Nikon AF 135mm 2.0D DC via Monster LA-FE2 on Sony A7rII
At the beginning of the 1990s Nikon released two special portrait lenses featuring a “Defocus Control” mechanism, which allows you to make the bokeh smoother or harsher. This Nikon AF-D 135mm 2.0 DC is the longer of the two DC lenses and in this review I will tell you how it works and if it is still a useful portrait lens today.
As second lens for their “Ksana” series Thypoch decided to release a compact 35mm 2.0 M-mount lens with black paint finish. These Ksana lenses feature vintage coatings – to create a distinct color signature – but are otherwise modern designs. The Thypoch 21mm 3.5 Ksana proved to be a capable yet compact lens, will this Thypoch 35mm 2.0 Ksana follow its footsteps? Let’s find out in this review! This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.
Sigma 20-200mm 3.5-6.3 DG Contemporary on Sony A7rII
You haven’t seen (m)any reviews of superzoom lenses on this blog so far, because traditionally many of those ~10x zoom lenses were either lacking in terms of optical performance (e.g. Sony FE 24-240mm 3.5-5.6 OSS) and/or I personally didn’t find the focal length range particularly useful, often starting at 28mm (e.g. Tamron 28-200mm 2.8-5.6 Di III RXD). Furthermore, if you want to review such lenses properly, it takes a lot of time and effort, equal to reviewing several prime lenses.
With its unique focal length range this Sigma 20-200mm 3.5-6.3 DG Contemporary intrigued me though, but can the performance of such a bold design be any good? I ultimately decided to buy one and see for myself how it performs, so here we are.
Since its release in 2019 I have been using the Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN as my main lens for any kind of reportage work. It took until 2025 for another manufacturer to challenge Sigma by releasing a 35mm 1.2 lens with autofocus of their own. Actually, there were two at almost the same time: Nikon with their Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S and Viltrox with this Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB. As the Nikon lens sells for 3 grand it is out of reach for most people. This Viltrox lens is way more attractively priced, so let’s find out if it is time to retire my Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN after 6 years of usage. Last Update May 2026: information on new “N” version added
Sample Images
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.2Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.2Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.2Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.2Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.2Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.3Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.2Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.2Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.2Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | f/1.2
Released in 2007, the Nikon AF-S 14-24mm 2.8G was the first ultra wide angle zoom combining a 14-24mm viewing angle with a maximum aperture of f/2.8. Coming in at almost 1 kg, many people considered it to be too heavy to carry around all day and that bulbous front element didn’t help either. Almost two decades later Samyang decided to show us what the advantages can be, designing a lens with the same specifications, but for today’s mirrorless cameras. Let’s have a look together at the smallest and lightest 14-24mm 2.8 lens – that even comes with a standard 77mm filter thread – the Samyang x Schneider Kreuznach AF 14-24mm 2.8 FE.
Sample Images
Sony A7III | Samyang AF 14-24mm 2.8 FE | 14mm | f/2.8Sony A7III | Samyang AF 14-24mm 2.8 FE | 14mm | f/2.8Sony A7III | Samyang AF 14-24mm 2.8 FE | 14mm | f/5.6Sony A7III | Samyang AF 14-24mm 2.8 FE | 14mm | f/4.0Sony A7III | Samyang AF 14-24mm 2.8 FE | 18mm | f/2.8Sony A7III | Samyang AF 14-24mm 2.8 FE | 18mm | f/2.8Sony A7III | Samyang AF 14-24mm 2.8 FE | 24mm | f/2.8
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