Even if you've never manually adjusted the f-stop on your lens or camera, you've likely come across this setting before. While it's possible to let the camera handle it automatically, mastering the f-stop is crucial if you want to conquer the exposure triangle and fully control your photography.

Scroll down for your cheat sheet

Definition: What are f-stops?

Also known as aperture size, the f-stop controls the amount of light that passes through the lens at a given shutter speed. All else being equal, a smaller aperture (like f/16) allows in less light than a larger one (like f/4), meaning it takes longer for the same amount of light to reach the sensor. It's similar to how an hourglass works: the size of the opening between the chambers determines how long it takes for the sand to flow from top to bottom.

So, the smaller the aperture, the longer the shutter speed you'll need in a given situation. You can observe this by setting your camera to Aperture Priority mode and adjusting the aperture; the shutter speed will change with each adjustment.

One thing that often confuses beginners is that small physical apertures have high f-stop numbers like f/16 and f/22, while large (or "wide") apertures have low f-stop numbers like f/1.4 and f/2. The reason is that f/16 represents one-sixteenth, not sixteen, and f/4 represents a quarter, not four.

• Why do small apertures have large f-numbers?

F Stop cheatsheet

The f-stop number actually refers to the size of the aperture opening, calculated by dividing the lens's focal length by the f-number. For example, with a 200mm lens, an f/4 aperture would have a diameter of 50mm (one-quarter of 200mm).

So, how does the f-stop, or aperture, impact your image? Primarily, it influences exposure, though the effect depends on the exposure mode you’re using. In Manual mode, if you change the aperture without adjusting the shutter speed, your image will either become darker or lighter depending on your adjustment. In Aperture Priority mode, however, your camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed as you change the aperture, maintaining a consistent exposure.

No matter which mode you choose, adjusting the aperture will impact the depth of field. Depth of field refers to the range within a scene that appears in focus, and photographers often use medium to small apertures to achieve greater sharpness throughout the image. However, depth of field also depends on factors like where you focus within the scene.

Read more: Cheat Sheet: How to Affect Depth of Field

Both very small and very wide apertures have their challenges, so it's important to evaluate each scene to determine the most appropriate setting. Wide apertures are excellent for isolating subjects from their backgrounds, but they can lead to softer images due to an effect known as spherical aberration.

Extremely wide apertures can also be difficult to manage in bright conditions, as your camera may not be able to use a fast enough shutter speed to prevent overexposure unless you use an ND filter.

On the other hand, small apertures can make diffraction more noticeable, which can also soften images. These apertures are also more challenging when hand-holding the camera, as the smaller the aperture, the longer the shutter speed required—eventually making it difficult to hold the camera steady enough for sharp images. In such cases, a tripod or a good image stabilization system can be helpful.

• More photography cheat sheets

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• Dictionary of photography terms

Over the years Canon has produced a number of lenses with built-in teleconverters, but so far the RF mount has been left out of Canon's plans. This looks set to change with the first credible rumors of a new Canon RF 200-500mm f/4 lens with a built-in 1.4x converter potentially in the pipeline.

Canon already has two optional RF mount teleconverters, the Extender RF 2x and Extender RF 1.4x, which can be used with the majority of Canon's pro zoom and prime lenses – at the sacrifice of 1 to 2 f-stops. But for professional sports and wildlife photographers, the ease of a built-in converter is hard to beat.

Of course, with an f/4 aperture (likely to be f/5.6 when the 1.4x teleconverter is engaged), the lens is likely to be a lot bigger than Canon's current lineup of telephoto zooms.

And, if the EF version of the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4L IS USM 1.4x Extender was any precedent, it's likely to be a lot more expensive as well. That EF lens cost a cool $11,099, which likely puts a new RF 200-500mm f/4 firmly out of reach for most photographers.

However, Canon already has a couple of great options for wildlife shooters without such deep pockets. The Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM has a lower aperture, especially when paired with the 1.4x Extender, but at $2,899 is a much more viable option.

If you want to forget all about teleconverters for a second then there is Canon's newest superzoom, the Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM for $1,899, which I tested this year and was taken by surprise at just how good the photos were from a lens of this price and zoom range.

Sources place the lens coming out around November 2024, which would also perfectly coincide with the launch of the Canon EOS R1, which despite being announced a few months ago is taking its time getting into stores – and these two would make perfect companions.

Find out more about the best lens for sports or the best lenses for bird photography and wildlife in our guides. Or if you need a camera, check out the best camera for sports photography.

A new rumor suggests Sony could be planning to launch its first-ever pancake lens for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. The news comes only days after Viltrox launched a crowdfunding campaign to put its full-frame E-mount pancake lens - the AF 28mm F4.5 FE - into production. If the rumor is correct, the alleged Sony FE 28mm F2.8 (SEL28F28P) would fill a gap in Sony's lens line-up, and it'd be ideally positioned to rival lenses like the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM and Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8.

Read more:
The best Sony lenses
The best Sony cameras
Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 FE full review

The source of the rumor also states that Sony's lens would be a true pancake design, unlike the existing 24mm/40mm/50mm G lens trio. It's also claimed that the new lens would not be a G-series optic, so would likely be aggressively priced to compete with the Canon lens - somewhere in the $200 region would be plausible. Even this could seem a little pricey when compared to the $99 Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 FE, but the rumor suggests the Sony 28mm may have a the edge on the Viltrox when it comes to features. While the Viltrox lens does have autofocus (something by no means a given for such a small lens, and at such a low price point), it lacks any aperture adjustment, or even a manual focus ring. The Sony lens is said to have both these features, along with sharp image quality at f/2.8, and the source claims vignetting is minimal.

The E-mount continues to arguably be the most popular mount option for third-party lens manufacturers, with the likes of Samyang, Viltrox, 7Artisans and TTArtisan all releasing new E-mount lenses on a regular basis. While this is good news for Sony, as it makes the E-mount ecosystem more attractive to buy into, it seems Sony wants to tempt buyers away from this plethora of third-party lens options back to its own-brand offerings.

Sony Alpha Rumors wasn't able to verify the reliability of the source of this new pancake lens rumor though, so at this stage it should be taken with a generous helping of salt.

Story credit: Sony Alpha Rumors

Lomography has released a new edition of its Lomomatic 110, a pocket-sized analog camera that uses the retro 110 film format. The Zebra Crossing edition has zebra-print detailing to distinguish it from the previously released plastic Golden Gate and metal-bodied Flash Metal variations.

Aside from this cosmetic tweak, the camera offers the same functionality and specifications as the other Lomomatic 110 models. It's fronted by a 23mm Minitar CX multi-coated glass lens, has automatic exposure control, a zone-focusing slider, adjustable ISO, and the choice of f/2.8 or f/5.6 apertures.

Buillt-in tricks include multiple and long-exposure shooting modes, and it comes complete with a stylish metal wrist strap and tin canister for holding your 110 negatives.

Also in the box with the Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing is a detachable Lomomatic Flash with a selection of colored filters; these can be slid in front of the flash head for multicolored lighting effects.

In our review of the Flash Metal model, we surmised that the camera "looks great with fantastic retro styling but is awkward to use, has fiddly settings and it isn’t the cheapest way to get on the vintage 110 bandwagon".

It is undeniably fun, however, particularly the cool film advance mechanism, which winds on to the next frame by simply sliding the camera body closed and open again.

Sample images

Film photography and cameras have seen a huge resurgence in recent years, and it's great to see more 110 options like this to go along with popular 35mm cameras like the Pentax 17 and Rollei 35AF.

The Lomography Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing comes with a flash for $119 / £109 (Australian pricing TBC). Lomography also offers a range of 110mm film stocks.

See our guides to the best film stocks, the best film cameras, and the best film scanners.

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 winning images of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2024 competition have been selected, and this year the grand prize winner is an impactful and thought-provoking image that shows over 4,000 birds that were killed after colliding with windows in Toronto, Canada.

More than 23,000 images were entered into the competition, which is open to photographers worldwide, vying for the $4,675/£3,500/AU$8,600 grand prize. 

The overall winner was captured by Canadian photographer Patricia Homonylo on her Sony A7R IV with a Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II lens. Her shocking image, titled ‘When Worlds Collide’, shows birds killed in collisions with windows and other reflective surfaces in and around Toronto.

“Each year more than one billion birds die in North America alone due to collisions with windows,” says Homonylo. “I am a conservation photojournalist and have been working with the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), where we save window-collision survivors in Toronto. Sadly, most of the birds we find are already dead. They are collected and, at the end of the year, we create this impactful display to honor the lives lost and increase public awareness. I hope people are shocked by what they see and are moved to act by using bird-safe glass and supporting organizations like FLAP.”

According to FLAP, reflective surfaces like windows can appear to birds to be a continuation of the landscape behind them, and consequently they may fly into windows at full speed. The organization encourages the use of bird-safe films on windows, bird screens or window grills.

• Check the best lenses for bird photography

The adult competition had a total of eight categories, from which the overall winner was chosen: Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Bird Behaviour, Birds in Flight, Black and White, Urban Birds, Conservation (Single Image), and Comedy Bird Photo. There was also a Conservation Award, Portfolio Award, and Video Award.

The winner of the Bird Behavior category was Nathaniel Peck, who said: "In early March 2023, the remains of an American Black Bear were discovered by hikers along a rushing mountain stream in West Virginia. It was very clear from the large patches of missing fur that the bear had died after a battle with mange. After being informed of the carcass and securing permission, I set up a DSLR camera trap that took images of all the animals that came in to investigate and scavenge off the bear. The set-up remained in place for six months. As the weather warmed in spring, this Turkey Vulture became a frequent visitor, sometimes spending hours at the carcass."

Best Portrait winner Alan Murphy commented: "During my stay in Alaska, Grey-crowned Rosy-finches would gather in large flocks next to my hotel. Fortunately for photographers, they are a very tame species and they allowed me to set up my tripod and camera to grab a few frames before they all took off. The colours in the background are distant boats in a marina."

The Birds in Flight top spot was taken by Hermis Haridas, who explains how he managed his shot: "A Eurasian Hoopoe took flight with its wings spread in a smooth motion across the canvas of the early-morning sky illuminated by the sunrise’s bright hues. I saw that this bird would occasionally grab its prey in the air and other times on the ground. Additionally, I noticed that each time it caught prey, it flew in the same direction to a nearby tree. That was when I had the idea to photograph the bird against a background divided into dark and light, representing the contrasting sides of existence. The following morning, I returned to the same spot well before sunrise, eager to witness nature’s spectacle unfold once again. Anticipation heightened as the first rays of light bathed the landscape, and, true to my expectations, the hoopoe appeared in the distance, gliding gracefully towards the perch that was familiar from the previous day. With my camera poised and settings adjusted, I commenced capturing the unfolding scene. Among the flurry of clicks, I chanced upon a frame that resonated deeply with me – a moment frozen in time, brimming with unique charm. It was as if nature had bestowed upon me a gift, a singular composition that encapsulates the essence of the hoopoe’s beauty and grace. Indeed, many have remarked that this frame is a marvel that cannot be replicated – a testament to the serendipitous wonders that await those who seek them amid the natural world."

Kat Zhou took the top prize for the Birds in the Environment category, commenting: "Here we see a trio of Northern Gannets diving into the ocean on a sunny day in Shetland. The species is Scotland’s largest seabird, and they are remarkably adept in the water, with the ability to dive to depths as far as 22 metres. I took this photo while scuba diving from a boat near Noss, which is home to the UK’s seventh largest colony of Northern Gannets. In the past the population has been estimated at around 25,000 birds, though their numbers were unfortunately severely reduced by the avian flu outbreak. It is unclear when, or if, their population will be able to recover. Dead herring from a local herring fishery were used to attract the birds to the boat."

David Stowe's 'Hippo Impression' scooped the Black and White Gold Award. He said: "This photograph shows a Hoary-headed Grebe as it disappears below the surface of the water to feed, pushing into the depths with its huge paddle-like feet. I took the image from a raised platform high above the wetland. With a little bit of imagination, the combination of bird and ripples look like the head of a hippo."

Nadia Haq's image of a penguin loosing its footing snagged the Comedy Bird Photo prize. She remarked: "I was sitting on a Zodiac next to my husband and 10-year-old son near Brown Bluff, Antarctica, when we spotted a group of Adélie Penguins on some sea ice. As we slowly approached them, they started to toboggan on the ice, and I captured one of them sliding as if performing a modern dance move."

'Treacherous Journey', the Urban Birds category winner, was snapped by Grzegorz Długosz, who explained: "Goosanders breed in the park about 1 kilometre from Poland’s life-giving River Vistula. Each mother has to move her brood to the river as quickly as possible due to lack of food and safety in the park. They make the journey through a series of underground passages and over a six-lane highway. Each year a group of volunteers help them cross this deadly road by stopping the traffic. After crossing they arrive at the River Vistula where they can feed and grow. This image shows a mother Goosander crossing a smaller road because she decided not to use the scary and dark underground passage below it."

For younger photographers, there were three age-based categories – 11 and under, 12-14, and 15-17 – and this year 14-year-old Spanish photographer Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco was crowned overall Young Bird Photographer of the Year winner for for his creative angle on a nuthatch scrambling down an oak tree.

Young Bird Photographer of the Year Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco proudly explained: "I photographed this Eurasian Nuthatch at Grazalema in southern Spain using a wide-angle lens. An oak tree next to a river provides cover for species such as woodpeckers and nuthatches coming down to drink. I was using a remote-control set-up, and I just had to wait. Since these species like to climb trunks, I thought about what their vision and perspective would be like."

