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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You may also be interested in our guides to the best retro cameras

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

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

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

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

1. Add the High Pass Filter

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

2. Change the Blending Mode 

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

3. Apply a layer mask

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check out our guide to the best macro lenses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The collodion process, invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851, revolutionized photographic printing in the 19th century by introducing glass negatives that provided unparalleled clarity and detail. 

The distinctive look of this effect remains popular among photographers today, as it sharply focuses on the subject’s features with high concentration. We show you the steps you’ll need to achieve this look in Affinity Photo 2.

What you'll be using: 

• High Pass Filter
• Elliptical Blur
• Black and White Adjustment Layer
• Curve Adjustment Layer
• Levels Adjustment Layer

Before and after

Editing steps

1. Sharpen

As we will blend in some effects, sharpness matters. So first copy the Background layer. Next, go into the Filter menu, open the Sharpen section and select the High Pass option. Now select a Radius of about 10px and apply this filter. Then change the Blend Mode of the upper layer to Overlay.

2. Mimic edge blur

Select the Background layer, open the Layer option, click Blur and select Depth of Field Blur Filter –  choose Elliptical from the two Mode options. On the image, place the two circles over the subject’s face so that it isn’t affected by the blur filter. Now set a Radius of about 25px.

3. Change to monochrome

Add a Black and White Adjustment layer. To control the monochrome tones, adjust the sliders from the Red to the Magenta. By increasing or decreasing each of the sliders, you can control the tones in their luminosity and achieve a striking contrast of black and white values.

4. Balance values

To create an authentic collodion effect, we need to lighten and dull the image. To do this, add a Curve Adjustment Layer and move the curve’s middle dot to the left. Now, add a Levels Adjustment Layer, raise the Output Black Level slightly and reduce the Output White Level by a similar amount.

5. Add texture

Go online and search for ‘wet plate collodion textures’. Add this image on top of your existing layers. Use the Move Tool to adjust the size. Change the Blend mode to Overlay. Balance the effect via the Layer Opacity. Adding grain is optional, for this create a New Live Filter Layer and select Add Noise.

Key tip

Add vintage features

By adding a frame or a toning effect, you can take this effect further. For the latter, make use of the Gradient Map Adjustment Layer and adjust the dots of the tonal range. Here sepia, selenium, or cyanotype are popular toning choices for this look.

Affinity Photo tutorials, tips and ideas: 26 full photo-editing tutorials with videos

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

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

1. Detailed insights

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

2. Shallow depth of field

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

3. Foreground interest

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

4. Harmonious colors

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

Tech details

Camera: Sony A1

Lens: Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS

Aperture: f/4

Shutter speed: 1/3200 sec 

ISO: 800

Others photos in the Why Shots Work series

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

You shouldn’t crop in software.
Always choose the focal length to get the right shot at the time of capture.
Only use prime lenses, a zoom lens dilutes your image quality.
Nail your exposure. If you underexpose or overexpose you’ve missed the shot.
Set your sharpening correctly for a pinsharp image.
Make sure your shutter speed is enough to prevent camera movement.
Always use a tripod. 
Real photographers shoot black and white only as it’s the most direct link to historical photography.
And those primes? They should be vintage lenses.
You should never stage a photo, you should always capture the scene as you find it. 

Honestly folks, can you imagine how boring and suppressed photography would be if you had to stick to rules like that? We’re blessed in a world where 40+ Megapixel cameras allow us to crop in to get photos within our capture, allowing you to tailor the crop to both the subject and the destination. Be that for print (and you should print), Instagram stories, posts, or going into videos like reels, shorts, or longer form. 

Use the lens that gets the shot. Many a shot has been lost swapping to the right prime. Put the zoom lens on. Sure, using one fixed length is great practice – I recently shot a festival with the fixed 23mm (35mm full frame equivalent) on a Fujifilm X100VI, but being able to choose a length leads to a far greater variety of images from a location. Get the best one you can afford. Modern zooms are easily as good are older primes for sharpness. 

If you shoot Raw, you have an amazing amount of leeway in exposure. You can easily bring back around two stops of lost highlights, or open up dark shadows with underexposure. These are just tools to enhance your photo. You may have been shooting against overcast skies and nailed your subject’s exposure at the sake of the sky. So you bring it back in raw processing. Good for you. That’s a choice based on experience. 

You don’t need a tripod all the time. Sure, if you’re looking at back-to-front depth of field, which can require long exposures, but handheld photos can work well in other situations. You could even use a tripod with motion. There’s a whole brigade of amazing Intentional Camera Movement photographers using motion during exposure to create unique pieces of art. 

Black and white photography is beautiful. That classic, pristine, look of form and tone. Often breathtaking. But that doesn’t take from the jaw-dropping shot of an amazing sunset. Or the creative use of color. Understanding how colors interact allows you to take photos that have an immediate and lasting impact, often more than with black and white. 

Sharpness is overrated.  As Ansel Adams said "There’s nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept". Film photography was often not perfectly sharp and the grain of the film prevented really sharp edges. Digital sharpness can be a bane for portraits where the depth of pore detail means a lot of retouching to create a more flattering image. Can you ignore it altogether? No, of course not. Shallow focus photos need the subject to be sharp enough for the subject to be obvious. Better to capture a great photo and fix sharpness later than miss it. 

Ignore the purists and use your creativity and gear to the fullest to create photos that represent you, your views, values and likes. 

More opinion pieces by Sean McCormack:

• This is why I hate being a photographer
• I switched camera systems, and this is the lens that really surprised me
• I can't believe I actually bought this camera
• These two lenses could do 90% of your photographic work
• You don't always have to shoot Raw as a photographer, but you probably should
• No, you don't need to get on a plane to take great travel photos

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.

It's no secret that the retro look of film photography is back – and not just the celebrated film you might find on a Salgado or Adams print, but the nostalgic Nineties film look seen in family albums that were captured with film cameras. PolarPro has just made achieving this look in-camera easier with the release of its LightLeak lenses.

The PolarPro LightLeak range enables you to capture the nostalgic analog feel on the latest mirrorless cameras, by intentionally add light leaks to images. The unique lenses are designed for APS-C sensors and are available in three focal lengths, 16mm 28mm and 50mm (which translates to 24mm, 42mm and 75mm in equivalent terms, or 26mm, 49mm and 80mm on Canon cameras), offering wide to light telephoto range.

Light leaks used to be a byproduct of light accidentally leaking into the camera and exposing a streak on the film. Today it is a stylistic choice chosen by many to emulate the quirks of film, made famous by filters used on social media.

You might be asking yourself why you might use these lenses on cameras that are capable of shooting clean, crisp images, but these lenses are less about clinical precision and more about capturing the mood and moment. They seek to bring back some personality to modern cameras, which can often be too clinical. 

Above: A sample gallery of images taken with the PolarPro LightLeaks

The LightLeak lenses promise to provide "rich colors, natural grain, and light leaks" as you would get with an analog camera and film. Much like a disposable camera the lenses are fixed focus from 3.3ft / 1m to infinity, meaning once you set the focus in the camera it's locked.

The lens also has a fixed aperture of f/11, providing sufficient depth of field to make sure everything is in focus.

The shape and direction of the light leak are determined by rotating a ring on the lens. Alternatively, you can choose to have no light leaks and simply enjoy the ability to capture grain and retro colors.

The design of the lens is as you'd expect from PolarPro, with a sleek aluminum housing and protective lens caps that also look sleek and stylish.

The PolarPro LensLeak lenses are available now for Fujifilm X, Sony E, Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts. Individually they cost $129 / £100, but they are also available as a full set for $349 / £270 (Australian pricing to be determined).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m a fan of NiSi photographic filters and accessories. Founded in 2005 and with 20 patents under its belt (and counting), the Chinese company has made a name for itself by producing high-quality products and selling them at very competitive prices around the world, via local e-commerce channels. 

The NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail picks up the baton from the now-discontinued NM-180, which is highly acclaimed in all quarters. The new edition gives a longer overall range of movement and is ideally suited to the best macro lenses and even the best telephoto lenses, enabling ultra-precise positional movements and pinpoint manual focusing, even when you’re contending with a paper-thin depth of field. 

It’s also a godsend for the art (or science?) of ‘focus stacking’. For the uninitiated, this is a process where you incrementally shift the point of focus by small amounts, through a sequence of images, subsequently merging them into a single composite image that has a much larger depth of field.

NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail: Specifications

NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail: Price

You can buy cheaper macro focusing rails, mostly from brands you’ve probably never heard of, but they often feel a bit wobbly and imprecise in operation. I think that the $199/£159 price tag hanging from the NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail actually makes it great value for money, considering the quality of its design and manufacture, and how well it works. That said, it’s unsurprisingly more expensive than the outgoing NiSi NM-180, which was 20mm shorter in length and is still available from some retailers for around $129/£105.

NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail: Design & Handling

To use a yesteryear catchphrase, I love it when a plan comes together. It’s clear to me that a lot of thought has gone into the design of the NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail. Equally importantly, there’s been no skimping in the CNC (Computer Numerical Control) high-precision engineering of the aluminum parts, which have a reassuringly high-quality anodized finish. Suffice it to say, that the NM-200s is designed and built to satisfy the most demanding photographers, and it really looks the part as well.

Let’s start at the bottom and work our way upwards. I like that I can mount the NM-200s on pretty much any tripod or tripod head. The underside of the main rail has a 3/8-inch threaded socket, complete with a ¼-inch adapter, which covers most bases.

Better still, the entire length of the rail has an Arca-Swiss compatible profile, which enables me to mount it on my like-minded tripod heads in whatever I consider to be the ideal position. In fact, I find the NM-200s works really well even without a tripod.

 The lower section has four removable feet, which are knurled and simply screw on or off, enabling me to use it as a standalone, table-top focusing rail. Usefully, the aluminum feet have non-slip rubber pads, to keep the rail solidly planted and avoid any unwanted movement.

Next up is the threaded rod that runs the entire length of the rail. There’s a knurled adjustment knob at each end, the more purposeful one of which has a calibrated scale marked in increments of 1/100th of a millimeter. A complete 360-degree rotation of the knob results in a longitudinal movement of just 1mm. Now that’s what I call fine adjustment. 

I find the main control knob very easy and intuitive to use but, if you prefer, it has a fold-out handle for an alternative control method. In addition to the calibrated markings on the control knob, the main rail has a marker pin on each side and a measurement scale in 1mm increments.

Up top, the moving section (or head) that holds the camera has an Arca-Swiss compatible mount, again with calibrated markings that stretch to +/-20mm on either side of the central position, in 1mm increments. As well as traveling back and forth along the rail, I like that I can rotate the upper section laterally through a complete 360 degrees. This is done by loosening the knurled locking knob, rotating the plate, and locking it off again. 

Interestingly, because the bottom of the rail and the upper moving section are both Arca-Swiss compatible, you can mount one NM-200s on top of another, the joined pair enabling 2-axis movement and ultra-precise 4-way movement.

With a complete 360-degree turn of the control knob only giving 1mm of movement, it can take a while to get the optimum focusing distance into the right ball park. NiSi’s answer to this is to add a pushbutton that disengages the head from the rail’s threaded rod. This enables you to simply push and pull the head along the track, returning to the control knob when you’re in approximately the right position.

NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail: Performance

I tested the NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail with my heavy-duty 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 tripod and trusty Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro lens. As I’d hoped, the NM-200s gave me all the versatility of movement coupled with ultra-fine and precise adjustments that I needed for the most demanding macro shots. Pinpointing the focus distance proved quick and easy, while focus stacking was an absolute breeze.

It's vital in macro photography that the camera remains absolutely still, as even the slightest movement can degrade the sharpness of the resulting image. There was no hint of unwanted flexing or wobble from the NM-200s, giving me a 100 per cent hit rate.

For quick and simple shooting of highly reflective and shiny macro subjects, like coins and the faces of wristwatches, I like to point the camera downwards, bouncing a hotshoe-mounted flash off the ceiling directly above. This gives an even illumination with the camera casting a shadow from the central area of the bounced flash, thus avoiding any glare. 

I found that in this configuration, the NM-200s kept its position perfectly, without any unwanted creeping on the threaded rod, with the full weight of the camera and lens tugging on it under gravity. All in all, performance is flawless.

NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail: Verdict

The NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail is simply the best of its breed that I’ve ever used. With ultra-fine, high-precision adjustments on tap, it takes all the hard work out of macro shooting. It’s also a really useful tool for ‘focus stacking’, so you can extend the tiny depth of field in macro photography to cover everything from the front to the back of 3-dimensional subjects. Build quality is hugely impressive, the finish is fabulous and it’s a top performer. And all of this comes at a very competitive price, making it a real bargain.

