Introduction Viltrox produces a series of high-quality as well as budget-focussed AF lenses. The Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 Z clearly falls into the latter category, with a retail price of just $150 USD—a price region that has been all but abandoned by the Japanese OEMs. It’s a full-format standard prime lens, albeit a bit of a slow slide for a representative of its class. 40mm lenses became a bit en vogue during the last years probably because it’s a bit better suited to street photography. Technically, in terms of perspective (not field-of-view), this focal length is closer to the human eye (~43mm)…
Author: Klaus
Some may not understand it, but from a personal perspective, yours truly has long waited for a “premium” super-ultra-wide prime lens, and it doesn’t need to be fast as long as it’s compact. So now, we (or maybe just I?) have a new contender for a place in the photo bag—the Sigma 17mm f/4 DG DN Contemporary | Series I. Based on the paper specs, it does many things right in terms of compactness, but some may argue that $600 USD for an f/4 lens may be a bit overpriced given its slow speed. So, let’s see where it fits in.…
Introduction We reviewed the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 in Sony E-mount about a year ago, and the results were more than just impressive for this kind of lens. Viltrox has now released this lens in Nikon Z mount as well. There won’t be any fundamental differences, but let’s see how the lens performs on Nikon’s 45-megapixel sensor. The 16mm f/1.8 Z is a full-format ultra-wide lens for those who haven’t read the Sony review already. It retails for about $550 USD, which is quite a steal, given the speed of the lens. The mechanical implementation is pretty much identical to…
Ref. S9: https://www.panasonic.com/uk/corporate/news/articles/panasonic-announces-new-lumix-s9-compact-full-frame-mirrorless-camera.html PRESS RELEASE Panasonic Announces New LUMIX S9 Compact Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera London, 22nd May 2024 Panasonic is proud to announce the LUMIX S9, the smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless camera in the LUMIX S Series. Available in a choice of colors – Jet Black, Crimson Red, Dark Olive, and Classical Blue – the LUMIX S9 is a stylish companion for content creators on the go. The approx.24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, equivalent to that of the LUMIX S5II, and the latest engine capture content in rich detail with natural tones. In addition, the camera is equipped with PDAF (Phase…
Introduction It is always exciting to review lenses with exotic specs, but the truth is that much of the real-world action in shops is about items with a more sane price tag. The Japanese manufacturers seem to depart from this market segment, thus making room for new players – and Viltrox is one of them. While Viltrox is now also exploring higher-grade products, they still release more affordable lenses, such as the Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 X offered for as low as $169 USD ($139 in Zmount). That’s far more affordable than Fujifilm’s own 50mm f/2 R WR lens. The 56mm…
Introduction AstrHori is one of the Chinese lens manufacturers trying to move up the food chain. An important step is always the transition to autofocus lenses. A while ago, they released the AstrHori AF 85mm f/1.8 in Sony-E mount, but there’s now also a Z-mount version. While it may appear to be a copy of a classic lens, it is actually a dedicated mirrorless-format lens – the rear element is close to the sensor. However, it doesn’t use any special elements that already suggest they aren’t chasing the high-end market. The price of merely $249 is also clearly at the…
Ref.: https://www.astrhori.cn/products/85mm-f1-8-full-frame-autofocus-lens PRESS RELEASE Automatic lenses for Nikon Camera Full FrameFrame: Full FrameFoal Length: 85mmAperture range: F1.8 – F16Field of view: 28.4°Minimum focusing distance: 790mmLens Configuration：9 Elements in 8 groupsFilter Size: φ 72mmWeight: 626gMount: Nikon ZPrice: $249
Ref.: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/a024_24_70_28_ii/ Press Release The Art 24-70mm F2.8, evolved on all levels:rendering performance, functionality, and portability. The SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art is SIGMA’s flagship lens that has evolved significantly from the previous model by incorporating the most advanced technologies available to SIGMA from design to production. Compared to the previous SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Art, the SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art has improved resolving power throughout the entire zoom range, and also benefits from functional enhancements such as the addition of an aperture ring and high-speed AF with a redesigned AF…
Ref.: https://fujifilm-x.com/en-au/products/cameras/x-t50/ PRESS RELEASE TOKYO, May 16, 2024 – FUJIFILM Corporation announce the launch of the “FUJIFILM X-T50” (X-T50) worldwide in June and onward. The X-T50, the latest model in the X series, offers outstanding image quality, compact and lightweight body. The X-T50 is a versatile and compact camera with a lightweight body weighing approximately 438g*1 and equipped with the back-illuminated 40.2 megapixel “X-Trans™ CMOS 5 HR”*2 sensor, the “X-Processor 5” high-speed image processing engine, and a 5-axis, maximum 7.0-stop*3 in-body image stabilization function. It delivers high mobility, high image quality, and high performance, and can be used for still image shooting in a wide…
Ref.: https://fujifilm-x.com/en-au/products/lenses/xf16-50mmf28-48-r-lm-wr/ PRESS RELEASE TOKYO, May 16, 2024 – FUJIFILM Corporation announces the launch of the “FUJINON Lens XF16-50mmF2.8 -4.8 R LM WR” (XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR) from June, 2024. The lens is a new lineup of the “XF Lens” interchangeable lens lineup for the mirrorless digital camera “X Series” that offers outstanding image quality and compact size and weight thanks to its unique color reproduction technology. The XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR is a standard zoom lens with a focal length range from 16mm (equivalent to 24mm in 35mm format) wide angle to 50mm (equivalent to 76mm in 35mm format) medium telephoto.…