What's more festive than transforming a room in your house into a dreamy, fairy-lit world, perfect for a spot of creative portrait photography?

The concept is simple – by sticking a fast prime lens onto the front of your DSLR or mirrorless camera and taking advantage of its super-wide aperture, we'll be able to create a nicely blurred background to transform those tiny, twinkling points of light into beautiful bokeh balls.

This project really is as quick, easy, and fun to do as it sounds.

Essentially, all you need is your camera, a fast lens (be that a prime or a zoom with a wide max. aperture between f/1.4 and f/2.8), a few strings of fairy lights, and a willing volunteer to pose for you.

Professional photographer and videographer Tom Calton shows how to bag the shot and demonstrates a simple but effective colour treatment in Photoshop to make it really stand out.

The setup

Warm lights
We've opted to use warm fairy lights to give the shot a cosy, wintry feel. However, you could experiment by using white or multicoloured lights (or a mixture of the two). Just ensure the lights that are used are bright.

Twinkling backdrop
Our background is a simple net of fairy lights hung against a blank wall that is free from hanging ornaments and picture frames.

More lights
A few additional strings of lights are needed for the model to hold to illuminate their face. You can also try draping lights across the bed and elsewhere in the room to increase the effect.

Blackout
To capture the full effect of the fairy lights, it’s important that they are the only light source in the room. Turn off all the room lights and block out the windows.

Shooting steps

1. Block out the light

To get started with this photograph, make sure that the fairy lights will be the only source of light in the room. Block out any window light and close all of the blinds and curtains. Switch off any room lights and lamps as well.

2. Set up the background

The next step is to hang the net of fairy lights in the background to create a nice, twinkly backdrop for our shot. Hang the lights from a shelf above the bed, or alternatively, try and drape them over a backdrop stand or hang them between two light stands.

3. Use a fast lens

In order to turn the fairy lights into twinkling orbs in the shot, use a lens with a wide aperture. Prime lenses are the best choice, as they generally offer a wider maximum aperture than zooms. Here we used a FE 50mm f/1.4 GM lens on a Sony A7 III, which is a great option for portraits in general.

4. Add more fairy lights

Ask the model to sit in position. Drape one set of fairy lights around where they are sat and then carefully ball-up a second set of lights and place them in the model's hand – these will be used to illuminate the model's face.

5. Camera settings

Switch the camera to Aperture Priority mode, and then set the widest aperture possible. Frame up the shot and adjust the ISO until the shutter speed is reading a value of 1/250sec or faster. This will help to ensure a sharp shot while shooting handheld. Finally, set the camera so that it shoots in RAW.

6. Take the shot

Frame up the shot and make sure that the active AF point is positioned over one of the model’s eyes. Then focus and take the shot. Check the results to make sure that the model is sharp and in focus, and repeat the shot if necessary.

Pro Tip

Keep your distance

Although using a wide aperture will give you the best chance of transforming all of those small points of light in the background into big, beautiful orbs, distance is also another factor you'll need to keep in mind.

In short, the greater the distance between the lights and your point of focus (the model's face), the more blurred the background will become and the bigger the orbs of light will be. So bear this in mind while setting up your shot.

Editing steps

1. Contrast and color

Open the RAW photo in Photoshop, and the Camera Raw Interface will appear. Crank the Contrast slider to +100 and the Clarity to +50. Then, set the Vibrance to +30 to bolster the colors.

2. Lift the shadows

Don't worry if the photo has too much contrast as this can easily be fixed by increasing the Shadows +50 and the Blacks to +60. This will brighten the shadow detail for a more balanced result.

3. Split toning

Click the Split Toning tab at the top right of the screen (beneath the histogram). Under the Shadows section, set the Hue to a value of 230, then increase the Saturation to 80 to turn the shadows blue.

4. Curves

Click the Curves tab at the top, then underneath the Curves diagram, find the Output box and set it to a value of 16. This will crush the blacks within the image to give it a much softer appearance.

5. Blue curves

Staying in the Curves tab for the moment, locate the Channel option above the Curves diagram and change it from RGB to Blue. Then, set the Output to 10 in order to add more blue to the shadows within the image.

6. Brighten the model

Finally, grab the Adjustment Brush from the toolbar at the top of the screen and brush over the model’s face. Pull the Exposure slider to the right to brighten their face – a value of +0.85 worked for our image here.

Before/After

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The Nik Collection plug-ins are sold as a single unit. You can’t buy them separately, but you do use them separately. And although they are typically used as plug-ins for programs like Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, they also work as standalone programs and external editors for other programs, like Capture One. If you like to shoot raw, though, you will need a ‘host’ program to do your raw conversions before sending processed images to the Nik plug-ins for editing.

So even though Nik Collection is usually described as a plug-in suite, it actually offers a wide variety of workflows. This, and its huge creative range, make it one of the best photo-editing software applications for photographers.

Taking them alphabetically, Analog Efex is perhaps the most interesting for anyone trying to recreate the look of old cameras, primitive lenses, and lo-fi film stocks. It can create bokeh effects, light leaks, borders, dust and scratches, even ‘accidental’ multiple exposure effects, and multi-camera images where photos are chopped up into panels. It’s like a wild analog playground and a world apart from DxO’s rather more sober FilmPack film emulation software. It’s weird and sometimes over the top, but brilliant.

Color Efex is perhaps the central tool in the Nik lineup. It offers more than 50 filters, which can be used individually or in combination, each with powerful adjustments and masking tools. In Nik Collection 8, Color Efex gets preset effects for each filter, so there are even more ready-made starting points for your experiments. It’s aimed at more mainstream photographic effects than Analog Efex but has its own share of striking looks alongside regular tools like levels and curves.

Dfine is the Nik Collection’s noise-reduction plug-in, but it only works on JPEGs or images already converted from raw files, rather than directly on raw files, unlike more modern AI noise-reduction tools. It’s effective in an old-fashioned kind of way, with a good deal of control over noise reduction via ‘noise profiles’ and local enhancements, but these days it’s much more effective to tackle noise during the raw-processing phase. It would be great if DxO could find a way to bring its DeepPRIME AI noise reduction to Dfine, but it’s hard to see how it could fit into the editing workflow if your regular ‘host’ program is doing the raw conversion.

HDR Efex has had relatively little attention in recent Nik Collection updates but remains a very effective HDR tool that can be used to merge bracketed exposures or just to add HDR-style shadow and highlight adjustments to single files. Some of the preset effects are throwbacks to the worst excesses of the HDR craze, though it’s possible to produce strong-but-natural-looking results too.

Nik Sharpener comes in two forms: a ‘presharpener’ to crisp up soft-looking images and an ‘output’ sharpener to optimize sharpening for different output devices and print sizes. The screen sharpening is effective if you publish your images digitally, but for this and the print sharpening to be effective, you really need to resize your images for your output device before you send them to Sharpener. I suspect most photographers will just stick to the sharpening tools in their regular host software.

Silver Efex is one of the stars of the Nik Collection and is perhaps the best-known black-and-white software tool of all. It produces remarkable richness, depth, and tonal subtlety in monochrome images, with a powerful set of adjustment tools, preset effects, and local adjustments for ‘dodging and burning’. You can also produce striking black-and-white images in Analog Efex and Color Efex, but Silver Efex is probably the ultimate digital darkroom for monochrome work.

Viveza is harder to categorize. It’s designed for detailed color adjustments, via both global adjustments and local adjustments, but it does seem to be a bit of a one-trick pony, and three of its key adjustments are now incorporated into Color Efex. No doubt Viveza has its fans, but it does seem much more limited than the Nik Collection’s other creative plug-ins.

DxO Nik Collection 8 system requirements

DxO Nik Collection 8: price

DxO Nik Collection 8 sells for $169.99 / £144.99 (about AU$260) for new users, or for $99.99 / £79.99 (about AU$150) as an upgrade from Nik Collection 6 or 7. Note that DxO’s upgrade offer covers the last two versions, so although the Nik Collection is on an annual update cycle, you can afford to skip a version without losing your upgrade entitlement. If you already have Nik Collection 7, for example, and you don’t need the Photoshop workflow enhancements that feature so heavily in Nik Collection 8, you might want to hang on for next year’s Nik Collection 9 release.

Either way, while the Nik Collection is not exactly cheap, you do get an awful lot for your money. Analog Efex, Color Efex, Silver Efex, and perhaps even HDR Efex are easily good enough and different enough to be sold as standalone products, and here you’re getting all the plug-ins for a single price.

DxO Nik Collection 8: interface and usability

They have different jobs, but all the Nik creative plug-ins share the same basic design. The left sidebar displays preset effects and individual filters for building your own effects, while the right sidebar displays panels for each filter so that you can make further adjustments. This right sidebar can get a little busy once you start combining effects, but the panels can be collapsed to save space.

You can also apply a wide range of highly customizable local adjustment masks via DxO’s trademark Control Points, Control Lines, and – now – Polygon masks. These work in a unique way, targeting only specific tones and colors within the mask area, so they are highly selective. The Nik Collection does not offer AI object masking, but this system is equally effective in a different way.

If you want to, you can dive very deep indeed into the Nik Collection’s filters, masks, and controls to create some stunning effects. Or, if that’s just too much to take in initially, you can pick from a long list of excellent preset effects and work back from there.

Improved Photoshop integration is a key feature of this Nik Collection 8 update. It comes with a new-and-improved Nik Collection palette displayed directly within the Photoshop interface, including the ability to save interim edits in Nik plug-ins and return them to Photoshop as layers when you’re done.

Silver Efex gets some updates too, including a color reference image display, interface improvements and local adjustments for ClearView (a bit like Lightroom Dehaze) and Selective Tone adjustments. Also, each filter now comes with pre-defined presets.

Overall, the Nik Collection workflow has been refined to a point where it’s as quick and seamless to use as possible, and you can just click a preset if you don’t want to get bogged down in tools and settings. It also has special features and options for Photoshop users.

DxO Nik Collection 8: performance

The Nik Collection plug-ins offer such a huge variety of image-editing effects, tools, and inspiration that it’s hard to know where to start. If you like a lo-fi analog look, then Analog Efex does it spectacularly well. Color Efex is like a photo editor and effects generator rolled into one, and is like a giant box of filters with endless permutations. Silver Efex Pro is capable of wonderful black-and-white imagery with comparatively little effort – though you can dig as deep as you want with the adjustment and masking tools. HDR Efex does look a little dated in parts, but is still very good at creating classic HDR Effects.

Dfine is less impressive because it’s starting from images that have already been processed once. It can reduce noise very effectively, but you can easily lose detail at the same time, so it’s some way behind the latest AI noise-reduction tools. Sharpener is interesting but perhaps a little specialized for the average user – it’s handy if you want to optimize detail carefully for screen or print, perhaps. It’s also hard to warm to Viveza, as it doesn’t do much that programs like Lightroom or Photoshop can’t, though its masking tools are effective in a different way.

DxO Nik Collection 8: verdict

You probably won’t get equal value out of all the Nik Collection plug-ins, since Dfine is somewhat dated, Sharpener is quite specialized, and Viveza’s color adjustment capabilities are neither unique nor particularly valuable for Lightroom or Photoshop users.

So, does the Nik Collection still deserve a 5-star rating? I think so, because Analog Efex, Color Efex, Silver Efex, and HDR Efex offer such a rich and varied set of image effects that, in my opinion, they easily justify the cost of the Nik Collection on their own.

It’s not just a unique set of photo effects that you’re getting here, but a practically bottomless source of inspiration and ideas. If you’re getting stuck in a rut with your current photo editor – and we all do from time to time – the Nik Collection will bust you out of that rut in a big way. We all need fresh ideas now and again, and that’s exactly what the Nik Collection delivers.

Alternatives

A new bokeh effect lens has been announced by Voigtländer, set to debut in June 2025.

The Voigtländer Portrait Helier 75mm f/1.8 is the company's first full-frame interchangeable lens for full-frame mirrorless Sony cameras. It is designed to simplify the creation and control of bokeh effects, making it easier than ever to achieve our visual goals.

Dreamy bokeh – the quality of the out-of-focus areas in an image – is something that portrait photographers strive for. The effect can be created in part with a shallow depth of field, using wide apertures (small f-stop numbers) to minimize the focus area, enabling the subject to stand out against a beautifully blurred background.

While there are various methods to refine the bokeh, such as adjusting the distance between the lens and the subject, the Portrait Helier 75mm f/1.8 features a spherical aberration (SA) control mechanism.

While a very uncommon feature, there are a couple of recent lenses that have an SA ring: the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM and the Lomography Nour Triplet V 2.0/64 Bokeh Control Art Lens.

You can see the lens, and this effect, in action in the video below:

While spherical aberration is not the same as a bokeh, it can significantly influence its appearance.

It is an optical distortion that is often seen as an 'optical problem'. It happens when light rays travel through various lens elements and get refracted (bent) differently. This can cause the light rays to focus at different points, resulting in blurriness or distortion and uneven lighting in image areas that are out of focus.

Instead of correcting this 'optical problem', Voigtländer is using it for good in its new E-mount lens. It focused on the relationship between SA and bokeh, offering us a creative twist that makes it possible to create unique photographic bokeh.

The variety of bokeh expressions can be controlled using the control ring mechanism. This feature enables photographers to manage the SA settings for either under-correction or over-correction, depending on the look you're going for.

If you opt for under-correction, you'll get a beautiful soap bubble bokeh effect. On the other hand, over-correction will give you a lovely soft-focus glow throughout the frame.

Honestly, I can't wait for this lens to be released in June 2025. I bet portrait photographers are just as eager, especially since the genre is so competitive, which makes it tough to stand out – but with this lens, it looks like we'll be able to approach our creative goals in new ways and can incorporate a unique bokeh into every shot.

Voigtländer Portrait Helier 75mm f/1.8: Specifications

The lens is exclusively designed for Sony's E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras, covering the entire image circle to deliver high-quality results.

It features electronic contacts that enable communication between the lens and the camera body. It does not have autofocus, but you can enlarge the viewfinder by adjusting the focus ring.

Focal length: 75 mm
Angle of view: 33.2°
Aperture ratio: 1:1.8
Minimum aperture: f/11
Lens construction: 3 groups, 6 elements
Aperture blades: 9
Minimum shooting distance: 0.7m
Maximum magnification: 1:7.4
Maximum diameter x total length: 70 x 88mm
Filter size: 62mm
Weight: 560g

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We've seen no shortage of inexpensive manual focus primes being launched out of China in the last couple of years – but TTartisan's 75mm f/1.5 promises something different. Yes, that 75mm is a nice focal length for portraits, and yes, that f/1.5 aperture is pretty fast for bright images in low light, but what really sets this lens apart is its 'swirly' bokeh, when shooting at wider apertures.

Bokeh is the term for out-of-focus highlights and usually forms rounded circular blobs that mirror the shape of the lens aperture. But the 13-bladed aperture design of the TTartisan 75mm f/1.5 renders bokeh with an attractive swirl shape, which lends a creative twist to portraits.

This soft, swirly bokeh effect adds a unique artistic look and feel to images that helps the subject really stand out, giving the impression of the background rotating around it. It comes into its own in backlit scenes, with softly diffused light and smoothly blended shadows creating a layering of light and shadow that evokes the classic charm of vintage lenses. In fact, the lens design and Petzval bokeh both look eerily similar to the old Russian Helios 42 lens that filmmakers used to artistically film scenes in the movie Dune 2.

Ideal for portraiture, the f/1.5 large aperture captures clear images even in low light while achieving a shallow depth of field, making subjects stand out even further and creating a unique visual effect.

It's a full-frame lens, and TTartisan says there's no sign of vignetting on cameras that use a full-frame or smaller sensor, such as the APS-C format. On medium format cameras, there's a darkening of the image towards the edges, but this could be said to add to the artistic quality.

Combining classic design with modern optical technology, the lens retains the charm of traditional manual lenses while offering superb image quality. It has an all-metal construction, and inside there are six elements arranged in four groups. The closest focus distance is 0.75m, and the lens offers a 32º angle of view. It has a 58mm thread for the fitment of filters, and it weighs in "at around 562-669g" – TTartisan wasn't specific on this!

