Category Archives: Technical

Nikon, Nikon, Technical

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

6 Comments

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 →

Meta, Opinion, Postprocessing, Technical, The creative process

Photoshop Ai: What can it do for you?

15 Comments

Introduction

By now I am pretty sure all of you have already heard of ChatGPT, Midjourney or any of the other artifical intelligences you can now talk to or make use of. Where it got interesting for me, was in early 2023, when Adobe released a Photoshop Beta version with AI features and staggering capabilities. Over the past months I have been using it (for professional work and private stuff) so I wanted to show you some examples where it was useful to me and also how it works.
One thing is for sure, this will vastly disrupt image editing workflows.

Continue reading Photoshop Ai: What can it do for you? →

Accessory, Leica M, Review, Sony E-mount, Technical, TTArtisan

TTArtisan Leica M to E and M to Z 6-bit Adapter

55 Comments

Introduction

ttartisan leica m to sony e adapter 6 bit code programmable exif
Voigtlander VM 75mm 1.5 via TTArtisan M->E 6-bit adapter on Sony A7rII

Since I bought my first E-mount camera seven years ago I have been using adapted M-mount lenses. Missing Exif data have always been a nuisance though and while the “Lens Compensation” camera app was a ray of hope, it didn’t exactly work all that well.
Now TTArtisan came up with a product which I have pitched to so many manufacturers before: a semi programmable Leica-M to Sony-E/Nikon-Z adapter. Let’s have a closer look!
Update August 2024: more information on the version for Nikon Z-mount (affiliate link) added

Continue reading TTArtisan Leica M to E and M to Z 6-bit Adapter →

Leica M, Postprocessing, Technical

How to: Correcting Color Cast in Lightroom

20 Comments

Introduction

Color cast of Funleader 18mm 8.0 on Leica M10

Leica users where the first to discover that their old compact wide angle lenses with the rear element close to the film/sensor plane have some color cast issues on digital cameras. This is an issue that cannot fully be solved by the optical design – at least when following the quest to create compact lenses. But there is something we can do: fix this in post. How to do it? I will show you in this article.

Continue reading How to: Correcting Color Cast in Lightroom →