Alternatives

1. Use golden hues 

Take advantage of the warm, soft light during the golden hour, shortly after sunrise or before sunset. This light enhances colors and textures, adding a magical quality to your summer landscapes.

2. Add interest 

Incorporate foreground elements to create depth and add interest to your composition, drawing the viewer into the scene. For this, it’s better to avoid shooting at eye level by lowering the camera.

3. Try compositions

Experiment with different compositions such as leading lines, diagonals, or framing to create visually compelling images. When doing so, activate supporting features like grid lines in your camera menu. 

4. Keep an eye on colors

Summer scenes are often filled with vibrant colors. Pay attention to the color contrasts and complementary shades, for example, green and red tones, to make your photos stand out and visually appealing. 

5. Lengthen exposure 

Use ND filters to blur the motion of water, creating a silky-smooth effect that adds a dreamy quality to your summer landscapes. They also enable you to capture the movement of clouds, adding dynamism.

6. Watch the weather

Summer weather can be unpredictable, but it can also provide opportunities for impactful shots. Storm clouds, rainbows, or dramatic skies can add an extra dimension to your summer landscapes. 

7. Seek out reflections

Summer scenes may feature bodies of water, whether it is a calm lake, a babbling brook, or a tranquil pond. Use these surfaces to your advantage by capturing reflections that mirror the surrounding scenery. 

8. Make the most of DOF

Experiment with depth of field to control what is in focus and create a sense of depth; the whole scene might be in focus or a specific subject gets isolated by using wide apertures to produce a shallow DOF

9. Explore perspectives

Think with your feet and change your point of view to find unique perspectives. Get low to the ground for a worms-eye view or climb to higher ground for a sweeping panorama or an elevated view.

10. Get out early 

Summer mornings often bring fog or mist, especially in areas with bodies of water or dense vegetation. Use these atmospheric conditions to capture the soft, diffused light and the sense of mystery it creates.

You might be interested in our video explaining what is the rule of thirds, as well as our explainer on what is exposure in photography. 

In landscape photography, dynamic skies have a profound impact on composition and viewer engagement, adding an extra layer of interest and drama to the scene. Stormy skies are commonly observed in the summer months, due to the increased heat and humidity during this season, bringing a sense of mystery and intensity. 

Of course, monitoring weather forecasts is key to anticipating stormy conditions. To maximize your chances of capturing dynamic clouds and stormy conditions, scout locations known for dramatic skies, such as coastal areas or mountain ranges, where weather patterns are prone to rapid changes. 

The changing light under dynamic skies amplifies contrasts and alters color temperatures, creating high-contrast scenes with dramatic shifts in hue. As sunlight penetrates the clouds, it spotlights specific elements. Those spotlights are not controllable and may make you readjust the composition to highlight other elements of the scene. This way you visually make the element stand out and directly draw in the viewer’s attention. 

Here, shooting in RAW format rather than JPEG is crucial. RAW files retain more information in both shadows and highlights, allowing for greater flexibility in post-production. This increased dynamic range enables us to preserve intricate details and tones, maximizing the creative possibilities during the editing process.

Balance the drama

1. Level it

Before capturing your shot, make sure to set up your tripod to avoid any unwanted shake that causes blur. Activate horizontal guidelines in the camera menu to ensure a straight horizon.

2. Dial in settings 

Shoot in M mode to gain control. Choose Evaluative metering, which analyses the entire scene to calculate exposure based on factors such as brightness, contrast and colour distribution.

3. Set White Balance

Access the camera menu to adjust the White Balance settings and test some presets. Experiment with unconventional WB settings to create a more dramatic and artistic effect in your photos.

Pro's favorite lens

“For dramatic summer landscapes, the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens is ideal. Its wide-angle perspective captures vast skies and the majesty of the surroundings,” says Karolina. “The focal length range provides flexibility in composition, from sweeping views to narrow close-ups, in creating shots. The f/4 aperture provides sufficient light-gathering capability for most outdoor situations, while offering greater depth of field, ensuring sharpness from foreground to background,” she says. “Its optical quality ensures minimal distortion, which is crucial for accurately capturing intricate landscape details and textures.”

You might be interested in our video explaining what is the rule of thirds, as well as our explainer on what is exposure in photography. 

The Amazon Prime Day camera deals are in their final hours, but there are still some great savings that have flown under the radar – like this, a huge discount on my beloved take-everywhere macro lens!

The brilliant little Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 Macro lens has been slashed by $150 and is available for just $199 – but hurry, as this and most other Prime Day deals end at midnight! 

The Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 (review) is a powerful pocket-sized prime that's one the best macro lenses around. It's compatible with any Micro Four Thirds camera, whether you're shooting on an Olympus / OM System, a Panasonic, a Blackmagic, or any other body.

In full frame terms, it has an equivalent 60mm focal length, which means you'll need to get closer to the action than other macro lenses (which may not be ideal for easily spooked subjects) but you're rewarded with a brilliant 1.25:1 reproduction ratio – giving you magnification that makes your subjects larger than life-size.

The slower f/3.5 aperture means that you might need to pump in a little bit more light, but combined with the doubled depth of field you get with a Micro Four Thirds camera this really works in your favor – as much more of your subject will be in focus. 

There are certainly more powerful and versatile macro options, such as the Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro and OM System 90mm f/3.5 Macro, but none as pocket-sized and pocket-friendly as this one. For what it's worth, I bought this 30mm lens to replace both of those because it's such good value and I can always fit it in my camera bag!

Take a look at the best Olympus / OM System lenses, along with the best Micro Four Thirds lenses from all manufacturers. 

The Amazon Prime Day camera deals are in their final hours, but there are still some great savings that have flown under the radar – like this, a huge discount on my beloved take-everywhere macro lens!

The brilliant little Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 Macro lens has been slashed by over £70 and is available for just £178 – but hurry, as this and most other Prime Day deals end at midnight! 

The Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 (review) is a powerful pocket-sized prime that's one the best macro lenses around. It's compatible with any Micro Four Thirds camera, whether you're shooting on an Olympus / OM System, a Panasonic, a Blackmagic or any other body. 

In full frame terms it has an equivalent 60mm focal length, which means you'll need to get closer to the action than other macro lenses (which may not be ideal for easily spooked subjects) but you're rewarded with a brilliant 1.25:1 reproduction ratio – giving you magnification that makes your subjects larger than life-size.

The slower f/3.5 aperture means that you might need to pump in a little bit more light, but combined with the doubled depth of field you get with a Micro Four Thirds camera this really works in your favor – as much more of your subject will be in focus. 

There are certainly more powerful and versatile macro options, such as the Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro and OM System 90mm f/3.5 Macro, but none as pocket-sized and pocket-friendly as this one. For what it's worth, I bought this 30mm lens to replace both of those because it's such good value and I can always fit it in my camera bag!

Take a look at the best Olympus / OM System lenses, along with the best Micro Four Thirds lenses from all manufacturers. 

Suppose you're a keen birder or a wildlife photographer looking for those perfect binos to spot your next award-winning photograph. In that case, we all know a good pair of binoculars is worth its weight in gold – and this Amazon Prime Day binocular deal is the best around when it comes to image-stabilized binos.

IS binoculars play a neat party trick by being able to offer undisturbed viewing in an instant with a click of a button, meaning no matter how far you're viewing a subject you can do it to the best of your ability shake-free!

Currently, the Canon 8x10 IS binoculars are just £399.99 on the final day of Amazon Prime, offering a rather tasty £130 discount. These IS binos from Canon are industry-leading, so this is a deal I’d jump on at a second’s notice!

Building on the success of their larger IS binoculars and incorporating the Lens Shift Image Stabilization from their EF lenses, Canon's 8x20 IS Image Stabilized Binoculars are a versatile and compact optic ideal for extended bird-watching, nature-watching, or sports events. 

The Lens Shift Image Stabilization counteracts hand-shake by using a continually adjusting vibration gyro mechanism that moves the IS lens both vertically and horizontally. With the option of Normal or Powered IS modes, users can select the appropriate stabilization for their viewing conditions to achieve optimal performance.

In addition to their impressive image stabilization, these binoculars boast several optical features that enhance overall image quality. Canon's antireflection Super Spectra Coating system reduces light loss and improves contrast across the visual spectrum. The binoculars utilize a Porro prism optical path, which provides a rich depth of field, enabling users to better judge distances and enjoy a wider field of view compared to similar roof prism models. A field-flattener lens corrects spherical aberration, ensuring distortion-free views, particularly at the edges.

Powered by a single included CR123 battery, the binoculars are designed for portability and ease of use. Measuring under six inches in length and weighing less than a pound, they are compact and lightweight, making them convenient to carry and handle during long observation sessions. 

Whether for bird-watching, exploring nature, or enjoying a sporting event, Canon's 8x20 IS Image Stabilized Binoculars offer exceptional performance in a compact package.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Neutral density filters are like sunglasses for your camera, reducing the total amount of light that reaches the camera sensor through the lens, without affecting the color rendering. Incorporating the best ND filters into your workflow has the advantage that you can capture moving elements, such as clouds or waves, with a longer exposure time to highlight the movement smoothly without overexposing the shot. 

ND filters are available in various stops, such as ND2, ND8, or ND1000, which determine the degree of light reduction and each one serves a specific purpose. ND filters are complemented by the so-called Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filters, which darken only part of the frame, while the other part remains transparent, creating a precise gradient transition. This gradient is particularly useful in landscape photography, where the sky is often significantly brighter than the foreground.

By darkening the sky while leaving the foreground untouched, the best ND grad filters help balance the exposure, resulting in a more evenly lit image. These filters are characterized not only by different densities but also by different types of gradation transitions, including soft, medium and hard.

The choice between an ND filter and a GND filter depends on the scene and the effect to be achieved. ND filters are great for reducing light evenly across the frame, while GND filters are great for scenarios where there are noticeable differences in brightness between the sky and the foreground.

Use a filter

1. Stay steady

As we are working with long exposures, mount your camera on a sturdy tripod to ensure stability and reduce the risk of motion blur. This helps deal with demanding angles and allows you to handle long exposures effectively.

2. Turn off VR/IS

To ensure sharp results, deactivate VR/IS (Vibration Reduction/Image Stabilisation) on the lens and body. This is to prevent image distortion caused by movement, otherwise, the stabilizer may introduce vibrations, leading to blurry images.

3. Select Manual

Switch to M mode for precise exposure control. Use a higher f/stop to widen the depth of field, keeping more in focus. Select low ISO as enough light will enter the sensor during the long exposure for clear images.

4. Add the filter

Attach the ND filter to the lens. To reference exposure times at different filter strengths, use an app with immediate results rather than a conversion table. Or use this formula: new exposure time = base exposure time x 2^ (number of stops).

5. Fire the shutter

Activate the two-second self-timer in your camera menu and use a remote shutter release. Both techniques reduce the risk of movement, so the photos remain sharp. These simple steps maintain the integrity of the composition.

Digital Filters

When there is no ND filter available or you simply forgot it at home, why not make use of Photoshop’s features? To simulate the exposure balance of a GND/ND filter, make a copy of your RAW file and edit one frame focusing on the appearance of elements in the upper half of the frame, while editing the second file with a focus on the lower part of the image, then blend both layers. The long-exposure effect of clouds can be mimicked by applying a Radial Blur filter, found under Filter > Blur. As this filter will affect the entire frame, masking or blending needs to be taken into account again.

You might be interested in our video explaining what is the rule of thirds, as well as our explainer on what is exposure in photography. 

The Zeiss Loxia 35mm F2 certainly ticks a box on my wish list. The moderately wide perspective of a 35mm lens on a full-frame camera is often favored for street photography. Historically, photographers specializing in the genre would focus manually, using a lens’s focus distance scale and depth of field markers to set the ‘zone’ of a scene that would be rendered sharply. That takes any time involved for autofocus or manually focusing out of the equation, so you can snap up a defining moment the instant you see it. The flip side is that the vast majority of recent autofocus lenses have neither a focus distance scale nor any depth of field markers, making zone focusing impossible.

Specifications

Key features

Like other Loxia lenses in the Zeiss family, the 35mm is a manual-focus lens but has all the necessary electronics for full communication with the host camera. As such, in-body image stabilization is automatically available with all but the first generation of Sony Alpha full-frame cameras, for which this lens is designed.

