Steve McCurry is probably one of the best-known living photographers – famous for his National Geographic shoots and that mesmerizing shot of the Afghan Girl, which he shot in 1984 on Kodachrome using a Nikon FM2 with a Nikkor 105mm lens.

Aged 76, McCurry is still very actively shooting new images today. And when I bumped into him at the recent Leica SL3-P launch in Germany, I was amazed to find out that the legendary Magnum photographer almost always uses just one lens today: a Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 Asph zoom.

"I do about 95% of all my shooting with that one lens, whether it's corporate, advertising or personal work", he explains.

In fact, he hasn't just gone down to using this one fast standard zoom; he has also stripped down his whole camera kit.

"In the really old days, I used to have a camera bag with all my stuff," he recalls. "Then I went from that to a photo vest with two cameras, both with fixed lenses, lots of film and maybe a third lens.

"My system now is a 24-90mm lens, one body, a few cards and a couple of batteries. I have no bag, nothing – just cards and batteries in a pocket."

McCurry switched from Nikon with the launch of the Leica SL2 back in 2019 – but it wasn't a move that he made on a whim, or simply because Leica was keen to have him on board.

"I did a very careful analysis," he explained. "I took my Nikon, I took the Leica, and I shot test pictures in the studio and went on the street. I took some of my assistants out. We did some portraits. We did kind of a chart, and we did this over some days.

"It became evident that the Leica lenses were crisper, sharper, had better resolution. It just became obvious that that was a direction that I should go in, after all that careful analysis.

"What really matters is the print. I print every day in my Pennsylvania studio. Every day we're printing for books, for exhibitions, so printing is really an important thing. I need a lens that's really going to make pictures that result in great prints, and that's what I'm achieving with this SL series.

"I look at a lot of my pictures from before Leica and after Leica, and I'm noticing that with the Leica SL series, I could make much bigger prints for exhibitions than I ever could with film or with the Nikon".

Despite his former love for Kodachrome, McCurry doesn't chase after the old color slide film look with his digital cameras.

"When I work with my retoucher, I'm just trying to get the picture to look like what I saw when I was shooting. I'm never trying to achieve a Kodachrome look or a film look," he explains.

"I'm just trying to get it right and capture something that feels genuine. It's not really about the color; it's more about the emotion, the storytelling aspect of the picture. So for me, yeah, I love good, rich color – but it has to support the story".

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Take a look at the best Leica cameras along with the best Leica M lenses for rangefinders and the best Leica SL lenses for mirrorless.

After falling out of fashion for a while, all of a sudden we've been hit with a wave of pancake lenses.

In the last few months we've seen the Kase AF 24mm f/3.8, the Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo, the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 arriving in new mounts, along with the “most requested lens of all time”, the Lensbaby Twist 28.

Right now it feels like everybody (well, except Nikon) is making pancake primes for mirrorless systems – but why is this happening all of a sudden? The answer, I think, is simple: compact cameras.

Mike and I tackled this subject on the latest Bokeh Face podcast (embedded below), and it really feels that the wildfire-like popularity of compact and point-and-shoot cameras has made everyone hungry for smaller setups and pocketable lens profiles.

Tiny Micro Four Thirds cameras like the Olympus PEN E-P7 can be paired with lenses like the 7Artisans 18mm f/6.3 II or the Olympus Fisheye Body Cap 9mm f/8 and instantly become smaller than compact cameras.

Slap a Samyang Remaster Slim on Sony's A6700 and you've got a pocket-friendly APS-C camera. Heck, add the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 to the Lumix S9 and you've got a full-frame powerhouse that's the same size as the Lumix L10 compact!

ABOVE: Watch our pancake lens discussion (teed up to the start of the chat)

Mike made a point about the Fujifilm X-E5 which, paired with the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR, effectively gives you a setup the size of the Fujifilm X100 VI compact – but one that also enables you to change lenses.

"When the X-E5 came out, I was like – aww yeah – X100 VI? Who gives a darn about that any more? That's redundant now, as far as I'm concerned, cause you can basically have it as an interchangeable lens camera."

If you think this is all coincidence, and that nobody has noticed the trend, you'd be mistaken.

"The combination of a pancake lens and the camera body creates a very elegant package. We therefore believe there is potential for a future range of pancake lenses,” said Fujifilm's Jun Watanabe, head of product planning for the X series.

In other words, pancake lenses are here to stay. All we need now are more similarly small mirrorless bodies – and for Nikon to learn a couple of pancake recipes.

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Take a look at the best pancake lenses from all manufacturers.

Tamron's photography business weakened in the first half of 2026, as the 2nd Quarter FY2026 Consolidated Financial Results report shows. Sales fell 8.2% and operating profit dropped 29.3%.

But those numbers hide a significant shift in the direction of Tamron's lens business. Own-brand lens sales increased 4.2% to ¥17.1 billion (approx. $107.9 million / £80.3 million), while sales of OEM products (made by Tamron but carrying the badge of another brand, such as Nikon) fell 23.2% to ¥10.4 billion ($65.7 million / £48.9 million).

That makes Tamron's own lens business increasingly important – particularly as the company plans to launch 10 or more new own-brand models in FY2026 and accelerate its move into multiple camera mounts.

And all this is happening while Sony is proposing to acquire Tamron.

The split between own-brand and OEM

Tamron's Photographic Products division generated ¥27.53 billion ($173.9 million /£129.3 million) in sales in the first half, down from ¥29.98 billion ($189.3 million / £150.8 million) a year earlier.

But the decline isn't evenly distributed.

Own-brand revenue rose from ¥16.4 billion ($103.5 million /£77.1 million) to ¥17.1 billion ($108 million /£80.3 million). OEM revenue fell from ¥13.5 billion ($85.2 million /£63.4 million) to ¥10.4 billion ($65.7 million /£48.9 million).

The unit figures reveal that Tamron's own-brand shipments fell only 2.3%, while OEM shipments plunged 32%.

So the part of Tamron's photographic business that carries the Tamron name is holding up considerably better than the business it does for other companies.

That distinction matters because Tamron's strategy is built more and more around its own brand, accelerating its shift towards a multi-mount lens business.

Tamron is spreading across camera systems

Tamron's current strategy covers Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and Fujifilm X.

Canon's mount, previously all but locked down to third parties, is particularly notable because Tamron has now introduced its third RF lens, the 17-70mm f/2.8 VC RXD.

This is more than simply adding individual lenses to a product catalog; Tamron is trying to make its own-brand business less dependent on any one camera manufacturer – and less dependent on OEM orders in general.

The mirrorless market is becoming more valuable

Tamron's figures also show the changing shape of the camera market: interchangeable-lens camera shipments fell 5% in the first half, but market value increased by 4%. Mirrorless units fell just 2%, while value increased by 6%. SLR units fell 27%, with value down 35%.

This creates an opportunity for Tamron to generate more revenue from higher-value lenses even if overall market volumes soften, something reflected in the own-brand numbers.

China is currently a complication, as Tamron says inventory adjustments caused a sharp decline there, while the US, Europe and India delivered growth and Japan remained strong.

Then there's the Sony question

Sony has proposed acquiring Tamron and making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Sony has also confirmed that Tamron is among the third-party lens makers with access to Sony mount basic specifications.

The proposal is so far just that – a proposal – but the timing adds an interesting layer to Tamron's latest results.

The company is putting more focus on its own-brand lenses and expanding beyond the E-mount at the same time that Sony is seeking to bring it fully into the fold.

Photography is no longer Tamron's main growth engine

There's another important part of the results that has little to do with cameras.

Tamron's Surveillance & FA business grew 29% in the first half, while Mobility & Healthcare grew by roughly 40%.

The company's longer-term strategy is to position photography as a highly profitable "cash cow" while investing more heavily in industrial markets including automotive, healthcare, sensing and AI-related applications.

In other words, Tamron is strengthening its own-brand lens business while positioning photography as the business that funds expansion into faster-growing industrial markets.

For photographers, the question is what those 10 or more new products will be – and how far Tamron takes its multi-mount strategy.

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The latest tally of cameras and lenses coming out of the world’s camera capital is here – and the numbers from the first half of 2026 highlight some key insights into the camera industry and lens trends.

Japan's Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has released the numbers for June 2026, along with insight into the first half of the year. But along with camera trends, CIPA also tracks lens data.

While worldwide camera shipments for the first half of 2026 showed a slight growth of 100.5 percent compared to the same time last year, lenses showed a slight decline of 99.4 percent for the first half of the year.

Month-to-month, lenses for all tracked categories showed a decline, with June’s shipment numbers at 87.2 percent of the same time frame last year.

But comparing the lens data from the first half of 2026 to the camera data from the same time frame highlights some interesting insight.

Camera brands sold about 1.02 million interchangeable lens cameras with a full-frame sensor or higher in the first half of the year. During that same time frame, brands shipped 2.18 million lenses for those sensors. That means full-frame photographers bought an average of 2.12 lenses for every camera body.

Photographers using crop-sensor cameras tend to buy far fewer lenses for each camera body. In the first half of the year, brands sold about 2.1 million crop sensor interchangeable lens cameras and about 2.7 million crop sensor lenses. That’s a ratio of about 1.28 lenses for every camera sold.

The numbers hint that full-frame photographers tend to buy nearly twice as many lenses – about 1.66 times as many – as creators working with crop sensor systems.

The data, however, only includes CIPA member companies from Japan. That list includes third-party optics brands like Tamron and Sigma, but doesn’t tally third-party optic makers from other countries. Of course, as a six-month span of data, the insight also doesn’t factor in photographers with a pre-existing stash of lenses either.

The crop sensor category likely includes a larger percentage of beginners who only purchase a kit lens with the camera, without adding another lens to swap.

Photographers using full-frame sensors – or larger, such as medium format – tend to include more professionals and serious hobbyists than the crop sensor category, which tends to have lower prices and cameras that cater to beginners.

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In July we reported on the new SG-image AF 35mm f/2.2 Classical Edition lens. With its retro aesthetic, it looked ideally suited to cameras like the Nikon Zf and Nikon Zfc. But it's not just those cameras that can take advantage of this accessibly-priced autofocus prime. Now SG-image has launched the standard (non-retro) version of the lens in L-mount flavor.