Emil Wagner won the 15-17 Years award "I took this photo on a beautiful beach on the Baltic Sea. There are a number of waders and other birds here, but also many visitors who enjoy the beautiful landscape. In this case there was also a dog who initially did not notice the Grey Plover. The Grey Plover, however, did notice the dog and flew away shortly after I took the photo. While I do not believe this incident greatly stressed the bird, it is crucial to acknowledge the potential impact of human activity and tourism on protected species and their habitats. In my opinion, the scene represents this potential conflict between humans and nature."

And finally, the 11 and Under winning shot was created by Julian Mendla: "Lake Federsee is a famous wintering area for numerous migratory birds. From November to March, Eurasian Bitterns are frequent visitors to this lake. As soon as the lake freezes over, these rare birds retreat to trenches through the reeds. Surprisingly, this individual was very close to the boardwalk that leads through the nature reserve. From there, I could easily watch its fishing campaign and take numerous photos."

This year, the competition donated £5,000 to partner charity Birds on the Brink, which provides funding to bird conservation projects around the world. Commenting on the winning image, Birds on the Brink trustee Paul Sterry stated: “The mark of a good photograph is one that either demonstrates artistry or tells a story. The mark of an exceptional one is that it does both. This is just such a photograph, portraying a tragic and often-overlooked aspect of man’s impact on the environment and an unintended consequence of our species’ high rise aspirations, which turns out to be yet another devastating threat to wild birds.”

The 2025 competition is now open for entries at birdpoty.com, and an accompanying hardback coffee-table book, Bird Photographer of the Year Collection 9, is also now available to buy.

You might be interested in our guide to the best bird feeder cameras and the best cameras for wildlife photography. 

Also, don't miss our piece about using a full frame or cropped sensor for bird photography!

Sigma's CEO Kazuto Yamaki has spoken in depth about the development of a pair of new lenses in a Youtube interview with cinematography specialists LensVid at the IBC 2024 trade show. IBC – or International Broadcasting Convention – is an annual show held every September in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The lenses in question are the Sigma 28-45mm T2 Cine and Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 DG DN Art. 

First up, the Sigma 28-45mm T2 Cine lens is a prototype, or 'concept' lens as Sigma prefers it, which was shown mainly to garner feedback from customers. It is based on the full-frame Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8  wide-to-standard zoom lens aimed at stills photographers, essentially shoehorning the same optics into a cine-style housing, with full autofocus but also with the oversized mechanical geared focus rings favored by videographers. 

The Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 DG DN Art is a more traditional stills lens that can, of course, also be used for videography. Mr Yamaki explained that the lens was originally envisaged to offer the benefits of a 24-105mm standard zoom with a faster f/2.8 aperture than the more commonplace f/4, but that the prototypes proved to be a little on the bulky side in the R&D stage, so the decision was made to start the focal length at 28mm, resulting in a more manageable package. The lens isn't optically stabilized, again to save weight, while taking advantage of the IBIS systems found in many full-frame mirrorless bodies. Check out the full video below! 

In the unusually forthright interview, Mr Yakami also goes on to reveal his thoughts on the future of the Sigma fp line of camera bodies – confessing that he feels duty-bound to continue his father's dream to make cameras, so will continue to develop new bodies. 

He also talks about the tricky technical challenges of designing its own full-frame Foveon sensor that has resulted in the technicians having to go back to the drawing board on the latest incarnation of the device. He says that he does have a timeline for the new generation of sensor, but doesn't feel he is ready to go public with that quite yet, as it is still too early to be sure they can get it into production.

Read more: The best cine lens

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.

You may also be interested in how to use Photoshop's High Pass Filter to selectively sharpen your photos, or to learn other great Photoshop tips

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.

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

Leica is a brand that champions women photographers and, through the Leica Women Foto Project, it provides a platform to showcase powerful visual narratives through photography projects.

In addition to manufacturing some of the greatest mirrorless cameras and film cameras of all time, Leica continues to encourage and provide a platform for the underrepresented. Since its inception, the initiative has been a hotbed for incredible contemporary photography talent. Now, in its sixth year, it is open to new submissions.

This year's theme is titled 'Unity Through Diversity', calling for photographers to submit images that best represent the human condition and our shared experiences.

"The Leica Women Foto Project serves to empower the female perspective and its impact on today’s visual stories. We believe the shape of a story is reactive to the storyteller’s perspective, developing a narrative that too often is reflective of individual truths," says Leica.

"The Leica Women Foto Project encourages diversity and inclusion in visual storytelling to amplify voices typically underrepresented in photography, discovering the breadth of shapes formed by a single story".​

Leica continues to encourage photographers to push the boundaries of visual storytelling while fostering diversity and underrepresented voices. For the third successive year, entries will be accepted from four regions of the US, UK, Mexico and Canada, with a winner being chosen from each.

The winners will each receive a Leica SL3 camera, a Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-70mm f/2.8 ASPH lens, and a $10,000 (approximately $7,500 / AU$14,500) cash prize to help them further their submitted project and mission.

Submissions will be judged by a jury comprised of some of the most celebrated and influential women in photography, including actress Nikki Reed, filmmaker and entrepreneur Kathryn Boyd Brolin, photographer Mary McCartney, and Director of Leica Galleries worldwide, Karin Kauffman.

In addition, winners will have their work presented to esteemed directors from publications such as Aperture, The Times and The Washington Post who will evaluate submissions based on "quality of photography, the depth of the project, and a demonstrated commitment to the art of photography".

The call for entries for the 2025 Leica Women Foto Project Award is now open and closes on November 15 2024. Submissions are only accepted from residents from the US, UK, Mexico and Canada, and awardees will be announced on International Women's Day – March 08 2025.

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

I am fascinated by the power of volcanic eruptions, and capturing them in a photograph is a dream come true. That’s why I frequently hike around volcanoes in Guatemala. In fact, my fascination with volcanic eruptions inspired me to start running photography workshops and private tours to see them. I want more people to experience the Earth in all its fierce glory, and helping them to capture that perfect shot motivates me to do my best. I want them to return home with incredible photos and memories from a real adventure.

“In this shot, my goal was to capture the aftermath of a volcanic explosion, with the cone of the volcano covered in the molten rocks that have just come out of the crater. To avoid a trial on the rocks rolling down the mountain, I wanted to freeze them in the photo so I used a short exposure of three seconds.

It’s always a challenge to stay awake throughout the night while being exposed to the elements. For this capture, I was shooting from another volcano at a distance of 2km away from the Volcan de Fuego – the most active volcano in Latin America. The altitude and the cold weather are always a challenge, but the excitement of seeing the volcano erupting in the distance is a great reason to get out of the cabin.

I didn’t have to do too much editing to this image in post-processing. I only added some contrast, increased the colors slightly, and decreased the highlights close to the crater.

Tech details

Camera: Nikon Z 6
Lens: Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S 
Aperture: f/3.2
Shutter speed:  3 sec
ISO: 800

Lens manufacturer 7Artisans seems to be readying four new autofocus prime lenses. In a roadmap image taken at IBC in Amsterdam and shared with L-rumors.com, we can see a total of six lenses, comprised of four new primes that will supplement two existing 7Artisan's lenses: the AF 50mm f/1.8, and AF 85mm f/1.8. The four upcoming lenses are the:

• AF 35mm F2.8
• AF 40mm F2.8
• AF 24mm F1.8
• AF 35mm F1.8

Like the existing 50mm and 85mm lenses, the four new optics look set to come in Sony E-mount, Nikon Z and L-mount variants, while all but the AF 35mm f/2.8 feature a dedicated aperture control ring. No other details about the new lenses have been made public, but if the new lenses perform anything like the current AF 50mm f/1.8, they should be compelling buys.

The AF 50mm f/1.8 marked 7Artisans' first attempt at an autofocus lens with full lens-body electronic communication. When we reviewed the lens we found it to be a well-built lens that operated smoothly and gave respectable image quality, all for a very reasonable price. The addition of four more focal length options in the AF range can only be good news for Sony, Nikon and L-mount shooters.

Story credit: L-rumors.com

Cooke revolutionized the cinema lens market last year with the introduction of its budget SP3 series, offering a compact, affordable alternative to the renowned Cooke Panchro Classic lenses. 

Designed to replicate the signature “Cooke Look,” these lenses quickly became popular among filmmakers for their portability and cinematic quality. Now, Cooke is expanding the SP3 family by releasing the all-new 18mm T2.4, the widest lens in the series. 

Available as part of a six-lens set housed in a custom hard case or sold separately, this new addition is set to appeal to indie filmmakers, corporate videographers, and cinematographers looking to achieve professional results without the hefty price tag.

The 18mm lens joins its counterparts — the 25mm, 32mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm — maintaining the same T-Stop range (T2.4-16) and full-frame sensor coverage. 

It also shares the same focus and iris ring placement, along with versatile mount options, including Sony E, Canon RF, Leica M, and L mount. While the 18mm and 100mm lenses are slightly larger and heavier than the others in the series, they remain lightweight and compact. 

All six lenses are designed for the best mirrorless cameras and best cinema camera setups, ideal for use on gimbals, drones, or in solo-operator scenarios where larger lenses might be cumbersome.

The 18mm T2.4 offers a 99° field of view on full-frame sensors, making it perfect for establishing shots, tight spaces, or immersive wide-angle scenes. Its close focus distance of 9.8” also provides flexibility in confined shooting environments. With this addition, the SP3 series now offers a comprehensive range of focal lengths, allowing filmmakers to tackle a wide variety of production needs with a single set. 

Though not budget lenses, the SP3s offer incredible value for money, especially compared to Cooke’s larger Panchro models, making them an enticing option for creatives looking for high-quality cine lenses.

Cooke’s legendary status in the world of cinema is well-earned, with their Speed Panchros having played a role in many iconic films associated with Hollywood. The SP3 series continues this legacy by making the “Cooke Look” more accessible to a broader audience. 

Known for their beautiful skin tones, smooth highlight roll-off, and stunning bokeh, thanks to 9-blade apertures and proprietary Cooke coatings, these lenses bring a touch of cinematic magic to any project. 

Whether paired with the larger Panchro/i Classics or used on their own, the SP3 series delivers remarkable visual results, making them a must-have for any filmmaker aiming to elevate their craft.

The new 18mm Cooke SP3 can be bought separately for $4,970 at B&H or the new 6-lens set with custom carry case can be bought from B&H for $25,995. 

While both options might seem expensive at first the Panchros lenses they mimic are priced between $12,900 - $14,600 each - so the SP3 series really is a bargain!

Micro-scale toy models of four Nikon cameras have been released in Japan. The set of four 'Gashapon' includes the Nikon Z9 fitted with a Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens, and the Nikon Z fc with Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens. There are also two 35mm film cameras: the iconic Nikon F from 1959 with a Nikkor-s 55mm f/1.2 lens, and the Nikon SP from 1957 equipped with a W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/1.8.

Gashapon are small capsule toys dispensed from dedicated vending machines. Each toy usually costs around $1-5 USD. Gashapon has been around since the 1960s and are hugely popular in Japan, with a growing fan base in other parts of the world. Most Gashapon are released as themed sets (like this set of four Nikon cameras), with the idea being the purchaser will want to collect the full set. However, this may not be easy, as it's often difficult or simply not possible to see the contents of each capsule inside the vending machine before purchase.

The cameras featured in the “Nikon Miniature Collection” are just that - tiny - with the Nikon F toy measuring only 2cm in height. Though even at this tiny scale, the toys are fairly well detailed replicas of their full-size counterparts, with the lens on each camera being removable and a body cap supplied to replace it. The Z fc model is also said to come with a random sticker that can be used to customize it in some way. Each miniature Nikon camera/lens combo will cost 500 Yen, or around $3.50 / £2.70 / AU$5.20.

Read more: The best Nikon cameras • The best Nikon Z lenses

Canon has unveiled its latest addition to the Cinema EOS lineup – the EOS C80, a compact RF mount cinema camera designed for filmmakers and live production. Building on the success of previous models such as the EOS R5 C and EOS C70, the EOS C80 introduces a full-frame sensor in a form factor that balances portability with professional features.

At the heart of the EOS C80 is a full-frame stacked backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor. This sensor, first seen in the EOS C400, enables 6K recording with 16 stops of dynamic range, which Canon claims offers improved low-light sensitivity and minimal noise. The camera's triple base ISO settings (800, 3200, 12,800) provide flexibility for varying lighting conditions, and an auto-switching mode allows for smooth transitions between these ISO levels in changing environments.

Canon has equipped the EOS C80 with its Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system, which delivers some of the most advanced autofocus capabilities yet in a Canon cinema camera, with face, eye, and head tracking, as well as body and animal detection.

In terms of design, the EOS C80 maintains a compact form similar to the EOS C70, with ergonomic refinements for handheld shooting and gimbal use. A redesigned removable top handle and a brighter LCD panel improve usability in outdoor environments, while the new joystick design offers better control.

The camera also supports Canon's PL to RF mount adapter, expanding compatibility with industry-standard Arri PL mount cinema lenses. Connectivity features include built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet for file transfer, remote control, and IP streaming, enhancing workflow efficiency. Additionally, real-time lens metadata capture and VR capabilities, in conjunction with Canon’s RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens, open up new creative possibilities for virtual production.

The EOS C80 supports various recording formats, including 12-bit Cinema RAW Light and new MP4 formats such as XF-AVC S and XF-HEVC S, which provide high-quality 4K footage with manageable file sizes. These options aim to streamline the post-production process, making the camera suitable for a wide range of professional applications.