Focusing itself is actually a joy. The rubberized control ring has an immensely smooth and fluid feel, along with a long 180-degree throw that enables very fine and precise adjustments. Depth of field markers are on hand for apertures of f/4, f/8, f/16 and f/22. A further refinement, in common with other Loxia lenses, is that the aperture control ring comes complete with a click/de-click mechanism, spreading the joy to movie capture as well as stills. A small key is provided for engaging or disengaging the click-steps, although you have to remove the lens from the camera to get at the operating slot, which is situated in the mounting plate.

Based on Zeiss’s tried and trusted Biogon optical design, the lens features 9 elements arranged in 6 groups, including one low dispersion element. Build quality is everything I’d expect from Zeiss, with a super-solid metal casing and mounting plate, backed up by an extensive set of weather-seals. Like all other lenses in the Loxia family, the this one features a uniform 52mm filter attachment thread, and comes complete with a bayonet-fit hood.

I also like the compact and lightweight nature of the lens, which makes it perfect for street photography when I’m trying to shoot candidly without drawing attention to myself.

Performance

Helped by the longstanding Zeiss T* Anti-Reflective Coating, the lens delivers crisp images with faithful color rendition and excellent sharpness, with very good resistance to ghosting and flare. Sharpness away from the central region of the frame is a bit mediocre when shooting wide-open at f/2 but improves at f/2.8, while extreme edge/corner-sharpness really hits its stride at f/5.6. I’m perfectly happy with that, as I tend to shoot at f/5.6 or narrower apertures for a decent depth of field, when I want really good edge-to-edge sharpness.

Other facets of image quality are highly impressive, with negligible color fringing even at the extreme corners of the frame, and very minimal barrel distortion.

Lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

The central region of the image frame is plenty sharp enough even wide-open at f/2, but it pays to stop down to f/5.6 if you need really good sharpness right out to the extreme edges and corners of the frame.

Fringing:

Without any need for automatic in-camera correction (available in Sony cameras) color fringing is all but impossible to spot, even out towards the corners of the image frame.

Distortion: -0.17

The tiny amount of barrel distortion revealed in our lab tests will generally go completely unnoticed in real-world shooting.

Verdict

I find that the Zeiss Loxia 35mm F2 has an ideal focal length for street photography. As a manual-focus lens with a focus distance scale and depth of field markers, it’s also ideal for ‘zone focusing’, so I can pre-focus and shoot at will, helping me to avoid missing definitive moments. Image quality is lovely, with the exception that edge-sharpness could be better at wide apertures.

• Other Zeiss lens reviews
• Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 review
• Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 review

The Zeiss Milvus 135mm F2 has the longest focal length of any lens in the 11-strong Milvus family. It comes into its own for tight head shots and medium-distance portraiture, and also works well for still life, where you have the time to focus accurately with this manual-focus lens. The combination of focal length and f/2 aperture enables a really tight depth of field, so accurate focusing is often paramount. That can be tricky to achieve, especially if your subject is anything other than absolutely still. As well see, however, help is at hand.

Specifications

Key features

The absence of autofocus isn’t really a problem with ultra-wide-angle lenses in the Zeiss Milvus collection, like the 15mm, 18mm and 21mm primes. Combine a 135mm telephoto focal length with an f/2 aperture and depth of field becomes really tight at short to medium focus distances, making pinpoint focusing much more critical. Designed primarily for Canon and Nikon full-frame DSLRs, in ZE and ZF.2 editions respectively, focusing can be a struggle. DSLRs lack the split screen or microprism focusing aids typically featured in older 35mm film cameras. However, full electronics built into all Milvus lenses enable use of the focus confirmation lamp in the viewfinder of Canon DSLRs, as well as the additional directional indicator lamps in Nikon DSLRs.

Although designed and built for Canon and Nikon DSLRs, Milvus lenses are arguably easier to use on EOS R-system and Nikon Z-system mirrorless cameras, via Canon EF-EOS R and Nikon FTZ mount adapters respectively. You’ll get the added bonuses of a magnified viewfinder image for accurate manual focusing, as well as a focus peaking option to light up in-focus details.

A further indication of the tighter depth of field is that markers are only applied next to the focus distance scale for apertures of f/11 and f/16, rather than wider apertures, and the markers that are present are comparatively close together. On the plus side, the lens’s focus control ring works with a wonderfully fluid feel and offers very fine and precise adjustments, helped by a particularly long 268-degree throw. The focus range itself stretches from 0.8m to infinity, the closest setting equating to a distance of 0.52m (24.4 inches) between the front of the lens and the subject. This gives you a pretty generous maximum magnification ratio of 0.25x, small objects being reproduced on the image sensor at a quarter of life size.

More so than ever before, videography is muscling in on the stills photography party. The Nikon-mount edition of the lens obliges with click/de-click options for the aperture ring, although the Canon edition only enables aperture adjustment in click steps.

Build quality is everything I’d expect in a lens with such an up-market price tag. The black anodized barrel is exquisitely finished and the lens features extensive weather-seals. The rubberized focus ring is extremely tactile, while avoiding being cold to the touch and feeling a bit slippery in chilly shooting conditions.

Performance

The Milvus 135mm F2 is designed on classic Zeiss Sonnar principles. There are 11 optical elements in total, which include four low dispersion elements to enhance contrast, clarity and color accuracy while minimizing chromatic aberrations. Highly acclaimed Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating is also applied to both sides of all elements, to keep ghosting and flare at bay, further boosting contrast and clarity. And that’s not all. Zeiss uses a labor-intensive process to manually coat the edges of all the optical elements with a pitch-black lacquer, as well as fitting light traps around mechanical components, to prevent unwanted internal reflections within the lens.

Sharpness is simply excellent, from the center of the frame to the extreme edges and corners, even when shooting wide-open at f/2. Naturally, however, that’s not the whole story. The quality of bokeh is arguably even more important with this type of lens. The Milvus 135mm excels here as well, with beautifully smooth bokeh and a really natural roll-off between focused and defocused areas, with minimal axial chromatic aberration (often referred to as ‘bokeh fringing’). Lateral chromatic aberration is also minimal, even at the extreme edges and corners of the frame, while distortion is negligible. All in all, image quality is absolutely beautiful.

Lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Sharpness is excellent right out to the extreme edges and corners of the image frame. It’s more likely that you’ll want to isolate subjects by blurring the surroundings with this type of lens, but it’s good to know that plenty of sharpness is on tap across the board, if and when you want it.

Fringing:

Both axial and lateral chromatic aberrations are very minimal in this lens, the latter being almost impossible to spot even towards the corners of the image frame.

Distortion: 0.16

There’s the slightest touch of pincushion distortion but, if you’re shooting real-world subjects rather than laboratory test charts, you’ll be hard pressed to notice it.

Verdict

I love the Zeiss Milvus 135mm F2’s focal length and fast aperture for portraiture and still life photography. It’s super-sharp and delivers deliciously smooth bokeh, with a natural roll-off between focused and defocused areas. As a manual-focus lens, however, accurate focusing can be a challenge with such a tight depth of field, and tracking the action of moving subjects can be tricky. It’s also very expensive to buy. Long story short, the lens is capable of delivering absolutely sumptuous image quality, if your manual focusing skills are up to the task.

• Other Zeiss Milvus lens reviews:
• Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/2 review
• Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 review
• Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 review
• Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8 review
• Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 review

The Zeiss Milvus 15mm f/2.8 follows suit with various other families of Zeiss lenses, like the Batis and Loxia (for Sony E-mount cameras), in that it’s named after a bird. This time around, instead of being a sub-Saharan flycatcher or a stocky finch, Milvus takes its name from the red kite, a bird of prey. That sounds like a more high-performance and impressive deal from the get-go. It’s worth bearing in mind though that, in my neck of the woods, the red kite went extinct for about 100 years before being so successfully being reintroduced to the UK. I have to wonder if the writing is also on the wall for DSLR lenses, with so much of the world going mirrorless. Either way, the Milvus 15mm ultra-wide-angle, full-frame compatible lens is still available in ZE and ZF.2 options, for Canon and Nikon DSLRs respectively. In fact, these manual-focus lenses arguably work even better on Canon and Nikon mirrorless cameras via the respective companies’ mount adapters, where focusing aids like magnified preview and focus peaking come into play.

Specifications

Key features

This Zeiss Milvus lens has two key features as far as I’m concerned. First is its ultra-wide 15mm focal length, delivering a mighty 100-degree viewing angle. As an ultra-wide lens, it’s great for sweeping landscape vistas, cityscapes, architectural interiors and simply for exaggerating the perspective between foreground and background areas of a scene. Indeed, with a short minimum focus distance of just 0.25m (9cm or 3.5 inches from the front of the lens), you certainly can get in close.

The second major attraction is the fairly fast f/2.8 aperture rating. That comes in useful for maintaining quick shutter speeds for freezing motion even under dull lighting conditions, as well as enabling a fairly tight depth of field if needed, when shooting extreme close-ups. It also adds astrophotography to the remit of the lens.

A glaring omission from the feature set, at least for many digital photographers, is that there’s no autofocus. Many of us have come to rely almost entirely on autofocus since the 1970s, and the lack of it can seem a real challenge. But hang on a minute. At regular focus distance and medium aperture settings, the depth of field of a 15mm lens is huge, so ultra-precise, pinpoint focusing is largely unnecessary. As it turns out, the long throw of 119 degrees for the focus control ring enables very fine adjustments, and the silky-smooth action gives a really fluid feel.

And there’s more. The long throw of the focus ring enables a genuinely useful focus distance scale, complete with depth of field markers for all full f/stop intervals from f/2.8 right through to f/22. This enables effective ‘zone focusing’, so you can set the near and far limits covered by the depth of field for any focus distance and aperture combination. On top of that, while there’s no split screen or microprism in the viewfinders of DSLRs, there’s a focus confirmation lamp in Canon cameras and the additional benefit of focus direction lamps in Nikon cameras. Those are enabled thanks to the lens having an integral CPU and full electronic communication with the host camera body.

All in all, the lack of autofocus needn’t be a deal-breaker. And if you use an EOS R-system or Nikon Z-system mirrorless camera, the lens is fully compatible via EF-EOS R and FTZ mount adapters respectively. A bonus in both cases is that you can take advantage of magnified preview in the viewfinder or rear screen, and the option of focus peaking to help with accurate focusing.

Many ultra-wide-angle lenses have an integral hood that precludes the easy use of filters. I like that the Milvus 15mm has separate petal-shaped, bayonet-fit hood, enabling the inclusion of a filter attachment thread. A downside, however, is that the filter thread is unusually large at 95mm.

A bonus for video shooting, at least with the Nikon F-mount version of the lens, is that the aperture ring comes complete with a click/de-click option. That’s sadly lacking in the Canon edition. Both versions of the lens are epically well built, with an black anodized metal barrel and comprehensive weather-seals. And unlike many ‘metal lenses’, this one has a rubberized focus control ring which feels more tactile and less cold to the touch in chilly weather.

Performance

The lens is designed on classic Zeiss Distagon principles. As such, it has a retrofocus design that aims for optical excellence right out to the edges of the image frame, with effective correction of aberrations and very low field curvature. The complex optical path contains 15 elements which include two aspherical elements and five low dispersion elements, the latter to boost sharpness and clarity while reducing color fringing. Zeiss’s legendary T* Anti-Reflective Coating is applied to minimize ghosting and flare, and to boost contrast. To further this, the edges of all the optical elements are manually coated with pitch-black lacquer light traps are built into mechanical components to combat internal reflections.

Center-sharpness is excellent, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8. As I’d expect, it pays to stop down to apertures of between f/5.6 and f/11 for enhancing sharpness towards the extreme edges and corners of the frame.

Lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Surprisingly, the lens delivers its best center-sharpness at the very widest aperture of f/2.8, but it remains excellent all the way down to f/11. Edge/corner-sharpness comes on song at f/5.6 and remains impressive through to f/11.

Fringing:

There’s only minimal color fringing across most of the image frame, throughout the entire aperture range. It can be a little visible towards the extreme edges and corners of the frame but is still very well controlled.

Distortion: -2.15

Barrel distortion is of a low order for such an ultra-wide-angle lens. For critical scenarios, like in architectural photography, the uniform nature of the distortion makes it easy to correct at the editing stage.

Verdict

I feel that sometimes bigger really is better, and the Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 certainly delivers in terms of an oversized viewing angle. I love the way it can shoehorn vast landscape vistas into the image frame and that it works similarly well for architectural interiors and even for astrophotography. Build quality, handling and performance are all exceptional but it lacks autofocus and comes at a very steep purchase price.

