch out for.
Of course this article may also be of help if you are looking to perform some kind of repairs on this lens on your own.

Continue reading Nikon AF 180mm 2.8(D): Versions, Teardown and Repair Guide