In 1979 Nikon released a lineup of cheaper manual focus lenses called “Series E” instead of “Nikkor”. Today we will have a closer look at the Nikon 50mm 1.8 Series E, probably the most popular lens of that series and definitely the smallest.
Martin recently reviewed Lomo’s replica of a Petzval lens. I commented, perhaps slightly snidely, that vintage Petzval lenses are still around, often for less money, and often with better centre sharpness – and certainly with a vast choice of models and thus rendition nuances.
Martin suggested I share my knowledge in an article. And like an inverse Spice Girl, one became two. This one seeks to introduce you to the weird magic of Petzval lenses and their widespread availability from old cinema film projectors. The next will look at adapting them, and indeed any old projection lens, to a modern-day camera.
So here we go, I guess.
All pictures were taken on full-frame evils: a Sony a7r2 and an a7cr. Some were cropped; all were adjusted for proper blacks and whites according to ancient darkroom principles. None had additional sharpening or aberration correction applied.
Continue reading Projector Lenses – Reviving the Joy of Old Petzval Lenses (Guest Article)
Today, I’m taking a look at a vintage classic — the Nikkor 24mm f/2 AI. With analogue photography making a strong comeback, old film-era lenses like this are getting attention again. Nikon first released it in 1977 as the AI version, followed by the AI-S in 1981 — same optical design, just refined mechanics. This lens was designed near the end of the era when Nikon still held absolute dominance in the professional segment.
For decades, this was Nikon’s fastest 24mm, holding that title until the AF-S 24mm f/1.4G came along in 2010. Even more impressive, Nikon kept producing it until 2005 and sold it as new until 2007 — nearly 30 years on the market. That’s a remarkably long run for any lens, but was it truly because of its performance, or something else? Let’s find out.
I tested this lens on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf )
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.
Inspired by a 19th-century design with a cult following, Lomography has brought the spirit of Joseph Petzval’s optics into the mirrorless era. Over the years, Lomography has released several lenses based on Joseph Petzval’s original 1840s optical designs. The Lomography Petzval 55mm f/1.7 Bokeh Control MKII is the company’s first Art Lens built specifically for full-frame mirrorless cameras. It’s a reimagining of the original design, aiming to replicate the aesthetic qualities of those early lenses: a sharp centre and wild, swirling bokeh that makes any merry-go-round effect fade in comparison.
I’ve reviewed other lenses that produce a somewhat similar effect — such as the Helios 40, Helios 44, and TTArtisan’s remake of the Carl Zeiss Biotar 75/1.5 — but in terms of effect, those are more like corrected versions of this lens, taming the aberrations that create its distinctive bokeh.
While I usually follow a standard testing procedure, you’ll see that there’s little point in doing so with this lens. After all, it’s not sharpness charts or corner performance that matter here—this is a lens about feel, character, and swirly chaos. So, this will be part review, part test—let’s dive in!
I tested this lens on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf )
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.
Continue reading REVIEW: LOMOGRAPHY Petzval 55mm F/1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II Art Lens
During the SLR era Tokina had a bit of a thing for 17mm 3.5 ultra wide angle lenses, as they made three different iterations of it. This is a review of the latest one and the urban legend says that the older manual focus version is actually the better performer. I always found that hard to believe, so I thought it was a good idea to find out myself. So let’s have a closer look at this Tokina 17mm 3.5 AF AT-X Pro.