• Other Zeiss Milvus lens reviews
• Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/2 review
• Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 ZE review
• Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 review
• Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8 review

The Zeiss Loxia 21mm F2.8 is the most wide-angle lens in the Zeiss collection of Loxia lenses. They take their name from a classification of bird, which I’ve grown used to seeing in Zeiss lenses, this time of a ‘chunky finch’. There’s nothing chunky about the lens, however, as it’s refreshingly compact and lightweight for such an ultra-wide-angle prime. Like the longer 25mm F2.4, 35mm F2, 50mm F2 and 85mm F2.4 lenses in the Loxia family, this one has a 52mm filter thread which makes it easy to mix and match filters across the board.

Specifications

Key features

In these days of high-tech digital photography, one glaring omission is the lack of autofocus. You might argue that without the split screens and microprisms of 35mm film SLRs, manual focusing is a tricky and fiddly business. However, the Sony full-frame cameras for which this lens is designed feature focusing aids like magnified preview and focus peaking, so I don’t feel it’s much of a problem. Better still, as a manual-focus lens, the rubberized focus ring has a lengthy 90-degree throw and enables silky-smooth and ultra-precise adjustments. A focus distance scale is also present and correct on the lens, complete with depth of field markers for apertures of f/8 and f/22. The combination of a 21mm focal length and f/2.8 aperture also make the lens a prime candidate for astrophotography, where manual focusing rather than autofocus is the order of the day (or night) anyway.

I like that the lens features an aperture control ring, situated at the rear. Although it’s now quite commonplace, Loxia lenses were the first to include an aperture ring click/de-click mechanism, making them equally adept at stills and video capture. Switching between the two involves using a supplied key, the only downside being that you have to remove the lens from the camera to make the change.

Build quality feels rock solid. The weather-sealed lens features a metal casing as well as a metal mounting plate, and is impeccably turned out. Unlike some ultra-wide-angle lenses, the petal-shaped hood is removable, enabling the easy attachment of filters, and has the usual bayonet-mount fitting.

Performance

For applications like landscape photography, cityscapes, architecture and astrophotography, edge-to-edge sharpness is often a bonus. The lens does well in this respect, especially in the f/5.6 to f/11 sector of the aperture range. Wide-open edge-sharpness at f/2.8 isn’t so impressive but still up to the task of astrophotography.

Along with strong sharpness performance, the lens exhibits negligible color fringing and practically no distortion whatsoever, That’s a massive difference to many wide-angle lenses designed for mirrorless cameras that rely entirely on automatic in-camera correction. Image quality is further boosted by the use of an aspherical element and four anomalous partial dispersion elements. The famous Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating is applied to every surface of all elements, to boost contrast and color fidelity while minimizing ghosting and flare.

Lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Sharpness in the central region of the frame is excellent, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8. Edges and corners come on strong at f/5.6, only really dropping off at the narrowest aperture of f/22, due to the usual phenomenon of diffraction.

Fringing:

There’s virtually no color fringing to be seen, even out at the extreme edges and corners of the frame, and that’s without using automatic in-camera correction.

Distortion: 0.07

It’s refreshing to see a wide-angle lens for mirrorless cameras that’s designed to give virtually zero distortion, without the need to correct for distortion in-camera.

Verdict

I love the retro look and feel of the Zeiss Loxia 21mm F2.8 manual-focus lens. Unlike ‘dumb’ lenses, however, it boasts a full complement of built-in electronics for communication with the host camera body. Build quality and handling are sublime and optical performance is top-drawer. It’s pretty compact and lightweight as well, making it a highly desirable prime if you can give up your autofocus habit.

The Zeiss Batis 18mm F2.8 is from a family of Zeiss lenses named after a sub-Saharan flycatching bird. They’re all made specifically for Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras and a full-frame compatible, although naturally can also be used on Sony’s APS-C format E-mount bodies. The 18mm is the most wide-angle lens in the line-up, while siblings include the 24mm f/2, 40mm f/2 CF (Close Focus), 85mm f/1.8 and 135mm f/2.8. That covers most bases.

Specifications

Key features

King of the feature list is that ultra-wide 99-degree viewing angle, as measured on the diagonal of the frame. It’s ideal for everything from sweeping landscape vistas and cityscapes to cramped architectural interiors. You can also get in really close to subjects and exaggerate the perspective between foreground and background objects for creative effect. In fact, with a minimum focus distance of just 0.25m (0.17m from the front of the lens), extreme close-ups are on the cards as well, where the f/2.8 aperture gives a fairly tight depth of field. Although it’s not particularly fast compared with some f/1.8 or even f/1.4 ultra-wide-angle lenses, the lens is nevertheless fast enough for astrophotography, adding another string to its bow.

Think Zeiss prime lenses and you’re probably thinking of manual-focus affairs. That’s certainly the case with popular Loxia, Milvus, Otus and other classic Zeiss lens families. However, like the Zeiss Touit series of APS-C format lenses for Fujifilm X-mount as well as Sony E-mount cameras, all Batis full-frame lenses are autofocus optics. As with most lenses for mirrorless cameras, autofocus is driven by a linear stepping motor. This enables fast performance for stills, along with smooth, virtually silent focus transitions when shooting video. As usual, the manual focus ring is electronically coupled to the stepping motor, requiring power from the camera to drive it.

A more unusual feature of this and other Batis lenses is that they have an OLED display built into the top of the lens barrel. I like that it gives a ready readout of focus distance, complete with an indication of the depth of field. That’s something that I often miss in ‘mirrorless’ lenses, which typically have no focus distance scale. Build quality feels very solid, even though it’s not one of Zeiss’s more usual metal-bodies lenses, and extensive weather-seals are incorporated.

Performance

Image quality is deeply satisfying. The lens is based on Zeiss’s ‘Distagon’ design principles, which first saw the light back in 1952. The optical path includes four aspherical elements and no less than seven anomalous partial dispersion elements, boosting clarity and sharpness while minimizing aberrations. Zeiss’s legendary T* anti-reflective coating is on hand to minimize ghosting and flare, while enhancing contrast. Levels of sharpness across almost the whole image frame are absolutely spectacular, although sharpness drops off at the extreme edges and corners of the image frame. Color fringing and distortion are minimal, although vignetting can be noticeable, especially at wide aperture settings.

Lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Sharpness is absolutely stellar across almost the entire image frame, especially wide-open at f/2.8. At narrower settings, sharpness drops off towards the extreme edges and corners of the frame, but that’s by no means uncommon for such an ultra-wide-angle lens.

Fringing:

There’s a little lateral chromatic aberration towards the edges and corners of the image frame but it’s of a low order and well with the remit of automatic in-camera correction of Sony mirrorless cameras.

Distortion: -0.31

Many wide-angle lenses designed for mirrorless cameras rely entirely on automatic in-camera correction for distortion but the Batis 18mm delivers very minimal barrel distortion, even when uncorrected.

Verdict

I like that the Zeiss Batis 18mm F2.8 gives me an ultra-wide-angle perspective and that, while the f/2.8 aperture isn’t exactly ‘fast’, it enables a reasonably small and lightweight build. Unlike most Zeiss lenses, it has autofocus and even an OLED display. Image quality and performance are mostly fabulous and the lens is a joy to use, but it’s pricey to buy and sharpness at the extreme edges and corners of the frame could be better.

The Zeiss Milvus 21mm F2.8 is designed for Canon and Nikon full-frame DSLRs, available in ZE and ZF.2 options respectively. There are wider-angle lenses in the Milvus family, in the same fitment options, namely the Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 and Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8. However, if you find that the viewing angles of these two lenses is simply too expansive, the 21mm gives a useful boost compared with a typical 24-70mm zoom lens, without going to such extremes. It’s useful for everything from landscapes and cityscapes to architectural interiors and astrophotography. The viewing angle also works well simply for creative effect.

Specifications

Key features

I’ll kick off with a feature that’s absent in this lens, and that’s autofocus. If you don’t like being in control, stop reading now, but I actually find that manual focusing works really well with ultra-wide-angle lenses. Although it’s manual-focus, the Zeiss shares with other Milvus lenses a full complement of electronics for communication with the host camera body. As such, the focus confirmation lamp works in Canon DSLRs, while Nikon cameras add directional assist lamps. Coupled with the generous depth of field at regular shooting distances and medium apertures, that makes manual focusing a breeze.

Although designed for DSLRs, before mirrorless full-frame cameras were even a glint in the eye of Canon and Nikon, the lens works just as well (arguably better) with EOS R-system and Nikon Z-system cameras. You get the additional focusing benefits of a magnified preview in the viewfinder and the focus peaking option.

Despite its ultra-wide perspective, the lens has reasonably compact dimensions of 96x95mm and no heavyweight, tipping the scales at 851g for the Canon version and just 735g for Nikon. The petal shaped hood is detachable, so the lens features a filter attachment thread, particularly useful for landscape photography, which has an 82mm diameter.

Build quality looks and feels fabulous. The barrel is made from black anodized metal and features a grippy rubberized focus control ring. This has a long 124-degree throw, making precise adjustments much easier than with an autofocus lens in manual focus mode. Another bonus of the long throw is that there are plentiful markings on the focus distance scale, complete with depth of field markers for all full f/stops between f/4 and f/22. The aperture control ring has click/de-click options in the Nikon version of the lens, but there’s no de-click facility in the Canon edition. Like with other Milvus lenses, extensive weather-seals are fitted.

Performance

The lens is designed on classic Zeiss Distagon principles. The designers didn’t feel the need to include any aspherical elements but five anomalous partial dispersion elements are featured in the 16-element path, to enhance color quality and clarity, while reducing chromatic aberrations. Trusty Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating is applied to both sides of each element, to reduce ghosting and flare, and to enhance contrast.

The lens comes out of the traps at f/2.8 with very good sharpness across almost the entire image frame, although it pays to stop down to between f/5.6 and f/16 if you need to maximize extreme edge/corner sharpness. Color fringing proved minimal in my tests and, refreshingly for an ultra-wide-angle lenses in this day and age, the Milvus 21mm is a zero-distortion optic.

Lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Center-sharpness is very good wide-open at f/2.8, and excellent at apertures of between f/4 and f/11. Outside the central area, sharpness is excellent from f/2.8 to f/11, while extreme edge/corner-sharpness is best at apertures of between f/5.6 and f/11.

Fringing:

There’s very little color fringing even at the extreme edges and corners of the image frame, which will generally go unnoticed in real-world shooting conditions.

Distortion: 0.00

The Zeiss Milvus 21mm is essentially a zero-distortion lens. That’s no mean feat for such an ultra-wide-angle optic.

Verdict

A measly 3mm might not sound much but I love the way the Zeiss Milvus 21mm F2.8 gives me a very noticeable step up in viewing angle, compared with a 24-70mm ‘trinity’ zoom lens, with the same f/2.8 aperture. It’s a manual-focus lens but don’t let that put you off. It’s a top-class optic, but the purchase price might be hard to swallow.

Read more:

Best camera lenses to get
Best Canon lenses
Best Nikon lenses
Best Sony lenses

Sigma offers a diverse range of lenses in its ‘Global Vision’ Art, Sports, and Contemporary line-ups, aiming to offer ideal solutions to all sorts of photographers who are into every conceivable genre of photography. As an ‘Art’ lens, the 28-45mm F1.8 puts creative expression and excellence of image quality front and center of its design ethos. 

Indeed, Sigma claims it delivers comparable sharpness and clarity to that of a prime lens, throughout its entire zoom range. The outright zoom range might seem fairly limited but it covers popular prime focal lengths of 28mm, 35mm, and (very nearly) 50mm.

As such, this Sigma aims to be a zoom lens that effectively replaces three top-grade primes. That’s not exactly news to me, as I remember the same claims being made of the Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art for DSLRs, which was launched back in the summer of 2015. Although it’s the first constant-aperture f/1.8 lens for full-frame cameras, there was also the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art for APS-C format DSLRs, dating back even further to 2013. 

Even so, the 28-45mm breaks new ground and I feel it’s a very tempting proposition for those of us who tend to shoot at modest wide-angle to standard focal lengths, without venturing into telephoto territory. The fast aperture rating enables a tight depth of field and quick shutter speeds for freezing motion, even under very gloomy lighting conditions.

All in all, the Sigma 28-45mm aims to take up residence as one of the best lenses for Sony and the best lenses for L-mount cameras.

Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art: Specifications

Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art: Price

The launch price of $1,349 / £1,299 seems pretty reasonable to me, considering the fast and constant f/1.8 aperture. The price tag is in the same ballpark as the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art, which costs $1,199/£1,179 and, although the 28-45mm has a less generous zoom range, it’s naturally 1.33 f/stops faster throughout. 