Inside the sleek all‑metal barrel sits a 7‑element, 5‑group optical stack that SG-image says has been engineered for image clarity and contrast. A 9‑blade diaphragm, paired with a bright f/2.2 maximum aperture promises smooth, natural bokeh that should make the lens perfect for portraiture and and still‑life work. The 35mm focal length also makes the lens a versatile choice for street and everyday photography.

Despite the metal barrel, the lens remains impressively light at just 163g. It’s also compact, measuring only 36.2mm in length with a 69mm barrel diameter, making it easily portable in a small kit bag.

The SG-image AF 35mm f/2.2 is available to buy now from SG-image direct in L-mount, E-mount or Z-mount versions for $158. You can also option the lens with a distinctive square hood for an additional $10.

Third-party lenses are a popular budget alternative – but the best third-party lenses are often those that the first-party brand trusts enough to share data with through licensing. Sony has now revealed a list of the third-party optic makers that have an E-Mount license, a major hint as to what third-party lenses will deliver the best performance – and there are a few surprises on the list.

The list of third-party optics that have a license for the Sony E-Mount comes amid the news that Sony has made an offer to buy popular lensmaker Tamron. Tamron had already confirmed the rumor, but Sony also recently broke its silence as to why the major tech brand wants to buy Tamron.

In a post from Sony Support Japan released in July 2026, Sony says that “E-Mount basic specifications have been disclosed” to the following brands:

• Carl Zeiss AG
• Cooke Optics Limited
• Cosina Corporation
• Fujifilm Holdings Corporation
• Kenko Tokina Corporation
• LK Samyang Co., LTD.
• Sigma Corporation
• Tamron Corporation
• Thales Las France SAS

A licensing agreement means that Sony is sharing some E-Mount data with those lens makers, though Sony says that doesn’t guarantee “the compatibility or quality of all functions.”

Sharing mount data tends to mean that the third-party optics meet a set of quality standards. Chief among these standards, brands sharing mount data tend to offer better autofocus performance than those without.

The list reveals a few key revelations over which companies have a license and share data with Sony for the E-Mount. Sony is a partial shareholder in Tamron, so the inclusion of Tamron on the list doesn’t come as a surprise. Sony also has a longstanding agreement with Carl Zeiss with several co-branded products, so Carl Zeiss is another expected name on the list.

Sigma has also said on several occasions during lens launches that E-Mount optics are built under a licensing agreement with Sony, so that name on the list doesn’t come as a surprise either.

Beyond those well-known partnerships, the list says that popular budget brands like Smayang, Tokina, and Cosina also have agreements in place.

The inclusion of Fujifilm – a company that’s known more for its first-party cameras and lenses than as a third-party optics maker – is an unexpected name to see on the list. However, Fujifilm’s cinema line does have a few special-order lenses that are compatible with E-Mount.

But another key takeaway is the names that aren’t on the list – chief among these, no China-based optic companies pop up on the list. Companies like Venus Optics (Laowa), Viltrox, TTArtisans, 7Artisans, Meike, Sirui, and Thypoch do not make an appearance on the list of licensed E-Mount lens makers.

Along with the official list of third-party lens license agreements, Sony has also commented about the potential purchase of lensmaker Tamron for the first time.

Speaking during a Q&A session at Sony’s latest investor meeting, Sony Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao said that Sony has proposed making Tamron a wholly owned subsidiary.

“Our thinking is that this proposal will create optimal value for both Tamron’s shareholders and our imaging business,” she said (translated by Google). “Our proposal is based on the hypothesis that it will enhance Tamron’s corporate value, leverage the strengths of both companies, and lead to the development of our imaging business.”

While both brands have now confirmed the potential buyout, Sony’s offer to purchase Tamron is still in the proposal stages.

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Just three months after launching its last 100-400mm lens, Sony has just announced another one – but this new super telephoto zoom is aimed at a very different audience.

Back in May, the company gave us the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5 GM OSS – a constant aperture, internal-zoom super tele with a $4,300 / AU$6,899 price tag. But now Sony has revealed a far smaller, lots lighter and much more affordable alternative.

The new Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS is described as a lens "built for the future to grow your skill", which really underscores who it's intended for: budding photographers and hobbyist users who've never experienced telephoto shooting but have always wanted to.

As Sony says, "great cameras deserve the best lenses" – but most super-tele zooms are too bulky, heavy and pricey for amateur and even enthusiast shooters.

That's where the Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS comes in. Costing under a grand, this non-G Master offering enables E-Mount users to experience genres like birding, wildlife and aircraft or trainspotting, along with fully exploring other areas like travel, landscapes and family photography.

The new lens is much more lightweight and compact than the GM versions, weighing just 654g and measuring a mere 78.2 x 164.5mm (collapsed). That's less than half the weight of the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS (1,395g) and almost a third of the 100-400mm f/4.5 GM OSS (1,840g).

It's also smaller and lighter than the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN (86 x 199.2mm, 1,140g) and the Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VXD (88.5 x 183.4mm, 1,155g).

And while it's about the same size but 19g heavier than the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM (79.5 x 164.7mm, 635g), Sony is quick to point out that its lens comes with a lens hood – which Canon's does not.

Sony's lens boasts a 10-group optical formula with 15 elements, including a pair of extra-low dispersion (to suppress chromatic aberrations) and a pair of aspherical (to control aberrations), with new multi-coatings.

Along with a nine-blade aperture for circular bokeh, the Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS boasts a maximum magnification of 0.41x and a minimum focus distance of 1.13m at the wide end and 0.86m at the long – making it excellent for telemacro work.

But that's not all; the lens is also compatible with Sony's teleconverters, enabling you to achieve up to 800mm of reach.

All this is backed up by dual linear motors, which offers fast and precise autofocus without noise – and also enables the lens to keep up with the tracking and lightning-fast burst speeds of Sony's top cameras, whether it's 30fps on the Sony A7 V or 120fps on the Sony A9 III.

Tech like this enables this lens to grow with you as your telephoto skills improve. This extends to the comprehensive controls on the lens body, from a focus hold button to a focus mode and focus range limiter switch, to an OSS switch to toggle Opotical SteadyShot stabilization and even a zoom lock.

The Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS goes on sale in September and carries a retail price of $849 / £799 / AU$1,399.

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The solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, is now just over a week away, so this is your final opportunity to get your camera gear ready. The path of totality will cross Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small corner of Portugal, while much of the UK, Europe and parts of North America will still experience an impressive partial eclipse. Wherever you plan to watch it, however, photographing the Sun requires the correct equipment.

The good news is that you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on a specialist threaded filter. The Daystar Universal Lens Solar Filter currently starts at just $11.99 at B&H, making it one of the most affordable ways to safely photograph the eclipse with a camera and telephoto lens. Larger versions are also available, allowing you to choose a filter that fits the outside diameter of your particular lens.

What makes the Daystar such a practical solution is its universal slip-on design. Instead of screwing into a specific filter thread, it folds into a lightweight cup that fits over the front of your lens. It is available in several sizes and can also be used with compatible binoculars, spotting scopes and smaller telescopes, making it far more versatile than a conventional threaded solar filter.

The Daystar uses trusted Thousand Oaks SolarLite film, which rejects 99.999% of incoming light and produces a warm orange image of the Sun. It is inexpensive, extremely lightweight and quick to remove when totality begins, which is particularly useful for photographers who need to uncover their lens and capture the solar corona before replacing the filter as soon as the Sun reappears.

Its cardboard construction is not as refined as an expensive glass filter, and you may need to secure it with tape in windy conditions, but for occasional eclipse photography it is hard to beat. It can be moved between different lenses, packs almost completely flat and costs less than many ordinary UV filters, making it the best-value solution for photographers who want to capture the eclipse without investing in specialist equipment they may rarely use again.

You must keep the filter fitted whenever any part of the Sun remains visible. It should only be removed during the brief period of totality, and only when photographing from inside the path of totality. Anyone watching a partial eclipse, including observers across most of the UK, must keep proper solar protection in place throughout the entire event. Never look through an unfiltered camera, binoculars or telescope.

For those who would rather put the camera down and witness the eclipse properly, the Celestron EclipSmart 10x42 Porro solar binoculars are the best-value choice in our guide. They are currently available at B&H for $56, compared with Celestron’s usual $89.95 price, and combine 10x magnification with larger 42mm objective lenses for a bright, sharp and detailed view of the Sun. Their permanently integrated solar filters meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, while the moderate magnification makes them easy to hold steady without needing a tripod.

The second option is the Celestron EclipSmart 10x25 roof solar binoculars, which are currently just $30.14 at B&H instead of the manufacturer’s $49.95 price. These are the portable pick, weighing only around 11.5 ounces and folding down small enough to fit inside a coat pocket or camera bag. The smaller lenses do not reveal as much solar detail as the 10x42 model, but their wide field of view makes the Sun easier to locate, and the built-in filters mean there is nothing external that can accidentally fall off during use.

Whether you plan to photograph every stage or simply watch the Moon move across the face of the Sun, these are affordable accessories that could transform your experience. With the eclipse now only days away, I would not leave ordering until the last minute, particularly as specialist solar equipment is likely to become much harder to find as August 12 approaches.

See our full guide to the best solar filters and the best solar binoculars for other options

DK-Optic has released a new lens for Leica M-mount cameras. The Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) f/1.9 lens has been designed as a tribute to the classic Dallmeyer Super Six lens design from the 1930s, which shared the same f/1.9 aperture and was famed for its distinctive painterly bokeh and ethereal image quality. It also explains why the lens's focal length is given in inches rather than millimetres, as that's the unit of measurement used by the classic lens. To quote DK-Optic:

“The Super Six 1.5-inch f/1.9 stands as one of the most legendary standard-focal-length lenses in the realm of painterly optics. In its era, it represented the absolute pinnacle of balancing extreme resolving power with dream-like bokeh. The unique “3D Pop” it delivers wide open remains just as highly coveted today as it was decades ago. Driven by pure passion, DK-Optic has flawlessly paid homage to this masterpiece, combining its vintage soul with the extreme precision of modern industrial manufacturing.”

