Laowa 100mm f2.8 CA-Dreamer Macro 2x: A review

This post is by David Braddon-Mitchell from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

This lens costs $449. It’s a 100mm f2.8 macro, which focuses down to twice life-size. A feat no other lens in its class achieves. It also focuses to infinity. It claims to be apochromatic. How good can it be? Is it, as some suspected when they first heard about it, good for macro but only an emergency lens for infinity use? Or is it the deal of the century? I’m afraid I’m going to make you read further if you want to find out!

Samples

Specifications

Diameter	max 72 mm
Length	155 mm
Filter Thread	67 mm
Weight (w/o Continue reading “Laowa 100mm f2.8 CA-Dreamer Macro 2x: A review”

2019-07-16

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

This post is by BastianK from phillipreeve.net

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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

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

2019-07-14

Review: Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art

This post is by BastianK from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

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 coma astro astrophotography milky way astigmatism — Sony A7III | Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art | f/1.4 | pano from 4 shots

2019-07-10

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

This post is by JuriaanM from phillipreeve.net

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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!

Specifications

Diameter

66 mm

Length

139.4 mm (focused

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

2019-07-09

Sony FE 35mm F1.8 announced

This post is by Phillip Reeve from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

Sony just announced the 35mm F1.8. We will preorder it and review it as soon as possible. Here is what information we have found so far.

Specifications

Diameter	66 mm
Length	73 mm
Filter Thread	55 mm
Weight	280 g
Max. Magnification	1:4
Close focusing distance	22 cm
Number of aperture blades	9, rounded
Elements/ Groups	11/9 – one aspherical element

You will be able to pre-order it soonish at amazon.com | B&H Photo for $748 and support the blog (affiliate links). The price in Germany will be 699€ and it should be available from August.

Handling

Continue reading “Sony FE 35mm F1.8 announced”

2019-07-06

Review: Tokina FiRIN 100mm F2.8 FE Macro

This post is by Phillip Reeve from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

Tokina has made some popular macro lenses. So, how did the Tokina FiRIN 100mm F2.8 macro turn out? Check out my review for the in-depth analysis.

Image Samples

You can find most images shown in this review in full resolution in this album: Tokina FiRIN 2.8/100 Macro.

Specifications

Diameter	74 mm
Length	123 mm
Filter Thread	55 mm
Weight	570 g
Max. Magnification	1:1
Working distance	11.5 cm
Number of aperture blades	9, rounded
Elements/ Groups	9/8

As of July 2019 the Tokina FiRIN 2.8/100 sells for $599 at amazon.com | B&H Photo,

Continue reading “Review: Tokina FiRIN 100mm F2.8 FE Macro”

2019-07-052019-07-06

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

This post is by Phillip Reeve from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

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.

The post LensTalk Episode 1 – Sigma mirrorless lenses, Legacy lenses and many reviews appeared first on phillipreeve.net.

2019-06-30

Quick Review: Zenitar 50mm 0.95 E

This post is by BastianK from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

Introduction

zenitar 50mm 0.95 noctilux zhong yi mitakon SLRmagic sharpness resolution 42mp e-mount a7rIII a7rII bokeh — Zenitar 50mm 0.95 E on Sony A7rII

Zenith is mostly famous for still producing decade old designs like the Helios 2/58 and some Kickstarter lenses like the Petzval. But this Zenitar 50mm 0.95 E is a completely new design with staggering specs. But how does it stack up to the Zhong Yi Mitakon 50mm 0.95?
This was supposed to be a full scale review, but unfortunately this lens is so inherently flawed that I decided writing one would be a waste of time, read on to find out why.

Samples

2019-06-282019-07-12

Review: Voigtlander Nokton 21mm F1.4 E

This post is by Phillip Reeve from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

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.

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

2019-06-25

Review: Laowa 15mm 4.0 Macro

This post is by BastianK from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

Introduction

laowa 15mm 4.0 f/4 macro f/4.0 review 42mp high resolution makro close focus flare e-mount a7rii a7riii — Laowa 15mm 4.0 macro on Sony A7rII

The Laowa 15mm 4.0 macro is a very unique lens, being the only ultra wide angle lens that can focus close enough to offer a maximum magnification of 1:1. But how useful is an ultra wide angle lens optimized for such magnifications? Let us find out in this review!

Sample Images

2019-06-20

Review: Minolta Auto Rokkor-PF 55 mm f/2

This post is by JuriaanM from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

The Minolta Auto Rokkor-PF 55 mm f/2 is a small legacy standard lens from the sixties. Does this lens still deserve a spot in a modern camera bag?

Minolta Auto Rokkor-PF 55 mm f/2 | f/5.6

Versions and history

There are four different versions of this lens, all with 6 elements in 5 groups (an overview can be found here).

The first version (1959) was introduced in 1958 and can be recognized by half click stops between f/2 and f/5.6. This

Continue reading “Review: Minolta Auto Rokkor-PF 55 mm f/2”

2019-06-15

Review: Sony FE 35mm 1.4 ZA

This post is by BastianK from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

Introduction

review sharpness 42mp high resolution sample test vergleich comparison bokeh handling build quality a7riii autofocus af — Sony FE 35mm 1.4 ZA on Sony A7rII

The Sony FE 35mm 1.4 ZA was the first f/1.4 prime for the Sony FE system. But can it keep up with the latest GM lenses available today? Find out in this review!

Sample Images

review sharpness 42mp high resolution sample test vergleich comparison bokeh handling build quality a7riii autofocus af close macro — Sony A7rII | Sony FE 35mm 1.4 ZA | f/1.4

2019-06-09

Review: Canon EF 200mm 2.0 L IS

This post is by BastianK from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

Introduction

canon ef 200mm 2.0 l is usm sony 42mp high res review 1.8 comparison sharpness bokeh resolution brenizer — Canon EF 200mm 2.0 L IS USM on Sony A7rII

Regular readers know I have a soft spot for lenses like this. The Canon EF 200mm 2.0 L IS has been introduced in 2008 and is still the latest lens in its class. So how does it stack up compared to the older 200mm 1.8 L? And how does it work with the new real time AF of the gen 3 cameras? Find out in this review!

Sample Images

2019-06-04

LensTalk Episode 0

This post is by Phillip Reeve from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

Bastian, Jannik and I met up on Skype and created our very first podcast. It is an experiment and still rather raw, far away from technical perfection but we decided the best way to get started would be to just start and improve along the way.

To improve the podcast so would we greatly appreciate your feedback! So please leave a comment! What did you like? What did you not like? Which topics would you like to be discussed in the podcast?

Topics

Bastian got himself an a7III
We discuss the Peak Design travel tripod on Kickstarter
Adapter headaches with Continue reading “LensTalk Episode 0”

2019-06-03

Review: Voigtlander 21mm F3.5 Color-Skopar

This post is by Phillip Reeve from phillipreeve.net

Click here to view on the original site: Original Post

The Voigtlander 3.5/21 is a tiny, relatively affordable, manual focus lens for the Sony FE system. In this review I evaluate it’s performance.

Image Samples

You can find most images shown in this image in full resolution in this album.

Specifications

Diameter	63 mm
Length	40 mm
Filter Thread	52 mm
Weight	230 g
Max. Magnification
Close Focusing Distance from the sensor	0.2 m
Number of aperture blades	10
Elements/ Groups	9/8