The Canon C80 will go on sale for $5,499/£5,339/AU$8,899, and should be available from the end of September in some major markets but in November in Australia. For anyone who can’t wait until then – Canon will showcase the EOS C80 at the IBC show in Amsterdam from September 13-16.

This week saw a whole bunch of camera rumors come to fruition in the form of drones, action cameras and lenses, while Canon got seriously busy on a bunch of different fronts.

First it knocked Sony off the top spots in terms of sales, then it set its sights on DJI with a new take on gimbal cameras. For its part, DJI has its sights set on the HoverAir X1 with its new product. 

Sigma has its sights on Canon, with a new RF lens and a trinity busting pro lens that rivals Canon's groundbreaking 24-105mm f/2.8. 

And GoPro, meanwhile, is hoping that its two new Heroes will save the day. These are the top five stories of the week…

Canon resurrects its DJI-beating gimbal camera

Canon is revisiting its plans to challenge DJI with a handheld gimbal camera, designing a new product that looks eerily reminiscent of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. 

This is not, however, Canon's first attempt to design such a product. Canon's aspirations to produce a handheld gimbal camera date back to at least 2021, which is when the first patents and designs were spotted. 

Back then, the company was working on a camera that differed in one key way to the Osmo line: rather than having a fixed lens, Canon's initial designs featured an interchangeable lens mount…

Full story:
Canon vs DJI: Canon designs ANOTHER challenger to the Osmo Pocket

DJI's new drone takes on the HoverAir

DJI has just announced the DJI Neo, which might not be much of a surprise to those closely following the rumors but still marks a significant change in style for DJI, the world leader in consumer drones.

I've had access to an early model, and have already completed my first full review of the DJI Neo (though some features aren't quite there).

For many product generations, the company has focused on delivering compact drones that folded up small and – after regulators set a 250g weight limit for unregulated consumer drones – has delivered drones at 249g. Those include some of the best beginner drones and the best camera drones without qualification. Sure, there have been some specialist FPV drones, but these have seemed like outliers…

Full story:
DJI Neo marks a generational change for world's leading drone company

Sigma drops a pair of killer f/2.8 zooms

It's been a big week for professional zoom lenses. Not only did Leica launch a new 70-200mm f/2.8 with 2x teleconverter, Sigma dropped a pair of eagerly anticipated optics – both of which promise to be world-beaters.

First is the full-frame Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 DG DN | Art lens for E and L-Mount cameras. Yes, a 28-105mm lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture – a direct challenger to the "trinity buster" Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L lens. 

Speaking of Canon, Sigma also launched its second lens for the RF mount: the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN | Contemporary for APS-C bodies. This is "the world's smallest and lightest ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for APS-C cameras", offering an equivalent focal range of 16-28.8mm in full frame terms…

Full stories:
Canon RF shooters get a wiiiiiiiiiide angle zoom from Sigma
Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 sets what could be a new standard for standard zoom lenses

Two new Heroes come to GoPro's rescue

If, like me, you have been hoping to save money on an older GoPro model, but are sick of prices stubbornly refusing to come down, then the announcement of a new $199 / £199 GoPro will be music to your ears.

The new model, which is simply named GoPro Hero 13 (currently with no suffix or numeration) takes the classic GoPro formula of a rugged waterproof action camera and makes it more affordable – and even smaller.

Launching alongside the newly-announced GoPro Hero13 Black, will be the fourth model to be called the GoPro Hero. The first-ever GoPro model, launched in 2008 was simply called the Hero. This was followed by similarly named updates in 2010 and 2014. Inevitably, this new version will likely become known as the GoPro Hero (2024), so as to avoid confusion…

Full stories:
GoPro's new budget Hero is its smallest-ever action camera
The new GoPro Hero13 Black puts lenses front and center

Canon topples Sony from the sales charts

In a dramatic turn of events, the Sony ZV-E10 has been usurped by two Canon bodies as Japan's best-selling camera in August. 

In July the ZV-E10 took the top three spots in varying color and lens configurations, and accounted for five of the top twenty best-sellers, according to BCN Retail (which aggregates sales from approximately 50% of Japan’s retailers, which crucially includes major electronics retailers and camera dealers). 

In August however, the tables have very much turned, with the Canon EOS R10 and RF-S 18-150mm lens taking the top spot, up from number four the previous month. The EOS R50 double zoom kit secured the second and third places, in black and white colorways respectively…

Full story:
Move over Sony! Canon is back on top in Japan, with a dramatic sales recovery

You might be interested in the best camera drones, the best zoom lenses, the best GoPro cameras and the best action cameras. 

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.

The Sigma 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary is an ultra-wide angle lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras. Launched initially in L-mount and Sony E-mount versions, it’s now available in Fujifilm X-mount, and is a tantalizing proposition for Fujifilm users because it undercuts Fujifilm’s own-brand lenses in both price and size. A Canon RF mount version will go on sale on September 26, 2024.

Fujifilm does make two super-wide-angle lenses of its own – the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR and the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR. The XF 10-24mm has a longer focal range than the Sigma and OIS, but a smaller maximum aperture. It’s also much bigger and more expensive, and has optical limitations that become especially apparent on the latest 40MP Fujifilm cameras. The XF 8-16mm lens goes even wider than the Sigma, but this is one of Fujifilm’s red-badge pro lenses, and it’s both much bigger and much more expensive.

Right now, then, the Sigma 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary looks like a smaller, more affordable and perhaps superior super-wide lens for Fujifilm fans. 

Indeed, Sigma claims this is the smallest and lightest ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for APS-C cameras, which makes its constant f/2.8 maximum aperture even more impressive. Sigma also claims its optical performance is maintained across the whole frame, with fine detail rendered perfectly right into the corners. 

This is achieved with a sophisticated optical construction of 13 elements in 10 groups, which includes three ultra-low dispersion FLD elements, one super/special low dispersion  SLD element, and four aspherical elements.

Sigma is also very open about the fact this lens relies on digital corrections too. This has become standard practice for mirrorless camera zooms, but not all lens makers are equally forthcoming about this. Images shot with the Sigma 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN will be corrected in-camera if you’re shooting JPEGs and will have a correction profile embedded in raw files for use by programs like Capture One and Lightroom.

Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN: Specifications

Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN: Price and availability

The Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN | Contemporary for X-mount is available now and costs around $599 / £649 / AU$1,099. That’s substantially cheaper than the cheapest own-brand Fujifilm alternative which is the XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR. This costs around $999 / £879 / AU$1,499, which is a lot of money for a somewhat average sort of lens. Fujifilm left a very big gap in its lens range for a more affordable ultra-wide zoom, and Sigma has filled it.

Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN: Design and handling

There are some key features of the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN to pick out straight away. The first is its size. It’s very small and light for an APS-C ultra-wide zoom, and yet it also has that constant f/2.8 maximum aperture. It covers a pretty modest zoom range, of course, but that’s still impressive.

It’s not all good, though. There’s no aperture ring on this lens, so the aperture must be controlled from the camera body. That’s not such a downside on X-mount cameras with a conventional mode dial, such as the Fujifilm X-S10 or X-S20, but it will be a disappointment for users of the Fujifilm X-T5, X-T50, or other X-T, X-E, and X-Pro cameras with external exposure controls. Many of the best Fujifilm cameras owe their status to these controls.

This lens is also not fully weather-sealed. There is a rubber seal behind the lens mounting plate (which is made of brass) to keep out dust and moisture, but that’s it. If you’re going to be shooting in harsh conditions, bear in mind that while many of the best Fujifilm lenses are weather-sealed (look for the ‘WR’ in the name), this one isn’t.

And while the lens internals are made of metal, the exterior is fashioned from TSC (Thermally Stable Composite). Nevertheless, the exterior finish is first-rate. The semi-matt dark gray/black surface looks very smart indeed.

The action of the zoom ring is super-smooth, and the focus ring has a light, smooth feel too, though there’s no focus distance scale and no hard stops to the minimum focus and infinity settings.

The lens zooms in and out by less than a centimetre, and this combines with an internal focus system that should make the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN ideal for gimbal use. The best camera gimbals will be able to cope with any slight center of gravity shifts with no difficulty.

Given the 10mm angle of view at the wide and and the relatively fast f/2.8 maximum aperture, the front element of this lens is not particularly bulbous. This means you can fit relatively common 67mm filters with no need for fancy wide-angle adapters.

A petal-style hood is included. This attaches to the front of the lens with a strange kind of push-click action and is removed with a slight twist. It’s a bit odd, but you do get used to it.

Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN: Performance

It’s asking a lot to expect a lens this wide to offer flawless, aberration-free edge to edge sharpness, and despite Sigma’s claim that this lens does exactly that, it doesn’t entirely stack up in practice.

Testing it on a 40MP Fujifilm X-T5 doesn’t really help, since Fujifilm’s latest sensor really highlights any drop-off in lens performance. Keep this in mind if you’re using an earlier 26MP, 24MP or 16MP model, since you won’t notice these issues to the same extent.

Right through the zoom range, the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN is extremely sharp in the center of the frame, and around the mid-way point to the frame edges. At the extreme edges, though, the definition does fall away somewhat. You’ll notice this most at 10mm, though, and by 14mm and 18mm, the edge definition is really very good. This lens certainly outperforms the Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR, which is probably what it’s mostly likely to be compared to.

Sigma’s in-built lens profiles do a great job of correcting any distortion or corner shading, though the in-camera correction of purple fringing towards the edges of the frame isn’t that great. This does contribute towards the impression that the corners aren’t that sharp – a lot of the apparent unsharpness is actually chromatic aberration. If you shoot raw you should find that the automatic chromatic aberration correction in both Capture One and Lightroom will fix this with a single click.

The Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN does deliver excellent contrast and flare resistance even wide open. You can get really close to foreground objects for dramatic perspective effects and throw backgrounds out of focus at the same time – though there is some visible longitudinal color fringing or ‘bokeh’ fringing with defocused object outlines.

This lens uses a stepping motor AF system rather than the linear actuators in more exotic lenses, but Sigma says the focus group within the lens is light and, in real world use, this lens focuses very quickly. It’s also inaudible. In video it refocuses quickly with subject distance changes and, again, silently.

Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN: Sample images

Here’s a selection of images taken with the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN at various focal lengths and shooting distances. The edge to edge performance improves at longer focal lengths, but it’s still pretty good even at 10mm. It does extremely well for a such a small and modestly priced lens.

Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN: Verdict

The Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN is not perfect. The lack of an aperture ring will be a disappointment for many Fujifilm users, and the lack of weather sealing and OIS may disappoint a few more. But I do think the positives easily outweigh the negatives. Compared to Fujifilm’s own ultra-wide zooms, this lens is tiny – some would say that this is the size APS-C lenses are SUPPOSED to be. Given its size, its constant f/2.8 maximum aperture is a considerable achievement. It’s true that this is over a shorter focal range than the Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR, for example, but you have to decide if you’re willing to swap the extra zoom range for an extra f-stop in maximum aperture.

Perhaps the single biggest killer feature of this lens, though, is its price. It’s not just smaller than the XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR, it’s also considerably cheaper. And, admittedly over a smaller zoom range, it outperforms the Fujifilm lens optically, too.

Professional users might still look at the massive Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR instead, which goes even wider than this lens, but that represents a huge step up in both size and price. If what you’re looking for is a more compact ultra-wide zoom for travel, architecture, landscapes or interiors, the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN does it brilliantly. Why pay (and carry) more?

Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN: Alternatives

Leica lenses have earned a global reputation for their exceptional quality, and for good reason. With over 150 years of experience in crafting top-notch optical instruments, Leica's legacy is truly unmatched. This expertise shines through in the company's latest offering, the brand-new Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 70–200 f/2.8 ASPH - Finally, the 'Pro Workhorse' lens has arrived at the Leica SL-System and I'm excited about it!

This L-mount lens is the newest addition completing a powerful trio of SL zoom lenses with a consistent f/2.8 aperture. Alongside the Super-Vario-Elmarit-SL 14–24 f/2.8 ASPH. and the Vario-Elmarit-SL 24–70 f/2.8 ASPH., it opens up a world of possibilities for both photographers and filmmakers, covering focal lengths from an ultra-wide 14mm to a striking 200mm telephoto. And if you're looking to go even further, Leica has also introduced the new Extender L 2.0x teleconverter which pushes the reach of the new 70-200mm lens to an impressive 400mm at its longest reach.

Perfectly suited for capturing portraits, the classic telephoto zoom range of the Vario-Elmarit-SL 70–200 f/2.8 ASPH. is designed to excel in various scenarios—from events to sports to nature photography. Its high aperture ratio – constant across the entire zoom range – combined with superb image stabilization ensures that you're always ready to tackle any photographic challenge.

Inside the lens, you'll find 20 elements in 15 groups, including three with aspherical surfaces. This design is said to guarantee razor-sharp images, even at the edges, no matter the focal length. Plus, with internal focusing, the lens maintains its compact form, making it comfortable and easy to handle at any distance.

The Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 70–200 f/2.8 ASPH. is available now, priced at $3,295 /  £2,780. The Leica Extender L 2.0x is also available, priced at $995 / £800. 

Check out our guide to the best Leica SL lenses

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

Sigma's second lens for the Canon RF mount is here, and it's one that APS-C shooters have been patiently waiting for: the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN | Contemporary. 

Announced back in October for Sony E, Fujifilm X and L-Mount, the 10-18mm f/2.8 is "the world's smallest and lightest ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for APS-C cameras" – and is the perfect complement to Sigma's first Canon RF lens, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary.