DK-Optic's Super Six recreation stays true to the original, copying the same 6-element, 4-group optical stack, "rejecting the sterile, dry perfection of modern lenses" to instead replicate the vintage lens's image quality characteristics. Wide open at f/1.9, the Chiaro 1.5-inch is said to deliver "mesmerizing 3D spatial separation (subject isolation). The in-focus areas maintain astonishing sharpness, while the out-of-focus areas rapidly melt away into a signature, highly painterly bokeh." Sharpness and contrast increase as you stop down.

The lens is hand-made in DK-Optic's bespoke workshop using techniques like 5-axis CNC machining of core brass components, as well as grinding decades-old new old stock optical glass. The lens barrel is constructed from high-strength 7075 aerospace-grade aluminum, while the core focusing helicoid and aperture mechanics are machined from aerospace-grade brass, which DK-Optic says provides an "unmatched, buttery-smooth tactile feel".

Though a Chinese lens, don't assume the Chiaro 1.5-inch f/1.9 is just another ultra-low-cost optic. It's priced at $1,600, which evidently reflects the bespoke craftsmanship that's gone in to designing and making the lens. Although by Leica M-mount lens standards, even at this price the Chiaro 1.5-inch f/1.9 is reactively accessible.

Pergear has launched a new fast standard prime for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and L-mount cameras.

The Pergear 50mm f/1.4 is a full-frame, manual focus lens with a larger than average maximum aperture for a low-cost 'nifty fifty' optic. As such, Pergear claims the lens enables distinct subject separation, as "out‑of‑focus regions dissolve into lush, creamy softness", helped by the well-rounded 12-blade aperture diaphragm. The f/1.4 aperture also makes the lens very useful in low light environments.

The lens uses a 6-element optical design arranged in 6 groups and includes a multi‑layer, anti‑reflective coating. This is said to effectively suppress flare and ghosting, while improving contrast and colour saturation.

Despite its budget price tag, the lens features an all-metal barrel with a tactile diamond-knurled focus ring for improved grip and focussing precision. Weight has been kept to a reasonable 255g, partly thanks to the compact 66mm lens diameter and 43.5mm barrel length. The lens has a minimum focussing distance of 0.6m, takes 52mm filters, and is fully manual, on account of there being no electronic contacts for lens-body communication.

However, with a retail price of $129 (£96, currency conversion), the Pergear 50mm f/1.4 still seems like incredible value for money.

Buy now from Amazon

TTArtisan appears to have come up with an idea for a filter holder that’s so delightfully simple, I cannot believe it hasn’t been done before!

A quick search reveals some similar concepts, but I can’t find any that look quite as tidy as the TTArtisan concept posted via Independent Photographers Association on Chinese social media site Weibo.

The filter holder is compatible with the new TTArtisan AF 50mm f/1.8 Neo and, judging by the video that accompanies the post, it’s being referred to as a “quick-flip filter adapter”. The mechanism fits over the barrel of the lens, featuring a circular hinged door that houses a 52mm screw-in filter.

A caption reads “Close-Up Lens & ND Holder Concept Model”, because it can also accommodate compatible close-up filters. Personally, I see no reason why it couldn’t house any standard 52mm screw-in filter.

The video then shows the accessory being 3D-printed and hand-assembled. A filter is then screwed onto the attachment as if it were simply the end of a lens.

What’s so nice about the hinged design is that you can quickly flip the filter out of the way if you need to (like if you want to photograph the total solar eclipse) and flip it back in place as and when required. Personally, I think this would be great for ND filters on a run-and-gun vlogging setup, especially if you’re moving from indoors to outdoors.

I recently explained how a lens filter changed my whole relationship with photography and, if you’ve never used a filter before, something like this could be a fun and accessible starting point. As it stands, I can’t find any word on an official release date or price, so watch this space.

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Most macro lenses boast a 1x magnification that enlarges tiny subjects to the size of the camera’s sensor – but macro specialist Laowa has unleashed a lens that not only reaches ten times that, but does so with parafocal zoom and an unusual solution to lighting tricky shots. The Laowa Asken 17.5mm f/1.7 5-10x Ultra Macro APO is the world’s first commercial 5-10x – and it launches alongside the Laowa Asken 45mm f/2.8 1-5x Ultra Macro APO.

Laowa – the macro specialist brand from Venus Optics – had previously showcased prototypes of the new lenses earlier this year (which is how the series has already won a TIPA Award). But the lenses – which arrive in both photo and cinema variants for multiple mounts – were officially unveiled in full detail on July 31, with orders already open for the new optics.

A few things have changed from the original prototype – chiefly, the series is now called Asken, not Axon – but what’s remained unchanged is the headline features. The largest magnification in Laowa’s lineup before was 5x, but the Laowa Asken 17.5mm is capable of capturing extreme closeups from 5x all the way to 10x on a full-frame sensor.

A 17.5mm lens that gets that close is nearly touching the subject itself – the lens is designed to sit as close as 22.48mm / .88 inches from the subject – which leaves no room to add lighting equipment.

But Laowa has built in a solution to the challenging lighting that such a close lens brings. The lens can twist on what’s called a Coaxial Light Block, an accessory with a hole to shine a light through. Coaxial lights are more traditionally used for cameras used for machine vision, but Laowa is calling on the concept to help light a subject that’s just milimetres away from the lens.

The Laowa 17.5mm uses a parafocal design. This means that, if the lens is focused at 5x, the subject will still be in focus when the lens twists to 10x, so photographers and videographers won’t need to adjust the focus after zooming in. That’s particularly helpful considering both lenses are manual focus only.

Keeping the lens barrel the same length also helps aid lighting set-ups – and avoiding accidentally bumping the subject itself with the lens.

Laowa says that chromatic aberration – a type of lens distortion that creates distracting colored fringing – tends to be a major challenge with extreme magnification. To help fight that, the lenses are designed with an apochromatic (APO) design to help reduce that colored fringing while also aiding in sharpness.

The Laowa 45mm f/2.8 1-5x brings the same parafofocal design, but brings a less extreme macro range of 1x to 5x and allows for more distance between the lens and the subject with a 40.35mm minimum working distance.

That much magnification requires a lot of pieces and components, so the lenses aren’t exactly compact. The 1-5x sits at 121mm / 4.76 inches and 599g / 21oz, while the 5-10x is at 127.5mm / 5 inches and 570g / 20 oz.

Both new lenses are launching in several mounts, covering a full-size sensor but also compatible with crop sensors. The still version is available in Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, L-Mount, Nikon F, Canon EF, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds. A cinema version will also be available in an Arri PL native mount, with interchangeable bayonets to adapt to Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Canon EF, L-Mount, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds.

Sales for both lenses opened today, July 31. Both photo variants of the lenses retail for $749 (about £556 / $AU1,066 / CA$1,050), with another $100 added to the 5-10x that includes the coaxial Light block. The cinema variants sit at $1,499 each (about £1,076 / AU$2,133 / CA$2,030).

The 17.5mm 5-10x and 45mm 1-5x are available to order from Laowa as well as authorized retailers.

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The third-party lens market is a highly competitive one with an increasing number of names in recent years. But long-standing optics maker Tamron says it now leads the third-party lens market with a share of approximately 60%.

The data comes from Tamron’s integrated report, an annual document that looks at the company’s achievements and future goals.

In the report, Tamron notes that it now holds a “leading market share of approximately 60%” for third-party interchangeable lenses.

That number, however, does include the lenses that Tamron manufactures for first-party brands. Lenses that carry the Tamron name make up 59% of the company’s numbers for 2025, with lenses produced for other brands sitting at 41%.

While the figure includes both Tamron-branded lenses and those that it manufactures but carry another name, the statistic is an unusual glimpse into the standings in the highly competitive third-party lens market.

Both Tamron and Sigma have long been a key part of the segment, but recent years have brought an increasing number of optics from lens makers based in China.

Part of Tamron’s success comes from doubling the number of lenses launched each year. As recently as 2023, Tamron was launching around 5 lenses a year, but Tamron has “more than 10 new products scheduled for 2026.”

The report also says that Tamron’s goal of “establishing a four-mount lineup, including Canon RF Mount” remains. Tamron’s first RF-mount lens arrived in 2024, and the company is now up to three RF-supported lenses – all for APS-C sensors.

Tamron attributes part of its success to what it calls “user-centric designs”.

“We set ourselves apart from manufacturers’ genuine products by combining a design philosophy focused on practicality with product planning that achieves both compactness and lightness alongside high performance,” the report says.

“We have gained support through user-centric designs, such as the standardization of filter diameters.”

Tamron is also attributing its growth to an approach to manufacturing that now stretches across three countries, including a new Vietnam plant opened last year.

With facilities now in Japan, China and Vietnam, Tamron says it has also been able to adjust the volume of each plant to help offset some higher tariff costs.

But Tamron’s growth comes as the company expects a “shrinking digital camera market.” The company’s plan includes retaining and growing its core lens business, but says lenses are also a stable “cash cow” in which to grow its other avenues – which also include surveillance lenses, lenses for car cameras and healthcare devices.

Tamron plans to continue growing its core photography business, but at a slower rate than other segments in order to create more stable revenue where interchangeable lenses make up two-thirds of the company’s profits rather than three-quarters.

The English language report was published on July 27, following a Japanese version published one month prior. The report comes amid the news that Sony has proposed buying all shares in Tamron.

Tamron has confirmed that an offer was made, but has not shared any decision or further insight on the matter. But the potential of Sony having full ownership makes the insight on Tamron’s 60% share in third-party optics – with 41% of that chunk being lenses manufactured for other companies – all the more interesting.

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I am never surprised to see that the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR is trending on Google. From the moment this formidable Nikon Z lens was launched back in 2023, it’s been a hugely popular optic for Nikon.

Indeed its spiritual forebear, the Nikon AF‑S 200‑500mm f/5.6E ED VR, is still a fixture in both hides and trackside the world over.

