The newer lensmakers that were making manual focus lenses last year are all moving on into autofocus this year. This is the first time that I’ve reviewed an autofocus lens from Brightin Star, and they’ve created an interesting one –…
Sony’s relationship with teleconverters on their mirrorless E-mount platform has been, well, difficult. While in many ways Sony E-mount has been the most open platform in the history of photography, Sony essentially chose two primary areas to “put a thumb”…
Sometimes companies surprise you. I’ve been waiting for an autofocus zoom lens to come from one of the Chinese lensmakers, fully expecting it to be Viltrox or perhaps Sirui. Instead it comes from a very unexpected source – new lensmaker…
Lens design often becomes othodoxy. 70-200mm telephoto zooms “always” have fixed aperture of F2.8 or F4, but 70-300mm or 100-400mm zooms are “always” variable aperture. 70-200mm zooms are internally zooming, but 70-300mm or 100-400mm zooms are always externally zooming. There…
My journey continues as I familiarize myself with Nikon’s important catalog lenses. Today’s stop is in the wide angle department, where I’ll cover the less expensive of Nikon’s two S-line wide angle zooms – the Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S.…
The Viltrox EVO series came out of the blue last year as Viltrox’s most recent industry-disrupting move. This mid-tier series of compact, feature-rich, high-performing lenses at an extremely competitive price got everyone’s attention, and the EVO 85mm F2 was just…
The Viltrox EVO series came out of the blue last year as Viltrox’s most recent industry-disrupting move. This mid-tier series of compact, feature-rich, high-performing lenses at an extremely competitive price got everyone’s attention, and the EVO 85mm F2 was just…
Over the past two years I have been gradually exploring the Nikon mirrorless ecosystem. I personally own a Z8, which I really love (outside of not having an articulating screen), but with the help of Nikon Canada, I have been…
I thought last year’s XGIMI Horizon 20 Pro model that I reviewed set the bar for amazing, but XGIMI has taken it to new levels with their new TITAN Noir Max flagship home theater projector. XGIMI’s TITAN Noir Series marks…
All of Nikon’s Z-mount F1.2 S lenses are extreme instruments. They are big, heavy, and expensive…not for the faint of heart. The Nikkor Z 50mm F1.2 S is the cheapest of this trio of extreme instruments, but will still carries…
The Tamron 35-100mm F2.8 Di III VXD is the surprise lens that not a lot of people knew that they wanted…but may change their mind after using it. The typical zoom range for a standard zoom with an F2.8 aperture…
I’ve reviewed nearly a dozen 24-105mm variants over the years, but this is my first time reviewing a lens that manages to stretch that traditional zoom range and give it a little more telephoto reach. And after spending some time…
Sigma released the second generation of their 35mm F1.2 | ART lens in the fall of 2025, and they are quickly following that up with a MK II version of their 35mm F1.4 | ART lens. The original 35mm F1.4…
Last year I reviewed a beautiful new little APS-C prime from Sigma in the form of the 12mm F1.4 DC. I really liked that lens and gave it a positive review. I had noted that Sigma hadn’t gone any wider…
Fujifilm knows how to leverage nostalgia. It seems like the majority of their camera releases are designed to evoke memories of the film era (including their emphasis on film simulations) and bring back vintage controls. The X-T30 series is one…