Review: Nikon Nikkor 105mm 2.5 Ai – The Portrait Tele Bestseller

Introduction Some lenses became famous because they are rare and/or expensive. Neither is the case for the Nikon Nikkor 105mm 2.5 Ai. In fact – from the early 70s to the mid 80s – Nikon made a lot of them, it was by far their best selling short tele prime. Why was that? And are … Continue reading Review: Nikon Nikkor 105mm 2.5 Ai – The Portrait Tele Bestseller

Review: Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 STM ED IF – Ultra Compact Portrait Lens (APS-C)

Introduction Viltrox, a pioneer in autofocus lenses from China, has been on a roll lately, releasing new lenses for both full-frame and APS-C cameras. Their recent APS-C PRO series boasts impressive quality but with a larger size footprint. In stark contrast, their latest creation is this super-compact AF 56mm f/1.7. Let’s see how this tiny … Continue reading Review: Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 STM ED IF – Ultra Compact Portrait Lens (APS-C)

Review: Nikon Nikkor 55mm 1.2 Ai – The first f/1.2 F-mount lens

Introduction The optical design of this Nikkor 55mm 1.2 dates back to 1965, which makes it Nikon’s first f/1.2 lens for the F-mount. Among Nikon’s three manual focus f/1.2 ~50mm lenses this is not exactly a fan favorite though and usually considered the worst of the bunch. Let’s try to find out in this review … Continue reading Review: Nikon Nikkor 55mm 1.2 Ai – The first f/1.2 F-mount lens