A fantastic performer that stops short of pro-level prices

The Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR sits firmly within the enthusiast bracket, but I’ve known pros to favor its blend of reach, affordability and relatively light weight, too.

Essentially, it’s a middle ground between lenses like the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD ($699 / £699 / AU$1,199) and the Nikon Z 28‑400mm f/4‑8 VR ($1,449 / £1,399 / AU$2,299), and serious pro-grade optics that arguably begin with the Nikon Z 100‑400mm f/4.5‑5.6 VR S ($2,949 / £2,699 / AU$4,799) and ends with the Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S ($16,199 / £15,499 / AU$28,299).

The Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR is priced at $2,199 / £1,999 / AU$3,099, placing it firmly in the middle. However, it’s important to remember that this is an extremely long lens.

The Big N doesn’t make many 600mm optics and the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR is the cheapest of the bunch. It might not be the fastest lens in the world, but it’s still very workable in a variety of situations – especially given the enhanced low-light capabilities of the best Nikon cameras and the industry-rocking power of AI noise reduction.

I get it, 2,000 bucks is a lot of anyone’s money and it’s beyond the reach of some creatives. But for sports and wildlife photographers, having a long lens like the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR in their arsenal is quite simply more important than the camera.

A lot of enthusiasts have no problem dropping big bucks on a body or two (or three), but shy away from investing in the optics they need to fulfill their creative ambition.

If you can’t afford the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR but have a Z-Series camera, my recommendation would be to pair a secondhand F-mount lens – such as the Nikon AF‑S 200‑500mm f/5.6E ED VR – with the Nikon FTZ adapter.

Right now, MPB is selling said lens from £589 / $849, but there is a wealth of long lenses on the used market that you can find for less.

Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR: How does it fare in 2026?

The Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR is a lovely lens to shoot with, delivering gorgeous image quality and a slick, internal zoom design.

But while the internal zoom does provide a more premium feel, it does mean that this lens will take up plenty of space in your kit bag. So much so that even a standard bag may struggle to accommodate this lens while it’s attached to a camera.

You get 5.5 stops of Vibration Reduction (Nikon’s proprietary optical stabilization) and customizable function buttons, as well as some decent weather sealing. It doesn’t boast the greatest tripod collar and foot, though, with the latter being rather small and uncomfortable when used as a handle, but this is easily replaced if it bothers you enough (I’ve kept mine).

And while the f/5.6-6.3 aperture range might seem a bit slow, with some cunning subject positioning it’s not hard to blur the background – especially as you’ll likely spend most of your time at the telephoto end anyway.

Overall, the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR represents just as good value and delivers just as good a performance three years after its release. I’d recommend it to anyone.

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Two years with the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR: Still a wildlife or sports enthusiast’s dream lens. I chose the Nikon Z 180-600mm for its value and reach, but my chiropractor would recommend the Z 100-400mm. And here are the best lenses for bird photography.

Yesterday, a bombshell report from Diamond Online claimed that Sony had proposed an offer to acquire all the shares in Tamron. And today, Tamron issued an official statement to confirm that it has received a “non-binding proposal” from the consumer tech giant to make the optical manufacturer a “wholly-owned subsidiary of the Sony Group”.

Tamron says that it has put together a “special committee” to weigh up its options, but that currently public disclosure on any matter is not required.

Sony and Tamron’s long-standing relationship

While the news has certainly come out of the blue, it’s not exactly surprising that Sony would express interest in acquiring Tamron. The global consumer electronics conglomerate has been Tamron’s largest shareholder for years, with a percentage that rose to 15.35% in December of last year.

But a couple of weeks ago, Digital Camera Life reported that Sony was facing competition from the second-largest shareholder, Effissimo Capital Management, which increased its stake to 17.38% in April.

Having a business partner like Sony is something of a safety net for Tamron, so Effissimo’s aggressive play isn’t necessarily a welcome one. And given the timing, it’s certainly possible that losing its majority stake was the catalyst for Sony’s proposal.

What could Sony’s proposal mean?

Tamron hasn’t revealed any details beyond confirming Sony’s proposal. However, according to the Diamond Online report, this could mean a ¥200 billion offer, which equates to roughly $1.2 billion / £916.4 million / AU$1.75 billion / CA$1.72 billion.

And there’s another angle to this. If Sony does indeed acquire Tamron, what happens to the various mounts for which the company makes optics – could we see a future where Tamron is exclusive to E-mount?

In my opinion, I don’t think Sony will scupper lens sales for Nikon Z, Canon RF and Fujifilm X by limiting mounts. After all, it wouldn’t be the largest global supplier of image sensors if it only supplied its own cameras.

Digital Camera World will be monitoring the Tamron and Sony situation carefully. The story continues…

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Sony has held a slice of shares in third-party lens maker Tamron for multiple years, but an investigation led by a Japanese business publication hints that the camera giant has explored acquiring all of the shares in Tamron.

According to interviews from the Japanese business publication Diamond, Sony has proposed an offer to acquire all of the shares in Tamron. The report suggests a 200 billion yen proposal, which would be about $1.2 billion / £916.4 million / AU$1.75 billion / CA$1.72 billion at current exchange rates.

Neither Sony nor Tamron has validated the investigative report, and the report only describes a proposal, not an accepted agreement. The Japanese report has sparked an onslaught of rumors and speculation about whether such an acquisition would happen and, if it did, what such a move would mean for Tamron's non-Sony lenses.

Sony already owns a significant portion of Tamron’s shares. But, last month, reports suggested that Singapore-based investment fund Effissimo had surpassed Sony in share percentage, moving from a 10.76 percent stake to 17.38 percent.

Tamron’s most recent official shareholder list was updated in December 2025 and shows Sony as the leading shareholder at 15.35 percent.

Digital Camera World has reached out to both Tamron and Sony for comment.

Historically, Sony’s partial share ownership has been a positive for Sony photographers. Tamron lenses tend to launch to E-Mount first, though the brand hinted earlier this year that more new lenses may take a multi-mount approach at launch, rather than delaying the launch for additional mounts.

The rumors, however, have sparked another key discussion: What would happen to Tamron’s other mount options if Sony owned Tamron? Tamron’s financial reports don’t break down how much of the business’s sales are to other brands, but the multi-mount approach feels key to Tamron’s identity as a third-party lens brand.

The E-Mount by far makes up a majority of Tamron’s lens options. Tamron’s website currently lists 23 E-Mount lenses, 13 Nikon Z lenses, four Canon RF lenses, and four Fujifilm X-Mount lenses.

According to Tamron’s 2025 investor report, Tamron aims to increase the number of lenses launched each year from six to ten.

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You’ll never catch me opting for a fast f/1.8 prime with stellar subject separation if I can get the same focal length in a zoom lens – even if it means sacrificing a stop of aperture, or even two, at the telephoto end.

But guess what? I don’t care. As someone who, more often than not, finds himself taking pictures of rugged landscapes and adventurous outdoor activities, the last thing I want is a backpack full of different lenses that I need to constantly change to get the shot.

For example, as an Alpha shooter, why would I opt for a trio of Sony 35mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8, and 135mm f/1.8 G Master (or cheaper alternative) primes when I can get a 24-105mm f/4 G Master zoom lens – or even better in terms of aperture, a Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8?

It just doesn't make sense to me to lug around all this kit when the only real benefit is the wider maximum apertures, especially when you can now easily add in a stop or two of blur in post-production while retaining a natural feel to the image.

The counterargument, of course, is that there are different courses for different horses.

I also know it can be hard to undo the whole idea around “fast primes with creamy bokeh” being the best lenses for portraits, which camera manufacturers have drummed into us over the years – no doubt hoping we’ll part ways with more cash for more gear we probably don’t need.

But I still don’t care. Even if the zoom I opt for costs a few hundred bucks more than a set of individual primes combined, I’ll happily take it – knowing that I only need to use my legs to get a bit of extra wide-angle view or telephoto zoom, not change my lens altogether and risk missing the shot.

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Meike may be preparing to expand its autofocus lens lineup for the Fujifilm GFX system after demand for its new AF 85mm f/1.8 reportedly exceeded the company’s expectations.

According to Fujirumors, information shared by a Chinese photography blogger covering the Shanghai Photo and Imaging Expo suggests that Meike has been surprised by the level of interest in its first autofocus G-mount lens – and that it now intends to follow it with more options.

I think this is particularly exciting news because third-party autofocus support has been one of the few areas in which the GFX system has continued to feel relatively restricted. Fujifilm’s own GF lenses are often optically exceptional, but photographers have not enjoyed the same breadth of affordable autofocus alternatives available to users of Sony E, Nikon Z or Canon RF cameras. The apparent success of the Meike 85mm f/1.8 shows that there is a genuine appetite for more accessible GFX glass.

Two possible lenses mentioned during the show were a 65mm f/1.7 and a 110mm f/2, both of which would make a lot of sense for the system. A 65mm f/1.7 could offer GFX photographers a fast standard prime, while a 110mm f/2 would sit firmly in portrait territory and potentially provide an alternative to Fujifilm’s own GF110mmF2 R LM WR.

However, it remains unclear whether these specifications came directly from Meike or were simply suggestions made by the blogger reporting from the event, so I would not treat either lens as confirmed just yet.

There may be even more planned. Fujirumors also recalled an earlier post from another Chinese source that reportedly claimed Meike was working on additional GFX autofocus lenses at 30mm, 40mm, 50mm, 80mm and 110mm. That original post has since been removed, meaning I have been unable to verify the claim or see exactly how the information was presented.

The repeated mention of a 110mm lens is certainly interesting, but until Meike makes an official announcement, the entire list should be treated as an unconfirmed roadmap rather than a firm product schedule.

Meike officially launched the AF 85mm f/1.8 for GFX in Asia earlier this month, following its initial appearance at the China P&E imaging show in May. The lens weighs just 406g and contains 11 optical elements arranged in seven groups, with an STM motor handling autofocus. It can focus as close as 0.65m, offers 0.17x maximum magnification and accepts 62mm filters, making it a relatively compact and lightweight portrait option for Fujifilm’s larger-format camera system.

