Tom Calton: The Camera That Nearly Ruined Hasselblad
You remember the Hasselblad Lunar and Hasselblad Stellar? :)
Chris Brockhurst: Everyone Hated the Sony FX2… Until They Used It
Chris has a different view on the much criticized Sony FX2 camera that is worth to be shared:
Bottom line:
The FX2 isn’t for everyone. If you need fast action or wide 4K60 without crop, this isn’t your camera. But if you want a small, premium-feeling hybrid with EVF, great IBIS, and Sony’s latest autofocus, it’s a really enjoyable tool — one of the first Sony cameras in years that reviewers say is actually fun to use.
Ted Forbes review of a lens nobody is buying: Zeiss Otus 50mm f/1.4
Zeiss preorders:
Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 at BHphoto. Adorama. FotoErhardt. Fotokoch. Calumet. WexUK.
Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 at BHphoto. Adorama. FotoErhardt. Fotokoch. Calumet. WexUK.
The new Zeiss Otus lenses don’t seem to be very popular among photographers, and from what I’ve heard, sales are extremely low. Some even suspect that the lens was designed and manufactured by Cosina and marketed under the Zeiss brand. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as the lens is excellent, but I imagine that for some people it’s not worth spending so much money on.
Ted Forbes shared his thoughts on the new Otus 50mm lens after six months of use:
Sony 28-70mm f/2 G Master vs. G Master Primes – Sharpness and Bokeh Face-Off
24mm vs. 28mm: At f/2, both lenses were extremely sharp, with the zoom even producing more pleasing background blur due to focal length compression. At f/2.8, the differences became minimal, with both performing at a very high level. Wide open, the 24mm f/1.4 had the advantage in subject isolation, but the zoom was still remarkably close.
35mm comparison: The prime lens had slightly rounder bokeh balls and a hair more sharpness, but the differences were small enough that most viewers wouldn’t notice without pixel-peeping.
50mm comparison: The 50mm f/1.4 GM is one of the sharpest primes Alex has used, and while it retained a small edge wide open, the zoom held up incredibly well — particularly when stopped down.
70mm vs. 85mm: Here, the prime’s extra focal length and faster aperture made a big difference. The 85mm f/1.4 GM delivered superior compression, bokeh, and sharpness, making it the clear winner in this range.
Alex concluded that the Sony 28-70mm f/2 G Master is so good that it could replace multiple prime lenses for many photographers, especially event shooters, thanks to its image quality, versatility, and the convenience of not having to swap lenses during a shoot.
While the $3,000 price tag is steep, the value proposition of condensing four premium primes into one high-performing zoom is compelling. Alex plans more real-world portrait tests soon, so stay tuned for further impressions.
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Sony 28-70mm f/2.0 GM at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, BestBuy, FotoErhardt, Fotokoch, Calumet, WexUK.
New Sigma 35mm f1.2 DG II Art Reviews
Sigma 35mm f/1.2 II at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, Fotoerhardt, Calumet, WexUK, Clifton.
The lens shipment kicked of this week and here are three new reviews:
All new Sigma lenses:
Sigma 135mm f/1.4 preorder links at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, Fotokoch, Fotoerhardt, Calumet, WexUK, Clifton.
Sigma 35mm f/1.2 II preorder links at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, Fotoerhardt, Calumet, WexUK, Clifton.
Sigma 20-200mm f/3.5-6.3 preorder links at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, Fotoerhardt, Calumet, WexUK, Clifton.
Sigma 28-45mm T2 Cine Zoom Lens with AF preorder at BHphoto. Adorama.
Fstoppers: Viltrox Pro AF 85mm f/1.4 – The Best 85mm Lens for Sony E-Mount?
Viltrox launched the new 85mm f/1.4 FE lens for $598 at BHphoto, Amazon US&EU, Viltroxstore, Pergear.
Viltrox is really making significant progress in improving the performance of Sony GM lenses. Fstopper even goes so far as to claim that this is the next 85mm lens with an E-mount:
And Viltrox isn’t the only chinese company making good quality autofocus E-mount lenses. Here is a comparison between the Viltrox and the new Kase 85mm (available at Amazon):