For a further price comparison, the Canon RF 28-70mm F2L USM zoom which is only a third of an f/stop slower (and again has a more generous zoom range) is very much more expensive at around $3,099 / £3,299 – getting on for three times the price. The Canon is also nearly 50 percent heavier, at 1,430g compared with the Sigma’s 960g. The Sigma’s modest zoom range pays dividends on both counts.

Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art: Design & Handling

At the heart of the Sigma 28-45mm is some impressive glass. There are 18 optical elements in total, including three aspherical elements and five SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, the combination aiming to maximize clarity and sharpness while minimizing aberrations like color fringing. The fast and constant f/1.8 aperture demands some wide-diameter elements towards the front but the HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) motor that drives autofocus moves relatively small inner elements with an impressive turn of speed.

As well as fast autofocus for stills, there’s smooth and virtually silent autofocus for shooting video. The latter benefits from negligible focus breathing. For the L-mount version of the lens, Sigma’s optional USB Dock (sold separately) also enables you to customize the rotational travel for manual focusing, between 90 degrees and 720 degrees, That’s a further bonus for focus-pulling when shooting video, and there’s more... The lens features an aperture control ring with one-third f/stop clicks, plus a locking switch for its Auto position and a de-click switch for step-less control during video capture.

Two function buttons are fitted, nominally for autofocus hold, so they fall neatly under the thumb in both landscape and portrait orientation compositions. Typically, Sony and L-mount cameras enable you to customize the action of these buttons for alternative functions, if there’s something on the menu that you find to be more useful.

I like that the lens features both internal zoom and internal focus mechanisms, so the overall length remains fixed in all conditions. Not only does it avoid air (and potentially dust and moisture) being sucked into the barrel, but the constant center of gravity is a bonus when using a tripod or gimbal. The lens also features extensive weather seals and a moisture/oil-repellant fluorine coating on its front element.

Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art: Performance

The goal of any fast lens is the combination of good sharpness and clarity with smooth bokeh. The Sigma 28-45mm performs excellently on both counts. Sharpness is highly impressive across the entire image frame, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8, throughout the whole zoom range.

A common problem with fast lenses at their widest aperture is that they can be prone to axial color fringing, also known as ‘bokeh fringing’. This can show up around high-contrast transitions anywhere in the frame. The Sigma does brilliantly well to make this absolutely negligible. Bokeh itself is not only beautifully smooth but remains of excellent quality when stopping down a little, helped by a really well-rounded 11-blade aperture diaphragm.

Although the zoom range certainly isn’t extensive, the versatility of the lens is enhanced by a short minimum focus distance of 0.3m which, like the aperture rating, remains constant throughout the zoom range. This makes close-up photography a breeze and enables a useful maximum magnification ratio of 0.25x at the longest zoom setting.

Shooting against the light, ghosting, and flare is kept to a minimum but the combination of both Nano Porous Coating and Super Multi-Layer Coating, as well as a highly efficient petal-shaped hood.

Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art: Sample Images

The following gallery of images was taken with a Sony A7 II body at a range of apertures, including several shots at f/1.8 to demonstrate sharpness and bokeh when shooting wide-open. All of the interior and exterior shots were taken at the Bishop’s Palace & Garden in the Somerset city of Wells in the UK. For lab tests, we used the lens with a Sony A7R III camera body.

Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Even shooting wide-open at f/1.8, levels of sharpness are excellent from the center of the frame right out to the extreme edges and corners. They genuinely match what we might expect from a set of prime lenses, throughout the entire zoom range. At some focal lengths, stopping down to medium apertures gives edge-sharpness that matches a number of top-quality lenses at the center of the image frame.

Fringing:

The lens exhibits superb control over both lateral and axial chromatic aberrations, the latter often being referred to as ‘bokeh fringing’. Color fringing is negligible at all combinations of zoom and aperture settings.

Distortion:

Barrel distortion can be a little noticeable at 28mm, while pincushion distortion gets progressively worse through the 35mm to 45mm sector of the zoom range. Even so, the amounts of distortion are much less than with many recent lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, which rely entirely on automatic in-camera correction.

Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art: Verdict

Like many photographers, I feel that f/2.8 isn’t really a ‘fast’ aperture. I love that this Sigma has a truly bright aperture of f/1.8, delivered at all zoom settings. Sure, the actual zoom range of 28-45mm can feel a little limiting compared with, say, a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, but it’s a sacrifice I’m happy to make – even more so as the actual image quality produced by this lens is so absolutely fabulous. It really is like having three great-quality prime lenses in one zoom package and I love being able to switch between popular wide-angle and standard focal lengths in the blink of an eye, rather than having to continually change the lens on my camera. This Sigma is a real winner as far as I’m concerned, and great value at the price.

Alternatives

One of the most challenging tasks in photography is to freeze a fast-moving subject, such as a racing car, a bird in flight or a plane at an airshow. 

Taking photos in automatic mode can be frustrating, as the camera’s settings need adjustments in exposure and focus. This means that some shots may be usable and sharp, but many will lack precision. To capture those dynamic and dramatic moments, technical knowledge and practice are the keys to success. Here the exposure triangle comes into play, which consists of three elements: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. These settings all have an impact on each other.

For action shots, the priority is to select a fast shutter speed, such as 1/1,000 sec, to freeze the subject. However, this also means that light has less time to reach the sensor, resulting in a darker image. You might think that working with a wide aperture (low f-stop number) would solve this problem, as it enhances the brightness. 

The problem is that the more open the lens, the shallower the depth of field and therefore the narrower the focus area. This makes it even harder to keep the subject in focus, especially if it is moving unpredictably. Raising the ISO for brightness seems logical, but extreme values cause noise and grain – reducing the image quality in both sharpness and clarity. 

By understanding the exposure triangle and by experimenting with different settings, you will learn how to freeze the moment. Fortunately, the camera’s automatic modes and focus assistance can help guide you.

Before and after

Shooting steps

1. Choose an optic

To get up close to your subject and for extra flexibility in framing, a zoom lens with a focal length of 200mm or above is probably your best bet. However, these lenses can be expensive, so renting a zoom lens for a special occasion could be a more cost-effective option to consider.

2. Clean the lens

We are relying on the autofocus settings to keep up with the speed of the moving subject, so it is important to clean your lens first. This way you ensure that the AF can work accurately and won’t be distracted by dirt or spots on the lens. Use a suitable microfibre cloth to clean the lens.

3. Prioritize shutter speed

 Select the Shutter priority mode and lock the shutter speed. Now the camera calculates an appropriate aperture and ISO value to ensure correct exposure. After doing some test shots, select Manual mode and experiment to put your exposure triangle knowledge into practice.

4. Set the focus

To maximize your chances of getting sharp results, shoot in Servo autofocus mode. This setting tracks the subject as it moves across the frame. By selecting continuous / burst shooting mode, the camera takes multiple consecutive shots when you keep the shutter button depressed.

5. Control exposure

When shooting in bright conditions, for example, if your subject is directly against a bright sky, using an ND (neutral density) filter helps to control the exposure. A filter works like sunglasses for your lens and reduces the amount of light while improving dynamic range and detail.

6. Track the subject

Now it is time to capture a fast-moving subject. Get into position with your legs slightly apart and keep your attention on the subject, panning along with the movement. Take some test shots and review the results. Change your point of view occasionally to add variety to your shots.

If you're shooting fast subjects, you might want to take a look at the best cameras for sports photography or the best cameras for wildlife photography.

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

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

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

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

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

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Specification

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Price

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

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

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

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Design & Handling

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

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

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

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

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

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Performance

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

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

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

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

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

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Verdict

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

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

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

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Alternatives

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Use Manual mode" is common advice from professional and advanced photographers on this website and elsewhere. Recently, a photographer asked me why manual exposure was almost universally suggested. Manual exposure puts the photographer in full control, forcing them to choose how movement of the camera or subject is captured and how much depth of field is needed. If you are always in Manual mode (M), you don’t need to decide what mode to use. 

EOS R System cameras introduced another exposure mode, flexible priority (Fv) where the photographer chooses the most important parameters, letting the camera determine the others or takes full control – just like Manual. 

Cameras are designed to help photographers capture better shots; lots of great automated features ease the learning and reduce the potential for getting it wrong. There are very few pros who wish autofocus would go away, so perhaps it is worth considering an alternative to always suggesting use of manual exposure. 

For many photographers, shutter speed is the most important decision to portray motion, others want control of depth of field. Using shutter priority or aperture priority is not wrong; actually they help as there is less to tax the brain. This means more mental capacity to do other things like composition, anticipation or previsualization, which the camera cannot do. Certainly, a skilled photographer is able to balance exposure control with all the other elements, but it is not the magic way of working if you don’t have the same expertise. It’s far better to come away from a shoot with results you are pleased with, or a client pays for.

I often use ‘assisted Manual’, by choosing shutter speed and aperture, letting the camera determine exposure using Auto ISO. When I’m shooting motorsports, I’ll use Tv mode and Auto ISO since I want to control movement.

A panned picture at 1/30 secs doesn’t look different when the aperture is f/4 or f/11, so I let the camera choose. Flexible priority might be the only mode you need, but I prefer to have controls for shutter speed, aperture and ISO.

If this article was of interest you might also like to find out more about the best Canon cameras, along with the best Canon DSLR lenses or best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless bodies. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Does the above image look familiar to you? Chances are, if you've ever picked up a camera, you've experienced focus hunting – the phenomenon whereby the camera and lens are unable to identify the plan of focus inhabited by your subject, and endlessly drives forwards and backwards through a set range of focus "hunting" for it.

Well, Canon has just designed a new focus technology that sets out to solve this issue – something that would make millions of photographers, especially me, jump for joy. 

The patent (2024-073200) (originally spotted by Canon Rumors) describes the solution as follows: "The focus control device includes a focus detection means for performing focus detection by a phase difference detection system, and a control means for controlling the drive of a focus lens included in an optical system based on a focus detection result obtained by the focus detection. 

"In a search operation of acquiring a focus detection result while driving the focus lens in a search direction, the controller sets a drivable range of the focus lens based on the search direction and a position of the focus lens, and when a focus detection result for a position within the drivable range is obtained, the focus lens is driven based on the focus detection result, and when a focus detection result for a position outside the drivable range is obtained, the focus lens is driven in the search direction without using the focus detection result."

As with most patents, deciphering the technical jargon is pretty tricky. In short, the system comprehensively determines the search direction and autofocus direction, and calculates the difference between the search start position and the current position. 

The system then continuously determines the search and defocus direction based on the current and previous frame, until it ultimately establishes the correct focus drive amount and search direction to find the correct plane of focus. 

There's obviously much more to it than that – including plenty of diagrams and flow charts – but I think that's the gist of it. 

The caveat, as always, is that this technology may never find its way into a final product. After all, Canon has been a prolific patenter for almost 40 years and secured nearly 3,000 patents in 2023 – so there's no guarantee that this will go anywhere.

But if it does… boy, will my hat be off to the designers behind it.   

You might be interested in the best Canon cameras, as well as the best Canon lenses for DSLRs and best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless. 

Watch video: Creative cross-polarization

Many of us are now accustomed to using circular polarizing filters on our lenses. They’re useful for enriching colors in landscapes – especially blue skies and foliage – and invaluable for cutting through reflections or atmospheric haze. But polarizers aren’t just for lenses; something magical happens if we polarize our light source, too. 

This is called cross-polarization, and the technique is simple. We need both the light entering our camera and the light emitting from our source to be polarized light. It’s a classic technique that has many uses, both practical and creative. Cross-polarization can result in photos with zero reflections and glare, which makes the technique useful for practical things such as dental photography – because eliminating the glare allows for clearer pictures of teeth. 

But if you want to get creative, it also enables you to capture otherworldly color spectrums. Captured under cross-polarized conditions, any hard, clear plastic objects (like the plastic champagne flutes here) are transformed into vivid, rainbow displays of color. You probably have everything you need to get started at home. As well as a polarizing filter for your lens, you’ll also need a polarized light source.

Most LCD screens emit polarized light, so it’s fairly easy to get set up in front of a laptop or a large TV. The only other thing you need is an array of hard, clear plastic objects and a surface to place them on, like Perspex or glass. It takes minutes to set up and is great fun. 

1. Choose white or black

One of the most magical things about the project is how the TV or laptop screen behind the plastics can be made either totally black, white or something in-between, depending on the rotation of the circular polarizing filter. So try rotating the filter to change the contrast and create a range of interesting effects.

