Some photographers like 50mm lenses. Others, like me, are bigger fans of the 35mm field of view. And now, we've got the new Nikon 50mm f1. 4 Z. This is an entry into the character lens lineup that the company offers.
The Nikon Z 135mm f1. 8 Plena is a lens that photographers have been going crazy for. Specifically, if you're a Nikon shooter, then you should be drooling over it. It can deliver beautiful image quality for sure and focuses very quick with the Nikon Z9 especially.
Fujifilm users know the secret is with the film simulations. At least with the Fujifilm X series, there's no denying the beautiful look that you can get from their cameras. But what's the best Fuji lens for portraits? Well, we've tested them all; and we've got a pretty great idea.
Yes! A true Nikon pancake lens is finally here. The Nikon Z 26mm f2. 8 is, perhaps to some, an odd focal length. But that's part of the charm. It's not a 28mm lens or a 24mm lens. But it's right in between.
I snuck away with Nikon for a few hours to play with a pre-production model of their new Nikon Z 85mm f1. 2 S lens. It's a lens previously announced in development and we hoped would have character.
Lots of photographers will only ever buy constant aperture zoom lenses. And if you're curious why, it's often because it makes their job so much easier. Why zoom in and out while having to change your settings? The problem is though that constant aperture zoom lenses tend to get very big.
What's the secret behind the Leica look? Well, besides their incredible lenses, it has to do with the way that photographers use their cameras. Admit it, sometimes you just end up browsing Reddit or Instagram to find photos shot on a Leica that you absolutely fall head over heels for.
Laowa calls the 10mm f4 lens their "cookie. " That means that it's not quite a pancake, except it can really be considered one if you look at what's available on the market. The Laowa 10mm f4 lens is also quite a fascinating lens to use.
What other camera system gives you beautiful bokeh, weather-resistance, and autofocus in such a small size? Honestly, none! And that's why OM System lenses with beautiful bokeh are incredibly appealing.
Let's consider a situation. You went out for a photo shoot with your trusty camera or phone. On location, all the photos looked sharp on the small screen and when you returned to base and opened the photos on your computer you found some photos had missed focus.
I'm going to preface this review with something sincere and upfront: I will keep my original Fujifilm 23mm f1. 4 and keep the newer one. The newer one is a fantastic workhorse of a lens, but the original has the character that I've come to know and love more from Fujifilm.
I've always really liked the Lensbaby line of products. Some of my favorite images I've shot in my reviews have been with stuff using their Composer Pro II. And luckily, some photographers will find glee with the Lensbaby 50mm f2.
The Contax 45mm f2 for G-series film cameras is a classic and iconic lens in many ways. We've seen and heard the hype that many photographers have about it. And that's one of the reasons why the Funleader Contax 45mm is probably going to be loved by so many photographers.
g a Leica is often revered as having achieved a certain level of success amongst photographers. It's what many, myself included, aspire to attain someday. Out of all of the 50mm lenses on the market today, Leica’s lineup of 50mm has easily been my favorite.
This is a lens that has had me scratching my head. Leica is hitting the ball out of the park in so many ways with this lens, but they're also making something a bit odd. The Leica 90-280mm f2. 8-f4 SL is a heavy lens with great optics and beautiful image quality.
If you're like me, you're infatuated with Leica cameras and lenses. They've got something completely different that the rest of the industry doesn't have. And if you shoot with one consistently, it will change the way you approach subjects and scenes.
We know, you probably just got over your gear acquisition syndrome. But in truth, it never really goes away. We'd know, we review a ton of products and then have to ethically send them back. And there are lenses with some beautiful bokeh that we've always adored.
The 28mm lens is fantastic for street photography and everyday documentary imagery. And for years, photographers have loved the Leica 28mm lens. They've reached for various ones too. Ergonomically speaking, they're a fantastic focal length on Leica M camera bodies.
There are loads of articles helping you figure out whether or not you should get an f2. 8 or an f4 zoom lens. We've written articles about it too! The articles all say that it really depends on what you need.
