The two things that immediately stand out about the Tamron 35-150mm f/2 - f/2.8 (for Sony) (B&H / Amazon), just by looking at it:
The focal length range: 35-150mm is an incredibly useful range for photographing people.
The fast maximum aperture. A surprisingly f/2.0 at 35mm, going to a very usable fast f/2.8 as you zoom in.
This would immediately make it an ideal one-lens option that would cover to many different photo sessions. I show some examples lower down in this review, which include engagement Read more inside...
Sony recently released the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM (B&H) lens, as a wider aperture companion to the highly regarded Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G (B&H) which has been available for a while now. While ultra-wide zooms in the 16-35mm range is common-place now, lens makers have been pushing the boundaries with even wider focal lengths. Ultra-wide lenses, and specifically ultra-wide zooms are of particular interest to landscape photographers and architectural photographers.
The rectilinear look creates optical distortion to Read more inside...
The Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 lens (B&H) is an interesting new option open to Sony photographers. What makes it particularly enticing -- it is half the price of the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM (B&H) and it is nearly half the weight of the Sony lens. It is a much more compact lens, yet still retains that sweet f/2.8 aperture. This all sounds wonderful, but we'll have to balance this against lens sharpness and overall performance first. For those then who need a quick summary for a review -- this lens is really sharp!
The Read more inside...
The 135mm focal length is super for getting more reach than 85mm or 100mm would, but still keeping the lens to a smaller size. While the smaller size is nice, it was the fast aperture was what I really wanted. That the lens is super-sharp is an extra bonus. The Lens Rentals review has this as "This is the sharpest lens we’ve tested. Period." That says something!
The first thing to notice about this lens is the fast f1/.8 aperture. Even though I mostly use a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens for events and headshot photography, there are times where I need that Read more inside...
Lens review: sharpness - Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM vs Sony 85mm f/1.8
Which is the better choice -- the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM (affiliate) or the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 (affiliate) -- it's a question that comes up regularly in the Sony discussion groups and FB groups. The short answer - you would be very happy with either option. In this review though, we are going to consider the sharpness of both lenses.
Email me if you want to There is also a link where you can download the RAW files for yourself to have a closer look. I took photos of the lens test chart in my studio, Read more inside...
review: Sony 16mm Fisheye Conversion Lens for FE 28mm f/2 Lens
I don't use a fisheye lens too often - it tends to look gimmicky very quickly. But man, is it fun to pull it out on occasion. Expanding my range of Sony lenses, I noticed this little gem from Sony - the Sony 16mm fisheye conversion lens (B&H / Amazon) which converts the Sony 28mm f/2 lens into a 16mm fisheye. Best of all, it is inexpensive. The big question of course is, how easy is it to use, and how sharp is it? And that's what we'll have a look at in this review of the Sony 16mm fisheye Read more inside...
This has been an exciting year for photographers with the landscape shifting quite a bit with many new cameras releases following the market's demand towards mirrorless cameras. The one camera that set a new standard for affordable quality, was the Sony A7 iii camera (B&H / Amazon). With this 24-megapixel mirrorless camera, Sony brought flagship quality and features to an affordable price level. In this review of the Sony A7 iii, we will look at the things that put this camera at the forefront.
Sony went all-out with this camera Read more inside...
The 24-105mm f/4 range of lenses seem like a compromise between size & weight, and the range, and the so-so aperture. We get a great range from wide-angle to short telephoto. Perfect for travel or just any kind of general photography. But we miss out on the fast aperture. There is often a compromise in the sharpness of these types of lenses - the greater the range of a zoomoften implies a loss in lens sharpness with greater chance of optical distortion and smearing. With this review of the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G lens (B&H / Read more inside...
I'm a bit of snob when it comes to the sharpness of lenses. Vintage lenses and lenses such as the Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 are the exceptions - they have a specific character. Modern lenses though - I want them sharp. As a friend once said, there's sharp, and then there's stuff you can shave with. Until now, I’ve had no native Sony lenses - just a drawer full of vintage lenses for the Sony - so I had to go out and buy a proper Sony FE lens to use with the only A7R III. Since I use Nikon cameras for the serious work, I couldn't justify the Read more inside...
The Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 (B&H / Amazon), is an immediately impressive lens - it has that unusually wide aperture. Zero point nine five. Just how good is it then, you may well ask. Lenses with super-wide apertures tend to show some softness and optical aberrations when used wide open. Similarly then with the Mitakon Zhyongi - there are definite optical flaws, but this also adds to the character of the images you get with this lens. It's not just the super-shallow depth-field that defines Read more inside...
