Review: Sony FE 70-200mm 2.8 GM OSS II

March 8, 2025 BastianK 19 Comments

Introduction

sony fe 70mm-200 2.8 gm g master oss mark ii mk 2 sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9 — Sony FE 70-200mm 2.8 GM OSS II on Sony A7rII

Having a state of the art 70-200mm 2.8 zoom is something very important for the camera manufacturers, as these are extremely popular lenses – especially among the professional customers. Sadly, Sony’s first generation for the FE system wasn’t exactly a stellar performer and fell noticeably behind Nikon’s and Canon’s offerings. I said it before: Sony is very much aware of what the duds in the lineup are, so also here they released an improved version, the Sony FE 70-200mm 2.8 GM OSS II. Is this finally the 70-200mm 2.8 telezoom Sony customers deserve? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Images

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Guides, Sony Alpha 7

Guide to best Sony E-Mount 35mm Lenses for A7/A9/A1 series

Video March 8, 2025 The Team 108 Comments

review sharpness 42mp high resolution sample test vergleich comparison bokeh handling build quality a7riii autofocus af close macro

35mm is a very popular focal length with a wide range of applications ranging from landscape over astrophotography to environmental portraiture and many consider it the best choice when only using one prime lens. We decided to summarize our experience with all the native E-mount and a few legacy 35mm lenses for the Sony A7 series to give you a compact and independent resource for choosing the best 35mm lens for your needs.

We also have a general guide to FE-lenses, 9-18mm ultra wide angle lenses, guide to 20-28mm wide angle lenses, 50mm lenses, 85-200mm portrait lenses and macro lenses.

Unlike most other review sites we have no association with any lens manufacturer apart from occasionally loaning a lens for a review. We prefer independence over fancy trips and nice meals.

Before any short introduction we tell you how long we have used a lens and if we have borrowed it from a manufacturer. But in most cases we have bought the lenses new from retail stores or on the used market. If you want to support our independent reviews please consider using one of the affiliate links. It doesn’t cost you anything and helps us a lot.

If we have left any question unanswered please leave a comment or contact us on social media and we will do our best to answer it.

Last update: March 2025, cleaned up a bit

Continue reading Guide to best Sony E-Mount 35mm Lenses for A7/A9/A1 series →

Nikon, Nikon, Review

Review: Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.8G

March 6, 2025 BastianK 9 Comments

Introduction

nikon af-s 85mm 1.8 g n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9 — Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.8G via Monster LA-FE1 on Sony A7rII

One-and-a-half years after the faster – and significantly more expensive – Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.4G, this Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.8G had been released. Two thirds of a stop slower, about half the weight and less than a third of the price – but with very similar imaging characteristics. At the end of the DSLR era this was a very popular lens and Nikon made a whole lot of them, but is it still an interesting option today? Let’s try to find out in this review.

Sample Images

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Canon, Leica M, Review

Review: Canon 50mm 0.95 – The original f/0.95 Dream Lens

March 3, 2025 BastianK 22 Comments

Introduction

review canon leica m 50mm 0.95 tv dream lens lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignetting — Canon 50mm 0.95 on Leica M10

While only lately f/0.95 fullframe lenses have become somewhat wider available and affordable, the first one that was commercially produced was the Canon 50mm 0.95 for the Canon 7 rangefinder cameras and that was in 1961. To put things into perspective, that was 47 years before Leica’s first f/0.95 lens, the Leica 50mm 0.95 Noctilux-M Asph, and 58 years before Nikon’s first, the Nikon Z 58mm 0.95 S Noct-Nikkor. Canon themselves called this the “Dream Lens”, so after already having reviewed most of these f/0.95 fullframe lenses, let’s get back to their roots and have a look at the original!
Big thanks to Camera Obscura Elburg for sending me the lens for this review!

Sample Images

review canon leica m 50mm 0.95 tv dream lens lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignettingreview canon leica m 50mm 0.95 tv dream lens lens contrast resolution m10 42mp 24mp 61mp m6 analogue contrast bokeh vignetting — Nikon Zf | TTArtisan 6-bit Adapter | Canon 50mm 0.95 | f/0.95

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lenses, Review, Viltrox

REVIEW: Viltrox AF 25mm f/1.7 Air (APS-C)

February 28, 2025 Martin 16 Comments

Introduction

Nikon Zfc | Viltrox AF 25mm F/1.7 STM ASPH ED IF

About two months ago, Viltrox released a 35mm f/1.7 for APS-C cameras. It seems they’ve been busy, as they’ve now introduced the 25mm f/1.7 in their Air series. Officially named the Viltrox AF 25mm f/1.7 Air STM ASPH IF, it certainly comes with a lot of acronyms to keep track of!

This is an unusual focal length, equivalent to 37.5mm on a full-frame camera—sitting between the classic 35mm and 40mm, both popular choices for everyday and street photography. Let’s take a closer look!

camera-icon2 I tested the lens on a Nikon Zfc
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.