REVIEW: Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 Air (APS-C)

Introduction

On the same day that Viltrox introduced the AF 14mm f/4, an affordable autofocus ultra-wide-angle lens for full-frame cameras, they also announced a 9mm f/2.8 autofocus lens for APS-C cameras — the widest AF prime lens for crop sensors and another addition to their compact, lightweight Air series.

camera-icon2I tested this lens on a Nikon Zfc via a Megadap adapter (Sample images were taken with a Sony a6700)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f2.8
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f2.8
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f6.3
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f3.5
Sony a6700 | Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air | f2.8

Continue reading REVIEW: Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 Air (APS-C)

Review: Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 FE

Introduction

viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF on Sony A7rII

We have already seen some affordable compact ultra wide angle lenses from the Chinese manufacturers, but so far none of them came with autofocus. Thanks to Viltrox this is about to change, so let’s have a look together at this Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 FE.

Sample Images

viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/5.6
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/5.6
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0 | Ai Denoise
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0 | Ai Denoise
viltrox af 14mm 4.0 fe air small review sharpness contrast bokeh coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7rii a7iii a7riv a7rv a7iv a1 a9 a9ii
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 AF | f/4.0

Continue reading Review: Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 FE

Review: Laowa 180mm 4.5 Apo Macro 1.5:1

Introduction

laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Laowa 180mm 4.5 Apo Macro on Sony A7rII

Compact 180-200mm primes are pretty much dead today and have been replaced by bigger and heavier zoom lenses. Personally, I have been hoping for a modern incarnation of something like the Voigtländer 180mm 4.0 SL Apo-Lanthar or the Sigma 180mm 5.6 Apo Macro for a long time. In 2025 Laowa released this Laowa 180mm 4.5 1.5:1 Apo Macro. Is this the versatile tele prime we have been waiting for? Let’s try to find out in this review.
Update 10/25: a firmware update has been released allowing for automated focus stacking, see here.

Sample Images

laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5 | Ai denoise
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/8.0
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Nikon Zf | megadap ETZ21pro | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5 | Ai Denoise
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5
laowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5iilaowa 180mm 4.5 f/4.5 apo macro makro light tele lightweight small 200mm sony 42mp a7rii a7riv a7riii A9 A9ii a1 a1ii review resolution sharpness contrast sunstar sunstars starburst blende blendenstern Nikon z z5 z6 z7 z8 z9 zf z5ii
Sony A7III | Laowa 180mm 4.5 Macro | f/4.5

Continue reading Review: Laowa 180mm 4.5 Apo Macro 1.5:1

REVIEW: LOMOGRAPHY Petzval 55mm F/1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II Art Lens

Lomography New Petzval Mark II 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control

Introduction

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!

camera-icon2I 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.

Sample Images

Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/1.7 | BC7
Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/2
Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/1.7 | BC7
Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/1.7 | BC7
Nikon Zf | LOMOGRAPHY New Petzval 55mm 1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II | f/1.7

Continue reading REVIEW: LOMOGRAPHY Petzval 55mm F/1.7 Bokeh Control Mark II Art Lens

Review: Pergear CFexpress Typ B 512GB

Introduction

Pergear entered the memory card market later than many of the bigger players, but in 2022 and 2023 they launched high-spec CFexpress Type B and Type A cards at far more budget-friendly prices. They’re quickly carving out a place for themselves alongside more established brands.

When they asked if I wanted to test their newest card, I agreed—mainly because I wanted to see how it stacks up against the cards I already use in my cameras. Let’s take a closer look.

camera-icon2I tested this card on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!

Continue reading Review: Pergear CFexpress Typ B 512GB

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