2. Use different plastics

Root around the house and you’re likely to find all sorts of interesting objects that can be transformed into a vibrant still life subject, thanks to cross-polarization. Arrange the objects so that the screen lights them from behind and, if the plastic is suitable, you’ll be treated to a colorful spectrum.

3. Try a macro lens

If you have a macro lens, this is a great time to experiment with extreme close-ups. Go in tight on parts of the plastic object, like the bubbles in the champagne flute here. Use a fairly narrow aperture like f/11 to expand your depth of field so that more of the close-up details are in focus.

4. Create depth

The great thing about using a TV for your polarized backlighting is that – as long as it’s a fairly large screen – you can arrange your plastic objects at different distances to create a sense of depth in your cross-polarized photos. Here, by focusing on the last in a line of flutes, we get lovely foreground blur.

5. Experiment with tilt

When capturing an array of similar objects like this it’s worth experimenting with pattern-like arrangements, perhaps by spacing them all at equal distances. Try tethering your camera to a laptop or your phone to help you arrange things. Once done, an intentional tilt to the camera can lead to a dynamic composition.

6. Shoot a long exposure

You can create interesting blur effects by slowing down your shutter speed and moving the plastic object during the exposure. This was shot at 2 seconds, aperture f/16, ISO100. This will only work with a black background, so first rotate your polarizer to make the TV screen go black.

7. Master the Channel Mixer

Photoshop’s Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer is great for creative color shifts. Use the dropdown menu to target the RGB channels and experiment with values. The combined value for each channel should be around +100. For instance, on the Blue channel you could use R -100, G 0, B +200.

8. Use the Color Mixer

The Color Mixer Panel in Camera Raw / Lightroom is one of the easiest tools for making color changes. Go to the Hue tab then grab the target tool and drag over colors in the image. You can also adjust the color saturation. For further control, experiment with the Point Color options.

9. Color the backdrop

A twist of your circular polarizer can turn the background black or white. But something in between will give you a grey that can be colorized. Open into Camera Raw or Lightroom, go to the mask panel and choose Select Background, then use the Hue control to change the color.

10. Get crafty with cross-polarization 

Start to experiment with cross-polarization along with other creative techniques and you can come up with all kinds of interesting artwork. For instance, why not try combining the cross-polarization technique with a bit of craftwork? 

For this image we cut out a few shapes from a sheet of black paper, then stuck them to our board of Perspex (now placed vertically and held in position with a clamp). We then stuck a pair of plastic goggles to the board, and experimented by placing other plastic objects very close to the camera lens to create blurry, out-of-focus colors in the foreground. 

Of course, the TV screen needs to be captured as white for this to work, so we need to rotate the circular polarizer on the lens until we have a bright backdrop rather than a dark one.

If you're serious about scenery, take a look at the best cameras for landscape photography along with the best lenses for landscapes.

As an occasional landscape photographer, I like using filters for the odd blurry coastline but don't want to invest in professional-grade glass. As someone who's also made a point of cutting down their kit in recent years (I now use a 24-70mm lens for almost all my work), I don't want to carry multiple filters and holders around if I don't have to.

Many shooters share this niche – they're neither pros nor total hobbyists and have a desire to make exposure changes in-camera without spending a fortune. The Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL filter then feels like the perfect option, which as the name suggests is a variable ND and circular polarizer in one. 

It's part of Kenko's Instant Action range, which uses a magnetic adapter screwed onto your lens to allow the quick adding and removing of filters in the field. Having tested several Pro1D+ filters, I've been pleased with their performance. With the Kenko Pro1D+ CPL filter, I liked that it didn't affect image quality, while I found the Kenko Pro1D+ UV filter gave equally good clarity but was let down by a weak magnetic attraction. 

The NDX3-450+C-PL is the third on test, but will it be third time lucky? As much as I like saving weight in my kitbag, I'm always dubious when a photography accessory tries to do too much for fear that it'll do everything poorly. And given the size of filters, do we really save that much space or time by using a combined product?

On paper, the NDX3-450+C-PL neutral density filter (Kenko refers to it as a variable ND filter with polarizing functionality) is a very convenient way to maintain exposure control. You can vary the light entering the camera from 1.5 to 9 stops, which means being able to control motion blur or depth of field by choosing just the right shutter speed.

I've been testing the 82mm version (on and off) for several weeks on my Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, and I've shared my honest thoughts below. Read on to discover whether the Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL is the handy all-in-one filter the manufacturer promises and whether it beats buying the best variable ND filters and best polarizers separately.

Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL filter: Specification

Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL filter: Price

Kenko's Pro1D+ filter lineup isn't premium in price, but it's not at the value end of the scale either. It's sensibly priced, boring even, and the Kenko PRO1D+ Instant Action Variable NDX3-450+C-PL is available as a solo package (filter only) or as a set (with a magnetic adapter). It's nice to have the solo option, as it brings down the cost if you already have an adapter from buying another filter in the range.

Like other Pro1D+ filters, there are few real "features" to warrant a high price anyway, and Kenko doesn't mention there being any water-repellent or anti-stain coatings as you get on the UV version. It also doesn't state what glass is used for the filter, so you wouldn't expect to pay for the German-made SCHOTT glass on Urth's Magnetic CPL Polarizing Filter Plus+ range.

Availability of the NDX3-450+C-PL is patchy, but where sold it comes out about the same price as buying the Kenko Pro1D+ CPL filter and an average variable ND separately. Overall I'd say it was good value, but I'm disappointed in the build quality of the plastic filter container whereas other brands give you a premium metal tin to store your glass safely in.

Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL filter: Design & Handling

Like other PRO1D+ Instant Action filters, the NDX3-450+C-PL comes in a cardboard box with a bold hue – this time violet. Inside, the filter is kept in a round plastic case with a foam base for protection, which screws shut to prevent it from opening during storage but feels too brittle to last long out in the wilderness. You get a packaged magnetic filter of the same thread size (unless you've bought the solo version).

There are simple line diagrams on the back of the box to illustrate that you need to screw on the magnetic adapter ring to your lens first and attach the filter on top. It took twenty seconds at most to follow these steps with my Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, and the filter gripped firmly to the front thanks to a strong magnetic pull. It also didn't rattle around in the holder as I rotated the filter threads.

In terms of handling, I wasn't initially sure how to use the filter and control both the ND and polarizer elements. I didn't even notice the tiny metal "knobs" inside the box until I'd had a Google, visited the Kenko website and found a how-to method. Essentially, screwing two gold-colored metal poles onto machined holes on the inner ring it makes it much easier to rotate it.

The filter is noticeably thicker than Kenko's UV filter or C-PL filter; because there are two rotating threads you need room to rotate both portions separately. This build isn’t a problem in itself, but it doesn't allow you to mount a lens cap on top.

The idea is that you set the density first by rotating the thinner outer ring. There are printed arrow markings between Min and Max to guide you, but I'm still unsure where you're meant to line them up to achieve said densities. Next – and you must set the ND first, C-PL second – you control the polarization effect by rotating the bigger outer frame using the knobs.

The problem I found with this is that it often ended up just rotating the whole frame, and I'd have to try and hold the ND thread in place while setting the polarizer. Not always easy when you're also looking through the viewfinder or on the screen to check settings.

Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL filter: Performance

I'll be honest; when I started using the Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL to smooth water on a bright, sunny day I was worried and disappointed by the results. But that's because I hadn't read up on how to use the filter, or thought I needed to. At first, I was rotating the inner and outer rings with abandon, using the camera's LCD screen to check the effect on exposure.

It wasn't easy to tell whether the polarizer was having an effect on reflections or how strong the ND filter was. In several images, there was a complete cast over the frame that looked like the edge of a filter, while in others there was a strong color cast at the edges. Frustrated, I did some more research and discovered that there was a method for using this filter. Kenko explains that "due to the specific construction of the filter, the polarization effect changes when adjusting the density" and that you need to adjust the density first and the polarization second.

Doing this required me to approach each scene more thoughtfully, and think about my intentions for it. Not necessarily a bad thing. I've already shared my misgivings about the design, but it didn't take too long to get the hang of using both filters independently. Image quality was also better when I wasn't pushing the density ring past its maximum.

I have few complaints about the filter's effect on image sharpness, but I did notice some serious vignetting at the higher ND strengths – despite Kenko's claims that with this product you'll "forget about vignetting caused by stacking several ND filters." Optically, wide-angle lenses are more prone to vignetting at the edges of images anyway, but the effect was pronounced from 24mm.

Overall, the Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL images required heavier processing than I'd usually do to boost the shadows and saturation in these areas. I made sure to test the filter on a very bright, sunny day, and the polarizer element was able to boost the blue skies. It also allowed me to set far wider apertures without the risk of overexposing the frame. This gave me more creative shooting options when I didn't want to set a narrower aperture with my ISO already as low as possible.

Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL filter: Verdict

Overall, I think this filter is a good buy for enthusiast landscape photographers who are just starting to experiment with long exposures and don't want to buy several different products. It’d make a good first filter, especially as you get the magnetic adapter in the box for extra value and an easy setup.

Although using a variable ND filter should be fairly self-explanatory, I’d like Kenko to provide better instructions for the Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL. Even as an experienced photographer, it wasn't always obvious how best to use the two filters together but Kenko does advise that you adjust the density first and the polarization afterward.

If you’re looking for a good value ND and polarizing filter in one, and don’t mind a bit of image editing when you get home, this Kenko Pro1D+ will be just what you need to extend your shutter times and boost your skies. They say practice makes perfect, and that's the case here. Expect a bit of faff with the turning mechanism and a learning curve to get results that aren't too dark or too muddy, but you'll soon be shooting an array of scenes with just one accessory.

Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL filter: Alternatives

On Thursday 23 May, OM Digital Solutions Co, previously known to photographers as Olympus, announced that its interchangeable lens, the M.Zuiko Digital Ed 90mm F3.5 Macro IS Pro, has won the 2024 Technology Award from the Society of Photography and Imaging of Japan. 

In 2023, the company won the same award for its mirrorless camera the OM System OM-1, making this the second consecutive year the company has been awarded the accolade. 

The award is given to innovators who have made outstanding technical achievements in photography and other related fields. Specifically, the award was for “expanding the scope of photography with the macro-oriented OM System M.Zuiko 90mm Macro.” 

The winners were Yuge Kazunori (Product Development), Hayashi Osamu (same company), and Hayashi Tetsuya (EL System) from the Development Division of OM Systems.

The judges were impressed by the 4x macro magnification in 35mm format, its fast and accurate focus mechanism, and its depth of field correction technology. The lens was also praised for its image stabilization function which allows handheld macro photography, allowing users to use their cameras in situations where a tripod would usually be needed. 

On 01 January 2021, 95 percent of the Olympus Imaging Division was transferred to holding company OJ Holdings, Ltd, owned by Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), with Olympus retaining a five percent stake.

As of 2021 Olympus cameras – such as the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III – along with new products began being sold and serviced by OM Digital Solutions Corporation.

In 2022, the first camera bearing the OM System brand logo was released, the OM System OM-5. In 2023, OM Digital Solutions opened its Production Technology Center, “a base for lens innovation.”

It said: “Located in Hachioji City, Tokyo, near our R&D center, this facility delivers one-stop verification of processes from the planning and development stage of optical lenses to the polishing, molding, coating, bonding, and exterior coatings. Traditionally this is a difficult process for mass production and is the key to accelerating OM System's lens development in the future.”

Check out the best OM Digital Systems cameras, as well as the best OM Systems lenses.  

We've also put together the definitive guide to the best macro lenses.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Checkout our complete guide to the best Fujifilm XF lenses

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

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

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

ABOVE: Watch Thypoch Eureka launch video

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AstrHori's first full-frame autofocus lens has now been released for the Nikon Z mount – and at just $250 for an 85mm f/1.8, it might be the best value-for-money portrait lens released so far this year. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

The AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 full-frame AF lens is available now for $250 / £222 from Amazon or direct from AstrHori. Although we have yet to get our hands on this lens and put it through DCW testing, for the price and the specs alone it strikes me as a great deal – and perhaps even the best bargain of the year.

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

It's been a great award season for Nikon as it received 4 more awards to add to its cabinet. 

Off the back of winning four TIPA awards, Nikon picked up four Red Dot Awards for product design, among the winners are two of the best Nikon cameras and Nikon lenses on the market. 

Two of Nikon's flagship full-frame mirrorless cameras were among the winners, the Nikon Zf and the Nikon Z8 were both recognized by the jury of esteemed design specialists. In the lens department, two further awards were won by the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena and the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S. 