Is it time to get a new lens? If it is, then you're probably wondering about what lenses are doing that makes them stand out from the others. In truth, not a lot of lenses are very innovative from one another.
At the Phoblographer, we work diligently to produce the most lens reviews of any independent photo publication. The small team takes the lenses out into the field to put them to the test. We use them the way passionate photographers would.
Before you read our Mitakon 50mm f0. 95 III review, I want to ground you and bring you to reality. Take all the hype you've got about beautiful bokeh, the f0. 95 aperture, and beautiful images. Now realize a very, very big fact of life: nothing comes without hard work, or smart work.
The worst thing you could possibly do in the photo world would be considered heresy and sacrilege in the church of photography. Truthfully, if you buy a lens with a fast aperture, you should never stop it down.
The Panasonic 85mm f1. 8 is the lens that the system really, really needed. The L-Mount alliance likes to tout that they're the second full-frame mirrorless camera system to hit the market. But they've needed more lenses to fill in gaps.
In a world where the quest for technical perfection has led to clinical staleness, the Mitakon Speedmaster 65mm f1. 4 lens is a breath of fresh air. It arrived on my doorstep in a small, unassuming brown box.
Lots of tips on the web for sharper photos talk about post-production. We've talked about this even on our website. But we've also discussed specular highlights and all that a flash can do for you.
Natural light portrait photography is easy to do but difficult to master. But indeed, some of the most beautiful portraits are shot with diffused window light, skylight, or outdoors. Always remember that a five-in-one reflector is your best friend.
For more stories like this, please subscribe to The Phoblographer. The Leica M-mount system is often revered as a benchmark of aspiration and a defining line in the sand of having made it. For decades, M-mount lenses have been championed for their dreamy lens quality. However, as they have adapted to the general market demands
Leica M-mount lenses are little works of art. They don't try to reinvent the wheel from a design aspect and I think that is one of the things that I respect them for the most. Instead, they find ways to enhance their products without departing from what works.
Mmmm, the pancake lens. It's seriously one of our most favorite optics for any camera. Mount it to your mirrorless camera and the whole package will be so small and lightweight. It's hard to hate on the image quality when the feeling is this great.
In 13 years, I never thought that the megapixel wars and the hunt for clinical perfection would create soulless images. But thankfully, the Funleader Contax 35mm f2 G is slapping that idea in the face.
No one can deny that corny, romantic feeling that you get around the golden hour. If you're a natural light portrait photographer, you know that it's one of the best times for it. Everything naturally looks better as the world turns from golden to blue.
The latest high-end lenses brag about uniform sharpness across every pixel of the photograph. But, for those who find uniformity boring, there’s the Leica 21mm f1. 4 Summilux ASPH. The ultra-wide, ultra-bright M-mount lens delivers more character than technical perfection.
Many of us enjoy quality. Be it a car or a lens, there’s a pleasure in using quality things. And in the case of lenses, how perceivable is the quality of the images captured? The research for this article was prompted by my “lust” for the Voigtlander 50mm f/2 Apo Lanthar. Phillip Reeve has written […]
Lenses made for the Contax G series cameras are legendary. Zeiss did a fantastic job with them. When you combine that with the Leica M mount, you get what I'd like to call a unicorn lens. With today's mirrorless cameras, the Leica M mount is one of the most versatile on the market.
The Leica 28mm is something to behold. One of my favorite lenses is their 28mm f1. 4 for M mount. So when the Leica 28mm f2 Summicron SL, I was incredibly intrigued. Leica started off by making some massive claims about autofocus speed.
The Nikon Z 20mm f1. 8 S review is done and scheduled for the coming days. Reviews Editor Hillary Grigonis thinks that it's a beautiful lens with character, nice colors, and sharp image quality. Indeed, she shoots Nikon professionally.
When Nikon launched the Z mount, the company promised wider apertures and sharper photos. The Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 S is the fruit of that promise. The lens mixes a blurred-to-oblivion depth of field with a sharpness that’s detailed enough to make out the tiniest eyelash even on the lower resolution Z 6 II.
