Review: Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G

September 6, 2025 BastianK 12 Comments

Introduction

sony fe 16mm 1.8 g review comparison a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp sharpness bokeh sample — Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G on Sony A7rII

Sometimes when new lenses are being announced they sound too good to be true and here that was certainly the case: the Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G has a lower MSRP than the already amazingly great Sony FE 20mm 1.8 G while being similarly sized. But not enough: it is “only” 2 mm less wide than the higher priced and much bigger Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM which doesn’t even feature a filter thread. Is this the perfect ultra wide angle prime for fullframe Sony E-mount cameras? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Image

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Analogue, B&W Negative

Analogue Photography: Part 3 – A Nostalgic Race and a Suburban Shopping Centre with Kodak Tri-X

September 3, 2025 Martin 22 Comments

Polished chrome and proud owners – Jaguar XK120 | Kodak 400TX

Introduction

As promised in my previous analogue articles, “Analogue Photography – A Personal Journey Part 1 and Part 2”, I’ve started shooting with film again and will be sharing the results from each roll in this series.

The pictures you see in this article all come from a single roll of Tri-X, shot at ISO 400 and developed and scanned by bildskanning.com in Sweden.

You can see this article as a YouTube video here!

For the first instalment, I wanted to begin with one of the oldest and most classic black-and-white films available: Kodak Tri-X. It’s a cornerstone of analogue photography, used for generations by renowned photographers. Tri-X first appeared in the 1940s as a sheet film rated at ASA 200, and since 1954 it has been available in 35mm and 120 roll formats at ISO 400.

Continue reading Analogue Photography: Part 3 – A Nostalgic Race and a Suburban Shopping Centre with Kodak Tri-X →

Leica M, Voigtlander

Review: Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 Ultra-Wide-Heliar MK III

August 31, 2025 BastianK 11 Comments

Introduction

voigtländer vm 12mm 5.6 iii mk mark 3 resolution contrast flare resistance distortion vignetting coma leica m10 m9 m11 monochrome mono sony nikon a7rv z6 z6 z8 z9 zf — Voigtländer VM 12mm 5.6 Ultra-Wide-Heliar III on Leica M10

Between 2015 and 2016 Cosina released three ultra wide angle lenses for M-mount, the VM 10mm 5.6 Hyper-Wide Heliar, the VM 15mm 4.5 Super-Wide-Heliar III and this VM 12mm 5.6 Ultra-Wide-Heliar III. While the 10mm and 15mm are still in production 10 years later, this 12mm has been discontinued after 3 years only. What was the reason for that? Let’s find out in this review.
Lens is being tested on 42mp Sony A7rII and 24mp Leica M10

Sample Images

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photography, Technical

Understanding F-Numbers and Light Transmission

August 27, 2025 Martin 17 Comments

Introduction

When comparing camera lenses, one of the most commonly discussed features is how “fast” a lens is—usually expressed in terms of f-numbers. But what do those numbers actually mean, and how precise are the differences we talk about, like “half a stop” or “two-thirds of a stop”?
In this article, we’ll unpack how f-numbers relate to light transmission, explore why the system isn’t always as exact as it seems, and show you how to calculate these differences for yourself—or simply reference our handy table at the end. Continue reading Understanding F-Numbers and Light Transmission →

Nikon, Nikon, Review

Review: Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.4G

August 23, 2025 BastianK 6 Comments

Introduction

nikon nikkor af-s 85mm 1.4g n gold ring portrait review contrast resolution famous 42mp 61mp bokeh vignetting coma aspherical sony a7rII z7 z8 z9 z6 zf — Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.4G via Monster LA-FE on Sony A7rII

From 2010 to 2023 this Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.4G had been Nikon’s top of the line fullframe fast 85mm portrait tele lens. I personally used it back in the day on Nikon DSLRs until I switched to Sony’s mirrorless cameras. Now that we have decent AF adapters for these Nikon lenses I thought it would be a good idea to revisit it and see if it is still a lens worth considering today.