As you'd expect with a completely manual lens, there's no communication with the host camera. As such, the aperture is set via a ring towards the front of the lens barrel, which is clicked to minimize the danger of accidentally nudging it away from your intended choice.

The lens has a universal M42 screw-mount design, offering wide compatibility with the vast majority of camera bodies; you simply need to get the correct adaptor for your camera. TTartisan lists a wide number of compatible camera models that the lens works with via an adaptor, that use Sony E-mount, Nikon Z-mount, Canon RF-, EOS M- and EF-mounts, Fuji GFX- and X-mounts, Hasselblad XCD-mount, and the L-mount used by Panasonic, Leica and Sigma.

One notable exception, however, is that the lens is not compatible with the Nikon F-mount, even when an adaptor is used, so it will not work with any of Nikon's DSLRs or traditional film SLRs.

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The cheap, auto-focus mirrorless lens arms race continues with the release of the 7Artisans 85mm f/1.8 for Z, a full-frame lens for Nikon Z cameras that's available for order now and is priced at $299 / £229. This plucky little prime was previously available in Sony E mount and comes hot on the heels of the TTArtisans AF 75mm f/2, another budget contender for the best Nikon portrait lenses available.

You can have the best camera for portraits, but if you don't have a lens with a suitable focal length, you're going to struggle. Many portrait photographers consider an 85mm the go-to focal length for people pics, making this affordable prime an attractive prospect for portrait photographers on a budget.

7Artisans' mid-telephoto prime is constructed from 10 elements in seven groups. It includes a pair of extra-low dispersion lenses and two high-refractive lenses to help mitigate distortions and deliver better image quality. 

The lens is built from metal and is a little heavier than the Sony E-mount variant (437.5g), weighing in at 452g. But it's still lighter than the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S at 470g. It's a hair smaller than the Nikon optic, too, with a diameter of 72mm (2.83in) and length of 98mm (3.85), compared to the Nikon's 75mm (2.95in) and 99mm (3.89in).

Autofocus is controlled via a stepping motor, for smoother and quieter focusing, which should make it more suitable for video. A feature that's indicative of more premium optics is the presence of a customizable Fn button for easier operation. You'll also find a USB-C input on the rear of the lens for installing firmware updates. 

The lens has a close focusing distance of 0.8m, which is roughly what you'd expect and takes 62mm filters. A nice feature is the presence of an 11-bladed diaphragm. When paired with that fast f/1.8 aperture, it should realize nice, big circular discs of bokeh. 

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For years Tamron's 90mm macro lenses have received many accolades from DSLR users and film photographers, and at long last this fantastic lens has now come to the world of mirrorless.  

Tamron has announced the new Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Macro designed specifically for Sony E- and Nikon Z-mount mirrorless camera systems. This highly anticipated full-frame lens is said to deliver outstanding performance for portrait and macro photography, offering photographers a versatile tool for capturing everything from lifelike close-ups to beautifully composed portraits. 

Tamron is currently celebrating the 45th anniversary of Tamron’s original 90mm macro lens, originally introduced in 1979, and this latest iteration maintains the legacy of high optical performance with cutting-edge features. 

One of the lens's key features is its 1:1 maximum magnification ratio and a minimum focusing distance of just 9.1 inches, making it ideal for detailed close-up shots.

Sample Images

This lens stands out as the first in Tamron’s lineup to feature a 12-blade circular diaphragm, producing smooth, rounded bokeh and creating impressive starburst effects when stopped down. 

Weighing only 1.4 lbs and measuring 5 inches long, the lens is both compact and lightweight, allowing for comfortable handheld shooting during extended sessions. This compact design ensures portability without sacrificing performance, making it an excellent choice for photographers on the go.

At the heart of this lens is Tamron's VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) motor, which offers quiet and precise autofocus performance. Ideal for both photography and video work, the VXD system also includes a focus limiter switch, preventing unnecessary focus hunting and allowing for more efficient shooting in challenging conditions. This combination of advanced autofocus features makes the lens well-suited for capturing fast-moving subjects while maintaining exceptional sharpness and detail.

This new 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Macro lens also includes a newly designed lens hood with a sliding window, allowing photographers to rotate polarizing filters with ease without needing to remove the hood. Additionally, it is compatible with Tamron’s lens utility software, which allows users to customize lens settings and update firmware for enhanced functionality. This attention to both hardware and software ensures a seamless, user-friendly experience for all photographers.

By filling a focal length gap in their mirrorless lineup, this lens offers photographers the chance to explore new creative possibilities. From portraiture to macro photography, the new Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Macro is set to become a standout option for both professionals and enthusiasts alike.

This new lens is only available in Nikon Z-mount or Sony E-Mount currently and can be pre-ordered from B&H for $699  or at Wex Photo Video for £599.

The Brenizer method is the brainchild of renowned US wedding photographer Ryan Brenizer. It's sometimes referred to as the 'bokeh panorama' or 'bokeh-rama', owing to the panoramic stitching technique used to achieve it and the super-shallow depth of field that's produced. 

'Bokeh panoramas' boast shallower depths of field than are otherwise achievable with a wide-angle lens and give APS-C and full-frame users the ability to produce portraits with a large-format aesthetic. 

The key to this striking technique is to use a telephoto lens, ideally a fast one such as the best lens for portraits. You then shoot your portrait in small sections - in a tile-like grid that you will then stitch together in Photoshop. For each shot you use constant camera settings that won't change between frames, so you can create a seamless blend.

Once you've settled on a white balance preset, and locked your exposure in Manual, you used AF to focus on your subject and then switch to manual focus so as not to change your point of focus as you begin to shoot your panoramic sequence. Exactly how many photos you take is down to personal preference, but we strongly recommend overlaying each image by around 30% to ensure you don't leave any gaps.

Adobe Photoshop CC makes it easy to blend your sequence by automatically merging your images. You then simply need to check the blend for any inconsistencies and crop it as desired. If you like the idea of creating a wide portrait with a super-shallow depth of field, here's how to shoot and edit your own 'bokeh panorama'.

The Brenizer method

1. Select a fast lens 

A fast medium telephoto is handy for maximizing the shallow depth of field. However, if you don't have a pro porttrait lens any telephoto zoom will do. The great thing about this trick is you end up with a wide-angle view with much less depth of field than your existing lenses will allow.

In this instance, we used the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4G, but the classic 50mm f/1.8 could also work well, especially when providing an equivalent focal length of 75mm on an APS-C camera. 

Depending on your system, the Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM, Sony FE 85mm F1.4 G Master, and Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R WR would work well, too. Thankfully, you're not limited to just prime lenses though. A fast telephoto zoom, like a 70-200mm f/2.8, will still produce a suitably blurry background for this effect.

2. Set a consistent white balance  

As you'll be merging photos, each image needs to be as consistent as possible. To prevent the white balance from changing mid-sequence, head to menu and set the color temperature manually. We'd suggest shooting in Raw so you can tweak the color temperature of you batch of images later.

3. Frame your image 

You'll have plenty of room to crop your large panorama in post, but you should still consider your composition. Visualize your final image and position yourself accordingly before you start shooting. Still leave enough space to crop, though, as your blended image will be an irregular shape.

4. Camera settings 

Select Aperture Priority mode and choose a wide aperture. We'd recommend f/2.8 or wider. Adjust the ISO value until you get a shutter speed of 1/200 sec (or higher). Select Manual mode and input the same settings to lock your exposure. Just like the white balance, consistent exposure is vital.

5. Switch to manual focus 

Your focus needs to be consistent throughout your sequence. If you're using back-button focus you can simply release the back button after you've focused on your subject. If not, focus on your subject using AF and then switch to manual focus. Your focus will then remain locked as you proceed to capture your bokeh panorama.

6. Capture a 'bokeh panorama'

We framed and captured our subject, and then shot three frames to the left and three frames to the right. This process was repeated just above the model's head and below her feet. There's no hard and fast rule for how many or how few images you should capture. Just make sure you overlay each image by around 30% to prevent any gaps between frames.

Blend a 'bokeh panorama'

7. Open your sequence in Camera Raw 

Highlight your sequence in Adobe Bridge (select the first image, hold Shift and select the last image). Right-click and select Open in Camera Raw. Hold Shift and select the last image in the left panel to highlight the sequence. Edits will now affect all of the images.

8. Set the color temperature

Once you've selected Remove Chromatic Aberration and Enable Profile Corrections in the Lens Corrections tab, check the exposure and color temperature of each image. Ensure you fix any inconsistencies before blending your panorama and select Done.

9. Import your sequence into Adobe Photoshop

With the images still selected, click Tools>Photoshop>Photomerge. Make sure Auto and Blend Images Together are selected when the Photomerge window opens and click Browse to select the images from your sequence. Hit OK to start the merging process.

10. Blend your 'bokeh panorama'

You'll now have a large medium-format style image that's spliced into multiple layers. Photoshop generally does a good job of blending images together, but it's worth looking for any obvious inconsistencies, which you can rectify with the Clone or Patch tools.

11. Crop your blended image 

Your image is likely a rather irregular shape; fix this using the Crop tool. It's worth remembering that your photograph is a blend of multiple pictures, so you have plenty of room to play with if you opt for a tighter composition.

6. Flatten and finish 

Make a flattened copy of your image by selecting the topmost layer and pressing  Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Cmd+Alt+Shift+E on a Mac). You can then proceed with your normal tonal editing regime to finish it off.

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Intrepid Camera is a specialist manufacturer of large-format film photography equipment, and it has almost single-handedly resurrected the medium, developing retro analog cameras with modern features.

Surfing the wave of the film photography resurgence, Intrepid is among the few manufacturers that offer new large format cameras with 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 options. Users would ordinarily need to source an existing vintage lens to use with the camera, but a new Kickstarter has just launched for the first Intrepid Camera lens and electronic shutter.

Intrepid's fifth Kickstarter launches today, marking the company's tenth anniversary – and its most ambitious product development yet, with two new product lines: the Intrepid I-0 Shutter and the Intrepid 150mm f/6.3 Lens.

The Intrepid 150mm f/6.3 Lens is a compact and portable optic that has a Cooke triplet design. Its focal length and maximum aperture may not sound that wide, but in full-frame terms that equates to 35mm at f/1.8.

The Cooke triplet design is vital in correcting for the main optical aberrations. Shooting above f/11 provides excellent sharpness throughout the image, and when used wide open at f/6.3 it creates a smooth bokeh that is accentuated by the nature of the larger format camera.

"We went through so many design variations and so much research before settling on this lens," says Intrepid. "We are so happy with the results. It really is a beautiful little lens with a classic character we know you are going to love".

In addition to the lens, and 18 months in the making, the Intrepid I-0 Shutter is an electronic shutter that enables the user to dial in settings via the controller instead of manually, and is described by Intrepid as "a super smart cable release with a screen".

Compatible with all Copal 0 size lenses, shutter speeds from as long as you want to 1/125th, and a self-timer it provides live EV readings so you don't ever have to waste another sheet of film again.

When it comes to large-format film photography, one of the main concerns is getting the settings wrong and throwing away film – especially if you're new to the format. The new shutter provides enhanced security so that what you see after development is the same as when you tripped the shutter.

The shutter is also compatible with flash via the 3.5mm jack, and it can be controlled by PC / Mac.

I have been a huge fan of Intrepid Camera's approach to creating new and accessible film cameras, and launching these products is a stroke of genius. Now users, most importantly new users, can purchase every aspect of the large format shooting experience from Intrepid without having to source and take a risk with an expensive, older, second-hand lens.

The Kickstarter campaign is live now, and you can head over to show your support and get an earlybird discount of 10% off RRP. The lens and shutter combo is priced at $575 / £429, just the lens at $215 / £159, and just the shutter at $385 / £289 (US pricing has been converted from the UK price, Australian pricing to be confirmed).

Editor's note: As with all crowdfunding projects, there is no guarantee that the final product will match the early depictions in the campaign – or that the final product will be completed or delivered at all. DCW does not endorse this or any other crowdfunding campaign.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best film cameras and the best medium format cameras.

Tamron has been knocking it out of the park with its recent lens releases, and thanks to a leak, we now have information about a brand-new macro lens.

According to the leaked press release which has appeared on many camera rumor sites (including SonyAlphaRumors), the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 Macro lens will be officially launched later this week, with Tamron stating that its 'legendary 90mm macro is reborn for mirrorless'. The lens will be available for full-frame Sony E and Nikon Z mounts and hosts impressive features to rival most macro lenses.

The 90mm f/2.8 will feature Tamron's first 12-blade aperture diaphragm enabling users to capture circular bokeh and minimal vignetting when using the lens for macro. Tamron states that the 12-blade design creates 12 rays for stunning starburst effects when stopped down, making it ideal for dramatic images with point light sources.

The lens has been ergonomically designed to be held in the palm for an extended amount of time, measuring just 126.5mm long and weighing 630g, it is considerably compact for a 90mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Tamron lenses have recently been praised for quick and efficient AF and this lens looks to follow suit with the addition of a focus limiter that can restrict the AF coverage. This may sound counter-intuitive however, when you are focusing on a stable subject with a macro lens, it prevents the AF from hunting the lens range of focus enabling quicker adjustments.

Manual focus is still an option, and a preference for some when shooting macro, and the rotational torque of the focus ring has been calibrated to assist with precise manual adjustments.

Other notable features include a new hood design with a sliding window for filter adjustments, compatibility with Tamron Lens Utility software enabling users to further fine-tune lens settings, and a minimum focusing distance of just 0.23m.

From what we've seen, the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 Macro lens will be priced at just $699 / £525 – $400 less than Sony's 90mm macro equivalent.

The original Tamron 90mm macro lens was a fan favorite among users, and this lens has the potential to be the same, especially at such an attractive price!

It is also worth noting, that although the leaked information and images appear to be taken from an official Tamron press release, no official announcement has yet taken place.

You may be interested in our guides to the best Sony lenses, the best Nikon lenses, and the best macro lenses.

There are a multitude of ways to sharpen images in Adobe Photoshop – one of the best photo editing software suites on the market. But by applying the High Pass Filter in Photoshop CC, you can selectively paint a sharpening effect onto your images. This means you can choose where to sharpen your image, likely your focal point. 

The advantages of this include the ability to direct your viewer's gaze, since they'll be naturally drawn to the sharpest area of the image, while also limiting the sharpening effect to where it's needed. This is particularly helpful if you're working with a shallow depth of field or motion blur, since you're unlikely to want to sharpen these ethereal areas of the frame. Sharpening can also accentuate noise, so the ability to apply it sparingly in low-light shots is invaluable. 

Another plus of sharpening in an indestructive manner on layer-based editing software is that you can change the Blending Mode and opacity of your sharpening layer right up until you decide to export your image. So, if you want to selectively sharpen a set of images? Here's how to do it… 

1. Add the High Pass Filter

Open your chosen image in Adobe Photoshop CC. Duplicate the background layer (Cmd/Ctrl+J) and select Filter>Other>High Pass. Move the Radius Slider until your subject's outline is barely visible on the gray overlay – I usually find around 1.8-2.0px works well – and hit OK.

2. Change the Blending Mode 

Change the Blending Mode to Vivid Light. This will remove the gray overlay, but increase the contrast of any edges to sharpen the image. You can lessen the intensity of the sharpening effect by reducing the layer opacity or changing the Blending Mode to Hard Light, Overlay or Soft Light. If you're unsure, Overlay represents a good middle ground.

3. Apply a layer mask

Select the 'Add layer mask' icon and invert the mask (Cmd/Ctrl+I). Paint over and 'sharpen' your subject with a soft, white brush. The red overlay (\) indicates what you have sharpened – switch to a black brush if you want to remove parts of the mask.

That's all there is to it. Add a High Pass Filter, change the Blending Mode and apply an inverted layer mask to selectively paint the sharpening effect, only onto the areas of the image you want sharpened.

You may also be interested in switching seamlessly between Lightroom and Photoshop, or the best free photo editing software that's available.

Innovative lens-maker 7Artisans has unveiled a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens that can capture images up to 2x life-size, enabling incredibly detailed close-ups at double the resolution of a standard macro lens. 

With a maximum 2x magnification ratio, it enlarges the tiniest details to reveal a staggering amount of detail that is impossible to see with the naked eye. And as a full-frame-compatible lens, it makes the most of the greater light-gathering capabilities of the latest mirrorless cameras, such as the Nikon Z6 III, Canon EOS R6 or Sony Alpha 7C II. 