With an equivalent focal range of 16-28.8mm in full frame terms, and a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range, the lens fills a much-needed gap for Canon EOS R7, R10, R50 and R100 owners, essentially providing a wide-angle trinity pro lens for APS-C cameras. 

The lens retains the same core technical specs as seen on the other mounts, with 13 elements in 10 groups, 7 aperture blades, a minimum focus distance of 11.6cm at the wide end and 19.1cm at the telephoto, weather sealing, a filter thread of 67mm and a length of just 62mm. 

It is, however, slightly heavier at 270g (rather than 260g on other mounts), and has a slightly different angle of view range of 106.6° - 73.4°.

While the components may be the same, Sigma has customized the software to meet Canon's autofocus and speed performance.

"A control algorithm including AF drive and communication speed optimization has been developed specifically for Canon RF Mount interchangeable lenses," says Sigma. 

"In addition to realizing high-speed AF, the lens also supports Servo AF and in-camera aberration correction" on cameras that feature the latter function.

The Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN | Contemporary for Canon RF goes on sale September 26 with a retail price of $659/£649 (Australian pricing to be confirmed). 

You might be interested in the best Canon RF lenses, along with the best wide-angle lenses and the best Canon wide-angle zoom lenses.

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.

Photographers, like any other artists, are influenced by a range of different factors and creativity is an important aspect of photography just as it is in any other form of art. 

“Music has played an integral part in my work and within my social media presence; to heighten the emotional narrative and connection of my work,” Josh says. “Therefore, it seemed appropriate to capture an image ahead of the world-famous Glastonbury Festival.

“This frame captures the iconic Pyramid Stage against the backdrop of the Orion constellation, bringing together photography, astronomy and music. This self-portrait image mimics the stars that have been before – the likes of David Bowie, Dolly Parton and Sir Elton John.” In this narrative, Josh captures the king of the stars; Orion taking center stage.

The image has been featured on the BBC and various news channels ahead of this year’s Glastonbury festival. Josh dedicates the shot to two of his music idols, Kate Bush and Grace Jones.

Josh’s main gear

Sony A7s III 

Sony has set a high standard for low-light capabilities among mirrorless cameras, enabling the capture of real-time footage and improved signal-to-noise ratio capabilities. “This range of cameras, combined with fast-shooting, wide-angle lenses, is ideal for a power-house setup,” says Josh. “A greater aperture and low-light sensitivity make it possible to reduce the SNR within low-level environments, providing excellent clarity for landscape astrophotography.”

Sigma 15mm f/1.4 Diagonal Fisheye 

In his astrophotography, Josh is fortunate to be testing out the latest lenses on the market, including the Diagonal Fisheye lens from Sigma. “Sigma lenses are revolutionizing the astrophotography market,” he says. “They are the first lenses of their kind to capture wide-angle images with an impressive aperture capability of f/1.4.”

Canon EOS R5 and Canon 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM

Canon’s latest cameras and telephoto lenses are changing the game for astrophotography, especially for solar and lunar targets, as they are perfect for alignment photography. “The R Series from Canon provides a greater megapixel count alongside greater focal lengths, making a superb combination for capturing celestial events,” Josh says. “This could include transits, eclipses and comets, among others.”

Benro Tortoise 24CLV P

Benro leads the market for versatile, affordable, yet durable tripod designs. “I’ve tested a number of different tripods but my preference is Benro’s Tortoise 24CLV,” Josh says. “It is constructed from carbon fiber, but not only is it immensely lightweight, it is durable and more suitable for use in colder environments.”

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

Fujifilm’s camera history has been kind of like a game of two halves. It made its name with compact retro-styled X-T, X-E, and X-Pro cameras with compact bodies and external exposure controls. These came with a range of compact f/2 prime lenses designed for compactness and affordability, including an 18mm f/2, 23mm f/2, 35mm f/2, and 50mm f/2. This XF16mm F2.8 came along a little later to provide a 24mm equivalent prime no larger than the rest, and yet with a physical aperture ring and weather sealing.

These are among the best Fujifilm lenses, certainly for travel photography and fans of old-school external exposure controls.

Since then, though, Fujifilm has shifted gears, aiming for a more mainstream enthusiast/hybrid market with the X-S10 and X-S20, and higher-end professional users, with the Fujifilm X-H2 and X-H2s. These are among the best Fujifilm cameras to buy today but have lost some of the uniqueness of earlier models.

The X-T series carries on with the Fujifilm X-T5 and X-T50, but the X-E and X-Pro range appear to have gone. Along with this has been a shift towards larger, professional zooms and fast f1/4 primes which appeal to a wider market but don’t sit so well on the smaller cameras.

The XF16mm F2.8, however, will still have strong appeal for owners of smaller or more modest Fujifilm bodies. Its maximum aperture may be modest, but it’s compact, inexpensive, and practical – and it could fill a gap in many users’ prime lens line-up.

Fujinon XF 16mm F2.8: Specifications

Fujinon XF 16mm F2.8: Price and availability

The Fujinon XF16mm F2.8 is widely available and costs around $399 / £339. Fujifilm also makes an XF16mm F1.4 R WR which is quite tempting, because it has a maximum aperture 2 stops faster – though it does cost almost three times as much. The other alternative is the much newer Fujinon XF18mm F1.4 R LM WR, but that has a slightly longer equivalent focal length of 27mm, and as well as being a lot more expensive, it’s physically larger and longer too. If you’re happy with an f/2.8 maximum aperture, the little XF16mm F2.8 is terrific value for money.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Design and handling

The XF16mm F2.8 is pretty cheap by prime lens standards, especially for one that has a physical aperture ring and weather-sealed construction. It feels very well made indeed, with a metal mounting plate (of course) and a petal-shaped lens hood included.

Everything about this lens feels well-designed. The aperture ring is clearly marked and is beautifully weighted with 1/3-stop clicks between the major aperture markings and an A (auto) setting past f/22, where the lens aperture is controlled by the camera body.

The manual focus ring feels really smooth and is mounted ahead of the aperture ring where the lens barrel tapers in slightly. This means there’s no danger of mistaking one ring for the other and you can find both easily by touch.

However, there’s no focus distance scale on this lens, and hence no depth of field markings for zone or hyperfocal distances. These can be displayed on the camera, though, so it’s still perfectly doable.

Beyond that, there’s not much more to say. This is a simple, solid-feeling little lens that gets on with the job without any fuss or distractions. It also looks good and balances well on any Fujifilm bodies.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Performance

Optically, the XF16mm F2.8 is good but not stellar. Fujifilm’s in-body corrections and embedded profiles effectively remove chromatic aberration, vignetting, and distortion, but while the edge-to-edge performance is good on older Fujifilm bodies, the 40MP sensor in my X-T5 does make the fall-off in resolution towards the edges of the frame more apparent.

This is the curse of high-resolution sensors. All those megapixels can turn anyone into a pixel-peeper, and it’s only human nature to zoom right in to see how much detail you’ve captured. Provided you don’t zoom in too far – say 100% on a 4K monitor – the images from this lens look great. Zoom in further to 200%, say, and you’ll see that while the center resolution is excellent, it does fall away somewhat toward the edges.

Will this bother you? On a 26MP, 24MP, or older 16MP Fujifilm camera, I doubt it. It’s only with the latest 40MP sensors it starts to become apparent. That’s a bit of a shame because the little XF16mm 2.8 is such a wonderful match for an X-T5 body, and especially the new X-T50.

The autofocus performance is excellent. Fujifilm’s smaller lenses don’t get the company’s high-speed Linear Motor actuators but it doesn’t seem to matter here. The XF16mm F2.8 is whisper quiet and focuses in an instant.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Sample images

Here’s a selection of shots taken with the XF16mm F2.8. It’s an ideal walkaround lens for city streets and architecture, and landscapes too. The modest F2.8 maximum aperture only becomes a limitation in dimly-lit interiors, but if you’re using a later Fujifilm body with IBIS, you can get around that with slower shutter speeds.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Verdict

The Fujinon 16mm F2.8 is a super little lens that’s really well made and nice to handle. The controls and finish are so good that it feels as if it ought to cost a lot more than it actually does. What keeps the cost and the size down is that maximum aperture of f/2.8, which isn’t much in a world where 24mm equivalent primes are typically f/1.8 or f/1.4. But if that’s the price of compactness and affordability then I’m happy to pay for it. (I actually did pay for it – I own this lens.)

Ideally I would like it to be a little sharper at the edges than it is when I use it on my X-T5, but that’s an issue raised by this camera’s unprecedented resolution. It is proving quite difficult to find affordable X-mount lenses that can live up to this sensor’s potential.

I don’t want to overstate this, though. You have to be a bit of a pixel peeper to notice in the first place, and if you’re using a 26MP body or lower, then it’s pretty much a no-issue.

I say that because it would be a real shame if this lens was overlooked because it’s not perfect. It’s small, affordable, practical and beautifully made.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Alternatives

Tamron is launching a Nikon Z version of its 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD superzoom. The full-frame mirrorless lens was launched in Sony FE mount in 2022, and this 8x zoom will now become Tamron's fifth lens available in the Nikon Z mount.

The lens is unusual as it dramatically increases the range of the established 100-400mm range twofold - turning a telephoto zoom into an all-in-one superzoom that can be used for a wider range of subjects than just sports and wildlife. 

Furthermore, the lens offers closer focusing than you might expect from a lens of this type - offering a 1:2 magnification at the 50mm end, making it a useful substitute for a true macro lens. The minimum focus setting is just 0.25m (9.8in) at this setting - whilst at 400mm you can focus down to 1.5m (59in), with a 1:4 maximum magnification.

In our Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD review we noted that "For action, sports and wildlife photography when you need to swap between a standard field of view and serious telephoto reach for different compositions, there’s always the risk of missing a great shot while you’re changing the lens on your camera body. This  solves the problem with its unusual 50-400mm zoom range, giving you both options in one package. It’s quite weighty for standard focal length shooting, at more than a kilogram, but has refined handling, fast autofocus, and effective optical stabilization".

The image-stabilized lens is constructed from 24 elements in 18 groups - including two XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion), three LD (Low Dispersion), one GM (Glass Molded Aspherical), and one Hybrid Aspherical lens elements. The lens weighs 1,180g (41.6oz).

The iris diaphragm uses nine blades, and it has a 67mm front filter ring. There is a connector port for use with Tamron's Lens Utility that allows you to update firmware and to implement a Focus Limiter function.

Existing Nikon Z-mount Tamron lenses include the 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2, 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD, 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD, and 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD.

The Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD will go on sale from September 19 for $1,299/£1,249, and comes supplied with a flower-shaped lens hood. An Arca-Swiss compatible tripod collar is sold as an optional extra for $129/£109.

Fine art wildlife photographer Harry Skeggs’ images of exotic animals hang in galleries the world over, with price tags of his limited-edition prints running into the thousands. In this issue’s lead feature, he shares his tips and technique that elevate his images from mere photographs to works of art. 

Our apprentice heads to the moors and tors of Dartmoor National Park where landscape photographer Neil Burnell schools him in shooting scenic shots with a difference – in the infrared spectrum with a modified Nikon and specialist filters. 

We put eight prime lenses through their paces in our Big Test – ranging from wide angle to standard and short-telephoto focal lengths, the main factor that binds them together is that they’re all absolute bargains, costing under £250/$300. We also give the review treatment to Nikon’s new Z 35mm f/1.4 – that’s both faster and cheaper than its existing S-line Z 35mm f/1.8 S prime. 

Award-winning landscape and astrophotography expert Ian Asprey is in the hotseat for this issue’s N-Photo interview, while Light & Land photographer Charlotte Bellamy combines intentional camera movement with multiple exposures for intriguing images of woodlands near her home.

Plus we have a fun selection of projects to try your hand at, including going on a photowalk, dramatic toy scenes with a smoke machine, surreptitious street photography, and motion-blurred plant portraits. 

N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine is a monthly magazine that's written by Nikon enthusiasts for Nikon enthusiasts, you can be sure that all the content is 100% relevant to you! So for the best Nikon-focused news, reviews, projects, and a whole lot more, subscribe to N-Photo today – with our unmissable subs deal!

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Subscription deals: Our guide to the best photo magazines

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.

Ever since the Leica Q was released in back in 2015, the pitch-perfect Q series has ranked among the very best Leica cameras. Since then we've seen the Leica Q2 and most recently the Leica Q3 hit the shelves – but one thing that some have always dreamed of is a longer lens than the wonderful f/1.7 28mm Summilux.

Well, the rumor mills are churning – and according to Leica Rumors, we might just see a longer focal length version of the Leica Q3 coming soon!

According to this report, there could be a Leica Q3 announced with a fixed 43mm f/2 Apo, which might sound surprising to some hoping that it would be a 50mm. 

However, 40mm is quite an admired focal length among photographers and anything close to it could be a great idea from Leica. The sought-after Contax G2, for example, shipped with a 45mm lens – and that was loved by all!

However, this 43mm focal length is not 100% confirmed, so has to be taken with a pinch of salt. I'd personally like to see a true 50mm if Leica were to launch a longer focal length Q3, but I will certainly take a 43mm.

What this camera might look like is a mystery at the moment, as is its release date – which is wide open, as it is expected to be announced sometime towards the end of this year.

There have been many rumors about a 'more affordable' Leica Q on the horizon, which we named the Leica Q-E, in line with Leica's M-E version of the more affordable M-system.

However, there is no suggestion that an 'affordable' Q-series will also be one with a different lens. More likely, that would mean a slower-aperture lens attached – say, a f/2.8 – but where there is smoke there is fire, and perhaps we could be talking about the same thing? Only time will tell!

