Category Archives: Review

Leica M, lenses, Nikon, Review, Sony E-mount, Voigtlander

Lens Reviews in one Sentence – Part 1: Voigtländer

August 7, 2024 BastianK 33 Comments

Introduction

Voigtländer VM 50mm 1.0 Nokton on Leica M6

Modern Voigtländer branded lenses are made by Cosina in Japan. These are all manual focus lenses but except for the M-mount lenses they all feature electronic contacts to communicate with your camera. This is an overview of ~50 of their lenses with my opinion summarized in one sentence to give you an overview and starting point before delving into our in-depth reviews.
Last Update: September 2025

The one sentence reviews are a new concept I am testing here, please tell me in the comment section what you think of it.

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Nikon, Nikon, Review, Vintage

Review: Nikon 105mm 2.0 AF DC-Nikkor

August 4, 2024 BastianK 16 Comments

Introduction

nikon af af-d 105mm 2.0 defocus control dc ed if sharpness review contrast resolution 42mp 61mp 24mp vignetting coma bokeh build quality flare resistance — Nikon AF 105mm 2.0 D DC via adapter 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 105mm 2.0 DC is the shorter of the two DC lenses and In this review I will tell you how it works and if it is actually useful.

Sample Images

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Leica, Leica M, Review

Review: Leica 35mm 1.4 Summilux-M Asph FLE MK II

July 31, 2024 BastianK 24 Comments

Introduction

35mm 1.4 Summilux-M Asph FLE MKII mark 2 leica m10 m11 m6 review contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting coma summilux 42mp 61mp 24mp — Leica 35mm 1.4 Summilux-M Asph FLE MK II on Leica M10

In 2022 Leica started updating some of their f/1.4 Summilux-M lenses. The first lens to receive this treatment was the Leica 35mm 1.4 Summilux-M Asph (now often referred to as “FLE MK II”). While the optical design seems to have remained mostly the same, the new lens features a different casing design and also focuses much closer. It is public knowledge: I was not a big fan of the first generation of this lens, so let’s find out if the seemingly minor update was enough to sway the scale!

Sample Images

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lenses, Nikon, Nikon, Nikon Z, Review

Review: Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S

July 27, 2024 Martin 22 Comments

Introduction

Today we look at one of the first lenses released for Nikon’s Z mount full-frame mirrorless cameras: the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S. This standard lens is versatile enough to be used in street, travel, and everyday photography. it is also a good choice for portraiture, especially on an APS-C camera or on a fullframe camera in DX mode. Combined with a fast f/1.8 aperture, it’s the right choice whenever you don’t know what to expect and want to be prepared for anything, as it gives you both fast shutter speeds and pretty out-of-focus background blur. Lenses with this focal length and maximum aperture combination have been known as Nifty Fifties, but for $630 it sits between the traditionally affordable ‘Nifty Fifty’ lenses and the more expensive f/1.4 professional options. So, the question remains: is it a traditional Nifty Fifty or a sophisticated high-end lens? Let’s find out!

camera-icon2 I tested this lens on a 46 Mp Nikon Z 7II (Sample images Nikon Z 7 II, Nikon Z fc, and Nikon Z f)
You can see this review as YouTube video here!

Sample Images

Nikon Z 7II | Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S | f/1.8

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Nikon, Nikon, Review, Vintage

Review: Nikon 200mm 2.0 IF-ED Ai – The first of its Kind

July 21, 2024 BastianK 27 Comments

Introduction

nikon 200mm 2.0 ai ai-s if ed f/2.0 super tele fast 1977 sport reportage press review 42mp sony nikon z 61mp z6 z7 z8 z9 a7riv a7rv contrast sharpness bokeh vignetting — Nikon 200mm 2.0 IF-ED on Sony A7rII

The Nikon Nikkor 200mm 2.0 IF-ED Ai from 1977 is not only one of Nikon’s most famous lenses, it is also one of the few super fast tele lenses in the ~200mm range I did not yet get my hands on. I have been watching the eBay auctions for this lens for years and at the end of 2023 I managed to find one in mint condition at a price I could afford. So finally, here we are, to have a closer look at the first of its kind.