The manual focus lens features markings on the lens barrel to show the depth of field through its f/2.8 to f/22 aperture range. It has been constructed from 14 elements in 12 groups, including two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) and two High-Refractive elements to effectively suppress chromatic aberration and deliver exceptional image quality while providing accurate color reproduction. This optical design also helps reduce edge distortion and other aberrations.

With a 0.17m minimum focus distance, as measured from the focal plane, the lens enables photographers to get incredibly close to subjects, but unlike some ultra-macro lenses, it is also capable of focusing all the way to infinity, where its 60mm focal length makes it ideal as an everyday standard prime. The bright f/2.8 aperture and full-frame compatibility, in combination with its nine aperture blades, enable backgrounds to be blown out to create beautiful bokeh, making it double as a fabulous choice as a portrait lens.

The lens barrel has an all-metal construction for enhanced durability, yet it's pretty lightweight at just 550g. A 67mm thread enables the attachment of filters. 

The 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Full-frame 2X Ultra-Macro joins such oddities as the incredibly fast 7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 nifty fifty or 7Artisans 10mm f/2.8 fisheye, which surely makes the company one of the most diverse and experimental lens makers out there.

The new lens is available in Canon RF, Nikon Z and Sony E mounts and has a recommended price of $335.

Check out our guide to the best macro lenses

TTArtisan has released the AF 75mm f/2 prime for Sony E and Nikon Z-mount cameras. This full-frame prime boasts a stepping motor, delivering what TTArtisan is calling "fast" autofocus, and is priced just $199 / £199 (Australian pricing to be confirmed). 

Not only is that an incredibly competitive price for a full-frame, autofocus-capable lens that will appeal if you use your camera for portraits, but the optical construction (ten elements within seven groups) is housed within a metal body – something you'd expect from a more premium offering.

Surprisingly, it still weighs just 328-340g (presumably without and with the included lens hood, respectively), compared to the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S at 470g and the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 at 371g. Dimensionally, the Sony variant is slightly shorter at 74mm (2.91in) than the Nikon variant at 76mm (2.99in), with both featuring a diameter of 67mm (2.64in).

A standout feature of the TTArtisan AF 75mm f/2 is the presence of an aperture ring. This will surely delight Nikon Zf and Z fc users, given the notable lack of Z-mount lenses with retro-chic aperture rings, though its clicked design may not be ideal for video shooters.

The 75mm focal length isn't far off 85mm – a focal length revered by portrait photographers. And the wide f/2 maximum aperture (to f/16) should provide a suitably shallow depth of field for popping sharp portrait subjects against a soft background, while I'd hope to see nice, circular bokeh, thanks to the nine-bladed diaphragm. 

The size of this prime could make it a great companion for a portable setup, too. I could see it pairing well with a Sony A7C II or a Nikon Z f. If you wish to use it with an APS-C camera such as the A6700 or Z fc, you’ll end up with an equivalent 112.5mm focal length. 

Other specs of note include a 62mm filter thread and 0.75m close-focussing distance. The AF 75mm f/2 also features a "[USB] Type Cinterface for firmware upgrades," suggesting there will be support for the optic in the future. 

The only thing to be aware of is that autofocus isn't supported for the Sony A3000 and A3500 – though with both cameras being about a decade old, released in 2013 and 2015 respectively, this probably won't affect too many users. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Nikon cameras and the best Sony cameras.

"I love capturing action shots of wildlife subjects, especially birds, with end-to-end details in the frame. I believe this is the most difficult kind of photography, given that to produce such frames, you need to be in supreme control over your gear, its capabilities, and the settings. But I love the challenge," explains Anoop Raghavan Manikkoth. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing him about his work and analyzing his image 'Toss in the meadows'.  We discussed the techniques he used to capture the photo and why it works.. 

1. Detailed insights

"Blue-cheeked bee-eaters are migratory to this part of the world (Bhigwan, Maharashtra, India). Flying quickly in indefinite patterns, they swoop down and snatch their prey, then the bird comes back to the perch and tosses the prey before gulping it down," Anoop says. Recording parts of this process offered exhilarating challenges. "It was difficult to focus on the bird since it was perched among the flowers," he says. "Also, I had to increase the shutter speed to 1/3200sec to make sure I froze the action properly."

2. Shallow depth of field

Anoop captured the scene with a wide aperture of f/4, creating a shallow depth of field where the focus area is minimized. Consequently, both the background and foreground elements aren’t in sharp focus. "While I made sure to get crisp details on the subjects, the rest of the elements are blurred," Anoop says. "This way, the attention on the subjects remains intact but the feast of colours adds elements without being distracting within the composition."

3. Foreground interest

Moving away from the usual eye-level perspective is popular in various genres – not just wildlife, but also landscape, architecture, and action photography. "In my opinion, shooting from a lower perspective brings out the best in many frames. This perspective conveys the scene directly to the viewers," Anoop says. By going low, Anoop has created a strong relationship between the subject and the viewer. However, this angle also naturally adds a foreground element to the composition, creating further depth and interest. "The vibrant colors of the flowers are enhanced while the viewer gets the feeling of being in the meadow themselves," he adds.

4. Harmonious colors

"These flowers blossom for a month after the monsoon in this part of the world," Anoop says. "It’s mesmerizing to see the blooming Bhigwan grassland." The patches of tiny purple flowers not only add interest to the composition but also bring in a patch of color without overloading the frame. "I captured the bird tossing the insect while it was perched on a branch in the meadow. That meant I could include these vibrant colors with lots of contrast," he adds. To achieve this, he increased
the saturation levels in post-processing.

Tech details

Camera: Sony A1

Lens: Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS

Aperture: f/4

Shutter speed: 1/3200 sec 

ISO: 800

Others photos in the Why Shots Work series

• Urban street photographer reveals his candid capture secrets
• Photographer tells story of getting up close and personal with a python
• Discover four key elements that make this stunning photo a success
• The 4 photographic decisions that take this motorsport shot to the next level
• Photographer tells story of his amazing shot of wallabies fighting on the beach

Meet Remaster Slim: Samyang's new modular lens system, consisting of three separate lenses that connect to a single mount unit. The kit contains 21mm f/3.5, 28mm f/3.5 and 32mm f/2.8 full-frame modules, while the mount is exclusively for Sony E-mount cameras. The kit has been designed for travel, street, and everyday photography, or any situation where lightweight portability is paramount. Samyang says that the mount fitted with the 32mm module weighs just 66.5g, with a thickness of only 19.5mm, making this a true, go-anywhere pancake lens.

This isn't the first time we've seen a modular lens concept though. Several years ago Lomography gave us its retro-themed Neptune system with a similar three-into-one set-up. But where the Neptune was manual focus only, the Samyang Remaster Slim has full autofocus, making it the world's first interchangeable modular lens with autofocus. The AF motor and electronics are housed in the mount section, which also sports a focus ring and AF/MF switch, along with a USB-C port for applying firmware updates. The mount is equipped with a 49mm filter thread, which can be used in conjunction with any of the three optical modules.

Samyang is promising "superior performance" from all three lens modules. The 21mm module features a 7-element optical stack arranged in 6 groups, including 2 Precision Molded and 1 Extra-low Dispersion element to reduce chromatic aberration. The 28mm optic packs 6 elements in 6 groups and features 2 PMo, 1 high refractive and 1 ED element. It's said to offer "sharp results throughout the entire frame", with enhanced resolution and reduced distortion. Finally, there's the 32mm module, which again utilizes 6 elements in 6 groups with 2 PMo and 1 HR element. It gets Samyang's UMC coating to reduce flare and ghosting, while a 7-blade aperture is claimed to provide smooth bokeh.

It is initially only available Sony E-mount - but in South Korea where the lens system has been on pre-order for a couple of weeks, the company have been asking for people's opinion of which mount it should do next (with an L-mount option getting the popular vote). 

The Samyang Remaster Slim is set for a European release this October, priced at £336 / €404 (around $450).

We await confirmation of pricing and availability in North America, where Samyang products have traditionally been sold under Rokinon branding.

Sigma has launched a new full-frame standard zoom lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture. But where most f/2.8 standard zooms have a 24-70mm focal length, the new Sigma ups the ante by offering a 28-105mm focal range.

The Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art has been designed for a wide range of subjects, from landscapes to all forms of portraiture, and even close-up shots, thanks to a 40cm minimum focus distance available throughout the focal range. That large maximum aperture also means low light needn't be an issue, and Sigma is claiming the 12-blade rounded diaphragm produces "beautiful" bokeh.

Read more:
The best standard zoom lenses
The best Sony lenses
The best L-mount lenses

Inside is an 18-element optical stack incorporating two FLD (“F” Low Dispersion), one SLD (Special Low Dispersion) and a whopping five aspherical elements. Sigma also states that one aspherical element is an especially large 66.4mm diameter and is therefore very difficult to produce, requiring advanced manufacturing techniques in Sigma's facility in Aizu, Japan. Nano Porous Coating and Super Multi-Layer Coating are applied to minimize flare and ghosting, and the lens is said to have been designed using advanced simulation technology to further reduce flare and ghosting.

This isn't the first time we've seen a constant f/2.8 standard zoom lens that goes longer than 70mm. Canon's RF 24-105mm F2.8L IS USM Z manages a similar feat, but the new Sigma is significantly smaller and lighter. Where the big Canon measures 88.5 x 199mm and weighs a hefty 1,430g, the Sigma is just 87.8 x 157.9mm, and around a third lighter at 995g. This weight reduction is thanks to the use of magnesium-alloy rather than aluminium for the lens barrel, which is responsible for a two-third reduction in barrel weight, while still maintaining good rigidity. Despite the weight-saving, the lens is fitted with weather seals, making it dust and splash-resistant, while the front element features a water- and oil-repellent coating. In addition to improving image quality, those five aspherical elements also help reduce the overall length of the lens without compromising optical sharpness.

Like its Canon 24-105mm counterpart, the Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art is designed for both stills and video use. It incorporates an HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) autofocus motor for fast, responsive, precise and smooth AF, along with "noise-free" performance when shooting video. Also aiding video use is a dedicated aperture ring, equipped with a de-click switch, as well as a locking switch to prevent unintentional aperture adjustment. The zoom ring can also be locked, and released either by switch or by rotating the zoom ring.

The SIGMA 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art will be available from September 26 , in Sony E-mount and L-Mount variants, priced at $1,499/£1,399.

Pre-order E-mount version from B&H
Pre-order L-mount version from B&H

In late August Sony released its second-generation 85mm f/1.4 G-Master lens: the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II. Coming a whole eight years after the release of the original 85mm f/1.4 GM, we were expecting a lot from the new lens, and we weren't disappointed. Compared to the original, the new lens proved sharper throughout its aperture range, while delivering better bokeh quality and faster autofocus. We also appreciated the inclusion of extra handling features, as well as the slightly reduced overall weight.

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II full review

But while the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is undoubtedly a great portrait prime (and it should be, for the price you'll have to pay for one), how does it compare to the competition? After all, Canon, Nikon and Sigma each offer fast, high-quality 85mm primes, while the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art does so at a much lower price point. Here we'll compare the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II to the aforementioned Sony-fit Sigma 85mm, as well as the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS and Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S (these are the closest rival lenses to the Sony, as neither Canon nor Nikon produces f/1.4 mirrorless 85mm lenses).

When judged on our lens lab test metrics: image sharpness, severity of chromatic aberration, and lens distortion, which manufacturer produces the best 85mm fast prime? Let's find out...

Image sharpness

In terms of outright sharpness in the center of the image frame, the Nikon reigns supreme, though the new Sony G-Master lens isn't far behind. The Canon and Sigma lenses both deliver respectable center sharpness, but they're noticeably softer than the Nikon, and to some extent, the Sony. Though the Canon and Sigma can't match the outright sharpness of the other lenses, they are do at least provide very consistent sharpness at all apertures.

However, the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S has clearly been optimized for maximum center sharpness, and this comes at the expense of corner sharpness. It's far softer in the corners than the Sony and Canon lenses, especially at larger apertures (though it could easily be argued that a lack of corner sharpness isn't a deal-breaker for a lens that'll likely be used for portraiture, where the corners of an image will almost always be out of focus anyway).

The Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II comes out on top for corner sharpness, albeit by a narrow margin. It's worth noting that we tested the Sigma lens using a relatively old 24.3MP Sony a7 (mark 1), whereas the Nikon and Sony lenses were tested with a 45.7MP Z7 II and a 42.4MP a7R III, respectively. While a higher-resolution body may extract more sharpness out of the Sigma lens, we tested the Canon 85mm f/1.2 using an original EOS R body, and its 30.3MP sensor didn't stop the Canon lens massively outperforming the Nikon 85mm in terms of corner sharpness, despite the Nikon being tested on a 45.7MP body.

Chromatic aberration

As for chromatic aberration (purple fringing visible on sharp boundaries between very dark and very light elements of an image), all four lenses score well, keeping fringing below a level that'd be easily noticeable to the naked eye. The Sigma lens is the best performer here, and is so at all apertures, but the Canon and Sony lenses aren't far behind. The Nikon is statistically worst, but the results are close enough to the competition for any difference to go unnoticed in real-world shooting.

Distortion

We'd expect 85mm lenses to be relatively neutral when it comes to distortion, and this is the case for the Sony, Canon and Nikon lenses. Only the Sigma lens generates noticeable distortion, in this case of the pincushion variety.

Verdict

Of course, there are far more factors in determining a great lens than just the image quality metrics we lab test. Other image quality attributes like contrast and bokeh should be considered, as should autofocus and stabilization performance, along with overall build quality. But even with all these factors in mind, as well as its excellent performance across all of our lab tests, the Sony lens is still hard to beat.

The Canon and Nikon f/1.2 lenses are better in some areas and worse in others, but crucially they're also far more expensive to buy. Even if you ignore their extra cost, apart from being marginally faster, neither is convincingly better than the Sony lens. 

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art is significantly cheaper than the Sony, and this does justify it performing less well in our lab tests. For many it'll be the smart, value-focussed buy. But if you can splash the extra cash, you'll be rewarded with superior image quality from the Sony lens, as well as cutting-edge features and technology. It all comes together to make the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II the best full-frame 85mm lens on the market right now.

TTArtisan has just unveiled its third 100mm f/2.8 lens in 12 months... and this time the focus purely on macro photography. 

Earlier this year, we saw the Chinese lens specialist bring out a similar lens which had additional shift functionality. And last year, we saw a 'Bubble' 100mm which specialized on its bokeh performance.

The new manual focus macro lens is available in an impressive range of DSLR and mirrorless camera mounts. There are options for Sony E, Nikon Z, Nikon F, Canon EF, Canon R, Fujfilm X, and Leica L mounts. A Fujfilm GFX version is also being sold - although we are warned that this will create vignetting at the higher magnifications.

The 100mm lens provides up to 2x life-size magnification - with a close focusing distance of 0.25m. 

The lens is constructed from 14 elements in 10 groups - including six high index elements. The diaphragm has 12 blades, and at the front there is a 67mm filter ring. The metal-bodied lens weighs between 700 and 750g, depending on the mount chosen.

The telephoto macro lens is especially useful for extreme close-ups of insects and the like - but the focal length means it can also prove an effective portrait lens.

TTArtisan 100mm F/2.8 2X Ultra Macro will sell for $319.

Check out our guide to the best macro lenses currently on sale

The original Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is unquestionably a Sony lens classic, originally launched in 2016 as one of the first of three G-Master lenses, it proved that Sony could make lenses for its new mirrorless cameras that rivaled the best DSLR lenses for optical quality. 

Over the years as lens technology has evolved the original 85mm G-Master is starting to show its age, with slow autofocus, prominent chromatic aberrations, and a large size that doesn’t perfectly balance with smaller bodies. So, Sony has gone back to the drawing board to design a more compact and lightweight 85mm lens that solves the previous version’s optical flaws – and has come back with the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II.