I have always believed that the GFX system would benefit enormously from greater third-party competition, especially from manufacturers willing to experiment with faster apertures and more approachable prices. It is too early to know which of these rumored lenses will become real products, but the reported response to the 85mm f/1.8 sends Meike a very clear message: GFX photographers want more autofocus choices, and they appear ready to buy them.

A rare Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH. prototype created during the development of the one-of-a-kind Leica M for (RED) is heading to auction. According to Leica Rumors, the lens will be offered at the next Wetzlar Camera Auctions sale, which is scheduled to take place in Wetzlar, Germany, on October 10, 2026.

The prototype dates from around 2012 and was designed as part of the celebrated Leica project led by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson.

The lens was developed on behalf of the charitable organization (RED), which commissioned Ive and Newson to create a completely reimagined version of the Leica M rangefinder.

Although manufactured by Leica, the camera and its accompanying APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH. lens featured a radically different appearance from the company’s traditional M-system products, with their exterior surfaces produced using a specially formulated metal alloy.

The prototype heading to auction does not carry a serial number and has a different design from the finished lens that was eventually paired with the unique Leica M for (RED).

This makes it more than just an unusual finish applied to a standard APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH.; it represents one of the experimental stages in the creation of a camera that would go on to become one of the most recognizable Leica special editions ever produced.

The final Leica M for (RED) replaced the familiar leather covering found on most Leica M cameras with a finely textured, laser-machined anodized aluminum exterior. More than 21,000 tiny hemispheres formed the distinctive surface, while both the camera body and lens were created from the custom-engineered alloy. Leica says that 561 models and approximately 1,000 prototype components were produced during the project’s 85-day development period, demonstrating just how much work went into creating the single finished camera.

That finished Leica M for (RED), equipped with a full-frame CMOS sensor and the specially designed APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH., was sold at Sotheby’s in New York in November 2013. The camera achieved a remarkable $1.8 million, far exceeding its original estimate, with proceeds from the wider (RED) auction supporting the Global Fund’s work against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa.

Although this upcoming lot is only the prototype lens rather than the complete $1.8 million camera, its lack of a serial number, alternative design and direct connection to Ive and Newson’s creative process should make it an enticing piece of Leica history.

Wetzlar Camera Auctions has not revealed how much the lens is expected to achieve. Still, its status as a surviving prototype from one of Leica’s most ambitious design collaborations could generate considerable interest when bidding begins on October 10.

According to Leica Rumors, a new limited-edition Lailens LTM 50mm f/1.1 KP lens has been released in Japan, offering Leica M photographers an exceptionally fast, rangefinder-coupled optic with some serious vintage inspiration.

The new lens pays homage to the celebrated Kino Plasmat 5cm f/1.5 from pre-war Germany, attempting to recreate its distinctive character for modern photographers. Production will be restricted to just 70 lenses worldwide, making this a particularly rare addition to the growing market for alternative Leica M glass.

The Lailens LTM 50mm f/1.1 KP reportedly began as a passion project after a young developer connected with the enthusiasm of an experienced vintage-lens collector. Lens designer DJ was then commissioned to develop a modern interpretation of the classic design, preserving the spirit of the original Kino Plasmat rather than simply producing another technically perfect contemporary 50mm lens.

The result is intended to combine the atmosphere of an old optical design with the convenience of a lens that can be used on today’s full-frame rangefinder and mirrorless cameras.

Wide open at f/1.1, the lens promises an extremely shallow depth of field, rich bokeh and a soft, almost oil-painting-like quality. Rather than prioritising clinical sharpness and perfectly corrected results, the Lailens is designed to gently blur fine details, highlights and the edges of a subject, producing images with what its manufacturer describes as a fantastical atmosphere.

It is the kind of deliberately characterful rendering that could make the lens particularly appealing for portraits, nighttime photography and more experimental everyday shooting.

Despite that enormous f/1.1 aperture, the lens measures approximately 44.5mm in length and weighs around 308g, so it should remain relatively manageable when attached to a Leica M camera.

It offers a minimum focusing distance of 0.5m, a 52mm filter thread and a manual aperture range running from f/1.1 to f/16. The official specification lists a 13-bladed aperture, while rangefinder coupling is supported, although the closest coupled focusing distance may depend on the camera being used. Black and silver versions will both be available.

The Lailens LTM 50mm f/1.1 KP is priced at ¥138,800 in Japan and is supplied with a lens hood, front and rear caps, a lens case and an L39-to-M adapter ring. With only 70 examples planned for worldwide production, availability outside Japan may prove limited, but its combination of an ultra-fast aperture, compact construction and intentionally nostalgic rendering could make it highly desirable among Leica photographers and collectors searching for something a little less conventional.

See our guide to the best Leica M lenses

According to the rumor mill, the newly-announced Sony FX5 was supposed to launch alongside a purported Sony 100-400mm f/5.6-8 FE, but that hasn’t exactly materialized. I know I’m operating with the benefit of hindsight, but I’m not at all surprised that the two products weren’t launched together. After all, they’re completely unrelated. The much-anticipated Sony FX5 would have completely stolen the Sony 100-400mm f/5.6-8 FE’s thunder. How could it not?

But on a personal level, I’m extremely excited for the proposed release of this lens. Sure, the supposed aperture range of f/5.6 to f/8 might seem slow as molasses, but for the reported asking price of €899 (approx $1,020 / 769) by way of Sony Alpha Rumors, it’s shaping up to be an accessible supertelephoto zoom in a class that’s fraught with expensive glass. My mind immediately goes to the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM, which launched back in 2021 for an extremely good-value price of $649 / £699 and is a lens that’s frequently discounted.

This class of lens isn’t for everyone, but I like to think of it as an alternative option to a bridge camera. Take the recently released Sony RX10 V for example; you get an equivalent 24-600mm f/2.4-4 reach, but the compromise is that 1-inch-type sensor.

If the Sony 100-400mm f/5.6-8 FE launches, you’d have another Sony option. A slightly smaller zoom range and narrower aperture range, but the option to stick that lens on an APS-C or full-frame body that’ll deliver much better image quality. There isn’t a right or wrong answer, but it’s nice to have the choice.

A supertelephoto lens this slow would come with some concessions. Camera shake is the enemy of the supertelephoto lens, and with narrower apertures making it harder to accommodate fast shutter speeds, you would need to make sure you’re shooting in ample light to get the best out of this class of lens.

As such, you’ll want to be operating in bright, daytime conditions. This won't be a lens to accompany you in a dark forest. And while that does limit its uses, it would still be a great option for daytime nature reserve trips and safaris, as well as daytime sporting events. Motorsport is a great shout, given you work at slower shutter speeds when panning.

Another benefit from this class of lens is size. The Canon weighs just 635g, which in comparison to pro-grade 400mm optics is very light indeed. Could Sony beat it? Only time will tell. Other information is thin on the ground, although according to Digital Camera Info, which cited tipster how2fly, the lens could have “a focus limiter that doubles as an AF/MF switch”.

In all honesty, I don’t think Sony has to do very much at all to make this 100-400mm lens a winner. As long as the image quality is decent and the price is right, I can see wildlife and sports enthusiasts on a budget swiping these off online shelves left, right and center. If Sony does indeed announce this lens, Digital Camera World will be right here reporting on it.

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A few days ago 7Artisans teased a new ultra-wide angle lens which will be positioned as the second entry in the company's Max line-up. Aside from a silhouette of the lens itself, we also had a brief caption in Chinese text, which roughly translated to "Automatic ultra wide-angle. A new starting point." Judging by the visible outline of a petal-shaped lens hood, it wasn't too big a stretch to speculate that this could be a fisheye lens.

Well, more details have now emerged, and we can confirm that the lens is indeed a fisheye, with full-frame coverage, called the AF 10mm f/2.5 Max. The official announcement from 7Artisans is expected to take place on July 28th, so we don't have long to wait for full details. Until then, PhotoRumors.com has reported that the lens will have a 185-degree field of view and will sport a metal lens barrel, contributing to the lens’s 504g weight.

The lens will be available in Sony E, Nikon Z and L-mount options. Pricing has yet to be disclosed, but it'll almost certainly be compelling. The first 7Artisan's Max lens - the AF 135mm f/1.8 Max - costs $689/£615, significantly undercutting rival lenses from Sony, Nikon and Sigma. Could this turn out to be one of the best lenses for astrophotography? Hopefully we'll get our hands on one for a full review soon.

Often referred to as ‘trinity’ lenses, wide-angle, standard and telephoto zooms with a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout the range typically include 14-24mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm focal lengths respectively. They’re relatively ‘fast’ in terms of aperture rating, compared with f/4 zooms and those with a narrower and variable aperture rating that shrinks as you extend through the zoom range.

There’s a catch, however, in that trinity zooms tend to be big, heavy and expensive to buy. But that’s no longer the whole story. So-called ‘alternative trinity’ lenses have become popular, which generally have a slightly different zoom range but retain an f/2.8 constant aperture. Tamron was an earlier pioneer of these trend-setting lenses, including the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD wide-angle zoom, Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD G2 standard zoom and Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 telephoto zoom, the last couple now being in their G2 (Generation 2) editions.

And there’s more! Although they don’t have a constant f/2.8 aperture, Tamron set about creating lenses with a more generous 35-150mm zoom range. These are ideal for wedding and event photography, as well as for general shooting. First up was the Tamron 35-150mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD for Canon and Nikon DSLRs, followed by the properly fast but still variable-aperture Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD, available for Nikon and Sony mirrorless cameras.

The newer Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD that I’m reviewing here comes in the same Nikon Z and Sony E mount options as the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 lens. It doesn’t stretch so far into telephoto territory, but builds a constant-aperture design into a much more compact, lightweight and affordable package, aiming to be one of the best wedding and event photography lenses. It’s potentially also one of the best alternative trinity zooms for people who prefer extra telephoto reach to greater wide-angle coverage.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD: Specifications

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD: Price

What price a trinity standard zoom lens? The latest own-brand examples from the likes of Canon, Nikon and Sony cost around $2,500, so they certainly don’t come cheap. Now in its second generation, the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD G2 was something of a game-changer for Sony mirrorless cameras, the G2 also being available in Nikon Z mount. It has a slightly different zoom range but is much more lightweight and affordable, at around $849 / £649 / AU$1,599. Indeed, Nikon liked the original version of the lens so much that it remade it and badged it as its own, the Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 costing around $1,049 / £889 / AU$1,599. By the way, I prefer the Tamon G2 lens out of the two.