Lots of new photographers picked up the hobby in the pandemic. And we genuinely think that that's wonderful. However, there's a lot of misinformation and a lack of understanding of what's what. Some folks think that if they go for higher contrast that they'll get better photos.
It took me a while to figure out the right headline for this review. The Leica 75mm f2 SL is a beautiful lens with wonderful image quality. Technically it's not really an odd focal length. If you put a 50mm lens on most APS-C cameras, you'll get a 75mm focal length.
Lensbaby launched when founder Craig Strong literally took part of a shop vac hose to mount a vintage lens on his DSLR. The company’s first lens took on a similar look, with a plastic bumpy black tube creating a tiltable lens.
For all intents and purposes, the Leica SL 24-90mm f2. 8-4 demonstrates true innovation. That's the case with Leica trying something new. The standard zoom is a 24-70mm f2. 8 lens. The 70mm focal length always felt odd.
I love the 35mm focal length. And the Leica 35mm f2 Summicron SL APO is honestly no exception to that rule. Mount this lens to your camera, and go! You'll have fun! You'll know that it's there to stick by you through and through.
This is the lens so many have been asking for. Canon currently has two main 85mm lens options. There's the 85mm f1. 2 RF, which we adore. But there is also the Canon RF 85mm f2 lens. The Samyang 85mm f1.
We know Canon makes some fantastic RF mount glass, but the biggest complaint from many photographers has been the cost of entry. There are a couple of affordable RF lenses for Canon’s Mirrorless cameras that don’t get talked about much, and they are the RF 35mm f1.
When I got the Leica 28mm f2 Summicron ASPH, I was pretty excited. I've always loved the feeling of the company's small Summicron lenses. In hand, they just feel right and perfectly mated to the Leica M bodies they attach to.
Contrast--that's one of the things that I think of when we talk about Samyang lenses. The Samyang 45mm f1. 8 is no exception here. For a super affordable price point, you're getting a character in a lens.
Contrast--that's one of the things that I think of when we talk about Samyang lenses. The Samyang 45mm f1. 8 is no exception here. For a super affordable price point, you're getting a character in a lens.
JP Morgan and Kenneth Merrill over at The Slanted Lens have put together an in-depth sensor size comparison that will definitely spark some conversation. They’ve compared medium format, full-frame, APS-C and Micro Four Thirds, in a side-by-side shootout—taking identical photos and making large prints to see how the image quality and dynamic range compares across […]
The blur is worth embracing with the Lensbaby Velvet 28. As this piece is being written, it’s becoming more difficult to drown out the cries of anger from photographers bound to misunderstand the Lensbaby Velvet 28.
When we finally pluck up the courage to purchase an expensive lens, we expect them to be perfect right? Unfortunately, no matter how good the lens is, there are always going to be minor differences when we attach it to our specific camera.
Picture this: you come home after a great day out photographing and you’re excited to look through all the beautiful images you’ve captured. However, after importing them you realize that they’re all garbage because they’re blurry.
A few months back, a viral video showed how the iPhone 7 could (in some respects) hold its own against a $50,000 RED Weapon. This side-by-side comparison of the iPhone 7 Plus against an $82,000 Arri Alexa is a bit more… what you expect.
The question “What aperture is best for landscape photography?” is often asked in various online forums. While there isn’t one “correct” aperture, certain scenes benefit from using a specific one. For standard landscape photography (excluding night photography, macro photography and other niches), the optimal aperture for front-to-back sharpness lies within f/7.1 to f/13. This range […]
The Pentax K-1 is probably the greatest thing to happen to many Pentax users in a while; and when you consider some fantastic lenses like the company's Pentax 15-30mm f2. 8, you start to see more and more how someone could almost want to switch systems.
If you were to tell me that I would honestly fall in love with a Canon lens like the Canon 11-24mm f4 L USM earlier this year, I would've told you that I've had my heart broken by the company many times in the past few years since the Canon 5D Mk III came out.