With 14 elements in 11 groups, including x2 XA and x2 ED elements, as well as a Nanon AR II coating on the front of the lens, Sony is promising this second-generation’s refined optics will produce significantly less color fringing and improved chromatic aberrations. Sony demonstrated some images taken with both generations of the lens, and this definitely looks to be improved, as well as the lens being clearly sharper than the Mark I version. However, we will have to test this ourselves in our review. 

The 11-blade aperture should make for a nice rounded bokeh, with the classic 85mm portrait focal length being a favorite of many for creamy background falloff. Sony has brought all its lens technology to bear here, claiming its XA elements are manufactured to a 0.01-micron surface precision to remove any onion ring effects in the bokeh.

According to Sony’s calculations, the lens should be three times faster during autofocus (AF-S) than the previous version, with two XD linear motors driving the internal autofocus. This should allegedly make for a seven-fold improvement in subject tracking speed, with 120fps tracking supported. The lens has also been engineered to suppress focus breathing and will work alongside the focus breathing compensation in Sony’s latest cameras.

The Mark II version of the lens has shrunk down, measuring 84.7x107cm, versus the 89.5 x 107.5 mm of the original lens, and is also much lighter, weighing in at 642g versus 820g for the Mark I. The lens features two focus hold buttons, a manual focus ring, a de-clickable aperture/iris ring, and an iris lock switch.

The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II will be available at the beginning of September 2024 for a launch price of $1,799 / £1,850, with AU pricing to be confirmed. This is a jump from the $1,699 / £1,499 price of the original, although 8 years is a long time, so this price hike isn’t completely unexpected.

For more on all things Sony – check out our guides to the best Sony camera and the best Sony lenses.

When you hear the term '100-megapixels' you instantly think of massive cameras on tripods in studio environments and pros using the best medium format cameras carefully fine-tuning settings.

So one would think that these goliath cameras with 100MP sensors would be best suited in a studio and not an international cross-country equestrian event. Well, in true bonkers-me fashion, I took the Phase One XF 100MP to capture riders and their horses at speed across the countryside and I was amazed how well this 'slow' camera performed. I can tell you it was no slouch!

I was at one of the most esteemed events in the world equestrian calendar. It was the Gatcombe International horse trials, and I picked a tricky and important time to test a theory I had that a medium-format camera could be used for sports. 

Back then I was doing a lot of advertising work in the field (excuse the pun) so I thought perhaps medium format could offer the best advantage to my clients and get the upper hand over my fellow photographers.

What I discovered was a wonderful experience of shallow depth of field and the most intense resolution that went above and beyond my wildest dreams. So, armed with the Phase One XF 100MP camera, a Phase One 120mm f/4 LS lens, and a massive Pelican hard camera case full of other lenses – $70,000 worth to be exact – I nervously made my way onto the course.

The images from this event went all over the world, and at the time I had many photo editors say "Why are the files so big" or "What is a Phase One?" 

Some images even impressed the CEO of a multi-million dollar company who just so happened to be stood next to me while I was at the water jump taking photos of Princess Anne's house in the background – only to find the Princess Royal stood to my left , so I was sharply moved to one side by her security as I stood up!

The images from this event are like no other, at first they look like any other images, but what sets them apart is their resolution and quality of the most minute detail - perfect to capture that brand name in full 100MP glory!

But what surprised me more than anything was the camera's ability to capture horses going 30mph (48km/h) and still be pin sharp – I was amazed, and I have never used anything else like it, apart from the XF's counterpart the Phase One XT system.

I will never likely use anything like it again either as the current Phase One XF IQ4 150MP retails for a jaw-dropping, and eye-watering $50,000. Is it worth it? 100%, every single dime! Just that there are a lot of nickels to save to have the best in the world!

Looking for bokeh camera settings, on a film or digital camera? Getting a delicious, bokehlicious, blurry background requires the same set of parameters whether your camera is analog, DSLR or mirrorless.

If you're asking what is bokeh, in technicaly terms, it doesn't actually mean the blurry background itself; rather, it's the quality of that blur, and the out of focus areas in the fore and background of an image. Though some people still use "bokeh" and "blur" interchangeably. 

Regardless, these bokeh camera settings on film or digital will produce images with shallow depth of field – which means only a narrow plane of your photo will be in focus, with the background reduced to a buttery blur. This is how to achieve it…

Film bokeh camera settings

There's a notion that film cameras produce more blur than digital cameras, and this is kindasorta true. Most film cameras take 35mm film, which is equivalent to a "full frame" image sensor on a digital camera and produces a natively shallow depth of field (all things being equal, which I'll come onto in a minute). 

You also have medium format and large format film cameras, which take even larger sheets of film and have an even shallower depth of field. 

Digital cameras and camera phones, on the other hand, have image sensors of all different sizes, including things like 1/1.9-inch sensors in an iPhone, Micro Four Thirds sensors on OM System cameras, and APS-C sensors on Fujifilm X cameras… all of which are smaller than 35mm / full frame sensors, and cannot produce as shallow a depth of field. 

TLDR: there are many digital cameras and phones that cannot, all things being equal, render the same amount of background blur as a film camera. But bokeh camera settings are about much more than the size of your film or sensor!

All about the aperture…

At the end of the day, regardless of what camera you've got, you're going to need the right lens to unlock that beautiful blur! 

Look for a lens with a fast aperture, which is a low f-number such as f/1.8. In crude terms, the faster the aperture / lower the f-number the more background blur you can render.

This is where the bokeh camera settings come in: essentially, you'll need to "open" your aperture to its widest possible setting – which means setting the aperture all the way to the lowest f-number, whether that's f/1.8, f/1.4, f/1.2 or even f/0.95. 

This will mean that the maximum amount of light hits your film or image sensor, so you'll need to balance the exposure triangle to get the image you want!

… Well, and the lens

In addition to a lens with the fastest aperture, you also need a lens with a long focal length – like a 50mm, an 85mm or a 135mm. The longer your lens, the more defocus can be created behind your subject to create more background blur. 

When you see a portrait with that "cinematic" bokeh, it's as much to do with having the right focal length as it is about shooting with a wide open aperture. Shooting with telephoto lenses when photographing wildlife, for example, tends to produce inherently more blur. 

Distance matters, too

You will never blur out your background, no matter what settings you use, if your subject is leaning directly against it! 

The easiest way to blur the background is to move the subject as far away from it as possible; the greater the distance between subject and backdrop, the greater the degree of defocus that can be achieved. 

Conversely, you can also increase the amount of background blur by moving your lens closer to your subject. This can work to great effect for macro photography, as bringing the camera closer will start to reduce light sources to beautiful "bokeh balls".

Bokeh camera settings… the cheat code!

While I said that bokeh camera settings are about much more than the size of your film or sensor, I wasn't lying… but having the biggest sensor or film format really is a cheat code to getting deliciously defocused background blur.

Using a medium format camera, for instance, will simply melt the backdrop into a puddle of blur. Pair it with a long lens and a fast aperture and you can achieve some supernaturally shallow depth of field.

But you don't have to break the bank with medium format – check out the best lenses for bokeh regardless of what camera you're using, and if you use these settings and techniques you'll get that creamy, dreamy look in no time.

Wondering where to start? Take a look at the best cameras for portraits and the best lenses for portraits.

Viltrox has a new Sony-fit version of budget-priced  AF 56mm f/1.7. Already on sale in NIkon Z and Fujifilm X mount, the lens is designed for use with APS-C cameras - and as such offers an effective focal length of 85mm – making it a great lens for portrait photography. 

The ideal focal length for head-and-shoulder portraits, coupled with the wide f/1.7 aperture will enable the user to create shallow depth of field, isolating the subject from the background. With nine aperture blades, it promises the sort of dreamy bokeh that you usually only get with much more expensive prime lenses.

The 56mm f/1.7 has an internal focusing and a silent STM autofocus motor, enabling fast and accurate focusing for both stills and video. Vitrox says that the focus breathing is "almost imperceptible when the focus changes".

The lens is constructed from 11 elements in nine groups, including four extra-low dispersion lenses and three lenses with high refractive index, combating aberrations and dispersion. It weighs just 171g and is 72mm long.

Other features include HD multi-layer nano lens coating, a 52mm diameter filter thread, EXIF info transmission support, and a built-in USB-C port for updating firmware.

The AF 56mm f/1.7 sells for $180 / £139 / AU$315.

You can read our full review of the Nikon-fit Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7

See our guides for more information on the best portrait lenses and the best Sony lenses

Since its launch late last year, the Thypoch Simera series has quickly become a favorite among street photographers – offering great optics with a vintage touch. And Thypoch has just announced a new addition to the series.

The Thypoch Simera 50mm f/1.4 lens, is the latest to be added to its lineup, offering perhaps the most famous and recognizable focal length for street photography, favored by the father of street himself: Henri Cartier-Bresson, one of the best photographers ever.

The Simera series already consists of the Thypoch Simera 35mm f/1.4 and the Simera 28mm f/1.4, so adding the 50mm completes a trifecta of lenses perfect for street photography. Of course, the 50mm focal length makes for a fantastic all-rounder – so this can quite easily stay on your camera for all occasions.

Much like all current Thypoch lenses, it is targeted to fit the retro and analog style of the Leica M cameras – therefore, the Simera 50mm is manual focus. It features a helpful crescent-shaped focus tab and a modification from the standard infinity lock, each added in response to user feedback.

The Simera 50mm lens is constructed of an 8-element, 6-group optical design, including an aspherical element, an extra-low dispersion (ED) element, and a trio of high-refractive index (HRI) elements. This enables clear and sharp image quality from edge to edge, even when shooting wide open.

The lens has a fast aperture of f/1.4, which makes shooting in difficult low light situations that much easier, and the 14-aperture blade aperture delivers spherical bokeh and smooth focus falloff. The lens also has a minimum focusing distance of just 0.45m, incredibly useful for spontaneous street shooting and offering closer shooting than similar lenses on the market.

The demand for content creation and video is constantly increasing and has been considered in the design of the 50mm, featuring clicked and de-clicked aperture modes to suit the needs for smooth video work.

"The high refractive index multi-layer coatings and high refractive index elements deliver an abundant light transmission of up to T1.5, resulting in bright and vibrant images," says Thypoch.

By referring to the aperture in T stops, in addition to stating that the 14-bladed aperture is "cine-standard", the manufacturer is clearly catering to video usage.

ABOVE: Sample images taken with the Thypoch Simera 50mm f/1.4

The Thypoch Simera 50mm f/1.4 is available to preorder now in black and silver, with shipping scheduled for late September. The lens will cost just $749 (approximately £575 / AU $1,120).

The price of this lens is substantially lower than a Leica with the same focal length and aperture, and promises a great alternative without sacrificing optical quality. If the 50mm follows the same trend as the 28mm and 35mm, we may see additional mount options released soon.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Leica M lenses, the best Leica cameras, and the best Leica alternatives.

Last month, Astrhori teased a new macro lens on its social media while asking for product testers. It appears the tests have now been completed as the new Astrhori 120mm f/2.8 macro lens has just been announced.

Astrhori is one of many new Chinese third-party lens manufacturers, offering budget lenses for a wide range of cameras including the market's best mirrorless cameras. Its already extensive lineup includes fish-eye, tilt shift, and macro lenses with the new 120mm release its longest focal lengthed macro to date.

The Astrhori 120mm f/2.8 macro lens is a manual focus full-frame lens, currently available for Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L Mounts. Despite its low price point of just $369, it's packed with premium features that wouldn't look out of place next to other offerings in our guide to the best macro lenses.

The lens is constructed of 14 elements in 9 groups which is key for its large f/2.8 max aperture. The 13 aperture blades produce a more rounded diaphragm, which Astrhori states provides "balanced sharpness and attractive bokeh". The quality of the out-of-focus areas of macro lenses is a key factor as the focus plane is often much smaller.

The lens' 2X magnification enables users to capture intricate details on a 'microscopic' level, and by looking at the sample images, the proof certainly is in the pudding. Insects, plants, and product shots enable captures that are not possible with the naked eye.

Macro photographers often shoot delicate subjects or subjects that can be easily affected by too much movement or sound. The Astrhori 120mm f/2.8 macro lens has added a considered de-click function to its lens.

The macro effect is enhanced further by the long 120mm focal length coupled with a minimum focusing distance of just 0.3M. This enables sufficient image compression and a closer look at those finer details.

Unlike Astrhori's macro probe lenses, the 120mm f/2.8 is more versatile and can be used to capture a wide range of scenes including portraiture. Macro lenses are often used for portraits when the photographer wants to create a dreamy feel, as the compression and bokeh are smooth and uniform.

The Astrhori 120mm f/2.8 macro lens is available to order now for $369 / £285 / AU $550 (UK and Australian prices are approximate conversions from the US price).

You may also be interested in our guides for the best macro lens, the best cheap lens, and the best lens for portraits.

Yongnuo is a Chinese camera and lens manufacturer that focuses on delivering premium optics with an entry-level price tag. Over recent years its standard of development has risen, but Yongnuo has kept its attractive prices – and now it has announced a new autofocus lens packed with tech for just over $400!

The Yongnuo YN23mm f/1.4 DA DSM WL Pro has officially been announced and although packed with great features, it will fit comfortably in our guide to the best cheap lenses.

The lens is designed for APS-C sensors, meaning the 23mm focal length is the equivalent of 35mm on full-frame bodies – a common focal length for street photography and reportage, and a great all-arounder for photography and video.

Initially available for Nikon Z mount, both Fujifilm X and Sony E mount versions are scheduled for a future date.

Much like the Yongnuo YN33mm f/1.4 DA DSM WL Pro, released earlier this year, it comes complete with a wireless remote that enables the user to control aspects of the lens from a distance. 

The small controller facilitates changes to aperture and focus via a 2.4GHz radio frequency wireless link, meaning it's a great option for video.

The lens also promises great photography capabilities. Constructed of 11 elements in 9 groups, with 9 aperture blades, and a wide max aperture of just f/1.4, the lens offers great bokeh and falloff in the out-of-focus areas.

Other notable features include a quick and accurate AF stepping motor, a minimum shooting distance of just 0.3m, a control ring, customizable buttons and switches, a USB-C interface for firmware updates, and multi-layer lens coating.

The Yongnuo YN23mm f/1.4 DA DSM WL Pro is available now for Nikon Z mount for just $420 (converted from the US$276 price tag).

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cheap lenses, the best Nikon lenses, and the best wide-angle lenses.

Yongnuo looks set to launch a new lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The YN17mm F1.7M joins Yongnuo's existing 25mm F1.8 and 42.5mm F1.7 MFT offerings, giving Panasonic, Olympus, and OM System shooters greater choice of accessibly-priced lenses.

Unlike some budget third-party lenses which can offer good optical performance but lack niceties like AF, the YN17mm F1.7M features stepping motor autofocussing, as well as a full compliment of electrical contacts to communicate EXIF data with the host camera.

Read more:
The best Micro Four Thirds lenses
The best Micro Four Thirds cameras

The optical stack consists of 10 elements arranged in 9 groups, comprising two aspherical elements and two low dispersion elements to reduce aberrations. The F1.7-F22 aperture range is controlled by a 7-blade aperture - not the most well-rounded diaphragm, but then this isn't a portrait lens designed for the smoothest possible bokeh.

In-keeping with the Micro Four Thirds ethos, the lens is light and compact, weighing just 180g and measuring 77.8mm long, with its 65.8mm diameter requiring small 52mm filters. The lens mount is also weather sealed, though the rest of the barrel is not, so the lens shouldn't be used in heavy downpours.

Despite the comprehensive specifications, the YN17mm F1.7M will supposedly retail for 988 Chinese Yuan - roughly $129/£101. Even factoring additional local taxes in different regions, it should still be a very competitively-priced lens.

Story credit: asobinet.com

It's not often a cheap 85mm fast portrait prime lens comes along, but that's exactly what 7Artisans have just launched for Sony full-frame E-mount cameras. The new AF 85mm F1.8 has instantly become one of the most affordable portrait primes available for Sony shooters, and unlike many budget prime lenses from third-party manufacturers, this one has stepping motor autofocussing, a configurable Fn function button on the lens barrel, as well as a USB-C port in the lens mount to enable future firmware updates. The only obvious omission here is optical image stabilisation, but since this is a lens designed for Sony's IBIS-equipped E-mount bodies, that's not a deal-breaker.