Naturally, the Tamron 35-100mm shifts the zoom range compared with all of the above, but retains a similar pricing to its sibling 28-75mm lens, at $899 / £799 / AU$1,499. That’s not much more than half the price of the bigger and heavier Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD, which sells for around $1,699 / £1,499 / AU$2,799 (look out for generous discounts in Australia). Whichever way you look at it, the new 35-100mm looks like it could be a proper bargain, if its performance is up to scratch.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD: Design & Handling

I’ve done a fair bit of wedding photography and covered events from corporate gatherings to equestrian shows and competitions. One thing they all bring to the party, so to speak, is the risk of missing important, unrepeatable shots because you happen to be swapping between different lenses on your camera when a crucial moment pops up. The more I think about it, this is actually a potential problem that applies to many shooting scenarios and different types of photography. My usual solution is to use two camera bodies with a different type of lens on each, but that’s an expensive and cumbersome way of doing things.

The biggest attraction of this Tamron lens, as far as I’m concerned, is its combination of 35-100mm zoom range with a relatively fast and constant f/2.8 aperture rating. The zoom range works really well for weddings and events, from scene-setting and group shots to individual portraits. Some might feel that the wide-angle coverage at 35mm is a bit limiting for group shots but I wouldn’t go any wider, otherwise people towards the edges of the image frame are in danger of getting their heads stretched.

The Tamron has a fully internal focusing mechanism, but it does physical stretch in length as you sweep from the shortest to the longest focal length. Frankly, I’d expect nothing less in a lens with a 35-100mm zoom range. In fact, I’m surprised that the physical extension is as small as is it, equating to about three-quarters of an inch. You can see how that looks in practice by checking out the images above and below.

The advantage of shooting a lengthy wedding or other event with a single camera body and lens (for at least most of it) is somewhat negated if the lens in question is big and heavy. The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD that I mentioned earlier isn’t massive but it’s quite weighty at 1,165g or about 41oz, and can feel a bit of a lump after a couple of hours of shooting. The 35-100mm that I’m reviewing here is a relative lightweight, at just under half the weight of its sibling, tipping the scales at 1,165g / 20oz.

Diving deeper into the autofocus system, it’s of Tamron’s VXD variety, powered by Voice-Coil Extreme-Torque Drive. As such, it’s very rapid yet virtually silent in operation. There’s a big range on offer as well, as the focusing distance comes down from infinity to just 0.22m (8.7 inches) at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, and 0.65m (25.6 inches) at the telephoto end. This gives you a maximum magnification ratio of 0.3x (wide) and 0.17x (tele), so the lens is capable of pretty extreme close-ups.

The lens is based on 15 optical elements arranged in 13 groups, including three glass molded aspherical elements, two LD (Low Dispersion) elements and one XLD (eXtreme LD) element, aiming for optimum resolution and clarity with minimal aberrations. Tamron’s proprietary BBAR G2 (Broad Band Anti-Reflection) and nano-structure eBAND (Extended Bandwidth and Angular Dependency) coatings are added to minimize ghosting and flare.

There’s no dedicated aperture control ring but the lens does feature a customizable function button and 3-way custom settings switch. I tend to use the function button for AF-hold but plenty of other options are generally available from the host camera’s menu system. Using the Tamron Lens Utility and optional Tamron-Link Bluetooth adapter (see below) you can assign aperture control to the lens’s focus ring, as well as setting up focus points for automatically transitioning between them.

Various custom settings are available thanks to compatibility with the Tamron Lens Utility, which you can download onto your computer and then connect the lens using a USB-C cable. Alternatively, you can buy the tiny Tamron-Link Bluetooth adapter for around $50 / £59 / AU$80, which plugs into the lens’s USB-C port and enables wireless connectivity with a smartphone app, giving the option of custom settings and remote control of the lens.

The lens comes complete with a petal-shaped, reversible hood that has the usual bayonet-fit arrangement. You also get front and rear lens caps, the front one having a pinch-style mechanism that can be operated even with the hood is attached in its forward-facing orientation.

There are multiple weather-seals incorporated in the design, including a rubber gasket on the metal mounting plate. Overall, build quality feels solid and robust, despite the lightweight construction of the lens.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD: Performance

Performance of the autofocus system in the Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lives up to its billing, with very fast and virtually silent operation of the Voice-Coil Extreme-Torque Drive system. I also found that autofocus was consistently accurate during my tests, and well able to keep up with moving subjects in conjunction with face/eye-detection AF modes.

The 35-100mm zoom range is very useful in practice, and the lens maintains excellent sharpness and clarity throughout. There’s no optical image stabilization, or ‘Vibration Compensation’ as Tamron calls it. That’s not really an issue with Nikon and Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, which all feature IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) apart from the original first-generation Sony Alpha 7 series cameras. However, the omission of VC is a disappointment if you want to use the lens on an APS-C format Nikon or Sony camera, which mostly lack IBIS. It’s still a tempting option, as the lens has an ‘effective’ zoom range of 52.5-150mm on an APS-C body, neatly covering standard to medium telephoto focal lengths. The shots above and below show both extremities of the zoom range on a full-frame camera.

Naturally, image quality is never just about sharpness. The opposite comes into play, especially with relatively ‘fast’ lenses that can deliver a tight depth of field for isolating subjects against a blurred background. I’ve always thought that fast Tamron lenses tend to deliver very pleasant bokeh, and this one reinforces my opinion. The lens can’t compete with really fast primes with aperture ratings of f/1.2 to f/1.8, but it’s still capable of a pretty tight depth of field at f/2.8, especially towards the long end of the zoom range and when shooting close-ups.

Another performance bonus as far as I’m concerned is that the compact, lightweight build for an f/2.8 zoom adds versatility in practical terms. It puts travel, street and walkabout photography on the agenda, where the fast autofocus system enables you to react quickly to spontaneous moments.

The application of Tamron’s BBAR G2 and nano-structure eBAND optical coatings enhance the inherent design of the lens in terms of minimizing ghosting and flare. The example shot below was taken ‘against the light’ on a sun-soaked beach, just to prove the point.

Distortions and color fringing are technically present but of a low order and well within the remit of automatic in-camera corrections. Unlike many modern lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, especially those that aim to be compact and lightweight, the Tamron doesn’t rely on automatic correction for distortion being ‘forced on’ and you can disable it in camera settings if you wish.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD: Sample Images

The example shots in the following gallery were taken at the English seaside (or at least Severn Estuary) town of Weston-Super-Mare in the county of Somerset. Some of the photos are in pairs, taken of the same scene from the same vantage point at the shortest and longest zoom setting, and there’s also a triplet that includes an interim focal length, to give an idea of the overall zoom range. I also used a variety of medium and wide aperture settings, the latter to show the lens’s ability to deliver a fairly tight depth of field.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD: 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 image frame is exemplary throughout most of the zoom range, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8. Towards the long end, it pays to stop down to apertures of between f/4 and f/8 for premium sharpness, which also maximizes sharpness towards the edges and corners of the frame. Overall though, sharpness is very impressive.

Fringing:

Color fringing is very minimal across the entire image frame, at all apertures and focal lengths. You’d be hard pressed to see any lateral chromatic aberration even at the extreme edges and corners of the frame, with automatic in-camera correction disabled.

Distortion:

There’s a little barrel distortion at the most wide-angle zoom setting of 35mm, whereas pincushion distortion can be quite noticeable in the 50-100mm sector of the zoom range. Even so, the Tamron relies less on automatic in-camera correction for distortions than many modern lenses designed for mirrorless cameras.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD: Verdict

I’m often a big fan of an ultra-wide-angle perspective, which is off-limits with this lens. But the sacrifice is one that’s well worth making if I can get a 35-100mm zoom range from a single lens, complete with a constant f/2.8 aperture rating. For weddings and event photography, it could well be the only lens you really need, especially as it can take pretty extreme close-ups as well (I’m thinking wedding rings and the like).

What’s more remarkable is that the desirable zoom range and fairly fast aperture are shoehorned into such a compact, lightweight and easily manageable build, complete with weather-seals. I found that I can shoot for hours on end without the Tamron literally becoming a pain in the neck. It also works a treat for street, travel and walkabout photography, the long end of the zoom range covering more distance than a typical standard lens.

Although small and light, there’s no skimping on performance. The lens has excellent sharpness and clarity and very good control over distortion, color fringing, ghosting and flare. The VXD autofocus system is another big plus point, being really rapid and virtually silent in operation. Okay, so the Tamron doesn’t have a dedicated aperture control ring or optical stabilization, but it does have a customizable function button and 3-way custom settings switch. And most Sony and all Nikon full-frame mirrorless cameras have IBIS anyway. All in all, the Tamron 35-100mm is a fabulous lens at a bargain price, and gets top marks from me.

Alternatives

7artisans has been teasing the launch of a new lens – and I have been trying to work out what it is from the limited information provided by the silhouetted image and the Chinese writing.

The first thing that's clear is that this will be second lens in 7artisan's MAX range. The first was the AF 135mm f/1.8 Max – a fast, metal-bodied autofocus prime for Sony, Nikon, and L-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. It is safe to assume that the newest addition will also be a fast prime and available in these three mounts.

If you use Google to decipher the characters, you then get this rough translation "Automatic ultra wide-angle. A new starting point." The petal-shaped lens hood in the image also reaffirms this is a super-side lens – as is the suggestion that it would be a good lens for astrophotography.

Reading on, the teaser says "The secret will be revealed soon", and then adds the enigmatic last line, "In its eyes, there are no right angles."

I might be reading too much into this, but to me this strongly suggests this is a fisheye lens - ie non-rectilinear prime that purposely doesn't correct for distorted lines in order to fit more into the frame.