If you're interested in the Q series, you might be interested in the best compact cameras. And if the idea of an affordable Q appeals to you, you might want to check out the best Leica camera alternatives. 

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.

Want to talk workhorses? The Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM was launched in 2010 – and it's still an absolute telephoto monster in 2024. 

And that's no small feat – not just because the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM is almost a decade and a half old, but also because it's been replaced by two newer versions of the lens. 

Let's be clear: there's no doubt that 2018's Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM, and especially 2021's Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM mirrorless evolution, are astounding optics. However, they also came with astounding price tags; the RF version, for instance, carries a $11,999 / £12,449 / AU$21,999 asking price.  

But here's the thing with Canon's top-class glass: it ages like fine wine. And that L-series red ring doesn't disappear just because a few years have passed. 

The Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM remains a ferocious performer. It packs four stops of image stabilization, with three different modes, which is rock solid when paired with a modern body like the EOS R5 Mark II or even the EOS R7 – where the 1.6x crop factor turns this into an enviable 640mm lens. 

The premium Subwavelength coating suppresses the internal reflections that cause ghosting and flare, the autofocus speed is still as quick as a hiccup, and most importantly the image quality is still pin sharp and utterly superb.

Perhaps most importantly, though, is the price. While fine wine tends to get more expensive as it matures, the introduction of newer lenses means that great glass only becomes more affordable.

The Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM is frequently available at about $5,500 in the USA – making it a very appealing alternative to its replacements, even the cutting-edge RF version. 

So if you're in the market for a top tier telephoto lens, yes, don't overlook this golden oldie. It's every bit as good now as it ever was… and much friendlier on your bank balance! 

You might be interested in the best Canon telephoto lenses – which covers some of the best Canon lenses for DSLRs and the best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless cameras. 

I think most photographers start out with either buying something new, that's also cheap and growing their kit or buying something slightly better but secondhand to see if they actually like photography and then expanding upon that camera/lens combo.

I started out like that myself and slowly bought better second-hand cameras until I was in a position to buy new, and while I knew that buying new would also have a depreciation over time the lenses would more than make their money back during my professional career - which they all did, but when it came time for them to move one, the only lens I bought brand-spanking-new was the one I lost the most money on... and it will surprise you. 

The lens in question was quite a rare item in terms of photography telephotos, while most dream of owning a 300mm f/2.8 or at a push the lavish 400mm f/2.8 - I had to go one better and buy at the time the brand new Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR lens for an eye-watering £8,000 / $9,500 - and I enjoyed all 11.2 Ib / 5.1kg of it for many man-years and traveled the world with it covering international events.

But when it came to letting this beautiful lens go I was hit with a sting that even today sends a shiver down my spine, due to the up-turn Nikon releasing some of the best Nikon Z lenses around the same time, including the new Nikkor Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S my 'slightly-used' but pristine optics 600mm took a nosedive on the secondhand market and my investment look like a poor choice in the grand scheme of things.

So how much did I sell one of the best lenses I've ever owned you ask? I initially bought it for $9,500 / £8,000 in 2012, and 12 years later I sold this massive lens for a mere $2,619 / £2,000... a massive loss of $6,881 / £6,000!

Yes, I had enjoyed using this lens and I know it made its money back ten-fold over those 12 years of ownership, but man... what a hit, and lesson learned!

In fact, it is the only lens I have ever bought brand-new, and as a special order. Heck, it even came directly from Nikon Japan in a wooden transport box - something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie!

But what this story does teach you all reading this is these exotic lenses in the Nikon F-mount are now a steal of what they once used to cost, and if equipped with the Nikon FTZ-adaptor you can still use these wonderful F-mount lenses your Nikon Z9 or any of the best Nikon mirrorless cameras. Take a look on eBay and secondhand specialists – there are bargains to be had!

Samyang is teasing a new lens - but we don't have much to go on, based on the Facebook post announcing its imminent launch.

With the headline of the post promising "Something New", we see a silhouette of what looks like a very thin lens. So that, I guess, means a pancake prime lens.

We are also told that it is for Sony FE creators - so it is a full-frame lens for Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras.

We are also told it it slim, stylish, inspiring and creative – which doesn't give us a lot more information about the lens's actual specification. But a hashtag does confirm that this lens will boast autofocus.

But we do know that Samyang already has 24mm f/2.8 and 35mm f/2.8 autofocus lenses available for Sony shooters. So this may well be a different focal length - such as a 20mm? Sony already have a Sony E 20mm f/2.8 Pancake lens - but that is only suitable for APS-C-sensor cameras.

The teaser doesn't give us a launch date, but we would expect the announcement to be in the next day or two... And we'd expect, as usual, that the lens will also be made available in the Rokinon range in North America. We'll let you know the full details as soon as we have them.

Meanwhile, check our guides to the best pancake lenses and the best Sony lenses available right now

Nikon has rolled out new firmware to 5 of its Z-mount Nikkor lenses, adding a much-longed-for feature for all manual focus shooters.

Linear focus has now been added as an option when manually focusing with the focus ring – in addition to the default non-linear focus – making it easier to make fine adjustments.

The lenses benefiting from the update include some of the best Nikon Z lenses on the market – the Nikon Nikkor Z 28-75mm f/2.8, Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8(SE), Nikkor Z 40mm f/2(SE), Nikkor Z 40mm f/2, and the Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8.

The firmware notes are the same for all included lenses and reads as follows:

" • The lens now supports options for [Focus ring rotation range] * in the camera [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] in addition to [Non-linear]. When a linear option is selected, rotating the control ring the selected amount in manual focus mode will take the lens from the minimum focus distance to infinity, regardless of the speed with which the ring is rotated.

* As of August 2024, the cameras that support this option are (from “C” firmware version 2.00) the Z9, Z8, Z6III, Zf and (from “C” firmware version 1.40) the Z7II and Z6II. "

The download pages for each lens can be found using these links:

Nikkor Z 28-75mm f/2.8 (Ver.1.10), Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8(SE) (Ver.1.10), Nikkor Z 40mm f/2(SE) (Ver.1.10), Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 (Ver.1.10), and the Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8 (Ver.1.10).

For those wondering what linear and non-linear focusing means, and the differences between them, you're not alone. I had to do a little research myself to find out.

Both are terms to describe different ways lenses allow you to manually focus when using the focus ring. Non-linear focusing moves the focal point based on how fast you rotate the ring,

Linear focusing is the type of manual focusing that existed before the invention of autofocus and is perhaps the one most often thought of. Instead of the focal point moving depending on how fast you turn the ring, linear focusing moves the focus point depending on how much you turn the ring. This is the same way focusing works on traditional manual lenses and cine lenses as it allows the user to pull focus gradually.

Linear focusing enables the users to make more refined adjustments by incrementally turning the ring, a very useful update for owners of these Nikon Z lenses. If you are unfamiliar with how to update your Nikon lens, there is a helpful step-by-step guide on the download page.

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

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.

If you're after a serious, high-end smart telescope but don't want to pay the high prices for Unistellar's 'Expert' range—chiefly the eVscope 2 and the eVscope eQuinox 2—the Odyssey is an attractive option in the company’s drop-down 'Discovery' range.

An entry-level smart telescope, Odyssey is essentially an all-in-one astrophotography rig. It captures light from the night sky and lets it fall only onto a camera sensor, taking long exposures of faint objects. It automatically stacks them as it observes, applying post-processing algorithms to build a clean and colorful image that appears in a smartphone app.

This is deep-sky astrophotography made easy. However, its feature set ranks it a notch below the company's Odyssey Pro. Compared to its pricier sister, the Odyssey lacks a Nikon-made electronic eyepiece, so it can't be used in any way as a traditional telescope. That makes it the same as much more affordable smart telescopes like the ZWO Seestar S50 and Vaonis Vespera II. However, here you get bigger, better optics, and superior build quality. It's also a Newtonian reflector-type of telescope (rival brands of smart telescopes are all lens-based refractors).

With a lower price, can the Odyssey compete for the title of the best smart telescope in 2024? Here’s everything you need to know about the Odyssey Pro. 

Unistellar Odyssey: Specifications

Unistellar Odyssey: Price

The Odyssey sells for $2,099 / £1,849, with frequent discounts available. That compares to the Odyssey Pro, which sells for $3,599 / £3,149. Both smart telescopes are in Unistellar’s 'Discovery' range.

The Odyssey and Odyssey Pro are essentially smaller and more affordable versions of the eVscope eQuinox II and eVscope II smart telescopes in Unistellar's 'Expert' range, which sell for $2,499 / £2,199 and $4,899 / £3,999, respectively.

For those after a Unistellar smart telescope for the lowest price possible, the choice is mostly between the Odyssey and the eVscope eQuinox 2. Neither has an electronic eyepiece, but where they differ is in their mirrors and megapixels. While the Odyssey has an 85mm mirror and 3.4 megapixels, the eVscope eQuinox 2 boasts a 114mm mirror and 6.2 megapixels.

Optional accessories for the Odyssey comprise a custom-fit backpack for $299 / £269 and a smart solar filter for $199 / £179. The latter is essential for capturing sunspots.

Unistellar Odyssey: Design & Handling

It’s not the smallest smart telescope around, but on the Odyssey, that’s a good thing. At its core, it’s a 3.35-inch/85mm reflector telescope. Its Nikon-made optics have a focal length of 320mm and a field of view of 34 x 45 arcminutes. Thanks to its lack of an eyepiece, it’s a shade lighter than the Odyssey Pro, so even easier to maneuver and store. Perhaps that’s its best design trick; whereas Unistellar’s eVscope telescopes are big and bulky (and brilliant), the Odyssey is significantly smaller and easier to live with. One issue with reflector telescopes is the need for occasional repositioning of their mirrors (a maintenance task called collimating). Happily, that’s not the case for the Odyssey, a closed unit with mirrors that won’t ever need tinkering with. 

Odyssey’s small size does mean it has a short battery life. At five hours, it has the same problem as its rivals, the Vanois Vespera 2 and Seestar S50. It’s also a shame that although it recharges via a USB-C slot, it can’t be used with just any USB-C cable—it has to be the wall adaptor cable supplied in the box. 

Its proprietary tripod is also initially irritating, considering how many tripods photographers tend to have lying around. At least it’s of excellent quality. Strong, sturdy, and able to extend to four sections, it’s super-steady and has a built-in bubble level. It also folds up nicely to fit in a camera bag. 

Setting up this telescope is so simple. Switch it on and pair it with a smartphone, and within minutes, its ‘smart star finder’ system has it imaging the sky, cross-referencing the stars it can see with images in its database (with a little help from the GPS in your phone). You then choose an object from a list, and the Odyssey will slew to it and autofocus upon it. 

There’s a search function if you want to find something specific, though it would also be nice to have the option to move around a virtual representation of the night sky and geographically choose objects for Odyssey to slew to. After all, if you know the night sky, you’ll also know when an object is behind a tree, so having a sky map to navigate makes more sense than a list. It would also be an excellent way for beginners to learn how to navigate the night sky. 

Once an object is slewed to, a press of the ‘Enhanced Vision’ button sets Odyssey on its imaging journey, taking multiple short exposures to stack atop one another, creating an ever-improving merged image in the app. At any time, it’s possible to save the entire 16:9 image to a smartphone or share a square image to social media, the latter complete with framing and a caption that includes basic image parameters. Toggle on an option in the app’s settings and lossless PNG, TIFF, and FITS  files can be saved to Odyssey’s 64GB hard disk for post-processing. 

Unistellar Odyssey: Performance

When it comes to pure imaging quality, the Odyssey is superior to its more affordable rivals, yet inferior to the pricer Odyssey Pro. That’s no surprise, but we did notice that some bright objects caused problems. 

All the images we created were sharp, but some lacked ultimate detail. For example, it overexposed the Andromeda Galaxy—albeit while also skillfully revealing subtle dust lanes in its outskirts. Albireo, a famously contrasty double star in Cygnus, proved impossible to resolve as two stars in Odyssey’s image. 

Other images, including those of globular clusters, open clusters, and galaxies, impressed. What all Unistellar’s images have in common is peerless contrast. Its ‘Deep dark technology’ clearly works, with lusciously black backgrounds to star fields and celestial objects that rival brands cannot match. 

Also unlike other smart telescopes, Unistellar’s range has multi-depth tech, allowing them to image planets and the moon and deep-sky objects. Essentially, that means swapping from its usual long exposures to high-frame-rate imaging. 

We tried it on Saturn, the only planet visible after sunset during the review. Saturn’s rings are seen only side-on for the next few years, so the view isn’t as good as it could be, but we were able to make them out in a reasonably fuzzy image. 

For the moon, Odyssey excels, producing sharp, contrasty images of our nearest celestial neighbor.

Unistellar Odyssey: Verdict

The most affordable Unistellar smart telescope is a joy to use. Setup takes minutes and imaging celestial objects of all kinds is easy. There’s a noticeable drop in imaging quality compared to the Odyssey Pro, and there’s no eyepiece for traditional astronomy, but this easy-to-store smart telescope is a great way to beat light pollution and try your hand at deep-sky astrophotography for a fraction of the fuss. 

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.

When you think of the Ricoh GR III, you think of one camera – a pocket-sized premium compact with an APS-C sensor, a fixed focal length lens and a serious reputation amongst serious photographers.

It fills a lot of needs. Its small size and quality makes it perhaps one of the best point and shoot cameras, or among the best cameras for travel. But it’s not just one camera. Actually there are four distinct variants, and some special editions, with a history that makes the whole line-up, past and present, very confusing indeed.