Read more:
The best cheap lenses The best Sony lenses The best Sony cameras

Optically you get a 10-element stack structured in 7 groups, including a pair of extra-low dispersion elements and two high-refractive-index elements to improve sharpness and minimise chromatic aberrations. 7Artisans hasn't skimped on the lens diaphragm either, as it uses an 11-blade aperture to keep out of focus highlights well rounded, plus it should also make for very smooth bokeh. And if you'd rather use the lens for close-ups, the 0.8-meter minimum focussing distance allows for this.

Despite its full-frame coverage and the inclusion of autofocus, the AF 85mm F1.8 is fairly light, weighing 437.5g, though it should be noted that's still noticeably heavier than Sony's own 371g FE 85mm F1.8 lens. The Sony optic is also shorter, measuring 81mm long compared to the 96mm 7Artisans lens.

But if you can manage that extra bulk, the $299/£279 retail price of the 7Artisans AF 85mm F1.8 makes it almost half the price of the Sony competition. What's more, 7Artisans has already released an AF 50mm F1.8 lens for Sony cameras that we've already reviewed, and which we found to be very good indeed, with respectable image quality. If this 85mm version performs just as well, it could be an absolute steal at the price.

The 7Artisans AF 85mm F1.8 is available to pre-order now from B&H for $299 or at Amazon for £279. 

In today's landscape, the demand for video content is at an all-time high, and more and more professionals are bulking out their kits with specialist video equipment. Cine lenses are a staple but often have a larger-than-desired price tag attached – enter 7Artisans.  

The new 7Artisans Hope Prime T2.1 S35 Cine lenses offer competition to the best cine lenses on the market, costing just a fraction of the price of some options.

Available for Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon RF-S, and MFT mounts, the Hope Cine prime lens range is comprised of 6 lenses covering wide-angle to medium telephoto and available in black and titanium colorways. A 10mm, 16mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm offer the user versatility to capture video in a wide range of shooting scenarios.

There has been no information regarding future mount options, however, although L mount users will certainly be keen for a release. 

Despite the low price point, the lenses offer an extensive list of features for enhanced performance and ease of use, starting with the generous T2.1 aperture. 

A maximum aperture of T2.1 enables bright capture of the scene, even in low lighting conditions. It also aids in producing a shallower depth of field with a wider perspective, especially when used at the minimum focus distance of just 0.2m.

7Artisans highlights the form factor of the lenses as a key feature to be utilized by creators. Despite covering a wide focal range and being made up of 15 elements in 12 groups, the lenses are lightweight and compact, weighing just 600-800g. This is ideal for those who operate as individuals and provides easy switching of accessories such as gimbals and stabilizers.

Consistency across any cine lens line is key, as it allows the user to seamlessly swap different focal length lenses without changing the shooting rig, and the Hope lenses are no different.

A unified design specification means that the focus ring and the aperture ring are in the same position on all lenses. The focusing rings also provide a focus stroke of 260°, enabling precise focusing control and maximizing accuracy.

Other notable features include multi-layer nano-coating, compatibility with AF accessories, suppressed focus breathing, and a moisture-proof carry box.

The best part about these lenses is the price point. The 7Artisans Hope Prime T2.1 S35 Cine lenses are available individually or as part of a set. 

Pricing of the individual lenses is as follows: 10mm – $489 / £378, 16mm – $399 / £308, 25mm – $369 / £285, 35mm – $369 / £285, 50mm – $369, / £285 85mm – $369 / £285. (Australian pricing to be confirmed).

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cinema lenses, the best cinema camera, and the best camera for filmmaking. 

DZO Film has announced the release of the company's new Arles Prime lens series, drawing inspiration from the vibrant town of Arles in southern France, famously cherished by the painter Vincent van Gogh. Known for its abundant sunlight and rich seasonal colors, Arles played a crucial role in van Gogh's departure from conventional artistic styles.

These Arles prime lenses, with their T1.4 fast apertures, aim to encapsulate this dynamic interplay of light and shadow, opening up new avenues for artistic expression and cinematic creativity. The lenses come with interchangeable Arri PL and Canon EF lens mounts.

One of the standout features of the Arles prime lenses is the T1.4 ultra-wide aperture, which allows for substantial light intake, making them ideal for low-light and complex shooting conditions. 

This capability ensures a stunningly dreamy shallow depth of field, precisely highlighting every narrative detail. Even at wide-open aperture, the lenses maintain even brightness transitions and clear rendering of intricate light and shadow details, supporting high frame rate shooting without compromising image quality, and producing smooth, exquisite cinematic footage.

Additionally, the lenses are compatible with larger format sensors, offering coverage for medium format cameras with a sensor size of up to 43.8 × 32.9mm with focal lengths ranging from 25mm to 50mm, as well as large format cameras like the Arri Alexa 65 (54.12 × 25.59 mm) with focal lengths from 75mm to 180mm. This compatibility satisfies the diverse needs of independent filmmaking to large-scale film production.

The advanced multi-layer nano-coating technology utilized in the Arles series includes a specially calibrated blue coating to minimize reflections and effectively reduce stray light and ghosting. This results in stable and controllable flares, while the internal lens structure's sandblasting and anodizing techniques create a micro-level anti-reflective coating with ultra-low reflectivity. 

Consequently, even when shooting directly against the light, the lenses deliver clean and sharp images, ensuring consistent color temperatures around 5000K to faithfully reproduce vivid, true-to-life colors and present a natural, neutral visual style.

The Arles prime lenses also boast 16 aperture blades, delivering delightful circular bokeh and ensuring smooth transitions between in-focus and out-of-focus areas. At maximum aperture, the lenses provide a soft low-contrast look, with slight swirling bokeh adding a distinctive characteristic to the image. 

This feature enhances the emotional depth of each frame, while the built-in floating lens elements minimize aberrations during focusing transitions, improving optical performance. With minimal breathing, the lenses immerse viewers in each frame, amplifying the emotional impact of the scenes. 

Additionally, the lenses incorporate advanced optical materials and precision manufacturing techniques to correct spherical aberration and coma, reduce wide-angle distortion and astigmatism, and suppress chromatic aberration, ensuring exceptional optical performance. 

These new Arles lenses are priced individually at $2,149 (25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm) or filmmakers can buy all the lenses as a 5-lens set for $9,699 through authorized retailers.

Purchase lenses separately at B&H for $2,149

Purchase the 5-lens set for $9,699 at B&H

Since the release of the Fujifilm GFX line, the definition of what digital medium format is, and what it can be used for, has changed quite a bit. 

Cameras like the new Fujifilm GFX 50S II have delivered digital medium format quality to the masses, making it an extremely popular option, and some of Fujifilm's best cameras. But however brilliant this may be, affordable lens choices have been somewhat limiting, so when a new lens for the GF mount is released, it certainly sparks interest. 

The Mitakon Speedmaster 80mm f/1.6 has been released by Zhong Yi Optics, providing a versatile manual focus lens option for digital medium format – and it's just $599! Despite being a manual focus lens, it boasts some features found on the best portrait lenses on the market. 

The 80mm on the GFX system is equivalent to around 63mm on full-frame, meaning it is a focal length that is extremely versatile, able to capture portraits and landscapes in equal measure. 

The lens has an optics system comprised of 10 elements in 6 groups, incorporating 4 HRI (High Refractive Index) and 1 UD (Ultra-low Dispersion). These are vital to minimizing chromatic aberrations and ensuring the crisp image quality that the larger sensor demands.

A nine-blade aperture diaphragm creates extremely pleasing fall-off in the out-of-focus areas, enabling the user to easily separate the subject from the background. This is also enhanced by the large f/1.6 aperture and the nature of the larger medium format sensor, which in turn aids in great low-light performance. 

Above: A sample image gallery of the Mitakon Speedmaster 80mm f/1.6

By looking at the sample images shown above, the lens has character and seems capable of creating both artistic and clinical photographs. The color rendering looks clear, the image quality sharp, and the bokeh spherical and pleasing. As a GFX user myself, this lens is certainly appealing.  

On paper, the lens has exceptional build quality, constructed from 'sturdy metal materials' to ensure durability and longevity. This is vital for a lens like this, as the versatile focal length lends itself to being attached to the camera for daily shooting. It can mean, however, a little more weight to the lens, as was the case with the Mitakon Speedmaster 65mm f/1.4. 

The Mitakon Speedmaster 80mm f/1.6 is available now for Fujifilm GF mount and Hasselblad X mount for just $599 (which roughly converts to £470 / AU $890).

You may also be interested in the best Fujifilm cameras, the best Fujifilm lenses, and the best portrait lenses.

Chinese lens specialist 7Artisans has just announced its second-ever full-frame autofocus lens - an 85mm f/1.8 prime that is the perfect focal length for portraits. The new lens follows on from the 7Artisans AF 50mm f/1.8 which was launched last year, and was the company's first venture into autofocus, after previously only offering manual-focus lenses. The company has also released the crop-sensor AF 27mm f/2.8.

The 7Artisans AF 85mm f/1.8 will be available in Sony E-mount for full-frame Alpha mirrorless cameras. 

Impressively, it has 11 iris blades – promising circular bokeh even when closed down. There is also a built-in USB-C port on the bayonet mount that allows the lens to be upgraded easily with new firmware. There is also a function button on the side.

The lens is constructed from 10 elements in seven groups, including two ED glass elements. The lens weighs 437.5g and measures 72x96mm, , and has a 62mm front filter thread.. The closest focusing distance, meanwhile is 0.8m (0.62 feet). 

The price in China is 1580 Yuan - around US$220 or £170 - which suggests it will retail in the West for about the same price as the 7Artisans AF 50mm f/1.8.

See our round-up of the best lenses for portraits that you can buy right now

There are as many creative filters out there for photographers as there are photographic applications, and each new filter to the market promises to do something different or better than the last. The best variable ND filters reduce the light entering your camera, slowing down exposures for expressive movement, or balancing scenes with different light levels.

Variable neutral density filters are my go-to for achieving wide apertures in super-bright situations like the midday sun because I can control the amount of light entering the camera and still create a shallow depth of field. And that's not something I can fix or add in post-production.

The Pro1D Smart Variable NDX filter offers densities between ND3 to ND450. You can change the strength infinitely by rotating the filter, and vary the light entering the camera from a minimum of 1.5 to a maximum of 9 stops. As an entry-level option, it's not got the coatings and glass kudos of more expensive options like the Urth ND1000 and the largest size you can get is an 82mm thread. However, it makes a great starting point for landscape and portrait photographers who want to start experimenting with long exposures.

Confusingly this filter isn't part of Kenko's Instant Action range, which has a magnetic adapter to allow the quick switching of magnetic filters in the field. It has the same NDX3-450 filter as the Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL I've previously tested but without the built-in polarizer. I thought that filter was a jack of all trades, and that a solo ND option would have been better than a combined product. So Kenko has almost answered my wishes with the PRO1D Smart Variable NDX, and I was eager to see how the traditional screw-on design would compare to a magnetic or slide-in alternative.

I've had the largest 82mm filter in my bag for over a month now, screwing it onto my Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM lens every time I've wanted to slow down the exposure – either for extended exposures or shallower depths of field beyond what the ambient light allows. If you're looking for one of the best variable ND filters, read on to find out whether the Kenko Pro1D Smart Variable NDX filter makes the cut, and if so, whether it's the right cut for you.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Specification

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Price

None of the filters in Kenko's Pro1D (and magnetic Pro1D+) range are particularly expensive, which is just as well given they come in basic plastic cases and offer few real "features" worth paying a premium for. The Smart Variable NDX filter costs between $30/£30-$45/£45, depending on the thread size you need, which is on the budget side for adjustable ND filters.

Unlike the Kenko Pro1D+ UV filter and its water-repellent, anti-reflection, and anti-stain coatings – something you need on an everyday filter – Kenko doesn't mention any coatings on the Pro1D NDX3-450. By contrast, the LEE Elements Variable ND filter has anti-reflective, hydrophobic, and oleophobic coatings to resist fingerprints, but then you're looking at a price around six times as much. For such a steep investment, I'd rather be extra careful not to touch the front of the filter.

I don't know what the glass is, either, so you can assume it isn't German-made SCHOTT. I don't want to sound too disparaging, though. The Pro1D smart Variable NDX is keenly priced for its target market of hobbyists.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Design & Handling

The Pro1D NDX3-450 filter comes in an unassuming gray cardboard sleeve that's worlds away from the bright, cheerful Kenko Pro1D+ range. But let's not judge a book by its cover, or a filter too harshly by its packaging. It comes well-protected in a hard, square plastic case, and inside this, there's a perfectly sized hole cut for slotting the filter into so that it doesn't rattle around in transport.

If I was being picky, I found the filter case hard to open, and imagine it being more so when you're shooting an early landscape with cold hands, or wearing gloves. The upside is that the case shuts securely, and there's little chance of it coming open in your bag and the filter getting scratched by the contents. It isn't labeled either, so if you have several of these cases in your bag you might find it hard to tell between them.

Physically, it's much slimmer than the Pro1D+ CPL ND, which must be because it doesn't have to incorporate a polarizing filter into its dimensions. On immediate handling, I'd say that it felt sturdy, being made from a strong but still lightweight magnesium, which blended well on the end of my Canon RF lens. Mounting the filter was painless, which sounds strange to mention, but cheaper filters often have poorly machined threads that make them fiddly to screw on.

Once mounted, the filter rotated smoothly in a full 360-degree motion, and I was pleased that there wasn't any grating. There's some subtle resistance, which is what you want to avoid the filter moving during a shot, but just enough for the movement to feel smooth. Helpfully, there are minimum and maximum markings on the perimeter of the ND filter, and these are incredibly useful when trying to work out where you are on the density scale.

Where UV filters are usually designed to allow a lens cap to sit on the end, the Pro1D Variable ND filter wasn't compatible with my lens cap. This is a shame, as several times I took a shot, walked five or ten minutes to another spot, and had to take the filter on and off each time to put my camera in my bag. The filter has different sized diameters on its front and back, and I've since discovered that if you want to attach a lens cap, you'll need it to be one size larger than your lens' thread.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Performance

While the Pro1D NDX3-450 filter is a simple, affordable variable ND filter, it still needs to deliver clear, sharp images that make the most of your lens' tech. I'm pleased to report that I couldn't spot any image quality issues when it was mounted. I tested the filter at a range of focal lengths with my telephoto and there was no noticeable vignetting (darker edges of the frame) or drops in contrast or clarity. Some ND filters can affect the color temperature and often run a touch cool, but I didn't notice any casts when using the Pro1D NDX3-450 either. The white balance was identical to control shots without it.

While you can theoretically darken your exposures in post-processing software, you can't slow the shutter speed and capture motion blur after the event. This is where the Pro1D NDX3-450 was key for me. I experimented with exposures between half a second to twenty seconds and was satisfied with the results.

For me, that's where this filter wins over a fixed-density option like the Urth ND1000 Filter Plus, even with its well-labeled case and 20-layer nano-coating. That being a fixed 10-stop ND filter, it can't offer you the more subtle light-blocking capabilities that the Kenko does. Being able to adjust the ND density infinitely from ND3 to ND32 makes it a very adaptable accessory in many environments, including if you're using it for video and need to stop down to a suitable shutter speed. And as you don't have to stack a set of ND filters, you won't get the vignetting that comes with that.

I used it a lot during bright sunshine to set a low ISO speed and take advantage of my lens's maximum f/2.8 aperture for a blurred background. During these daylight situations, being able to twist the filter and work in manual exposure mode allowed me to choose the balance of settings precisely, but given that the filter blocks light in real-time, a semi-automatic Aperture Priority mode also worked well.

When I used the filter near or at its Max setting, I noticed an X-shaped dark pattern in the frame. Kenko says that this is a normal effect, can't be prevented due to the filter's construction, and that adding a stopper would have made it less versatile for getting a wide range of densities. I was surprised by the dark, muddied effect at first, but it's not a problem or a defect of the product, and even more reason to use the handy markings on the filter's edge for guidance so that you don't use it past the maximum point.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Verdict

Overall, I'm impressed with Kenko's Pro1D NDX3-450 filter. If a range of ND strengths is what you're after – to completely blur movement in your landscapes or just slightly affect the exposure to reach the optimum shutter speed in your video – then this filter does exactly what it's designed to do. And by doing away with coatings or fancy glass, it can be sold more cheaply than Lee or Tiffen equivalents.