Rumor site Asobinet.com additionally tells us that the model number for this new lens 012456 - and that these six digits will contain both the focal length of the lens, and its maximum aperture. It offers 10mm f/4, 12mm f/4 or 14mm f/2 as possibilities – all of which could easily be diagonal (non-circular) fisheye lenses of the type I am imagining.

What we also know is that the first Max lens was competitively priced… The 7artisans AF 135mm f/1.8 Max is now on sale for $689/£615 in Sony FE, Nikon Z, or L-mount fittings.

Hopefully we really will get full details soon…

With camera manufacturers now focused on mirrorless systems, it would be easy to assume DSLR lenses have faded into history. Japan's latest sales figures suggest otherwise. According to Japanese retailer Kitamura, a 11-year-old Canon DSLR lens climbed to No.2 in its best-selling lens chart for June 2026 – outperforming almost every modern mirrorless lens on the list.

The lens in question is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. The only optic ahead of it is the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary for Canon RF mount – the company's first RF lens. The zoom is also available for Sony E, L-mount and Fujifilm X-mount.

Kitamura's June Top 10 reflects today's mixed lens market, with two lenses each from Sigma, Canon, Sony and Nikon, while Tamron and Fujifilm each claim one spot. Yet among all those zooms, there's just a single prime lens in the ranking – and it's the budget-friendly DSLR fifty first released more than a decade ago.

Kitamura's 10 best-selling lenses, June 2026

1. Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C (RF-mount)
2. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
3. Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN | C ( E-mount)
4. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
5. Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S
6. Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS
7. Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II
8. Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 (E-mount)
9. Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
10. Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II

Why the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is so popular

Launched in 2015, Canon's EF f/1.8 STM is still available for $169 / £129, making it one of the most affordable first-party prime lenses on the market.

In our review, we described the classic nifty fifty as an "affordable marvel that any Canon photographer should own."

Our reviewer, Matthew Richards, praised its combination of sharp optics, smooth bokeh, fast and reliable AF (autofocus) and exceptional value for many, arguing that it outperforms Canon's EF 50mm f/1.4 USM in almost every meaningful area apart from its wider maximum aperture.

Its lightweight 160g (5.6 oz) design only adds to its appeal, making it an easy everyday lens for DSLR photographers.

Perhaps most impressively, our testing found that the budget-friendly prime delivered more accurate AF than the pricier EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, and produced sharper images across much of the f/1.8-2.8 aperture range.

It also offered better edge sharpness on APS-C cameras, along with lower levels of color fringing and distortion.

Taken together, those qualities help explain why a decade-old DSLR lens continues to attract buyers, even as the camera industry shifted almost entirely to mirrorless systems.

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Viltrox has officially announced that two of its popular line of "Air" prime lenses are coming to Micro Four Thirds cameras (MFT), giving the format a much-needed shot in the arm of third-party support.

While MFT is the longest-running and most prolific mirrorless format, having launched back in 2008, third-party manufacturers have gradually stopped releasing new lenses over the years.

Perhaps most significantly, Sigma stopped developing Micro Four Thirds lenses back in 2023 (though it has produced OEM lenses for OM System, such as the M.Zuiko 150-600mm).

However, this announcement could signify that Viltrox is about to fill the void left by Japanese third-party lens makers.

The Viltrox 25mm f/1.7 Air along with the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 Air have both been confirmed for MFT cameras, offering respective 50mm and 70mm equivalent prime focal lengths.

The former is a slightly crowded space, including first-party "nifty fifty" options in the form of the weather-sealed OM System 25mm f/1.8 II and the affordable "plastic fantastic" Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 Asph.

(The Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 II has reportedly been discontinued.)

The latter is a different story, though, with the closest autofocus options being the Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 Macro and the Panasonic Lumix G Macro 30mm f/2.8 Asph Mega OIS, both of which offer a shorter 60mm equivalent experience.

While it hasn't been confirmed by Viltrox, my assumption is that these lenses are simple mount swaps with the same general size and optical formula for larger APS-C image circles (since they are already available for Fujifilm X, Nikon Z and Sony E).

In other words, don't expect the lenses to possess new slimmed-down designs that better befit the more compact MFT bodies.

Still, if these first two primes prove popular, it seems likely that we can expect more Viltrox optics to make their way to Micro Four Thirds. In addition to the brilliant Evo and Lab lenses, I'd personally love to see the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 – an ultra-thin autofocus pancake lens.

Pre-orders and international pricing have yet to be confirmed, but both the Viltrox 25mm f/1.7 Air and Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 Air carry a price tag of ¥899 in China – which is around $130 / £99 / AU$189.

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Meike has launched a new fast portrait prime lens: the 85mm f/1.4 Mix II. If that sounds familiar, it's been only a matter of months since the company gave us another 85mm lens, the 85mm f/1.8 SE II.

But where that was a budget lens, this new version costs over twice the price. The extra cash buys you that extra 1/3-stop aperture speed, along with a much more substantial build - the f/1.4 Mix II is both bigger and nearly twice as heavy as the f/1.8 lens. Meike has managed to lighten it compared to the original f/1.4 Mix though, and it's equipped with a smoother and quieter ‘Hyper STM’ autofocus motor. The Mix II can also focus closer than its f/1.4 predecessor - 0.81m vs. 0.98m - and it's claimed to have better sharpness and resistance to flare.

The image quality advantages come courtesy of a 15-element optical stack arranged in 11 groups. The glass includes three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, three HR (High Refractive index) elements and one aspherical element, along with multi-layer coatings. On the outside you'll find a physical aperture ring that moves in 1/3-stop steps, plus a click/de-click switch that enables smooth and silent aperture transitions when shooting video.

The 85mm f/1.4 Mix II is available for Nikon Z (FX), Sony E (FE), and L-mount cameras and costs $569 / £429 / AU$826. As mentioned, that's a serious price increase compared to the existing 85mm f/1.8 SE II, but the f/1.4 is built to be a professional-grade tool, and judged by that standard, it's very well priced compared to equivalent Nikon, Sigma and Sony lenses.

We've already got our hands on a Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II to see how it performs compared to its rivals - check out our full review here.

The Megadap M2RF makes a tantalizing promise: to enable manual focus Leica M lenses, designed for rangefinders with their magical rendering, to be used on Canon RF cameras with full support for Dual Pixel Autofocus – including eye tracking and subject detection.

Well, it's tantalizing and it's also true: the Megadap M2RF transforms Leica's gorgeous rangefinder glass into autofocus EOS R optics. Something for which, as a Canon shooter, I'm doubly grateful, given how closed the RF mount is to full-frame AF lenses from other manufacturers.

I had a blast using ultra-refined M-mount lenses to capture images with their unique character on my Canon EOS R5, though there are definitely a few asterisks that potential buyers should be aware of.

Megadap M2RF: Price & availability

The Megadap M2RF adapter is available for pre-order now, priced $399 / £429 (Australian pricing to follow).

For comparison, Megadap currently produces two other cross-mount autofocus adapters: the Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ (Sony E to Nikon Z) for $249 / £259 and Megadap EFTZ21 (Canon EF to Nikon Z) for $299 / 299.

Megadap M2RF: Build & handling

The build quality on the Megadap M2RF is first class. This isn't one of those flimsy adapters you get on eBay; it's a reassuringly heavy, substantially constructed device, beautifully machined and with thick, solid gold-plated contacts.

It has a custom coreless motor, with dual-hall (using two magnetic sensors) and optical sensing, using an electronic helicoid driver system for steady and precise control of the attached lens.

All the controls are likewise exquisitely made, from the aperture switch to the AF / MF selection button to the lens release. This feels every inch a premium product, befitting the luxury Leica glass that will be mounted to it.

As I'll explain in the Performance section below, the aperture switch is used to select the aperture from the preset positions that sync with your camera's aperture setting.

The AF / MF button gives you a one-touch toggle between auto and manual focus (whereupon M2RF retracts back to infinity). You can also double-tap the button in manual mode to engage manual macro mode, which fully extends the lens to its maximum focus position.

As a bonus, because the adapter extends the lens by up to 4.5mm beyond its original position, this reduces the 0.7m standard minimum focus distance of M lenses – enabling you to get close-up shots without accessories like extension tubes, unlocking new creative opportunities.

I also want to shout out the front and back caps, which are so often an afterthought from third-party manufacturers. These are handsome-looking transparent caps, bearing the Megadap logo, and like the rest of the unit feel very premium.

Even so, while it's an impressively robust product, there is one key limitation to the lenses you can mount to the Megadap: how much they weigh.

While every make of M-mount glass is supported, whether it's made by Leica, Voigtländer, Zeiss or anyone else, it only plays nicely with lenses that are 500g or less – which means that bigger, heavier M glass won't be well suited, as they put too much strain on the mount and motor.

And of course, if you're feeling brave, you can double-stack almost any other vintage lens (such as M42 glass) via an M-mount adapter and then attach that to the M2RF for even more creative possibilities.

Megadap M2RF: Performance

I primarily tested the Megadap M2RF with the Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Classic and Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 Asph. Overall, it delivers pretty astonishing performance for specific genres of photography – or, perhaps more accurately, for a specific pace of photography.

For portraiture, still life, landscape, travel, street and everyday shooting – in other words, shooting at a fairly soft pace or with a gently moving subject – it's absolutely brilliant.

For example, the autofocus keeps up with people absolutely wonderfully during a portrait session. The eye tracking is particularly impressive, and it's also steady and reliable for head and full-body tracking when your subject moves around. Using the Megadap for the first time is really quite a magical experience.

However, other genres and paces of photography are definitely not well suited to what the Megadap does. If you're hoping to shoot fast action like sports or wildlife, that's not what this adapter is for. Nor are most forms of video, where multi-axis movement overwhelms the device.

More than just the capabilities of the device itself, though, it's important to understand that there is a lot expected of the user that may surprise someone expecting a plug-and-play, fully automatic experience.

The Megadap M2RF is a "push-pull" adapter that uses a helical drive to move the lens forward and backward in order to shift the plane of focus. As such, you must remember to turn the focus ring of your adapted lens to infinity or performance will be substantially impeded.

It's definitely something that takes some getting used to – and especially if you're somebody who whips your camera in and out of a bag, you need to be mindful of knocking the focus ring too far.

