How good a camera you need? – A closer look at the Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Introduction

huawei mate 20 pro phone photography smartphone small sensor resolution review bokeh computational photography
Huawei Mate 20 Pro | 27mm equivalent | polarizer

Very often we get asked questions like: should I get lens X or lens Y? Out of lens X, Y and Z: which is the best performer? Which 35/50/85mm lens should I buy? Do I need a camera with 42mp? Is the Zeiss Batis 18mm 2.8 or the Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 sharper?
For several reasons we usually cannot answer these questions: rarely we know what you want to use the lens or camera for and often the difference between a good and a bad sample of the same lens is bigger than that between two different lenses.
So, to give you a different perspective, in this article we will look at the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, a smartphone with above-average camera capabilities and see what results can be obtained from this pocketable 200g device.

Sample Images

huawei mate 20 pro phone photography smartphone small sensor resolution review bokeh computational photography
Huawei Mate 20 Pro | 27mm equivalent
huawei mate 20 pro phone photography smartphone small sensor resolution review bokeh computational photography
Huawei Mate 20 Pro | 16mm equivalent
huawei mate 20 pro phone photography smartphone small sensor resolution review bokeh computational photography
Huawei Mate 20 Pro | 80mm equivalent

Continue reading How good a camera you need? – A closer look at the Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Review: Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art

Introduction

sigma 35mm 1.4 art hsm dg sharpness resolution contrast high 42mp a7rii a7riii bokeh za sony
Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art on Sony A7rII

You have been asking for reviews of Sigma Art lenses for quite some time now, so I am glad that I can finally present you one of the Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art. Let us find out if this is the better choice compared to the Sony FE 35mm 1.4 ZA.

Sample Images

sigma 35mm 1.4 art hsm dg sharpness resolution contrast high 42mp a7rii a7riii bokeh za sony
Sony A7III | Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art | f/1.4
sigma 35mm 1.4 art hsm dg sharpness coma astro astrophotography milky way astigmatism
Sony A7III | Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art | f/1.4 | pano from 4 shots
sigma 35mm 1.4 art hsm dg sharpness resolution contrast high 42mp a7rii a7riii bokeh za sony
Sony A7III | Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art | f/1.4

Continue reading Review: Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art

Review: Voigtlander Nokton 21mm F1.4 E

The Voigtlander 1.4/21 is a relatively compact super fast lens for the Sony FE system. In this review I evaluate it’s performance in a wide range of scenarios.

Image Samples

Most images in this review can be found in full resolution in my Voigtlander 1.4/21mm flickr set.

 

Specifications

Diameter 70.5 mm
Length 79.5 mm
Filter Thread 62 mm
Weight (no hood, no caps) 539 g
Max. Magnification 1:7
Close Focusing Distance from the sensor 0.25 m
Number of aperture blades 12
Elements/ Groups 13/11

The Voigtlander 1.4/21 sells for $1199 at CameraQuest | Amazon.com or B&H. 1399€ at ebay.de or ebay.co.uk (affiliate links). If you purchase the lens through one of these affiliate-links I get a small compensation with no additional cost to you.

Changelog

  • 28.6.2019 – Start of review
  • 2.7.2019 – Added some Samples, linked full resolution images and updated alternatives section
  • finalized review

Continue reading Review: Voigtlander Nokton 21mm F1.4 E

Review: Tamron 46A 70-210 mm f/3.8-4

Tamron 46A 70-210 mm f/3.8-4

 

The Tamron 46A 70-210 mm f/3.8-4 was the final version of their affordable tele zoom lenses line.The handy zoom range is combined with a minimum focus distance of 90 cm which results in a max magnification of 1:2.9.
How does this cheap zoom perform in the modern age? Read on to find out!

Tamron 46A 70-210 mm
Tamron 46A 70-210 mm
Tamron 46A 70-210 mm
Tamron 46A 70-210 mm
Tamron 46A 70-210 mm
Tamron 46A 70-210 mm
Tamron 46A 70-210 mm

Continue reading Review: Tamron 46A 70-210 mm f/3.8-4

LensTalk Episode 1 – Sigma mirrorless lenses, Legacy lenses and many reviews

In the Episode 1 of LensTalk Bastian, Juriaan and Phillip speculate what we would expect from upcoming Sigma lenses designed for mirrorless, what role legacy lenses have today and we also discuss a number of published and unpublished reviews.

Sony α | Leica M | Nikon F/Z New article every week