The screw-on filter design offers a secure fit on the lens, and the ability to alter the ND strength with a gentle twist. However, the disadvantage compared to a slide-in filter is that you'll have to buy several duplicates if you want to use filter thread sizes on different lenses. As I generally have one workhorse lens this isn't a problem, nor will it be for many landscape shooters who stick to a single wide-angle. And the competitive pricing means you could still buy several filters for a fraction of the cost of the premium brands mentioned above.

Does the Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 offer the same clarity you'd get for a filter five times the price? Probably not. But I'd say the difference in quality is entirely negligible unless you're a fine art photographer making a living from giant prints and image excellence. For most, it'll provide an easy way to tweak their exposures with minimal effort, time, and investment.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Alternatives

In our busy, always-on world, the art of macro photography can be a balm for mental health. When you’re engaged in capturing the intricate details of flowers and insects, it’s harder to focus your attention elsewhere. For many photographers, macro enables them to escape their everyday stressors – on top of being a rewarding and creative outlet in itself.

Canon pro photographer Matt Doogue has been photographing close-ups in nature for over a decade and has found comfort by immersing himself in the beauty of the miniature world. Based in the UK, he has become something of a mental health speaker, and he regularly gives talks on how the slowness of the genre can create a sense of calm and concentration. With a profound respect for the natural world, Matt often describes what he does as photo therapy and credits photography with being a life-saver in his darkest times.

Macro may help with mindfulness, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy from a technical point of view. For a start, you’ll need a dedicated macro lens that’s capable of focusing at close distances. And even then, it can be very challenging to precisely focus on extremely small subjects and manage a shallow depth of field at higher magnifications. One technique that Matt uses to increase the sharpness throughout his images is focus stacking, both manually and using the latest automated stacking features in Canon’s EOS R5 and EOS R7 mirrorless cameras.

Discover how macro helps Matt to stay connected to the present moment, plus the technical skills he uses for the sharpest shots.

A longer version of this interview originally appeared in Issue 214 of PhotoPlus magazine. Click the link below to see our latest special subscription deal!

As well as the best macro lenses, you might want to check out the best cameras for macro photography to really maximize your macro work.

We're used to a new third-party lens being launched simultaneously in several mount options, but for the Nokton 75mm f/1.5 Aspherical, Voigtländer has adopted a staged release schedule. The lens was first released for Leica users, before being rolled out to Canon RF shooters in March this year. Then in April it was the turn of Nikon Z users to get in on the action, and now Voigtländer has announced the lens is officially getting a Sony E-mount launch.

Unlike a completely manual lens which can be adapted for multiple mounts with relative ease, the Nokton 75mm f/1.5 Aspherical does have electronic contacts for communication with the host camera body, so these must be re-engineered during the mount conversion. The inclusion of electronic lens-body communication enables features like Exif data recording, automatic live-view magnification when the focus ring is turned, and compatibility with Sony's 5-axis in-body image stabilisation (in camera bodies which offer this feature).

The Nokton 75mm f/1.5 Aspherical is a full-frame lens, and though it lacks autofocus, it's claimed that the all-metal helicoid focus mechanism offers high precision, and is also tuned with the aid of high quality grease to provide optimal resistance for silky-smooth focus adjustments.

The aperture ring can cycle through the lens's f/1.5-f/32 iris range either seamlessly or in clicked f-stops, thanks to the built-in switching mechanism. The aperture itself is a 12-blade unit, making the iris very well rounded. This should in turn provide smoother out of focus areas and creamier bokeh.

7 lens elements are arranged in 6 groups, with a single aspherical element at the back of the stack. The Sony version of the lens is 73.9mm long, 74mm in diameter, and weighs 515g; making it marginally shorter and lighter than the Nikon Z-mount version previously released. The E-mount variant also has a slightly longer minimum shooting distance of 0.55m (0.5m for the Z-mount edition). Full specs below:

The Voigtländer Nokton 75mm f/1.5 Aspherical lens for Sony E will cost ¥135,000 in Japan - at the time of writing that equates to approximately $858 / £676 / AU$1,296. The lens is expected to go on sale in Japan in July, though a global launch date has not yet been announced.

For more great lens options for your Sony camera check out our guide to the best Sony lenses in 2024.

Venus Optics has just announced a new super-fast cine lens series that takes its inspiration from the existing Laowa Argus photography range and is available across three sensor size formats. 

On top of producing some of the photography market's best macro lenses, Laowa has also been making some incredible cine lenses offering anamorphic and cine zooms at a great price with superb optical quality. 

Laowa continues to expand its cine lens range further by introducing the Laowa Argus T1 Cine Series available for full-frame, Super35 (APS-C), and MFT. Releasing a range that has the capabilities to cover most cameras is an inspired idea, and will no doubt appeal to a wider range of users.

With these three formats, the Argus cine lenses are available for Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z for Full-Frame, Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, Fuji X mount for Super35 (APS-C), and M4/3 for MFT format. 

The focal lengths on offer upon launch do vary between sensor sizes with 28mm, 35mm, and 45mm available for full frame, 18mm, 25mm, and 33mm available for Super35 (APS-C), and 18mm and 35mm for MFT. 

One of the things that distinguishes the best cine lenses is consistency across the range, and all of the Argus Cine lenses have a maximum aperture of T1. This is extremely fast and offers users a remarkably shallow depth of field with smooth bokeh in the out-of-focus areas. 

Shooting wide open with large apertures such as T1 can also provide its own challenges such as chromatic aberration, however, Laowa assures users "the Argus T1 Cine series is meticulously designed to deliver exceptional optical performance. These lenses minimize chromatic aberration, ensuring maintained contrast and sharpness even when shooting wide open at T1 aperture."

The consistency continues with the build design as each lens has professional cine housing incorporating a 0.8 mod gear, an 80mm outer diameter with 77mm filter thread to accommodate most matte boxes, internal focusing, and a lens supporting thread. This is extremely important when swapping lenses as the similarities will mean minimal equipment adjustments and settings changes. 

Laowa also ensures consistent optical performance including color tone and contrast throughout the range. Laowa states, "Every focal length within the Argus T1 Cine Series is meticulously crafted to deliver consistent color rendition and lens performance. This minimizes the requirement for extensive editing in the post-production process after utilizing different focal lengths, ensuring seamless visual consistency across your projects".

Other notable features include low-focus breathing, a short minimum shooting distance (varies across focal lengths), and an average 270-degree focus rotation. 

The Laowa Argus T1 Cine Series is available now. The full-frame lenses are priced at $1499 | £1499 individually or $3999 | £3999 for the 3-lens set. The Super35 (APS-C) lenses are priced at $899 | £899 individually or $2499 | £2499 for the 3-lens set. The MFT $699 | £699 individually or $1259 | £1259 for the 2-lens set. (Australian prices to be confirmed). 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cine lenses, the best cinema cameras, and the best hybrid cameras.

Sirui is expanding its Sniper Series of prime lenses by releasing two new focal lengths, adding more width and telephoto options.

Sirui launched its first AF photography lenses dedicated to mirrorless APS-C cameras late last year, and due to its affordable price point and wide aperture, the Sniper Series quickly became a fan favorite. 

The series currently consists of 23mm, 33mm, and 56mm f/1.2 prime lenses, however, they will soon be accompanied by the Sirui Sniper Series APS-C AF 16mm f/1.2 and the Sirui Sniper Series APS-C AF 75mm f/1.2, to further compliment the series.  

The great thing about the Sniper Series is that there are many consistent features throughout the range, which is no different from the new offerings. 

A main draw for the Sniper Series is the extremely fast f/1.2 max aperture, enabling shallow depth of field captures and exceptional low-light performance. The 75mm offers a full-frame equivalent focal length of 113mm which falls in the range of a great portrait lens, and when combined with the wide aperture, offers great subject separation. 

Much like Sirui's cine lenses, the company has put a considered emphasis on keeping the lenses in the series consistent, meaning that other than the focal range, not much changes between them. 

The size and weight are almost indistinguishable throughout the series, meaning that swapping lenses when using gimbals and stabilizers does not require changes to calibration or settings changes, making the Sniper Series a great video lens option. 

Color tone and lens characteristics are also uniform throughout, further providing the user with confidence that they know what to expect from each lens.

AF lenses are a relatively new product line for Sirui, as they have up until recently, focused on manual focus photography, cine, and, macro lenses. The Sniper Series however offers fast and efficient AF capabilities with Eye AF for stills and video. The STM motor also reduces focus hunting and noise even in fast-paced environments. 

Other notable features include a 360-degree focus throw, a USB-C port for firmware updates, HD Nano coating, and uniform color options throughout the rest of the Sniper Series. 

The Sirui Sniper Series APS-C AF 16mm f/1.2 and the Sirui Sniper Series APS-C AF 75mm f/1.2 will be available for Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Nikon Z mount. The lenses will be available to back on Indiegogo from June 17 with shipping expected to start June 19.  

Sirui continues to offer extreme value in an affordable package as each of the new lenses will cost just $399 | £346 | AU $535 each! (Early backer discounts are available via the Indiegogo page) Sirui also offers the Sniper Series as part of a set for further discounts, so keep an eye out for these as there are great deals to be had!

Sirui certainly means business and has been ramping up in production, offering affordable cine and photography lenses with fantastic optical performance, and I can only see further releases improving on this.

You may also be interested in the best lenses for Nikon Z mount, the best Fujifilm lenses, and the best Sony lenses.

It wasn't too long ago when we heard whispers of a large cine superzoom lens from Viltrox when an image of the lens taken at a trade show started doing the rounds. We now have more information about the lens as it is officially announced at Cine Gear Expo 2024.

The Viltrox Luna 30-300mm T4.0 Zoom 10X will be released 'soon', and will set you back a not inconsiderable $65,000 (approximately £50,000 / AU$100,000). Created by Viltrox as a statement lens, it is designed to show the optical quality of the highest level; a statement that would see it ranked among the best cine lenses on the market. 

It's T4.0, rather than F4.0 because the light transmittance through the optics has been scientifically measured, as is usual with cine lenses – this process itself isn't cheap which is why 'F' is the more common measure. 

Despite the Luna 30-300mm's similar white appearance to Viltrox's Epic Series of anamorphic cine lenses, the Luna is not anamorphic in design. It is also substantially larger than other Viltrox cine lenses, and weighs approximately 15kg! 

The giant cine superzoom provides users with a 10x optical zoom from 30 to 300mm, covering a full-frame sensor and an image circle of 46.5mm, with Viltrox stating that there is no vignetting across the entire focal range. The large image circle also ensures full coverage of larger formats such as RED VV and Arri LF. 

One of the most important attributes of cine lenses is consistency, and the constant T4 aperture provides this across the enormous focal range. The aperture ensures consistent brightness and depth of field, and with 8 aperture blades, provides smooth and pleasing bokeh. 

With such a wide focal range, it offers an extremely versatile option for filmmakers, meaning you can capture wide and tight shots without the need to change lenses. This also means not having to readjust gimbals and stabilizers as it can all be captured with one lens. 

The one lens also provides consistency in color and character when capturing scenes, ensuring a smooth and uniform editing process. 

Other features of note include an adjustable flange focal distance, parfocal design, stable focus, smooth zooming, magnetic filter attachment, and an integrated handle with a 3/8" threaded base.

According to a report from News Shooter, this lens is aimed at wildlife and sports shooters, and due to its incredibly versatile and fast-paced nature, it's easy to see why. 

The same report also mentions two further cine zoom lenses scheduled from Viltrox – a 22-222mm T2.8 and a 42-420mm T5.6. No official statement has been made on these lenses but rumors suggest more information later this year. 

Viltrox has stated that the Viltrox Luna 30-300mm T4.0 Zoom 10X lens will be available soon, the best estimate is within the next couple of months, for the price of $65,000 | £50,000 | AU$100,000. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cine lenses, the best cine cameras, and the best lenses for filmmaking. 

Leica cameras and lenses have produced some of the most iconic imagery throughout history, hallmarked by their distinctive ‘Leica Look’. 

Unfortunately, Leica cameras are prohibitively expensive for most people, meaning many out there will never experience first-hand the unique look of shooting through a Leica lens. However, Leica is making that experience a little more accessible with the launch of its latest app – Leica Lux.

The Leica Lux app aims to put the uniqueness of a Leica camera directly in your iPhone, enabling you to experience Leica lenses and distinctive Leica Looks through the phone’s native camera. 

For me, the most exciting sounding feature in the Lux app is the ability to replicate the look of Leica lenses. The app's 'Aperture Mode' uses Leica's image engine alongside machine learning to replicate the rendering, bokeh and other characteristics exhibited by Leica lenses such as the Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 Asph and the Noctilux-M 50mm f/1.2 Asph. 

This appears similar to the portrait mode already featured on iPhones – but with a Leica twist.

Like Apple itself, Leica has its own color science for its cameras – which refers to how Leica chooses to interpret colors in an image for accuracy or artistic expression. However, Leica’s colors are especially idolized by many in the photography community for their distinctive look. 

The Leica Lux app has been developed for the iPhone camera to apply those same iconic colors, including Leica Standard, Leica Classic, Leica Contemporary and Leica Black-and-White to iPhone shots, displaying colors and contrast differently than the native iPhone camera.

For those who prefer fine-grained control over their images, the Lux app also comes with a Manual Mode that enables you to control aspects like aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation, to generate a photo that is unique to your vision. There are already plenty of manual camera apps available for the iPhone, but Lux's Manual Mode, plus Leica’s Looks and lenses, can offer a different iPhone camera experience.

The Leica Lux app is free to download and includes access to Automatic Photo mode and Aperture Mode, as well as emulation of the Leica Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 Asph and five Leica Looks. There is an additional premium subscription, called Leica Lux Pro, that offers up to 11 Leica Looks and 5 Leica lenses for £6.99 per month. 

The Leica LUX app is available to download now from the App Store for iPhone and is compatible with all iPhone models running iOS 17.1 or later.

For more on getting the best out of your images check out our guide for the best photo editing software.

The Cine Gear Expo 2024 kicked off yesterday in LA and has been showcasing the latest and greatest cine lenses, cinema cameras and everything in-between. 

This has certainly been the case for Viltrox, as it has unveiled a host of new cine products including two new optics for its Epic Series – a professional range of anamorphic lenses. 

The two new entries are the Viltrox Epic Anamorphic 100mm T2.0 1.33X Cine Lens and the Viltrox Epic Anamorphic 25mm T2.0 1.33X Cine Lens. These will add to the existing lineup that currently includes the beloved 35mm, 50mm and 75mm primes. 

The 25mm and 100mm are currently only available for the PL mount, in a kit combo or individually. However, the 35mm, 50mm and 75mm were initially just released for PL before getting L and E mount versions at a later date – so it may well be that the new lenses will follow suit.

Although the mount options may change throughout the range, the features and lens specifications do not, and they are packed full of impressive offerings that go above and beyond Viltrox's current lines. 

The full-frame lenses enable videographers to capture the artistic anamorphic characteristics with the optical quality of a spherical lens. The anamorphic properties provide a wider field of view and the ultimate 2.35:1 widescreen capture, for the classic cinematic aesthetic. 

Above: A sample video of the lenses in action

One of the important features of cine lenses is that they remain consistent throughout the range, meaning that changing focal lengths will not alter the look of the captured image. This is true for the Epic series with a 1.33x constant squeeze factor, ensuring a consistent image distortion ratio. 

The keyword, consistency, continues with the constant T2 aperture design, which offers beautiful bokeh and oval light spots while offering excellent low light performance, and the color science that creates "a delicate and soft image with retro charm". 

The 25mm and 100mm do vary in size from the rest of the existing Epic lenses, but the gear position and focus rings remain in the same place – meaning they can seamlessly be swapped into rigs without changing the focus pull position. 

Other notable features include HD nano and waterproof coatings, compatibility with a 95mm matte box, "zero" focus breathing and a 0.8M gear pitch. 