Right now there are two principal versions. The Ricoh GR III is the original, with a 28mm equivalent f/2.8 fixed focal length lens. But this has been joined by a later Ricoh GR IIIx with a longer focal length 40mm equivalent f/2.8 lens for photographers who prefer a slightly narrower angle of view.

Now for the ‘HDF’ bit. The regular GR III and GR IIIx come with a switchable 2x ND filter, a physical filter toggled by a button and useful, perhaps, in bright light. The newer HDF versions swap this for a Highlight Diffusion Filter, and again you can toggle this with a button. This adds a soft glow to highlights for a subtle ‘analog’ look.

So when you combine these permutations, there are in fact four distinct GR III variants to choose from today (and that's before limited edition color variations). Got that? OK, so now for the historical variants, which always have the potential for confusing the heck out of people (me, anyway).

First came the GR Digital in versions I-IV. These used smaller point-and-shoot size sensors, so while they were serious cameras in their day, they are not in the same league as the modern versions. The modern cameras dropped the ‘Digital’ in the name and swapped to a much more desirable APS-C sensor, and the GR III models are the latest incarnation.

That’s quite a lot of history – sorry. But now we’ve got our bearings, let’s get on with the review.

Ricoh GR III HDF: specifications

Ricoh GR III HDF: price and availability

The Ricoh GR III HDF costs around $1,067 in the US and £1,049 in the UK. It’s around $80 / £50 cheaper than the GR IIIx HDF version. That seems plenty for what looks like a pocket-sized point and shoot, but the GR III HDF is rather more than that. It’s a lot cheaper than the Fujifilm X100 VI (and more readily available) and while it lacks many of that camera’s features, it’s somewhat less pretentious and massively more pocketable. You can get Canon PowerShots and Sony RX100s with zoom lenses and 4K video at this price, but only if you accept a much smaller 1-inch sensor. In many ways, the GR III HDF is out on its own.

Ricoh GR III HDF: design and handling

The Ricoh GR III HDF is so compact, given its sensor size, that you never quite get used to it. If it had a 1-inch sensor, you would say that Ricoh had done well to make it so small, but the fact is that it has a much larger APS-C sensor, so its size is just uncanny. You can put it in a trouser pocket and forget it’s there, or even a shirt pocket. This is a proper camera with a proper sensor that’s out on its own for portability.

But then that involves some compromises. There’s no EVF, for a start, and that wouldn’t be so bad if the rear screen had some serious brightness and a flip-out pivot, but it has neither. You can ramp up the brightness manually for use on sunny days, but you’re still left with a pretty primitive viewing system.

And don’t be fooled by the ‘grip’ on the right side of the body. This purposeful-looking protuberance is better than nothing, but you can’t curl your fingers round it very far before your fingernails crunch up against the lens barrel.

The controls, however, are rather good. The main mode dial has a locking button to prevent accidental mode changes, and the clever clickable spring-loaded Adj dial on the back controls a lot of camera functions and makes light work of all of them. There are no control dials as such, but a rotating ring around the four-way controller on the back which, thankfully, doesn’t have to do too much.

It’s worth mentioning the lens. Good as it is optically (and it is very good) it is electrically driven. Motors move it into position when you power up and motors (obviously) move it for focusing. There’s no focus distance scale, no depth of field markings and no manual focus ring – this is done from the camera body. The camera itself has a strong physical feel, but the lens operation lets it down a little. 

Ricoh GR III HDF: Performance

The images from the Ricoh GR III HDF are as good as those you would expect from any APS-C camera, of any size. The design may look as if it’s been around for years, but there’s nothing wrong with the detail rendition or the resolution of its pint-sized lens in regular shooting situations. It’s worth pointing out that this camera’s 16.3mm f/2.8 lens is a fraction of the size of any equivalent lens for other APS-C camera systems. It’s unexpectedly good at higher ISOs, too – some of our samples were shot at ISO 3200 in a museum and have remarkably good detail with not that much noise.

The autofocus is good but not stellar. It can focus quickly enough for most situations but doesn’t quite have the speed and responsiveness of some modern rivals. If you press the shutter release quickly in a single action it will swap to the Snap Focus mode. This is faster but sets the focus to whatever set distance you’ve chosen in the settings.

This Snap Focus mode is also available separately if you prefer zone focusing, and the camera does come with a “DOF Priority (Deep)” Program Line, though it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t just switch to A mode and choose a small aperture, which seems the simplest solution.

While it feels very responsive for single images, the GR III HDF is not a camera for action bursts. Ricoh doesn’t quote a frame rate for continuous shooting but it feels to be around 4fps. It doesn’t have much of a buffer capacity either.

Ricoh GR III HDF: sample images

Here are some sample images taken with the Ricoh GR III HDF. The 28mm equivalent focal length proves to be very well suited to street photography and grabbed shots. It’s close to the kind of perspective and angle of view of a smartphone.

Ricoh GR III HDF: lab results

For our lab data comparison we're using results from the regular GR III rather than the GR III HDF. The two cameras are fundamentally identical when the HDF feature is disabled, and we would disabled it when conducting a lab test. We've pitched the GR III against similarly compact cameras with relatively large image sensors: the Fujifilm X100VI, Leica D-Lux 8 and the Olympus PEN E-P7.

Resolution (line widths/picture height):

Resolution is measured using standardized text charts which give results in line widths / picture height, which is independent of sensor size.

The GR III (HDF) scores well for a 24MP APS-C camera, but ultimately the 40MP X100VI was always going to come out on top for resolving fine detail.

Dynamic range (EV):

Dynamic range is a measure of a camera's ability to record extreme brightness ranges and still retain detail in the brightest and darkest parts of the scene. It's measured in EV (exposure values, or 'stops').

Though the GR III (HDF) doesn't quite lead the pack at low ISOs, it captures excellent dynamic range as sensitivities increase.

Signal to noise ratio (decibels):

This test compares the amount of random noise generated by the camera at different ISO settings as a proportion of the actual image information (the 'signal'). Higher values are better and we expect to see the signal to ratio fall as the ISO is increased.

All four cameras are closely matched here, but the GR III (HDF) performs well at all but the highest sensitivities.

Ricoh GR III HDF: verdict

The limitations of the GR III HDF are easily apparent. There is no EVF and the optional clip-on viewfinders are expensive. It has a fixed focal length lens and while you can swap to crop mode for ‘longer’ focal lengths you lose resolution. There is a twist-on optical wide-angle conversion lens, but it’s bulky and expensive. The rear screen is hard to see in bright light unless you crank the brightness up to maximum and the 200-shot battery life is a serious limitation.

But it does have some good qualities that are hard to set aside. For an APS-C camera it is just bafflingly, laughably small. What other camera of this quality can fit in a shirt pocket? Despite its size it has physical controls which are well-spaced and effective, and not just for beginners but for more experienced hands-on control freaks too. And while you might imagine that such a tiny lens on an APS-C sensor just wouldn’t be very good, you would be wrong. The lens on the GR III HDF is very good indeed.

So what about that HDF filter? It means you lose the 2-stop ND filter of the standard camera, but I never felt that 2 stops was enough to achieve much anyway. It might allow you to use a wider aperture in very bright light, but it’s nowhere near enough to achieve motion blur effects with long exposures.

But is the HDF filter any better? For a start, its effect is very subtle. That might sound like a good thing, but in practice it can be hard to see whether it’s been used or not. It’s also a ‘hard’ effect, so there’s no going back later if you change your mind. Personally, I’d much rather apply this kind of effect in post, where you get both choice and control.

If I had a choice between the regular and HDF versions of this camera I’m not sure I’d care very much at all since I probably wouldn’t use either filter. But if I could learn to put up with the lack of an EVF, the weedy rear screen and battery life, and the fixed 28mm equivalent focal length, I think I could become a fan – and the Ricoh GR III has plenty of those.

Ricoh GR III HDF: alternatives

Google has announced four new smartphones at its Made by Google 2024 event, with the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold being its most expansive mobile line-up to date. All four phones pack Google's latest AI camera and editing tools the Pixel series has become known for, and the Pixel 9 Pro finally brings Google's finest camera hardware to a more compact form.

If you're wondering why the Pixel 9 Pro getting a top-tier camera is a big deal, historically, Google released the Pixel 7 or Pixel 8, and the Pixel 7 Pro or Pixel 8 Pro, with the Pro always being larger and packing a superior camera. This typically meant Pro users benefited from a periscope zoom, while vanilla Pixel users had to settle for in-sensor cropping.

For 2024, the smaller Pixel 9 Pro is added to the lineup and features an identical camera mix to the Pixel 9 Pro XL, with all four Pixels sporting shared styling that marries flat backs, flat sides, and curved corners.

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL

The best cameras on the new Pixel phones are on the 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, so it's little wonder they're the priciest non-folding Pixels this year. You can pick each up with either 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB storage, with pricing below.

Both Pro Pixels feature the same triple camera mix around the back:

Wide: 50MP 1/1.31-inch sensor, f/1.68 aperture lens with OIS
Ultra-wide: 48MP 1/2.55-inch sensor, f/1.7 aperture lens with autofocus
Telephoto: 48MP 1/2.55-inch sensor, f/2.8 aperture lens with 5x optical equivalent reach and OIS

Eagle-eyed readers might spot that this is the same sensor mix introduced on the Pixel 8 Pro, with the only hardware upgrade appears to be the faster f/1.7 aperture on the ultra-wide.

Both the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL's front cameras are 42MP sensor + f/2.2 lens combos with autofocus and a 103º ultra-wide field of view.

With both phones enjoying the same Tensor G4 chipset, ultra-bright OLED screen technology with 3000 nits peak brightness, 45W fast charging, and wireless charging, plus 16GB RAM, it really is the screen size and battery capacity that differentiates the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL.

The Pixel 9 Pro's display is a Pixel 9-matching 6.3 inches, and its battery is 4700mAh, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL's display is 6.8 inches, and its battery is 5060mAh.

Google Pixel 9

The Google Pixel 9's camera mix is very similar to the 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, missing out on the periscope camera and dropping the front camera resolution. The phone's storage options are also dialed down as is its price:

The Pixel 9 looks very similar to the Pixel 9 Pro, sporting virtually identical dimensions, which include a 6.3-inch display, a 152.8mm height, and an 8.5mm depth. It also weighs 1g less at 198g, and has the same battery capacity of 4700mAh. The screen is a little bit less brilliant, with a lower peak brightness of 2700 nits, and it's slightly less sharp too. It also has 12GB RAM versus the 16GB in the Pixel 9 Pro, and the selfie camera is a lower 10.5MP resolution.

The Pixel 9's many similarities with the 9 Pro make it a more premium counterpart to both the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL than an iPhone 15 is to the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, a fact that should make it an attractive prospect for Pixel fans given the high prices of both Pro models.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Arguably the most exciting Pixel to launch at Made by Google 2024 is the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold, an update to the original Pixel Fold which combined a respectable camera with middling hardware when we tested it. With a total design overhaul, the new 9 Pro Fold looks set to benefit from taller screens, styling that reminds us of the Oppo Find N3 and OnePlus Open, and similar camera hardware to its predecessor, not to mention a foldable-grade price tag.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's camera is more modestly specced than that of the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro given the limited space foldables offer for optics and sensors, though Google does fit a triple camera mix around the back:

Wide: 48MP 1/2-inch sensor, f/1.7 aperture lens with OIS
Ultra-wide: 10.5MP 1/3.4-inch sensor, f/2.2 aperture lens with autofocus
Telephoto: 10.8MP 1/3.2-inch sensor, f/3.1 aperture lens with 5x optical equivalent reach and OIS

The 9 Pro Fold also has two selfie cameras with 10MP resolutions and f/2.2 apertures, one in the cover display and one in the main display.

The foldable's screen sizes look super-competitive, with a Pixel 9-matching 6.3-inch cover screen and a huge 8-inch inner display. With a 10.5mm depth when closed and a 257g weight, while the 9 Pro Fold isn't the lightest foldable around, it's a huge improvement over the 12.1mm, 283g original Pixel Fold.

Google's also kitted the Pixel 9 Pro Fold out with the same Tensor G4 chipset found in the rest of the series, 16GB RAM, and fast 45W charging plus wireless charging.

Google is clearly justifying its premium prices with a hardware and software one-two punch for 2024. After all, each Pixel 9 is set to get seven years of major OS updates, Google VPN at no extra cost, spam protection, and Google caller ID, as well as a suite of image editing features including the new Add Me tool for composited group shots.

Check back for our full reviews of all four Pixels in the coming weeks, and to find out what the Pixel 9 series's competition looks like, here's our guide to the best camera phones of 2024.

The retro aesthetic is in, and with retro cameras come retro lenses – and the new Silver edition of the TTArtisan AF 27mm f/2.8 could be the missing piece to unlocking your full retro setup. 

The popularity of the vintage aesthetic has been increasing, so much that mirrorless camera manufacturers are taking influence from the past – pretty much all the best Fujifilm cameras are prime examples.

The new silver TTArtisan lens would pair nicely with silver cameras such as the Fujifilm X-T50 and Nikon Z fc, as the APS-C lens is available for Fujifilm X mount, Nikon Z mount and Sony E mount.

It must be noted that this is a new colorway and not a new lens, as the TTArtisan AF 27mm f/2.8 was initially released last year. That being said, I do believe it is a lens that has been slept on a little bit.

