Lens Reviews
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Nikon Nikkor Z 58mm F0.95 S Noct: Initial Impressions
The Nikkor Z 58mm F0.95 S Noct is one of Nikon’s showcase lenses – a sort of throwback to the early days of Nikon’s interest in optical research. It’s certainly a lens that splits opinions – I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about it – though there’s no denying it’s a beautifully made lens that’s capable of extremely high image quality in all its nuances. You can read about my opinion on this lens here. Build Like other Nikon exotics it’s delivered in a massively oversized cardboard box but inside it contains a large Pelican type hard-case, instead of the more usual soft-padded type. I didn’t weigh the…
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Sony FE 85mm F1.8 lens review: Excellent image quality at a reasonable price
Announced in early 2017, the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 is a short-tele designed for the company’s mirrorless full-frame a9/a7 models. It will of course also serve double duty on the APS-C a6000 series, where it’s more or less a 135mm equivalent. Although not a premium G-master model like the F1.4 version announced the year before, it’s a lot smaller and lighter and still has some features that might be considered premium. This include a near silent, twin-focus drive system using a stepping motor, a focus-hold button that can be customised, weather sealing and a nine-blade circular aperture. It’s also quite nicely made, with a mainly metal exterior and large manual…
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Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm F4S lens review: Compact and capable performer
This is what you’ll get if you buy one of the mirrorless Nikon Z 6 or Z 7 cameras as part of a kit, but as one of Nikon’s S series of primes it’s meant as a ‘premium’ model. While we’ve yet to see what one of the ‘standard’ models is like build-wise, this sober-looking lens is a step or two above the DX equivalent zooms in the company’s range. It’s nicely made but it’s not quite up to the pro-oriented build of the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S (reviewed here). Still, with a part-plastic part-metal outer, this is intended as lightweight and compact design. It even has a retractable…
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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm F4E TC1.4 FL ED VR lens review: Nikon’s best tele-zoom
The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm F4E TC1.4 FL ED VR is an updated version of the AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F4G ED VR – one of the first lenses Nikon added stabilisation (VR) to (the other being the AF-S Nikkor 200mm F2.0, effectively a 300mm on the DX only bodies back then) and the favourite of animal safari photographers everywhere. Not surprisingly, it’s also a popular choice with those that cover sports. This new model though is much more than just an update – it’s a re-designed lens complete with a built-in 1.4x teleconverter that’s meant to counter the Canon EF 200-400mm F4L IS USM Extender 1.4x, itself a showcase model…
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Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary lens review: Great rendering and build quality
Sigma’s range of ‘Contemporary’ series lenses, such as the Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary, are all about maintaining a balance between size, performance and price. They’re not smaller versions of the Art series lenses, which are meant to deliver the best possible image quality, regardless of size. With a 55mm filter thread, and weighing 215g ( 7.58 oz) its diminutive size in E-mount nicely complements the Sony a7/9 series and in the L-mount version, maybe also the larger Leica SL and Lumix S1 models, which it has also been designed for. At around £549 / $549 [advertiser links], this all-metal lens is beautifully made. It even comes with a…
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Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S lens review: Nikon’s best 24-70mm to date
What is it? The Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S [advertiser link] is the first pro-oriented lens for Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless Z series cameras, currently the 24MP Z 6 and the high-resolution Z 7. Naturally, it’s a constant-aperture, high-speed standard zoom and has several features not found on the earlier consumer grade Nikkor Z 24-70mm F4 S [concise review]. Besides the larger initial aperture the new lens features 17 elements in total, two of which are ED glass to lower color fringing and four are aspherical to reduce distortion and spherical aberration. Like others in the S-series it has Nikon Integrated coatings while fluorine coatings are used to help keep the front…
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Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens review: Outstanding performer
The Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art debuted earlier in the year, around May, and is priced around $1400/£1500. From the DG designation you can tell that it’s a full-frame lens, and it’s available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts. It is of course targeting the superb but pricey Nikon AF-S Nikkor 105mm F1.4E ED, but would also appeal to Canon users, where a high-speed L-series model in that focal length is strangely absent from the line-up. It may also be possible that it becomes available in Sony FE mount; it is already suitable for mirrorless cameras. Sigma has recently introduced some Art series in Sony FE mount, that effectively…
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Leica APO Summicron-SL 90mm F2 ASPH lens review: The best money can buy
All modern lenses perform well, especially short-tele primes like the Leica APO Summicron-SL 90mm F2 ASPH, but the sizes over the last couple of years have become enormous. Admittedly, this is due to the makers’ pre-occupation with ultra-high speed lenses but independents like Sigma and Zeiss aren’t holding back. It seems that size is no longer a barrier, but that’s strangely at odds with the trend in smaller mirrorless cameras. Even Leica, the maker of the original compact primes for the M-series, succumbed to that mindset with the first lenses for the Leica SL models Both the Summilux-SL 50mm F1.4 ASPH and the Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm F2.8-3.5 ASPH are optically outstanding. If you need lenses…
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