The Viltrox Epic Anamorphic 25mm and 100mm T2.0 1.33X Cine Lenses are available now individually for $3,999 / £3,190 / AU$6,133  or $7,759 / £6,190 / AU$11,900 in a kit. Each lens comes in a special protective case, ensuring strong protection and resistance to pressure.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cine lenses, the best anamorphic lenses, and the best camera for filmmaking. 

Almost six years after the announcement of the Canon RF mount, we have seen a fair few lenses launched for Canon’s mirrorless cameras – 46 of them, in fact. One of the most eagerly awaited has always been the follow-up to the immensely popular EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM, but announcement after announcement it has been left out of Canon’s plans. 

But the wait is over and Canon has finally launched the Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM, although with a few new twists on its EF brother.

Most notably, the RF 35mm becomes the second hybrid lens after the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 IS USM Z, which means it features an aperture ring (or iris ring, as Canon seems to prefer). The catch – it only works during video capture. With much of the feedback surrounding the 24-105mm lens being from disappointed stills photographers, it seems Canon is still sticking to its guns with these hybrid lenses. 

Canon is also confirming alongside this launch that we are going to be seeing even more of these hybrid lenses going forward, and perhaps it's even the new normal for L-series lenses, so we will have to wait and see how the iris ring drama plays out in future updates.

As well as the iris ring, the lens design adds a custom function button to the side of the lens barrel, a control ring and features the usual full-time MF/AF switch. The new RF 35mm is marginally smaller than the EF version, although is considerably lighter at 555g (19.58oz) versus 760g (26.8oz). That doesn’t take into account the additional bulk of the EF-RF mount adapter needed to use the older lens on mirrorless bodies. 

Also new in the RF 35mm lens is a brand new autofocus motor, the very first lens from Canon to use a voice coil motor (VCM) alongside Canon's staple Nano USM autofocus. The new VCM should enable the lens to focus quieter, faster and more precisely than the previous Ultrasonic Motor (USM) autofocus alone. Canon also claims that in video recording, the RF 35mm exhibits less focus breathing than rival lenses. 

Internally, the RF 35mm lens is made up of 14 elements in 11 groups and features 2 UD lenses, correcting chromatic aberration, and 2 aspherical lenses. The lens also has a rounded 11-blade aperture for smooth background blur and bokeh balls. For attaching filters, there is a 67mm thread on the front of the lens, and it also comes with a removable filter holder in the rear. 

With the eye-watering price of the 24-105mm hybrid lens, anyone worried about a big price rise for the RF 35mm f/1.4 can rest easy, with the lens costing $1,499 / £1,819.99 / AU$2,699 at launch. 

This is actually a little cheaper than the $1,799 / £1,799.99 / AU$3,569 that the EF 35mm version cost at launch. Although of course, on the second-hand market, you can pick up the older EF lens for a bargain price. The lens will go on sale in July, with pre-orders open now.

For more on all things Canon check out our guides for the best Canon camera and the best Canon RF lenses.

TTArtisan has just announced a new 250mm manual focus full-frame prime lens, which already starts to sound farfetched but when you add the fact that it is a mirrored lens for the vintage M42 mount it passes farfetched and enters the realm of unbelievable! 

This week the TTArtisan 250mm f/5.6 Reflex lens was announced, available for M42 mount, a screw thread mount that harkens back to the days of retro cameras, in particular Praktica analog cameras of the 60s and 70s. However, TTArtisan states it is easily adapted for 'Sony, Fujifilm, Canon, Nikon, Hasselblad cameras'.

Nowadays, besides being a motorway in the UK that connects Birmingham to Leicester, the M42 is an affordable method for manufacturers to create a universal lens where all you need to change is the camera-specific adapter. This is particularly effective when used with manual focus lenses that do not rely on electronic components. 

This is the case with the new TTArtisan 250mm f/5.6 mirror lens, and in addition to its retro lens mount, it also has retro aesthetics and styling to match. Its diamond-shaped grip structure on the focusing ring looks straight out of the 1970s as it adds a vintage-styled grip for improved tactile usage. 

The lens is constructed of six lements in five groups, weighs 380g, and has a filter thread size of 67mm. Its all-metal aviation aluminum anodized body provides less weight than other lenses of similar specifications while remaining robust and durable for use in different environments. 

Like most mirrored lenses, the 250mm f/5.6 is more compact than typical lenses of similar focal lengths. The focal length enables the user to get close to the subject while creating a pleasing amount of compression in the out-of-focus areas. 

One of the defining features of mirrored reflex lenses is the spherical 'doughnut' bokeh produced when used with the lens' fixed f/5.6 aperture. The effect turns ordinary scenes into artistic painterly captures, and when used to capture rich colors, results in images that resemble abstract oil paintings.

Other notable features of the lens include a highly reflective metal mirror with a reflectivity of up to 98%, multi-layer ultra-low AR coatings, no vignetting on APS-C and full frame cameras, and a minimum focus distance of just 2m. 

Mirror lenses provide the user with a creative tool that captures everyday scenes in a new and innovative way turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. We haven't yet got our hands on the lens, TTArtisan has been making some great affordable lenses of late, so I imagine this will follow suit. 

The TTArtisan 250mm f/5.6 Reflex lens is available now directly from Pergear or from Amazon for $298 | £238 | AU $455. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best telephoto lenses, the best retro cameras, and the best portrait lenses. 

Photography is an art that’s also dependent on science, so it’s a curious mixture. Photography would be simpler if you could measure everything and explain everything we love about photographic images, but this is where ‘art’ starts to change the rules. The artistic looks we like this year aren’t the same as those we liked last year, and next year it will be different again.

Some of the best photo editing software doesn't just stick to scientific enhancement, but embraces wild and experimental creative treatments you might never have thought of yourself.

Technical explanations of how images are formed don’t explain why we like some things and not others, especially when we all like different things. You can upgrade to the best full frame camera or best medium format camera to achieve higher levels of technical quality, but it's not going to 'improve your photography' in the broader sense. You'll be taking the same pictures but you can blow them up larger. 

It gets worse. Some photographic technicalities are easy to measure, such as resolution, dynamic range, and noise. But many more are near-impossible to measure or explain in any scientifically repeatable way.

Now if you have a scientific background, like me, you’re not going to be very happy with that. You’re going to want proof that color science actually exists, what lens ‘drawing’ even means, what the standards are for ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bokeh, and whether old CCD sensors do have a magically different color rendering to modern CMOS sensors (a theory doing the rounds on YouTube right now).

But in the words of the Rolling Stones, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well, you just might find, you get what you need.”

When I started out in photography, I wanted everything to be scientifically measurable and provable. But that’s not what I got. What I got was a dawning realization that I had a creative side that actually enjoyed the randomness, unpredictability, and complexity of visual images and how we feel about them.

Science vs magic?

The science still matters. I don’t believe in magic. One day we will perhaps be able to pin down, analyze and measure every quality of a photographic image. But I have a feeling that this will require such a large body of interlocking and interconnected concepts that no-one could ever apply this analysis in the split-second it takes to choose and frame an image. 

If there is any magic in photography, it’s in the way the creative human mind can see and understand the components and meaning of a scene in the blink of an eye. 

And while the color science of light capture and analog-digital processing is a real thing, when you start mixing in film simulations, profiles LUTs and presets it can turn into a strange kind of alchemy that’s somewhere between science and art.

Sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke once observed that “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Photography isn’t magic, but it can sometimes feel like it.

More opinion pieces by Rod Lawton:

• Sometimes it takes a new camera to make you realize how good your old one was
• Manual focus lenses helped me rediscover the magic of depth of field
• I'm sorry, but I just can't take the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM seriously
• I love DSLRs but mirrorless cameras are so much better at manual focus
  

In my years as a photographer I’ve bought my way through a few systems worth of cameras and lenses. Be it a medium format film system right through to my current Fujifilm setup as a former ambassador (the program ended, not my love of the system). My current lens setup runs from a 7.5mm fisheye up to 600mm (using a 300mm with a 2x teleconverter). Despite this, I still firmly believe that anyone could be happy with two lenses and shoot the most common subjects with them with ease.

I bet you think I’m going to say the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8. Sure it’s the classic professional set, but they’re big and bulky and not at all an agile set for the average photographer. The two biggest genres of photography are scenics and portraits. Both of these can be covered with the lenses I’m suggesting. Wide lenses suit landscapes, cityscapes and broad nature, while medium telephotos suit portraits.

In full-frame terms, the lenses I’m suggesting are the 16-35mm and the 85mm. On my Fujifilm X system, it’s the Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4 and the XF 56mm f/1.2. Now, I’d prefer if there were an f/2.8 version of the 10-24mm for astrophotography, but f/4 is still fine for scenics, where you’d normally be shooting at f/11. The zoom gives you room to change your view and enhance the foreground. 

85mm (56mm on an APS-C crop-sensor camera) is a very flattering lens focal length for portraits. The compression allows the nose to balance well with the face and helps the ears look proportional. Wider lenses make the nose look larger and bloat the face.  I’ve even shot ¾ portraits using this by zooming with my feet. 

Being a prime, you also get beautiful bokeh with the shallow depth of field. While most are f/1.2, Canon’s RF 85mm f/2 is a gorgeous lens for the money and a worthy investment, especially as it also does macro. I love the new 56mm for Fuji, especially the weather sealing.

Best of all, the combined weight and size makes this set easy to bring everywhere. They’re well suited to a smaller messenger bag, or a day bag with your lunch and laptop. You no longer need to worry if you can bring a camera with you for light travel because you know these lenses will cover most of your needs. 

Checkout our complete guide to the best Fujifilm XF lenses

Thypoch has just released its hotly anticipated new lens line, with a lens that pays homage to the past. 

The Thypoch Eureka 50mm f/2 was first shown at The Photography & Video Show earlier this year, and it certainly created a buzz around the venue. Designed to pay homage to the lenses from the Fifties, the Eureka is a 50mm collapsible lens available for Leica M mount. 

Thypoch is a new lens manufacturer specializing in creating manual focus optics. Last year saw the debut release of the Simera line, comprised of the Thypoch Simera 35mm f/1.4 and Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4, lenses focused on modern image and storytelling (initially for Leica M, and later launched for Canon RF, Nikon Z and Sony E and Fujifilm X). 

ABOVE: Watch Thypoch Eureka launch video

The new Eureka has been developed in direct contrast to this approach, paying homage to the lens design of the past, specifically mid-Century photography. 

It is hard not to be intrigued by a manual focus collapsible lens released in 2024 but, if current market trends are anything to go by, it is so retro that it is now modern and contemporary. Inspired by lenses like the Leica Summicron and Summar from the Fifties, the Eureka injects classy style aesthetics of the period into a freshly designed piece of glass. 

In addition to the classic silver aluminum look, the first thing you notice is that the lens is tiny. Due to its collapsible nature, it is small enough to slip into your pocket and carry around with ease – ideal for street photography. It measures just 41.2mm when extended and is only 27mm when collapsed. 

The bells and whistles that come with the form factor do not take away from the optical design of the lens. The Eureka incorporates a six-element, four-group typical unsymmetrical Double-Gauss optical design, with Thypoch stating that it "ensures that every shot is rendered with precision and clarity, inviting photographers to explore the boundless potential of their craft."  

An extra-low dispersion element is included to minimize chromatic aberration, and a high refractive index element corrects the curvature of the field and combat spherical aberrations.

A 12-blade  diaphragm creates a smooth spherical aperture window, which enables circular bokeh and smooth out-of-focus areas. When used in combination with the max aperture of f/2, it creates sufficient subject separation and depth of field offering a smooth contrast between that in focus and that out. 

The Thypoch Eureka 50mm f/2 is available now in a silver aluminum version and comes with a front cap, a rear cap, a UV filter and a photo book. It will be available for $579 / £475 / AU $870. 

In late August the Eureka will also be released in a brass version, which will be a little heavier and a little more expensive at $859 / £675 / AU $1,300.

Thypoch has been making some fantastic Leica alternative lenses that offer great optics for a fraction of the price of a Leica lens, and the Eureka looks like it will certainly follow suit.  

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Leica cameras, the best Leica lenses, and the best retro cameras. 

AstrHori's first full-frame autofocus lens has now been released for the Nikon Z mount – and at just $420 for an 85mm f/1.8, it might be the best value-for-money portrait lens released so far this year. 

AstrHori is a third-party lens manufacturer that makes some of the market's most affordable lenses, including tilt-shift, macro, and fisheye – and in recent times, the low price point does not mean low performance. 

Following the example of other third-party Chinese lens manufacturers that have historically only produced manual focus lenses, AstrHori has started to develop AF lenses. It recently released its first full-frame AF for Sony E mount, and now it has come to the Z mount. 

The AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 full-frame AF lens offers one of the most popular portrait focal lengths, enabling the user to isolate the subject and compress the background. The lens can also be mounted on APS-C cameras, providing an equivalent focal length of 127.5mm – not far from the Nikon Plena. 

The lens is constructed with 9 elements in 8 groups, and the wide f/1.8 aperture offers low light performance and creative potential. The shallow depth of field combined with the focal length produces extremely soft bokeh, which AstrHori states is "well-suited for a rich detail of a portrait".

The autofocus capabilities are what sets this lens apart from the rest of the ArtHori lineup, offering a fast and accurate AF system compatible with eye and face tracking. This is particularly useful in combination with the stepping motor, which drives quiet continuous autofocus, making the lens ideal for stills and video alike. 

Other notable features include electronic contacts for communicating and transferring EXIF data, a USB-C port for future firmware updates, and a multi-layer coating that has also been applied to suppress flare and ghosting. 

The AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 full-frame AF lens is available now for $423 direct from AstroHori. Although we have yet to get our hands on this lens and put it through DCW testing, for the price and the specs alone it strikes me as a great deal – and perhaps even the best bargain of the year.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Nikon Z lenses, the best Nikon camera, and the best lenses for portraits. 

Samyang's V-AF cine lens lineup is now complete with the introduction of the Samyang V-AF 20mm T1.9, a fast full-frame wide-angle lens and the widest of the series. 

Samyang historically specialized in budget third-party manual focus lenses, but in recent years it has expanded to offer users not only AF options but cine lens options. Pushing this even further Samyang combined these and created the world's first AF cine lenses with the Samyang V-AF, considered by many to be on par with the best cine lenses on the market - and the three that we have tested so far, all perform extremely well given their highly-affordable price. 

What is the Samyang V-AF range?

As mentioned, V-AF is the world's first AF cine lens lineup, focused on making video and cine lenses more accessible to 'single-person video creators to small productions as well as filmmakers'.  

These lenses make approaching video-making, with cine lenses, easier for users new to capturing motion and used to the AF functions of stills cameras or camera phones. The fast autofocus makes it easy to capture moving subjects with an added cinematic touch. 

The price point also separates the V-AF from the majority of lenses in the cine lens market. Despite having an AF system, they are significantly cheaper than other cine lens equivalents, lowering the entry point further. 

The lineup consists of the following full-frame cine prime lenses: V-AF 24mm T1.9, V-AF 35mm T1.9, V-AF 45mm T1.9, V-AF 75mm T1.9, V-AF 100mm T2.3, and the newly introduced 20mm T1.9, all of which are available on Sony E mount (FE). This even spread of focal lengths provides users with an AF cine lens that can cover most, if not all, shooting scenarios. The range of V-AF lenses are also sold under the Rokinon brand in North America.

As is the case with most higher-end cine lens ranges, uniformity among the V-AF line is paramount to its versatility and flexibility. Each lens has an identical size and weight meaning swapping lenses on stabilizers, gimbals, and drones is seamless and negates the need to recalibrate. Again, this is the case across the entire focal range as each measures just ∅72.2 x 72.1 and weighs only 280g.

Despite the small form factor, the V-AF series supports resolutions up to 8K and is color-matched for consistent image quality. Nine aperture blades provide a soft and natural-looking bokeh, adding to the cinematic quality. 

Other notable features across the lineup include a tally lamp to indicate the filming status, weather sealing, and a customizable switch and button. This last feature is often associated with photography lenses, and is typically reserved for higher-end cine lenses adding the feature 'focus-save function'. 

As a photographer looking to dip my toes into the pool of filmmaking, these lenses are certainly at the top of my list of lenses to try. Factoring in the smaller price than other cine lenses and the compatibility with the new Samyang anamorphic adapter ( the new 20mm is too wide to be compatible, mind), they become exciting lenses capable of creating a cinematic look. 