Right off the bat, it costs under $150 / £170 / AU$240! As good a reason as any to pick up this nifty little pancake, as cheap AF lenses like this are becoming a rare occurrence. However, despite the small price tag, it also has some great features that can make it fantastic for capturing everyday life.

The 27mm is equivalent to just over 40mm on a full-frame camera, an ideal all-rounder and one of my favorite focal lengths for street photography. The wide f/2.8 aperture is also generous, and in our review of the lens we noted great sharpness and contrast, although a slight vignette when used wide open.

The compact pancake size facilitates easy carrying and storing in bags, and even pockets if your camera is small enough. Inside the small form factor is an STM stepping motor which provides quick and efficient autofocus, enabling the user to react quickly without missing the shot.

Other notable features include a USB-C interface for firmware updates, a clicked aperture ring, and anti-shake enabling smooth video capture.

The TTArtisan AF 27mm f/2.8 lens is available now in the new silver and black colorways for an absolute steal at $149 / £169 / AU $239.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best pancake lens, the best lens for street photography and the best cheap lenses.

Rumors of a new Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens have been flying around for the past several months, with a lot of folks predicting its imminent release. Now, courtesy of Canon Rumors and some deft lens spotters at the Paris 2024 Olympics, we might have just got our first glimpse – but for anyone familiar with the original, this new version may not be what you had in mind.

The original Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM was launched back in 2019 as the R-mount's answer to the legendary EF trinity lens. However, this didn't come without controversy, with the lens being the first of its kind to ditch an internal zoom, and in a highly unusual move, was not compatible with RF teleconverters.

Easy fixes, right? But Canon doesn't seem to be going with a straight Mark II version of the lens; instead, this new 70-200mm spotted in Paris is the latest in Canon's lens lineup to get the hybrid video lens treatment – which looks to be the new norm for Canon's pro lenses. 

Since the RF 24-105mm f/2.8, Canon has launched a hybrid RF 35mm f/1.4 and plans to launch up to three more hybrid prime lenses soon.

So what can we garner from the first glimpse at this new lens? Firstly the zoom is certainly internal, as in the image you can see the lens zoomed past 135mm with no extension. However, this means that the lens also looks pretty huge compared to the current RF version. We don't know for sure that this is an f/2.8 lens; a larger max aperture would mean a bigger lens, and a constant f/1.8 could make this lens a lot more exciting.

I personally had no issue with the collapsing design of the RF 70-200mm, as it makes for a very compact lens when not in use. As a wedding and event photographer, the EF version was my go-to lens and as soon as I swapped to an RF camera I had to have the RF version. The current RF version is hopefully not going anywhere for photographers – I have used the hybrid 24-105mm f/2.8 lens from Canon and its unwieldy size is impractical for photography, so this new version looks to be set to more of an alternate for hybrid shooters.

Secondly, the lens for the first time isn't white! We have a whole explainer on why white lenses are white, which is an interesting read, but it's basically a given that Canon's L-series telephoto lenses are white – for photography, that is. The new all-black design definitely fits more with the usual black videographer lenses.

As for compatibility with teleconverters, we might have to wait until the announcement to get an answer to that question. But hopefully, with the lens being spotted in the wild, we won't have to wait too long to find out more…

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

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.

Earlier this year Canon released its first VCM (voice coil motor) lens, the Canon RF 35mm f/1.4L VCM, which quickly became a fan favorite among photographers and videographers alike. During a presentation for the lens, it was noted that there are at least two more in the works – and recent rumors suggest they could be coming as soon as September!

The RF 35mm f/1.4L VCM was announced by Canon in June and released later that month. The lens has been a well-received upgrade to the previous offering, as it includes a VCM designed for seamless integration between EOS and Cinema EOS cameras, cementing itself as one of the best Canon RF lenses on the market.

For those not familiar with what a VCM is, don't worry – I wasn't, either. A voice coil motor is a component of an autofocus system and is comprised of an electric motor that features magnets surrounding a coil of wire. The result is quick and accurate AF, essential for both stills and video.

In Canon's press release earlier this year, it stated, "The new RF35mm lens is the first in a series of fixed focal length RF lenses with hybrid video and still design". This, in conjunction with recent reports circulating online, may mean that we see further additions before the end of the year, with Canon Rumors in particular stating that two may come as early as September.

According to the rumor site, the next two VCM hybrid lenses will be the Canon RF 24mm f/1.4L VCM and the Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM – ultra-wide and standard variants of the 35mm lens.

It makes sense that Canon would go a little wider and longer with the next two releases, as it covers a good range of popular focal lengths. The hybrid VCM range is sure to become even more popular, especially as the overlap between photography and videography keeps growing.

It must be noted, however, that no official statement has been made by Canon regarding the expected lenses and their release date, but I am sure it won't be long!

You may be interested in our guides to the best Canon cameras, the best Canon RF lenses and the best cine lenses.

We've just reviewed Nikon's latest Z-mount lens: the Z 35mm f/1.4. As we've come to expect from the best Nikon Z lenses, it's very impressive. However, this isn't the only 35mm Z lens that Nikon offers. The older Z 35mm f/1.8 S was one of the very first Z-mount lenses, but despite its age and slower aperture rating, it's around 40% more expensive to buy than the f/1.4.

Traditionally a lens with a faster aperture has commanded a price premium over a slower optic: take standard zoom lenses as an example - a 24-70mm f/4 will always be cheaper than an f/2.8 version. But it's exactly the opposite in the case of the Nikon 35mm pair - why is that? The answer is that little 'S' moniker at the end of Z 35mm f/1.8's model name. Nikon's S-Line lenses, are, according to Nikon:

At the top of the line-up of NIKKOR Z lenses and were developed by Nikon engineers aiming at the very highest levels of optical performance...they provide distinct advantages such as the ability to shoot wide open with near-zero drop in sharpness right across the frame.

S-line lenses are also likely to receive advanced coatings like Nikon's Nano Crystal coat to minimize ghosting and flare, while their general build quality should be more robust than a non-S-Line optic, and you can expect more comprehensive weather sealing.

But is this just marketing hype to justify a premium price tag, or do S-Line lenses like the 35mm f/1.8 S actually perform significantly better than a non-S-line optic like the new Z 35mm f/1.4? Well, we've lab tested both lenses, and we can actually confirm that spending the extra cash on the f/1.8 S WILL indeed get you a higher performing lens.

Read more:
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 full review
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S full review
The best Nikon Z lenses

Lab results

In terms of simple sharpness, the f/1.8 is noticeably and consistently sharper across the whole image frame, although it is worth noting that the f/1.4 is still a very sharp lens.

It's the same situation when we look at chromatic aberration. Both lenses keep color fringing below noticeable levels, but where the f/1.4 only just manages this, levels of fringing from the f/1.8 S are almost non-existent at smaller apertures.

We also found that both lenses also register almost zero distortion, however since Nikon Z bodies automatically correct for optical distortion and this can't be disabled, our distortion scores aren't necessarily reliable.

So there you have it: here's a rare instance of a slower lens being better than an equivalent faster optic, and it seems that Nikon S-Line premium really is worth the extra cash. None of this is to say that the Z 35mm f/1.4 is bad though - far from it - the take-home here is that the Z 35mm f/1.8 S is a truly spectacular lens.

Thypoch is a relatively new player in the photography world, but it has quickly made a name for itself with a focus on producing high-quality, manual-focus lenses. While its first lenses were designed for Leica’s M series of cameras, Thypoch is now expanding these lenses to other mounts, quickly adding the Canon RF, Nikon Z, and Sony E mounts, as well as the version I am testing here – for Fujifilm X-Series cameras. 

So far the company’s lineup includes just a couple of focal lengths, catering mostly to street, landscape, and travel styles of photography with a Simera 28mm f/1.4 and Simera 35mm f/1.4 being the first, and currently only, two lenses in the Simera range. Thypoch also has a curious collapsible 50mm f/2 lens in a separate Eureka range that I also really enjoyed playing with.

A counter to the growing number of cheap lenses flooding the market from Chinese lens manufacturers, Thypoch has become recognizable for its robust metal construction and intricate designs and can be mentioned in the same breath as companies like Vogitlander. Thypoch lenses have become pretty instantly popular among Leica photographers who value precision and durability, but also optical quality.

But, while Leica cameras are made for lenses exactly like this, how well is the Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4 going to transition to Fujifilm and other more modern autofocus-first cameras?

Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4: Specifications

Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4: Price

At around $649 / £660 / AU$1,058, the Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4 lens offers great value for its price, with high optical quality, a wide aperture, and outstanding build quality. It is around $150 cheaper than the closest Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR lens, although you of course miss out on the autofocus of that lens, as well as weather sealing. But while it is a bit cheaper, it isn’t quite as drastic of a contrast as the price between the Leica mount version of the Simera and Leica's own brand lenses, which is more like a $7000 difference.

Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4: Design & Handling

The Simera 28mm features an all-metal body, lending a premium feel and durability. The lens really is exquisitely designed, with lots of little touches that make it a real pleasure to use. The lens is available in black and silver finishes, and both come with matching square lens hoods. The black version has a silver ring on the front though, which is one design choice I could have done without.

The lens's compact size is well-suited for most Fujifilm cameras, and using it on my Fujifilm X-T5 the lens looked well-proportioned. Despite the metal construction, the lens was relatively balanced as well and didn't feel front-heavy, although it does weigh a reasonably heavy 347g for its compact size. For comparison, the Fuji 23mm does weigh 28g more, but it's a much larger lens with more glass and includes autofocus motors, and the wonderful, but aging, Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R lens is only around half the weight (187g). 

The aperture ring clicks decisively into place between stops, providing tactile and audible feedback and making it easy to adjust settings on the fly without taking your eye off the viewfinder. There is also a switch on the bottom to de-click the ring if you want to use the lens for video (or just hate the clicking) which is a nice feature. Thypoch’s really well-designed focus scale is also so enjoyable to use, with little red dots appearing on the lens to guide which areas of the shot will be in focus at different apertures.

The manual focus ring is smooth and well-damped and facilitates some precise focusing. I am happy that for this version Thypoch decided to ditch the focus lock switch from the Leica version of the Simera, as I didn’t find it that useful. The focus ring's textured surface also enhances grip but the larger thumb rest on the focus ring is quicker and more comfortable to use. 

However, just one drawback to an otherwise very well-designed lens is the lack of weather sealing, which could be a consideration for photographers frequently shooting in wet, dusty, or sandy conditions. 

Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4: Performance

The optical performance of the Simera 28mm f/1.4 is exceptional. It produces sharp images with impressive clarity from the center to the edges of the frame. Even wide open at f/1.4, the lens manages to maintain a good degree of sharpness, with only minimal softness at the edges that diminishes pretty quickly when stopped down. 

However, there was a fair amount of vignetting wide open, although from f/2.8 onwards this was a lot better, and it was gone by f/4. Otherwise, distortion is well-controlled, as was flaring. There was the occasional bit of purple color fringing around harsh backlit scenes but this can easily be nixed in editing software. 

The lens excels in low-light situations thanks to the wide f/1.4 aperture, which is a bonus for Fujifilm cameras and their APS-C sensors having less light-gathering ability than full-frame rivals. The wide aperture allows for faster shutter speeds and lower ISO settings, so cleaner images – if you don’t add any Fujifilm grain of your own that is.

The bokeh produced by the Simera 28mm is smooth and pleasing, with a 14-blade diaphragm contributing to the creamy background blur that makes subjects stand out. The lens also has its own distinct look to it, which I think might be a holdover from the original design being for Leica cameras, but there is a certain style to out-of-focus areas of images that the Fujifilm lenses don’t produce.

The lens's close focusing distance of 0.4 meters isn’t going to produce any stunning macro detail, but it's close enough to enable some creative reasonably close-up shots.

Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4: Sample Images

Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4: Verdict

The Thypoch Simera 28mm offers excellent build quality, optical performance, and a distinctive look that rivals more expensive lenses. The lens is manual focus only, however, it can be used with Fujifilm’s focus peaking and other focus guides and manual focus is smooth and precise. Image quality is great, with sharpness across the frame, although a little vignetting wide open. Background falloff is smooth and creamy, and the Simera has really pleasing characteristics not exhibited by Fuji's own lenses.

The build quality is the biggest draw to this lens, with an exceptional all-metal construction that looks very premium and feels really nice in the hand. A joy to use – and the aperture ring offers either precise clicked stops or smooth cycling through apertures at the flick of a switch. The depth of field indicator also is a quirky design flourish that I really enjoy.

The Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4 lens is a fantastic option for Fujifilm users looking for a high-quality prime lens at a reasonable price, however while the Simera was drastically cheaper than the Leica’s it was first introduced against – the savings are not that substantial versus the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR lens with its autofocus and weather sealing, so it depends on how much you value a manual focus experience and the unique characteristics of the Simera range.

Alternatives

Sigma has announced a firmware update that enables several of its E-mount lenses to be compatible with the maximum 120fps burst shooting rate of the Sony a9 III. Three lenses have been given the update:

• 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art Ver.02 (Sony E-mount)
• 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art Ver.04 (Sony E-mount)
• 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Ver.04 (Sony E-mount)

Read more: Sony a9 III full review

We were stunned by the a9 III and its incredible global shutter that enables 120fps full-resolution RAW continuous shooting, with no strings attached. Except that last bit was only true providing you were using the camera with a supported Sony lens - third-party lenses from the likes of Sigma were not compatible with the maximum 120fps burst shooting rate. Whether or not that was because of legitimate technical reasons, or just because Sony was intentionally restricting this stand-out feature for use with its own lenses, is up for debate. But now it is available with select Sigma optics, albeit still with a rather large caveat!