For those unfamiliar, the Red Dot Design Awards is a prestigious competition that celebrates the best in design and business, often awarding state-of-the-art products with a 'Red Dot'. It covers all aspects of design, from cars to camera equipment, and the red dot signifies an industry seal of confidence in great design. (Despite the name, they are not signifying that the winner suddenly becomes a Leica, though the awards are organized in and hosted in Germany).

This year, product submissions from over 60 countries were entered and deliberated over by a panel of judges. The products were judged on the degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics, and durability. Nikon's winning products were:

Nikon Z8 

Released in May 2023, the Z8 brings the features of the flagship Nikon Z9 to a body that is 30% more compact. The 45MP stacked CMOS sensor provides exceptional image quality and substantial dynamic range. Deep learning AF system provides fast and efficient focus, for capturing even the most action-packed scenes, making it ideal for sports and wildlife. 

Nikon Zf

Classic analog Nikon design meets modern mirrorless technology in one of the best retro cameras on the market. Since its release in October 2023, the Nikon Zf has taken the market by storm enticing those who want the appearance of shooting analog without the added effort and cost of film development. 

As well as looking the part it also walks it, with a 24.5MP full-frame sensor, powered by the Expeed 7 processor, which delivers great autofocus performance. 

Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena

Nikon's signature portrait beast of a lens, the Plena offers exceptional image quality with an 11-blade rounded aperture for extremely attractive and soft depth of field. The 11 aperture blades minimize diffraction and aberrations, suppressing them at any aperture. 

The 135mm focal length is coupled with the f1/8 widest aperture enabling exceptional subject separation making it a fantastic portrait lens option. 

Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S

The super-telephoto lens was released in October 2023 and offers a surprisingly lightweight design with superb optics. Typically, lenses of this focal length are incredibly heavy and cumbersome, but this is the lightest and most well-balanced 600mm lens that I have held, which is ideal for keeping up with fast-paced action such as wildlife and sports.

So, congratulations to Nikon for winning yet more awards. Nikon has been releasing some exceptional cameras and glasses of late, and the awards that they are gaining are certainly echoing the thoughts of the market. It makes me excited to see what comes next!

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

Fujifilim has announced four new products at X Summit Sydney 2024:

• Fujifilm X-T50 – 40.2MP APS-C camera with Film Simulation dial
• Fujifilm GFX 100S II – Lightest ever 100MP GFX camera, with new sensor
• Fujinon XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR – Updated standard kit lens
• Fujinon GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR – Super tele medium format lens 

The X Summit is now over, but you can watch the entire event below – and following is my live blog of the show, so you can follow along in text form to experience the event as it happened.

We're only half an hour away from seeing what Fujifilm has to announce! Grab a cup of coffee and find yourself a comfy chair.

The comments section is already full of bright ideas. 

"Any hopes for an X-Pro 4 announcement?"

Gosh, I enjoyed using the Fujifilm X-Pro3. The hidden screen thing was a bit mad, but I love it when Fujifilm does mad things like that.

"would love to see a better 23mm f2. The new fuji lenses are too danged big.  Stick with what got you here Fuji!!!!"

Agree with the sentiment. More small lenses, please Fujifilm… and everyone else, for that matter!

"XH3 Global Shutter. 120fps."

Just trolling, methinks. But still, Sony got everyone going crazy with the A9 III, whether it's the global shutter as the newest uncurable GAS symptom or the crazy burst speeds. 

Speaking of chasing Sony's specs, the development announcement for the Canon EOS R1 yesterday got me thinking: when was the last time Canon did a big online streaming announcement like Fuji does? 

Was it for the EOS R5? Was that the only time Canon did it? 

(I still remember seeing Peter McKinnon kick off that launch and thinking, "Wow, the influence of influencers has really come a long way")

(… and then he jumped ship to Leica)

Nice drone shot of Sydney. MAKE A DRONE, FUJIFILM!

"We will be unveiling two new cameras and two new lenses"

Plug / apology for the X100VI. Fuji apparently prepared for double the demand of the X100V, it's still behind. And is increasing production.

It's asuccessor to the X-T30 / X-T30 II…

WELCOME FUJIFILM X-T50

Looks sleeker than the X-T30, with rounder shoulders. Grip is slightly larger, but feels snug, "making it feel smaller in your hand"

There it is: the Film Simulation Dial.

20 film sims, enabling you to change between them "as if using real film". Hmm.

40.2MP sensor, all the clever fifth generation features such as AI autofocus. 

Without IBIS, creating 40MP images isn't possible, apparently. 

Maxes out at 7 stops of stabilization.

NICE SEGUEWAY TO A NEW LENS

It's the new XF 16-50mm, as expected

(Replaces the 10-year-old Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS)

It's wider on the wide end, but shorter on the long end, and drops from f/4.8 to f/4 at top zoom. Weather sealed, though, and now able to resolve all 40MP, unlike its predecessor. And has half-macro capabilities

Why is the Film Simulation dial on top, replacing the mode / drive dial? 

Fujifilm considers it the next most important thing after aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. 

Makoto Oishi is here to tell us about the new GFX announcements. 

Given how important Fujifilm just told us the Film Simulations dial is, next to the exposure triangle, surely it will be on this new GFX camera. Right?

First, a proper lens for sports and wildlife photography: 

GF 500mm f/f.6 R LM OIS WR

500mm is about 396mm in full frame terms.

1,375g in weight. 21 elements in 14 groups.

"One of the highest class quality among GF lenses"

6 stops of optical image stabilization (IBIS is less / ineffective at extreme telephoto lengths)

NAUGHTY FUJIFILM, tossing out the words "large format". 

Jeez, bless their hearts but these photographers really weren't put on this Earth to be presenters. 

Where's Peter McKinnon…

GRRR, STOP SAYING LARGE FORMAT! I love GFX, but it's not even true medium format! 

Whinging aside, these sample shots look gorgeous.

f/5.6 obviously isn't f/5.6 in terms of depth of field on a GFX camera. And the messaging here is that, when it comes to AF, this isn't like a 500mm lens on medium format; it's like an X Series lens on a X Series camera in terms of performance.

Aaaaaand here's the Fujifilm GFX 100S II. 

New GFX 102MP CMOS II sensor. "Image quality highest among GFX series"

Now ISO80 base sensitivity, with improved deep learning AF algorithms. 

The IBIS unit has been upgraded, offering 8 stops using algorithmic updates.

Only 883g, lightest 100MP GFX camera, making it more mobile. 

Okay, I'm not a fan of these segments with the photographers, but seeing the GFX 100S II being used in underwater housing to shoot surfing is pretty damned amazing.

Here's the full pricing info:

Viltrox has just released one of its best lenses for astrophotography for the Nikon Z mount after having seen success with this prime lens on the Sony system. 

Viltrox is a third-party lens manufacturer that has recently been making some of the best budget lenses on the market, and last year it released a modern super-wide prime lens in the form of the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 lens for Sony E mount. This full-frame lens has now been released for mirrorless Nikon users to enjoy on the Z mount. 

In addition to offering a fast super-wide prime option, the lens has been recognized for its great build quality and modern features, making it a fantastic video and stills lens. 

The Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 is optically constructed of 15 elements on 12 groups, including 4 ED lenses and 3 aspherical lenses, delivering high image quality with great precision. The addition of the ED and aspherical lenses helps with combating aberration suppression and rendering light sources. Limiting these unwanting artifacts is especially important in astrophotography, a genre of photography where this lens would shine. 

AF is relatively new to modern lenses developed by budget third-party Chinese lens manufacturers, but despite being a recent addition, the AF performance has been well received. The inclusion of an STM and lead screw-type stepping motor means that the AF should be quick and efficient, and eye focus makes tracking simple. 

Viltrox has thought about the user when designing the 16mm f/1.8 as there are many elements that welcome ease-of-use functions in what Viltrox calls its operating system. The 'operating system' is essentially the control design features that enable the user to have greater 'efficiency' when shooting.

The lens features a 0.95-inch LED panel that shows distance, depth of field, and aperture information on the top of the lens, making it easy to see in low-light environments such as when shooting astrophotography. Two custom function buttons, a click on/off switch, and an AF/MF switch complete the quinumvirate.

The click / de-click approach option for modern lenses makes them more versatile for both stills and video. Reducing the clicks reduces the motion that may interfere with long exposure or video captures. Having a separate aperture ring also enables greater control and flexibility, and is becoming more common since the success of Fujifilm's iterations. 

Other notable features include a 77mm diameter filter thread, a dustproof structure, HD multi-layer lens coating, and a USB-C port for future firmware updates. 

This lens looks great for landscape and astrophotographers, and I would say it also has a place in the kit bag of videographers. 

The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 for Nikon Z mount is available now for just $549 | £440 | AU $799 - an absolute steal for the features included in this lens. 

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

For portraiture with a full-frame camera, I tend to grab an 85mm fast prime, at least when I’m using a full-frame camera. And I’m certainly not the only one. The field of view is ideal for head-and-shoulders and half-length shots, so I can be close enough to engage with my subject, without invading their personal space. 

The short telephoto focal length also gives a slight compression in perspective, which can be flattering. Designed for medium format Fujifilm GFX cameras, this 110mm lens gives an ‘effective’ 87mm focal length in full-frame terms, which is as near to 85mm as makes no difference. 

With its ideal focal length and fast f/2 aperture, this lens aims to be not only the best portrait lens for GFX cameras, but one of the best Fujifilm GF lenses in the whole line-up, and a must-have lenses for the best Fujifilm cameras.

Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR: Specifications

Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR: Price & Availability

Launched back in 2017, the Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR was one of the first GF lenses to come onstream and, at the time of writing this review in 2024, was priced at £2,599/$2,799 but has been widely discounted since. 

For the sake of comparison, other GF telephoto lenses in the line-up include the Fujifilm GF 120mm F4 Macro R LM OIS WR at $2,699 / £2,499 / AU$4,199, the Fujifilm GF 250mm F4 R LM OIS WR at $3,299 / £2,799 / AU$4,399.

Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR: Design & Handling

Using the Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR, I’m reminded that depth of field is governed more by the ‘actual’ rather than the ‘effective’ focal length of a lens, taking the crop factor into account. The upshot is that I like the way this lens gives a perspective and depth of field that feel very similar to using an 85mm f/1.4 lens on a full-frame camera. 

As such, it’s billed as a portrait lens and is similarly suitable for still-life photography. Indeed, action, sports, and wildlife photography are within its remit, and pretty much any scenario which requires a short telephoto focal length and a fast aperture for freezing movement with quick shutter speeds, as well as for gaining a tight depth of field.

It's the nature of the beast that medium format lenses are chunkier than equivalent full-frame lenses, and more especially than lenses designed for crop sensor cameras. The GF 110mm is a case in point, measuring 94x126mm and weighing in at 1,010g. That’s only 40g or about 1.4oz less than the Fujifilm GF 100-200mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR telephoto zoom lens but, while the latter is supplied complete with a tripod mounting ring, the GF 110mm has none. 

Either way, I find it’s perfectly comfortable even for long periods of handheld photography. Typical of fast-aperture lenses, the GF 110mm also lacks the optical image stabilization of the ‘slower’ GF 100-200mm F5.6 zoom and Fujifilm GF 120mm F4 Macro prime.

The GF 110mm has quite a complex optical design for a prime lens, featuring 14 elements arranged in 9 groups. They include no less than 4 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements to enhance clarity and minimize chromatic aberrations. As usual with GF lenses, I like the aperture control ring, which enables a full range of hands-on adjustment from f/2 down to f/22, in one-third f/stop click steps. The lock release button is also handy for avoiding accidental nudging of the aperture ring when it’s in A or C positions, for controlling the aperture from the host camera body.

Rainy day portraiture might seem an odd mix but wedding and event photographers would disagree. When something’s firmly fixed in the diary, you have to crack on whatever the weather. As such, and again typical of GF lenses, the GF 110mm is extensively weather-sealed. The overall build quality feels very robust and solid.

Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR: Photo Performance

For this type of lens, the quality of bokeh can be every bit as important as sharpness. The GF 110mm delivers on both counts. I tested the lens with a Fujifilm GFX 100 II camera body, and it was able to make good use of all 102 megapixels to give excellent sharpness even when shooting wide-open at f/2. 

Meanwhile, the tight depth of field ushers in beautifully soft bokeh, along with a very natural-looking roll-off between focused and defocused areas within images. ‘Fast’ lenses with wide apertures are often prone to axial chromatic aberration, also called bokeh fringing. This can create color fringing around high-contrast transitions, just in front of or behind the plane of focus. The GF 110mm does well to keep this aberration to minimal levels.

