Review by Klaus Schroiff, published May 2022 Introduction Every once in a while, many of us are feeling an itch for something exotic – a super-tele maybe, an extreme macro lens, a fisheye lens … or an insane ultra-wide lens. And the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM falls into the latter category. 14mm may sound harmless but it’s excessively wide really with a (fully corrected) field of view of 114 degrees. This can create LOTS of drama in your images. However, lenses this wide are also notoriously difficult to use because they emphasize the foreground and finding an interesting one…
Author: Klaus
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published May 2022 Introduction No system is complete without macro lenses and while Canon has been offering the RF 85mm f/2 STM IS macro early, it isn’t really aligned to professional needs, at least.In order to serve this market, Canon finally released the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L USM IS macro. As professional-grade lenses go, the price for the entry ticket is on the high side at $1400/1500EUR – that’s more than double the amount you have to pay for the faster RF 85mm f/2. This raises the question of whether it’s really worth it ……
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published April 2022 Introduction The Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 USM L was one of the first lenses for the RF-mount cameras. You may also say that it was nothing short but a STATEMENT because it’s the world’s first full-format standard zoom lens with a constant max aperture of f/2. It supplements the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 USM L IS, so Canon users are blessed with two high-speed zoom lenses in this range class. The two lenses are fairly different so each one has its place with the RF 28-70mm f/2 USM L surely being the more exotic…
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published February 2022 Introduction There is a general notion that full-format is the way to go for shallow depth-of-field photography. Of course, there have been many attempts to defy the limitations of smaller formats with f/1.4 and f/1.2 lenses. However, even this isn’t enough for some smaller Chinese players. Notably, Laowa got serious about it with a set of f/0.95 “Argus”-branded lenses. Now, in all honesty – lenses around the f/1 mark tend to be relatively poor in terms of performance – or let’s call it “full of character,” as Youtubers describe it. The new Laowa…
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published February 2022 Introduction First of all, I’ve to admit something – I’m one of the oddballs who love fish-eye lenses. Not always but often.Maybe it relates to the sea of conventional lenses that find their way into our lab and everything unusual is a welcome distraction. So in any case I have got a favorable bias. Thus the offer to review the new Tokina SZ 8mm f/2.8 Fish-Eye was very welcomed. It’s a fully manual, APS-C mount lens for X- and E-mount. The lens is very compact and lightweight – as it should be.Fish-eye lenses…
An ultra-wide lens on a budget?
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published January 2022 Introduction So to finalize our little tour of Tokina’s new gang of three prime lenses, let’s have a look at the Tokina atx-m 33mm f/1.4 E. Just like its cousins – the 23mm f/1.4 and 56mm f/1.4 – it probably shares most of its genes with a corresponding lens over at Viltrox. Still, it adds a more recognized brand and more local service centers to the value proposition. It is equivalent to a standard prime lens on APS-C cameras with a correspondingly broad amount of applications. Available for around $400USD or 320EUR, it…
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published January 2022 Introduction Recently, we reviewed the Tokina atx-m 56mm f/1.4 X in Fujifilm X mount, but there’s also a variant in E-mount – correspondingly named the Tokina atx-m 56mm f/1.4 E. On APS-C cameras, the field-of-view is equivalent to “85mm” on full-format cameras. Thus it primarily targets the popular portrait-, still- and street-photography market. Priced at around 370EUR/$430USD, which is slightly more affordable than the X-mount version – probably a result of the stiffer competition in E-mount. As of the time of this review, we can count no less than 19 different standard prime…
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published January 2022 Introduction The Tokina atx-m 23mm f/1.4 E is a moderate, wide-angle prime lens for APS-C Sony E-mount cameras. The paper specs may appear familiar to some of you. While differences may be present, the lens seems strongly related to the Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 which we reviewed last year. Cooperations in the industry are fairly normal and it’s undoubtedly a win for both companies especially regarding Tokina’s better-known branding and service network. The pricing remains reasonable at around $450USD or 370EUR. The build quality is pretty high so the lens remains true to…
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published December 2021 Introduction The Sigma 100-400mm f/5.6-6.3 DG DN OS is the mirrorless camera version of the highly popular Sigma 100-400mm f/5.6-6.3 DG OS HSM. While very similar in shape, there are some subtle differences – including a modified optical formula. Unlike the older lens, it is at least possible to attach an (optional) tripod mount. The HSM has been replaced by a stepping motor which is more aligned to the use on mirrorless cameras. The good news is the pricing only increased marginally to around 950 USD/EUR both in Sony E- and L-mount. It may come…