While these Sigma lenses are now compatible with the a9 III's 120fps mode, this is only when used in AF-S, DMF or MF focussing modes. You can't use AF-C; the very focussing mode you're most likely to want when shooting a continuous burst of stills. Granted, you'll still be able to track subjects moving across the image frame at a consistent distance from the camera, but you won't be able to maintain focus of a subject like a cyclist or racing car that's approaching you.

Of course it is plausible that only Sony lenses have the necessary processing ability to facilitate AF-C autofocus at 120fps. But on the other hand, Sigma is more than capable of producing world-beating optics with top quality AF, so we can't help but wonder if this is just Sony artificially reserving uncompromised 120fps a9 III burst shooting for use with its own lenses.

I was keen to buy the Nikon Z 9 to photograph bullets after seeing a Nikon advert of a biathlete with a rifle round visible leaving the muzzle of a match rifle taken by a Z 9 armed photographer. It was given in these pages as a reason the image showing the bullet seen near Trump was real.

I was not expecting the task to be the easiest that I had ever undertaken, but I had still underestimated the effort involved. 

5.56mm NATO ammunition has a muzzle velocity of around 900m/s.

Thus in 1/125 sec the rifle bullet travels around 7m – using the slowest shutter speed to get 120 frames in one second. In 1/250 sec the bullet travels around 3.5m

In 1/500 sec the bullet travels around 1.7m and so on up to 1/32000 sec where the bullet travels 0.026m.

It needs skill and planning, allied to a huge dollop of luck, to succeed.

I spent my first day on the range, with no real expectation of being able to get anything useful. I varied my distance from the shooters, using the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lens. I had the luxury of time and lots of ammunition, varying shutter speeds for each sequence, starting from 1/500th sec and going all the way to 1/32,000th sec. All shots were hand-held from a prone position.

I shot 20,922 images and things didn’t look too hopeful, but I was able to track back to the visible point of firing, the smoke exiting the muzzle – the bullet being long gone by then. By tracking back and keeping an eye on the firer’s trigger finger, I was able to distinguish images that exhibited what I was looking for and found that I had captured ten bullets. The most obviously ‘bullet looking’ images were taken at speeds faster than 1/10,000th sec.

More than a day...

On my second day, I was able to isolate the shooter against a neutral background, using the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 lens – because my proximity allowed for no other option. (Do check the guide to the best Nikon Z lenses.) 

I took 51,598 shots of 300 rifle rounds expended, obtaining 36 images of bullets. Most were taken at 1/32,000th sec. (That is about a 0.07% success rate.)

A longer lens is preferable if the situation allows, as photographing at right angles to the line of fire means that the bullet will always be in focus during its flight, with a shallow depth of field allowing the bullet to be seen more clearly.

I had assumed that the Norwegian biathlete on Nikon's example used a 7.62mm NATO round travelling at around 2,900m/s, but after one contacted me I discovered that they use .22in LR ammunition which ‘only’ has a muzzle velocity of 350-500m/s. So I had succeeded beyond my wildest dreams, managing to capture bullets in flight in 46 frames out of 71,922 frames taken.

Without a Nikon Z 9 I would have achieved nothing, but I can say no longer is a photo of a rifle firing defined only by showing the empty cartridge case ejecting.

Richard wrote this summary of his experience for DCW, but if you crave more detail you'll find it on his site.

The Ricoh GR IIIx HDF is a new variant of a long-running camera design. It houses a 24MP sensor in an unfeasibly small body and comes with a choice of two lenses. The regular Ricoh GR III has a 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens, while this new version of the Ricoh GR IIIx tested here has a 40mm equivalent f/2.8.

These lenses are fixed and non-interchangeable. You have to choose the focal length you want when you buy the camera. There is a wide-angle adaptor you can get for the 28mm model and a tele adaptor for the 40mm version, but these are pretty bulky and not cheap.

It's pretty limited, then, but the Ricoh GR IIIx is still one of the best compact cameras for its combination of size, control and an APS-C sensor. Some might say it's also one of the best cameras for street photography, or one of the best cameras for travel, depending on how highly you rate pocketability and whether you like the simplicity and discipline of a fixed focal length lens. If you're looking for the best vlogging camera, though, this isn't it. The fixed rear screen and limited video resolution – it's full HD only – rule out out.

There’s no viewfinder on this camera – images must be composed and viewed on the fixed rear screen. You can get clip-on OVFs that go on the accessory shoe, but these too are quite expensive. Another compromise of the small design is a small battery with a lowly 200-shot capacity.

There are some useful and clever features, though. The GR IIIx has built in 3-axis 4-stop image stabilization, a macro mode and an ‘AA filter simulator. The sensor itself has no AA filter but just in case you do see any moiré effects in patterns or textures, the AA filter simulator can help.

The key feature of this GR IIIx HDF model is its HDF or ‘highlight diffusion filter’. This is activated instantly by a button on the back of the camera and lends a soft glow to highlights for a more ‘analog’ look. This replaces the 2-stop ND filter on the regular non-HDF version. (The ND filter is simply to help when shooting in very bright light, not for any particular creative effect like long exposures.)

Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Specifications

Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Price and availability

The Ricoh GR IIIx HDF is available now and costs $1,146 / £1,099 / AU$1,899. This makes it a cheaper alternative to the wildly popular Fujifilm X100 VI, but more expensive than several decent APS-C mirrorless cameras. There is also a regular GR IIIx version which offers a switchable ND filter rather than the HDF filter in this camera, and if you prefer a wider 28mm equivalent angle of view there’s the regular GR III, which also has an HDF variant and is typically slightly cheaper.

Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Design and handling

The Ricoh GR IIIx HDF really is remarkably small. You can carry it around in a trouser or jacket pocket where no other camera would fit, and you still get the high-end image quality of an APS-C sensor. It’s a pretty remarkable achievement in that respect.

Also remarkable is the way Ricoh has managed to make its controls so effective in the limited space available. It has two control dials, the rear ‘Adj’ dial with a click action so that you can choose the setting you want to adjust and a sprung left/right lever action for making changes.

In fact, there’s a third control dial if you count the rear dial around the four-way controller, and this can be used for menu navigation or manual focusing, for example. 

But this camera’s size does affect its handling. There’s what appears to be a grip on the right hand side, but if you curl your fingers around it, your fingernails are scraping the lens barrel. You don’t get an EVF, which perhaps is understandable in a camera this small, but you don’t get an articulated screen either – it doesn’t even tilt. This makes it pretty difficult to compose shots at low angles – and you’ll almost certainly need to increase the brightness for outdoor use, which you can do in the menus.

There’s a locking button above the mode dial so that you don’t accidentally change it while handling the camera, and the shutter release offers a ‘snap focus’ mode which defaults to a fixed focus distance if you press the shutter quickly in a single action; otherwise, you can half-press to autofocus normally.

It’s a small camera so, not surprisingly, it has a small battery. Ricoh says the DB-110 cell is good for around 200 shots, which might be fine for casual snapping, but you might need to take a spare for longer sessions. You can charge the GR IIIx HDF via USB, though, so you could top it up with a portable power bank.

The accessories are worth a mention, for good reasons and bad. The regular 28mm equivalent GR III can  take an optional 0.75x GW-4 adaptor for a wider angle of view, while for GR IIIx there’s a 1.5x GT-2 tele adaptor that takes its effective focal length from 40mm to 60mm – or further if you use one of the camera’s crop modes. These adaptors look reasonably priced at around $225 / £225, but then you do have to buy an adaptor on top of that at around $40-$50 / £40-50. The combination of the converter and adaptor is as large as a comparable APS-C prime, so you’re certainly not dealing with a pocket-sized camera any more.

Our sample GR IIIx was supplied with an optional GV-3 optical viewfinder which clips into the camera’s hotshoe. This is a ‘dumb’ optic which does not transmit or display any kind of camera information but still costs a jaw-dropping $250 / $299. 

Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Performance

In terms of image quality, there’s little to complain about. The 40mm equivalent f/2.8 lens delivers consistent edge-to-edge sharpness, though the camera does employ some in-camera corner shading correction, so if you’re shooting raw files you’ll need software with a matching correction profile, or you can do it manually.

The image quality at higher ISOs is good too. Unlike a lot of cameras, the GR IIIx HDF doesn’t attempt to smudge noise out of existence and maintains a good balance between noise and detail right up to around ISO 6400, where magenta mottling is starting to appear in darker areas. You can go all the way up to ISO 102,400 if you want to, but it all depends on how much image quality you’re prepared to sacrifice, and by ISO 102,400 it’s a bit of a mess. 

The autofocus is good without being great. There’s a good choice of AF modes, including pinpoint focus, for when you want to use a wide aperture for differential focus effects, though the AF speed itself is very average by today’s standards. The snap focus is much faster but you need to be able to judge the fixed focus distance you want to set it to.

The burst mode is distinctly lackluster. Ricoh doesn’t quote an official burst speed, but it feels like about 4-5fps, and if you’re shooting raw the buffer fills up very quickly, so this is not a camera for fast bursts.

The GR IIIx is snappy enough (no pun intended) for the kind of street / travel photography it’s become known for, but many of its rivals are just as responsive or better. The HDF filter is interesting but, frankly, it’s so subtle its value is questionable and you will often have to check the image data on the back of the camera to remind yourself if you used it or not.

Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Lab results

For our lab data comparison, we pitched the GR IIIx HDF against similarly compact cameras with relatively large image sensors: the Fujifilm X100VI, Leica D-Lux 8 and the Olympus PEN E-P7.

Resolution (line widths/picture height):

Resolution is measured using standardized text charts which give results in line widths / picture height, which is independent of sensor size.

The GR IIIx scores well for a 24MP APS-C camera, but ultimately the 40MP X100VI was always going to come out on top for resolving fine detail.

Dynamic range (EV):

Dynamic range is a measure of a camera's ability to record extreme brightness ranges and still retain detail in the brightest and darkest parts of the scene. It's measured in EV (exposure values, or 'stops').

Though the GR IIIx doesn't quite lead the pack at low ISOs, it captures excellent dynamic range as sensitivities increase.

Signal to noise ratio (decibels):

This test compares the amount of random noise generated by the camera at different ISO settings as a proportion of the actual image information (the 'signal'). Higher values are better and we expect to see the signal to ratio fall as the ISO is increased.

All four cameras are closely matched here, but the GR IIIx just comes out on top when you average the results across the whole tested ISO range - it does a good job of controlling image noise.

Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Sample images

Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Verdict

If you must have a camera small enough to fit in your pocket, then the Ricoh GR III is the only camera that fits the bill. The GR IIIx reviewed here has a 40mm equivalent lens but is the same size as the regular 28mm equivalent GR III, and the substitution of an HDF filter for the regular ND filter makes it an interesting creative alternative.

It’s pretty amazing that Ricoh should have been able to cram so many effective hands-on controls and dials to this camera without making it feel crowded. It’s harder to enjoy the overall handling experience, though, with grip that looks the part but is far less effective on a camera scaled down this far. It’s a small camera because it has to be, but if you can accept carrying a camera in a bigger jacket pocket or a bag, then there are many other cameras only a little larger which will provide a much nicer handling experience – with interchangeable lenses, too.

The lack of an EVF and the fixed rear screen does make the GR IIIx HDF hard work at times, especially outdoors in bright light, where you have to manually increase the screen brightness, and the 200-shot battery life can be limiting for longer outings and expeditions.

The electrically-driven lens focuses quickly enough, probably and there’s always the ‘snap’ focus mode, though this itself  is not quite instantaneous. The lens quality is first rate, though, so no complaints there.

The GR III is a unique camera with a strong following, but by modern standards it’s limited and distinctly awkward to use. There are no other APS-C cameras this small, but that compactness comes at a cost.

Alternatives

Canon confirmed earlier this year, alongside the launch of the RF 35mm f/1.4L VCM lens, that it was working on more hybrid lenses to suit both photographers and videographers. One thing Canon neglected to divulge is exactly which lenses these might be. 

Speculation, courtesy of Canon Rumors, is that Canon is about to drop two lenses in Q4 this year, an RF 24mm f/1.4L VCM, and an RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM. While I am sure there will be plenty of people excited about both lenses, the one that has me bouncing around with anticipation is the RF 50mm. 

The last time Canon made a 50mm lens with an f/1.4 aperture was a whopping 31 years ago! But guess what? The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is still going strong and can be bought brand new today, which is a testament to what a legend that lens has become in the Canon photographic community.

Now before you mock me for calling this my favorite ever lens, let me clarify, I don't think this is the best lens Canon has ever made – quite frankly it is far from it! But this is the lens that I, as I am sure many other photographers, cut my teeth on as part of my photographic journey. As such, it carries a huge sentimental value.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 is a nifty fifty like no other. Not only was the lens remarkably small for a wide aperture prime, but it came at an affordable price that opened up a higher level of photographic quality and expression. This is the lens that I have shot more photos through than any other.

I am looking forward to seeing what Canon chooses to do with an RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM. I am expecting the lens to grow substantially, not only to fit on the inevitable aperture ring, but also to match the size of the RF 35mm VCM to better interoperability when balancing different lenses for video. I am also expecting Canon to sharpen up some of the "unique characteristics" expressed by the EF 50mm lens, especially since the lens will be apparently upgraded to an L-Series optic. 

However, if Canon can just keep enough of the magic of the EF 50mm, and the lens in that sweet spot for price-to-quality value then I might finally have reason to consider this my next purchase. 

Check out our top picks of the best 50mm lens or our guides to the best Canon RF lenses or the best Canon lenses for DSLRs.