Lateral chromatic aberration, which is more common towards the edges and corners of the image frame is also very well controlled, and there’s negligible distortion. All in all, image quality and all-round performance are superb. There’s no optical image stabilization but that’s fairly common in ‘fast’ primes, and the lens can make good use of IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) featured in all recent Fujifilm GFX cameras.

Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR: Sample Images

The example images in the following gallery were taken in sunny conditions at Bristol Docks in the UK, using the lens with a Fujifilm GFX 100 II camera body.

Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

This is quite possibly the sharpest lens we've ever tested! Center sharpness is simply awesome, particularly from f/2.8 through to f/8. The GF 110mm also retains superb sharpness across the whole image frame, right into the corners, even when shooting wide-open.

Fringing:

Color fringing is well controlled and remains of a low order right out at the edges and corners of the image frame, although lateral chromatic aberration can be very slightly noticeable at medium to narrow apertures.

Distortion: 0.44

There’s just the merest hint of pincushion distortion which will generally be very hard to spot in real-world images.

Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR: Verdict

The Fujifilm GF 110mm F2 R LM WR is my pick of the entirely excellent GF crop for portraiture. The focal length and fast aperture make it simply the perfect tool for the job, but it’s equally adept at still life photography. Fast autofocus also makes the lens a strong contender for action, sports and wildlife photography. All in all, it’s a brilliant lens that combines scintillating sharpness with beautifully smooth bokeh.

Alternatives

Crop-sensor cameras with APS-C format or smaller Micro Four Thirds image sensors can make it a struggle to get a tight depth of field. That’s especially true if you stick to kit zoom lenses, often sold with these cameras, which tend to have a fairly narrow aperture rating. 

Designed for Fujifilm X and Nikon Z APS-C format cameras (and more recently the Sony E mount), the Viltrox AF 56mm gives an ‘effective’ 84mm focal length in full-frame equivalence, which is nigh on perfect for portraiture. It couples that with a fairly fast f/1.7 aperture rating, the combination enabling quite a tight depth of field, so you can effectively isolate your subject by blurring fussy backgrounds. 

As such, the lens aims to take a place as one of the best Fujifilm X lenses, or the best lenses for the Nikon Z 30. It’s also one of the most affordable lenses of its type on the market, by quite a margin.

Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7: What's changed?
I own a rather nice collection of all three of the compact yet fast, metal-bodied Viltrox AF 23mm F1.4 Z, Viltrox AF 33mm F1.4 Z, and Viltrox AF 56mm F1.4 Z primes, plus the slightly larger Viltrox AF 13mm F1.4 Z and the faster Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro, both of which are also metal-bodied. They’re all APS-C format lenses which I use on my Nikon Z fc. 

This newer AF 56mm f/1.7 lens ditches the aperture ring, which I’d only use for shooting video, has a plastic rather than metal body (but still a metal mounting plate) and has an aperture rating that’s half an f/stop slower than the f/1.4 lenses. But all this has a major upside when it comes to purchase price, as I’ll come to in a moment.

Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7: Specifications

Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7: Price & Availability

The preceding trilogy of Viltrox AF 23mm, 33mm and 56mm F1.4 lenses cost around $299 / £249 / AU$599 each. The new AF 56mm F1.7 lens launched in 2024 only costs about half as much to buy, at around $169/ £135 / AU$239. It’s available from Viltrox’s international online store, and from various photographic retailers around the world.

Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7: Design & Handling

It’s only natural to compare the Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7 with the company’s previously released AF 56mm F1.4 lens. The newer F1.7 lens that I’m reviewing here is available in Fujifilm X and Nikon Z (DX) mount editions, whereas the F1.4 lens adds further Canon EF-M and Sony E mount options to the list. The slower aperture rating of the F1.7 lens enables a smaller, more lightweight build. It’s barely more than a couple of inches long and weighs just 187g, compared with 320g for the F1.4 lens. And that’s despite featuring an additional optical element. Both lenses have a 52mm filter attachment thread and come complete with a hood and carrying pouch.

Although priced very competitively, the AF 56mm F1.7 doesn’t hold back on glass. There are 11 elements in the optical path altogether, including four ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and three HRI (High Refractive Index) elements. Multi-layer coatings are also applied, to minimize ghosting and flare.

As I’ve mentioned, the barrel of this lens is plastic rather than being metal-bodied like the F1.4 lenses. That’s not an issue for me, as the plastic is of good quality and isn’t so cold to the touch in chilly weather. The mounting plate is made from lightweight aluminum, which I prefer to the plastic mounting plates of various budget-friendly own-brand Nikon Z-mount lenses that I’ve used (including the entire range of own-brand Nikon Z DX lenses to date). Another plus point is that the mounting plate includes a USB-C port, for applying firmware updates if and when needed.

Like most lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, this one has a lead-screw type stepping motor which enables fast performance for stills, along with smooth and virtually silent focus transitions when shooting video. Whereas the F1.4 Viltrox lenses have a de-clicked aperture control ring, that’s absent in this lens. It’s only to be expected, considering the very inexpensive price. Unless you’re shooting video, the omission can actually be a plus point, as there’s no danger of nudging the aperture ring to a different value accidentally while you’re shooting.

Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7: Photo Performance

I tested the Nikon Z-mount edition of the Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7 lens using both a Nikon Z fc and a Nikon Z 8, the latter switching to DX crop mode automatically when I fitted the lens. The megapixel count is fairly similar in both cases, at 21MP and 19MP respectively. Outright sharpness isn’t the main focus (so to speak) of this type of lens. For creative photography and portraiture, the quality of bokeh is arguably more important. I was pleased to find that the lens delivered smooth bokeh at wide apertures, with a natural roll-off between focused and defocused areas.

Sharpness drops off a bit when shooting wide-open at f/1.7, which I’d fully expect. Stopping down to just f/2 gives excellent sharpness in the central region of the image frame, while edge/corner sharpness gets into its stride at f/2.8. Any lateral chromatic aberration was easily taken care of by the automatic in-camera correction of the Nikon cameras I used for testing, making it a non-issue. The same goes for distortion. All in all, the lens is a very good performer making it standout value at the price.

Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7: Sample Images

The example images in the following gallery were taken in sunny conditions at Bristol Docks in the UK. They include shots taken at wide apertures for a tight depth of field, which you’d typically use in portraiture, along with more general images taken with medium aperture settings.

Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Levels of sharpness are very impressive from f/2 through to f/11. Center sharpness drops off a bit wide-open at f/1.7, which is only to be expected. There’s also a slight blip in corner-sharpness at f/4 but, overall, this Viltrox is certainly a sharp lens.

Fringing:

Both axial and lateral chromatic aberrations are well controlled, the latter being fully taken care of by automatic in-camera correction in the Nikon cameras used for our testing.

Distortion: 0.64

There’s only very mild pincushion distortion which will generally go unnoticed in real-world shooting, even with automatic in-camera correction switched off.

Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7: Verdict

Full-frame cameras are often seen as preferable for portraiture. These much pricier cameras and very much more expensive own-brand fast prime lenses are hard to beat, but you need deep pockets. I like the relatively compact, lightweight build of the Viltrox AF 56mm F/1.7 lens, and that it’s so amazingly inexpensive to buy. It makes high-quality portraiture easy to achieve with Fujifilm X, Sony E and Nikon Z DX mirrorless cameras, and is a real steal at the price.

Alternatives

Watch video: Macro on a budget

Macro is an amazing genre to get stuck into that allows you to magnify your subject for super-detailed close-ups, revealing a brand-new world, otherwise hidden to the naked eye. 

But, if you’ve ever tried to take a close-up using a standard lens, such as an 18-55mm kit lens, you might be a bit underwhelmed.

A dedicated macro lens is usually required to take close-ups. These special optics come with reproduction ratios of at least 1:1, also called lifesize, because you can capture your subject at the same size as if it was laid across your Canon camera’s sensor.

However, macro lenses can be pricey and won’t be in budget for many in the current cost of living crisis. Luckily, in this project we take a look at a cheap and cheerful lens hack that will let you experiment with macro magic without breaking the bank. Here’s how you can reverse an old film lens for terrific close-ups. 

1. Reversing ring

You’ll need an old prime lens from a film SLR with a physical aperture ring, as this makes it possible to dial in aperture adjustments to control depth of field when the lens is mounted backwards. Our old Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 len may not fit our Canon EF mount natively, but when reversed this doesn’t matter.

Make sure you get the right reversing ring to fit your camera mount, but also make sure the filter thread is compatible with your lens too – this can usually be found on the inside of the lens cap. Reversing rings can be found at websites such as srb-photographic.co uk. Once you have yours, all that’s left to do is to screw it into the front filter thread and mount it to the camera.

2. Get set up

Even the smallest of movements and vibrations will be magnified when shooting macro and show up in your photos as image-softening camera shake. To give your close-up shots the best chance of turning out pin-sharp, it’s best to set up on a sturdy tripod. This will also help you nail the precise focus point, as depth of field can be particularly fiddly at such high magnifications. Firstly, set up your subject on a table and compose your image freehand (above).

Once you’ve worked out a strong composition, you then know roughly where to set up your tripod. Use the thickest leg sections of your tripod first as they will be the sturdiest, and only use the centre column for extra height as a last resort, as they’re prone to wobble.

3. Manual mode

With any connections to the camera body severed, you’ll need to go into your Canon’s Manual mode (M on the mode dial) to take full control of the exposure settings. We find it easiest to use the built-in light meter as a guide and also working with exposure simulation turned on in Live View to get an accurate idea of the exposure. The aperture will need to be set manually on the lens’s aperture ring. The wider this setting – the more shallow the depth of field will be.

Although to get the aperture to close down you may need to hold down a depth of field preview button. This was found on the base of our Olympus lens, but this function will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.

4. Focus and shoot

Shoot next to a large window for natural side light and use a net curtain for extra diffusion, or add you own light source with a flash or torch. Now with your camera set up on a tripod, the easiest way to focus is to move your subject rather than the camera. Place your item, such as our pocket watch, on a sheet of card. You can then move the card away from or towards your camera until it falls into the perfect zone of sharpness.

It’s then just a case of enabling the 2 Sec Self-timer to reduce camera shake, and firing the shutter. For even more magnification, you might want to attach a series of extension tubes or try using a prime lens with a wider focal length. And here are a few of our favourite macro images using this budget-friendly reversing ring lens hack.

If you're serious about close-ups, take a look at the best cameras for macro photography along with the best lenses for macro.

Tilt-shift lenses are a bit of a niche product, but for many professional photographers, absolutely indispensable. So is it possible that Canon is designing a whole camera with the capabilities to produce tilt images? Well, according to some recently discovered patents, it just might be!

These patents (unearthed by CanonRumors) show a non-descript camera box with a tilting mechanism designed around the sensor. Unfortunately, there is no additional information on what size sensor is featured in the patent drawing, or what camera this might eventually be intended for. 

Canon designs a lot of non-consumer cameras including cameras for security, industrial applications, and medical use, so there is every chance that this patent will never see the light of day in an EOS R series model, but, its very idea is still an incredibly exciting proposition.

Tilt lenses are designed to give photographers the power to adjust the depth of field either creating front-to-back sharpness or some creative blur effects. The downside however is that tilt lenses are often another expensive bit of kit, for an already costly body, and often require photographers to double up on lenses with standard and tilt versions of similar focal lengths.

Moving the tilt into the camera could mean that potentially any lens would instantly become a capable tilt lens, even zoom lenses! This could open up the medium to any professional photographer who wants to dabble in tilt photography but doesn't want the additional expense of a tilt-shift lens.

But what about the 'shift' in tilt-shift lenses? Well, there is no mention of this in the patent, so architectural photographers might want to keep a hold of their tilt-shift lenses for the time being. Resolution-boosting pixel-shift tech has shown that sensors can be shunted around a little, but so far not to the same degree a tilt-shift lens is capable of.

Still, tilt sensors won't appeal to everyone, which might mean that any eventual camera featuring a tilt sensor might be a specialist model, potentially with a hefty additional price tag. Canon occasionally produces specialist versions of its cameras, such as the Canon EOS 5DR / 5DS, or highly sensitive astrophotography cameras like the Canon EOS Ra.

So, this might well be a patent that remains in the realm of dream camera features for the moment, but I was writing similar things a year ago around global shutters, so you never know!

Check out more from Canon with our guide to the best Canon camera and the best Canon RF lenses.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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