The Samyang V-AF 20mm T1.9 completes the V-AF lineup and will start shipping in May 2024 and will be available for just $700 | £568 | AU $1,077. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Sony video lenses, the best Sony cameras, and the best cinema cameras. 

The DxO Nik Collection now consists of seven different plug-ins, five of which are designed to offer creative inspiration and effects, while two are more ‘corrective’ image enhancement tools. We call them plug-ins, and they can indeed be used from within Lightroom Classic, Adobe Photoshop, Capture One, DxO PhotoLab, and Affinity Photo, but they can also be used on their own as standalone applications.

We've long considered the Nik Collection to be one of the best photo editing software suites on the market, so what exactly do you get?

The creative plug-ins include Nik Color Efex, Silver Efex, Analog Efex, Viveza, and HDR Efex, and while there is a degree of crossover for black and white photography and color adjustments, each one is aimed at a particular style or genre of photography.

With Nik Collection 7, Color Efex becomes the principal photo editing tool, with its ability to apply over 50 different filter effects, combine them as presets, and mask each one with DxO’s fast and effective control point adjustments.

Color Efex 7 gets the lion’s share of updates in this version, with new preset management options, ‘dynamic’ filters which now include (improved) HSL controls, grain effects, and DxO’s own contrast-enhancing ClearView effect. It also has three new filters taken from the Viveza plug-in to extend its potential for image enhancement and effects.

The other plug-ins benefit from new control point options too, including the ability to reshape circular control points as ellipses and a new polygonal control point tool. It’s now possible to switch images to a different Nik plug-in while you work and to export a version of an image straight from the plug-in without having to return to the host program first.

Nik Silver Efex 7 specializes in black and white photography, with powerful tools and controls that reproduce the depth and richness of analog black and white photography, while Analog Efex 7 replicates the flawed, faded, and distressed look of old analog photos and adds in camera effects like double exposures, lens blur and bokeh.

HDR Efex 7 is little changed from previous versions but is a very effective tool for merging bracketed images into high dynamic range composites with a range of preset effects and manual adjustments. Viveza is a simpler tool aimed at color control and enhancement using both global adjustments and DxO control points for local adjustments.

Nik Dfine 7 and Nik Sharpener 7 are different and perhaps a little dated in their appeal. Dfine is a noise reduction plug-in that’s effective enough in a modest way but outclassed by today’s AI-drive raw denoising tools. Sharpener 7 is very good at ‘output’ sharpening for specific devices, but you can almost certainly do this in your host software too.

The plug-in missing from this release is Perspective Efex. This makes sense because there was always a rather confusing crossover (duplication, even) with DxO’s standalone ViewPoint software. Besides, most host programs like Lightroom Classic and Capture One have perfectly effective perspective correction tools of their own, which you can apply before or after sending images to the Nik plug-ins.

DxO Nik Collection 7: Price

DxO Nik Collection 7 is available to download now. The full version costs $159 / £145 (about AU$243), but existing users can upgrade for $89 / £79 (about AU$136). Alternatively, if you just want to see what it can do, there’s a 30-day free trial.

You do get a lot for your money. A new license will cost a little more than an annual Adobe Photography Plan subscription, but it’s cheaper than a Capture One license and in the same ballpark as other software tools. It’s also a perpetual license, so if you don’t need any of the new features in subsequent editions, you can use this one indefinitely. It doesn’t work directly with raw files, so it won’t be made obsolete by new cameras and lenses.

DxO Nik Collection 7: Interface and usability

Typically, the Nik plug-ins follow a standard modern layout, with presets in the left sidebar and manual controls, including local adjustments, on the right. There are differences in the details, though. Nik Color Efex 7 offers both individual filters and presets (combinations of filters) in its left sidebar, and the ability to change the stacking order of filters in the right sidebar – changing the order the filters are applied will change the appearance of the image.

Silver Efex 7 is slightly different in that the left sidebar has presets, but there are no filters as such, just adjustments you can apply in the right sidebar, and you can’t change the order – though that really doesn’t matter very much.

Analog Efex 7 has presets too, but not filters as such. Instead, it has different tools and effects under a ‘Camera Kit’ heading which you can select manually, and they then appear in the right sidebar where you can make detailed adjustments.

HDR Efex 7 is different again. In Lightroom, this has to be launched via the ‘Export’ menu rather than the ‘Edit in’ menu, and the interface layout is similar to Silver Efex, with presets on the left sidebar and manual tools on the right.

So while all the Nik plug-ins share the same family resemblance, they do operate slightly differently. It’s not a problem and you very quickly get used to it and think no more about it, but it’s worth pointing out that they are not identical.

If you’re launching them from Photoshop, you have another potential workflow. The Nik Collection installer adds a Nik Collection 7 palette which you can use to launch the plug-ins directly. There’s also a section for ‘Meta presets’, which are automated combinations of plug-ins and settings you can apply with a single click – though it’s a relatively small selection and you can’t create your own.

The Photoshop workflow is interesting because you can apply the Nik filters to Smart Objects, which means you can go back and change the filter settings later – it’s a non-destructive workflow.

But you can also achieve a non-destructive workflow from Lightroom and other host applications, or even when launching the Nik tools as standalone apps. There’s a non-destructive TIFF file option that does double the file size, but stores both the original image, the edited version, and the processing instructions needed to achieve it.

This non-destructive route is not new, but the plug-in switcher and quick export options are. These are genuinely useful additions to Nik Collection 7. They don’t change any of the creative options available, but they do make it possible to swap to another of the plug-ins if you realize you didn’t launch the best one for the job or to export one or more versions of your image while you’re still in the plug-in.

DxO Nik Collection 7: Quality of results

Nik Silver Efex enjoys a near-legendary reputation amongst black and white photographers for its ability to produce rich, dense, and dramatic black-and-white images. It also offers a set of tools that properly reflect the way photographers see and manipulate black-and-white images.

For me, though, Color Efex has always been the star of the show. Its filters are powerful, inventive, and genuinely useful day to day, and the range of permutations and presets you can create are practically infinite. The improvements in Nik Collection 7 make it better still.

I also love Analog Efex, though its presets can be a little heavy-handed and its sometimes odd photography jargon firmly rooted in the Google era – this is the one plug-in added by Google during its tenure before DxO took over. But what other tool gives you multiple-exposure effects, lens distortion, motion blur, and multi-lens effects like these?

I also like HDR Efex 7, though its HDR presets can look a little over the top by today’s standards. If you want naturalistic high dynamic range imaging, you are better off in a program like Lightroom, Capture One or Affinity Photo, where the HDR tone mapping is designed to be invisible, not exaggerated.

Viveza seems, to me, less valuable. It offers global and local color adjustments you can apply just as easily in Color Efex. Indeed, Color Efex 7 now includes three core components of Viveza as new dynamic filters.

Dfine seems a rather old-fashioned approach to removing noise in images that have already been processed. It can do a useful job on noisy old JPEGs, but if you shoot raw you would be better off with one of today’s raw denoising tools. Nik Sharpener 7, meanwhile, can apply subtle sharpening enhancements for printed output, but again seems a bit of a throwback to older ways of working.

DxO Nik Collection 7: Verdict

This review points out some inconsistencies in the Nik Collection 7 plug-ins and perhaps some areas for improvement. This might make it sound like a rather average sort of product. It isn’t.

The fact is, Color Efex 7, Silver Efex 7, Analog Efex 7 and even HDR Efex 7 are just so spectacularly good you could forgive the Nik Collection 7 anything. Viveza seems less useful and Dfine and Sharpener are distinctly old fashioned and limited. But who cares? Those first four plug-ins are so good they easily carry the rest.

These Nik Collection plug-ins are classic photo editing tools that have stood the test of time and then some. DxO has constantly updated them without ruining them, enhancing and developing them with a care and sometimes an ingenuity that’s kept them right at the cutting edge of photographic creativity. AI? Who needs it, when you have software that so perfectly releases the photographer’s own human intelligence?

Nik Collection 7 is not perfect and perhaps never will be, but it’s so good that it hardly matters.

DxO Nik Collection 7: Alternatives

Mirror lenses have split opinions for decades with most people falling either for or against, and the design is certainly not ideal for every genre of photography. Despite the contrasting market opinion, Kase has decided to launch its first camera lens, you guessed it, it's a mirror lens!

Kase manufactures some of the best filters and filter holders on the market, and it has made a name for itself in this particular area of interest. Therefore it was a surprise to most when it announced it was releasing the Kase 200mm f/5.6 MC reflex mirror lens for Canon RF, Canon EF, Nikon Z, Sony E, Fujifilm GF, and Fujifilm X mounts. 

A mirror lens is essentially a compact reflecting telescope. It contains a series of angled circular mirrors that gather the light and refract it back and forth between the ends of the lens before passing through the camera sensor. The construction creates characteristic donut-shaped bokeh, which is most visible in bright out-of-focus highlights.

Mirror lenses are always telephoto or super-telephoto in focal length, but due to their construction, they are more compact than conventional telephoto lenses. The new Kase lens however has a very modest 200mm focal length, packed into a lens body measuring ‎98 x 69 x 69mm, and weighing around 425g (exact weight depends on the mount). 

Mirror lenses have a fixed aperture, and the Kase 200mm has a set aperture of f/5.6. Although f/5.6, this lens produces a shallow depth of field and the unique mirror-lens donut effect, which transforms the bokeh balls into spherical torus-like rings.

The manual-focus lens is constructed of 6 elements in 5 groups which play a part in ensuring edge-to-edge neutral color, and that the edges of the main subject are soft and not blurred. The minimum focus is 2m, and it can be used with a front-mounted 67mm filter.

Kase states that this lens is ideal for shooting flowers, landscapes, and portraits, providing a painterly effect to the out-of-focus areas of the image. 

The Kase 200mm f/5.6 MC reflex mirror lens is available now for $749 - $800 / £790 - £850 / AU$1495-1595 (depending on the mount). 

Love the speed of a trinity lens, but hate the size? If you tend to shoot at the widest end of your wide-angle lenses, Sony might have the perfect solution for you: the Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G. 

This is the companion lens to the recently released Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G. In both cases, Sony has taken the two most popular trinity lenses (the 16-35mm and 24-70mm) and focused on the widest end in order to maintain the speed but drastically reduce the size – and cost.

In the case of the Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G, that results in a lens that measures just 91mm in length, weighs 409g and costs £1,250 (US and Australian pricing to be confirmed). 

Compare that to the full-fat Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II – measuring 111.5 mm, weighing 547g and costing $2,299 / £2,299 – you can see that there are immediate advantages to this new "mini trinity" full-frame lens strategy (not least that Sony now claims to make the smallest and lightest f/2.8 standard and wide-angle zooms). 

The optical formula features three aspherical elements (to minimize aberrations), three extra-low dispersion elements (to suppress chromatic aberration), and an extra-low dispersion aspherical element (to simultaneously correct chromatic and spherical aberration). 

It boasts 11 aperture blades, for smooth circular bokeh, and the lens is weather-sealed, with a fluorine coating on the front element. It also features the same 67mm filter thread as the 24-50mm, making them an excellent tag team.

The 16-35mm possesses distinct focus, zoom and aperture rings – the latter of which can be de-clicked for use in video, where the lens supports focus breathing compensation. It is also fully compatible with the 120fps burst speed of the Sony A9 III.

The lens has a minimum focus distance of 0.18m at the widest end in autofocus mode, and 0.17m when focusing manually. It offers a maximum magnification of x0.20 in auto and x0.23 in manual focus. 

"This is a little lens that delivers a big punch," said my colleague Matthew Richards in his Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G review, which contains sample images and full lab tests.

"Sharpness is very impressive and there’s only minimal color fringing, although there’s an increasingly typical heavy reliance on in-camera correction for distortion. Ultimately, image quality is excellent and I like that the lens is compact and lightweight enough to take anywhere and everywhere."

The Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G is set to ship this month and will cost $1,199.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199.

Take a look at the best Sony lenses, which includes some of the best Sony wide-angle lenses.

For Leica shooters, the Voigtländer Nokton 75mm f/1.5 Aspherical has been a worthy option for portrait photographers looking for a fast and affordable prime. Cosina teased a while back that this lens would also be headed to Sony, Canon and Nikon mounts. Exactly one month ago today, the Canon RF mount got its big reveal – and now the Nikon Z mount is joining the party.

While slightly different in design to the Leica version, the Voigtländer Nokton 75mm f/1.5 Aspherical has seen a few physical tweaks for Canon and Nikon Z mounts to make the lens more of a cylindrical shape with fewer protruding parts, and in my opinion, is a big improvement.

The lens is capable of covering the full-size image circle for both full-frame (Nikon FX)  cameras and APS-C format (DX) cameras – although remember that Nikon DX cameras have a 1.5x crop factor that makes this lens equivalent to 112.5mm in full-frame terms, a focal length that might even make it more favorable to APS-C portrait shooters.

The Nokton 75mm f/1.5 is a manual focus and manual aperture lens, but comes equipped with electronic contacts and can communicate electronically with the camera body. 

As such, it provides EXIF information and can work in conjunction with in-body image stabilization (if your camera has it) as well as focusing support, such as focus peaking, so long as your camera's firmware is up to date. The focusing mechanism uses an all-metal helicoid unit that Cosina says has been machined and greased for a smooth and very high precision focusing experience.

The lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.5 and a minimum of f/32. Smaller apertures often see diminishing returns in quality, so it will be interesting to see how this lens performs. The lens is generously constructed with 12 aperture blades, which should make for a smoother bokeh, and is made up of 7 elements in 6 groups. You can see the full specs below.

The Voigtländer Nokton 75mm f/1.5 Aspherical lens for Nikon Z will cost ¥135,000 in Japan, which at the time of writing roughly converts to approximately $877 / £703 / AU$1,353.  The lens is scheduled to be released in May 2024.

For more great lens options for your Nikon camera check out our guide to the best Nikon Z lenses.

Arri has unveiled the the new AlexaL 35 Live – a Multicam System, bringing the exceptional cinematic quality of its flagship Alexa 35 camera to the realm of live productions, spanning concerts, sports, e-sports, fashion, corporate events, talk shows, game shows, and house of worship broadcasts. 

This new system seamlessly integrates into current live production setups, offering the functionality of a system camera, while maintaining the flexibility of a dockable camera configuration. It complements Arri's comprehensive lineup of lenses, lights, stabilizers, and custom solutions, for the live entertainment sector.

Over the past decade, Arri equipment has been instrumental in various live production scenarios due to its outstanding image quality and reliability. Noteworthy events captured with Arri's Multicam System include international concert tours featuring artists like Ed Sheeran, Adele, Coldplay, the Rolling Stones album launch, and prominent half-time shows at major sporting events – and now Alexa 35 Live is taking this to the next level live broadcasting.

The Alexa 35 Live camera delivers the signature Arri aesthetic, with a Super 35-sized 4K sensor enabling a shallow depth of field, a popular trend in live productions. It boasts 17 stops of dynamic range, unrivaled in the market, capable of handling extreme lighting conditions for exceptional results in both SDR and HDR. 

Arri’s proprietary Reveal Color Science ensures accurate color reproduction from vivid hues to subtle shades, faithfully capturing even the most challenging concert lighting and rendering beautiful skin tones. Low-light scenes exhibit minimal noise, and highlights roll off naturally like film. During live productions, the camera supports full-quality ProRes recording in-camera for post-production flexibility. Its modular lens mount accommodates LPL, PL, EF, and B4 lenses, offering versatility for different applications. Owners can also upgrade to the full Alexa 35 functionality with an optional Cine License.

For creative versatility, the system includes "Arri Look Files" and textures, The Arri look library offers 87 pre-made looks for diverse shooting scenarios, while Arri textures modify grain and contrast, providing distinctive visual effects.

The fiber camera adapter and fiber base station ensure efficient integration into live setups, supporting multiple output formats with up to 4K video transmission over long distances. The Skaarhoj RCP also gives users comprehensive control over camera settings and creative adjustments.

To round off, the Alexa 35 Live – Multicam System from Arri is a comprehensive toolset tailored for live content producers, letting them bring the Arri look into live production environments, and perhaps making them a little more cinematic?

See our guide to the best cinema camera.