In addition, when mounting the lens, you need to synchronize its aperture value to your camera's by setting it to a specific aperture value – f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8 or f/4 – corresponding to the values on the aperture switch on the side of the adapter.

Again, if you don't do this then the performance will be significantly degraded. Getting your muscle memory used to these steps each time you use the adapter or switch lenses is crucial, otherwise you'll likely experience hunting or complete focus failure.

Obviously different lenses are going to have different focal length and aperture combinations, which is a further point to factor in.

The adapter comes with four factory presets (Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Asph, Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Asph, Zeiss Biogon T* 25mm f/2.8 ZM and Voigtländer 50mm f/1.2 Nokton Aspherical II), but it can be customized for any four lenses via the Megadap M2RF Custom Tool.

While it's brilliant to be able to add your own lens data (which is then helpfully written to your EXIF), it's fair to say that Megadap's expertise is in optics and not software. The Custom Tool is certainly usable, but it's a bit clunky and doesn't have the same premium feel as the M2RF itself.

Megadap M2RF: Samples

Megadap M2RF: Verdict

I've always been skeptical about cross-system adapters, but I was pretty blown away by the Megadap M2RF… once I'd mastered its setup intricacies! Setting infinity focus and syncing the aperture before shooting is an extra step when mounting a lens, but once it becomes part of your muscle memory you can enjoy seamless shooting.

I love the magical rendering of Leica's M lenses, but rangefinder focus gets harder as my eyes get worse with age. So it's nothing short of liberating to be able to use them on an RF-mount camera – and the ability to make use of Canon's Dual Pixel AF and algorithmic subject detection is a truly transformative experience.

It's obviously important to be aware of the Megadap's limitations. While it offers fairly fast focus that can keep up with gently moving genres, it's not designed for fast action – which limits its usefulness for wildlife, sports and video. But then, I don't believe anyone is really interested in adapting M lenses for any of those.

The Megadap M2RF is ideally suited for the intended purposes of M glass, like portraiture or street photography. It replicates rangefinder results on your RF camera but supercharges them with the power of Canon's autofocus. If you've ever wanted to add a touch of class to your EOS R camera, this might be the best way to do it!

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While a few high-end Nikon Z lenses are still made in Japan, the ‘Big N’ famously shifted Nikon camera production to Thailand back in 2020, with lens production now split between Japan, China, and more recently, Vietnam. As far as I was aware, only the Nikon Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 is produced in Vietnam, but according to Nikon Rumors, it appears to have been joined by the Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8.

The rumor website was tipped off by the proprietor of another website called Photosynthesis, which is dedicated to cataloguing Nikon lenses. Although not confirmed by Nikon, an image of the Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 clearly showing ‘Made in Vietnam’ on the underside of the barrel adds credence to the claim and you have to wonder if other optics could follow.

Nikon Rumors points towards new US tariffs as being the likely catalyst for the decision, surmising “moving manufacturing from China to Vietnam incurred additional expenses (...) which will be reflected in pricing.” As a Nikon photographer myself, it’s certainly nice to know where the company’s products are produced, but as far as I’m concerned it’s business as usual.

Sure, potential price rises are always going to be a concern, but that’s not a Nikon-specific problem. We know that both component scarcity and costs, along with a challenging economic climate and higher cost of living, are affecting consumer electronic prices across the board. Nikon also has an established presence in Vietnam, so it's not like it's starting from scratch.

Plenty of imaging goods are produced in Vietnam. Canon, Tamron, and Ricoh all have Vietnamese factories, and I can’t see there being any noticeable differences in quality from Nikon lenses produced in China, after all, the Nikon Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 was awarded 4.5 stars on test. I’ll be interested to see if more ‘Made in Vietnam’ Z lenses appear and will, of course, update you if Nikon makes an official announcement.

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Nikon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera makes an ideal upgrade for the budget-conscious photographer. Here’s why I still recommend the Nikon Z6 in 2026. It’s like When Harry Met Sally: Suddenly, I’m looking at the Nikon ZR like it’s a viable stills camera. My screen time is already atrocious – in a world where retro compact cameras are king, I’d like to see more hybrid viewfinders.

Meike operates out of Hong Kong, manufacturing budget-friendly photo and cine lenses, plus a variety of accessories. A low-budget case in point that I reviewed a couple of months ago is the Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 SE II, which is a basic yet capable portrait prime for Nikon Z, Sony E and L-mount mirrorless cameras. A few months before that, I reviewed the Meike 35mm f/1.8 Pro AF, which has more exotic handling, akin to the ‘Mix’ lens that I’m covering here.

As expected, the Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II is bigger, heavier and more expensive than its 85mm f/1.8 partner, being nearly twice the weight and more than twice the price. Even so, it’s more compact and lightweight than the original f/1.4 lens, boasts smoother and quieter ‘Hyper STM’ autofocus, and claims better sharpness that can do justice to the ultra-high-resolution Sony A7R VI with 67MP under the hood. The same applies to the highest-resolution Nikon Z and L-mount cameras.

The Mark II also has a shorter minimum focus distance of 0.81m compared with 0.98m, and is billed as having better resistance to flare. All in all, there’s a string of upgrades that aim to make the Mark II one of the best the best portrait lenses for mirrorless cameras. And if you happen to think that lenses are a black and white issue, the Meike is actually available in a variety of black and white colorways.

Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II: Specifications

Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II: Price

The Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II launched in mid 2026 with a price tag of $569 / £429 / AU$826. Not only faster than the Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 SE II ($229 / £190 / AU$410), it’s also much more exotic in terms of handling characteristics, with the look and feel of a properly pro-grade lens. As such, it seems standout value in the exalted company of portrait primes like the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 G Master II at $1,948 / £1,799 / AU$2,999 and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art at $1,290 / £979 / AU$1,500. However, high-end Chinese takeaways include the superb Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro for Nikon and Sony cameras, at a more budget-friendly $598 / £569 / AU$919.

Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II: Design & Handling

There’s nothing wrong with the cost-cutting Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 SE II but advanced handling exotica only extends to an AF/MF focus mode switch. As I’ll come to shortly, the ‘Mix’ lens that I’m reviewing here has all sorts of handling finery, but let’s start with the glass. Compared with the original f/1.4 lens, the Mark II has two fewer elements but they’re arranged in three extra groups, comprising 15 elements in 11 groups in total. Those include three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, three HR (High Refractive index) elements and one aspherical element, along with multilayer coatings.

The Mark II is marginally smaller and noticeably lighter than the original lens but has the same 77mm filter thread. The front takes up almost all of the available space and looks of an imposing size, typical of a pro-grade 85mm f/1.4 lens.

85mm prime lenses are often considered to be ‘portrait primes’, as the focal length enables a natural working distance for portraiture, and the slight telephoto compression of perspective can be flattering. With so many of the latest cameras featuring highly advanced face/eye-detection autofocus with continuous tracking facilities, autofocus is generally the order of the day. The Mark II features a new quieter and smoother ‘Hyper STM’ autofocus system, but the electronically coupled manual focus ring works with smooth precision, and it’s comfortably large and grippy.

Switching between autofocus and manual focus modes is courtesy of a switch on the side of the lens barrel, which I much prefer to delving into camera menus to make the change. There’s also a customizable function button, which I tend to use for AF-hold. I often think that twice as much is twice as good, enjoying dual function buttons on the side and top of a lens, so they fall naturally under the thumb in both landscape and portrait orientation shooting. The Meike only has a single function button, but it’s positioned on the diagonal and remains within easy reach in both shooting orientations.

Next up on the pro-grade handling wish list is a physical aperture control ring. This is very much present and correct, with one-third f/stop click steps available for stills, plus a click/de-click switch that enables smooth and silent aperture transitions when shooting video. The aperture ring itself is positioned in time-honored fashion towards the rear of the lens, and has a grippy textured surface. The iris that it operates is very well-rounded, based on 11 diaphragm blades, enhancing the quality of bokeh when stopping down from the widest aperture of f/1.4.

You might think it’s just a little thing but I’m absolutely delighted that the lens features a locking button for the A (Auto) position of the aperture ring. Maybe I’m just clumsy but I get frustrated with the vast majority of modern lenses that have an aperture control ring but no locking switch or button. I find it all too easy to nudge the ring from its Auto position to the narrowest end of the aperture range, at which point I’ll suddenly be shooting at an aperture that I really didn’t want. The Meike’s Lock button effectively puts a stop to this.

The supplied hood has a circular rather than petal-shaped profile and feels of good quality, complete with a ridged inner surface. It fits to the lens with the traditional bayonet-style attachment, and can be reversed for compact stowage. As I’d expect with a short telephoto lens, fitting the hood in business orientation adds noticeable length but also gives physical protection the front glass element against bumps and scrapes.

Going from front to back, the mounting plate of the lens is made from sturdy metal rather than plastic. It features a rubber weather-seal gasket to reduce the risk of moisture and dust entering through the joint between camera body and lens. However, Meike doesn’t claim comprehensive weather-sealing for the lens. The mounting plate also hosts a USB-C socket for applying firmware updates, if and when required.

Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II: Performance

It’s a tall order but I like my portrait primes to be sharp and blurry in equal measure. I’m after crystal clear detail in the eyes, along with soft and dreamy bokeh for defocused areas. The Meike delivers on both counts, with impressive sharpness and resolving power for fine detail and texture, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.4, along with smooth and buttery bokeh. The f/1.4 aperture enables a really tight depth of field, which effectively isolates the subject by blurring the background, as well as helping to create the visual effect of ‘3D pop’.

One of the tests that I often run for portrait lenses is to shoot a phrenology head in my back garden. The results give good indications of sharpness and the quality of bokeh for defocused areas. Moreover, ‘fast’ lenses often suffer from axial/longitudinal chromatic aberration at the widest apertures, also known as bokeh fringing. This displays as color fringing around high-contrast transitions, just in front of and behind the plane of focus. The black lines and writing on the white porcelain of the phrenology head are a good test for this as well.

As you’ll see in the following gallery of shots, taken at aperture steps from f/1.4 down to f/8, the Meike performs very well in all these respects, and the 11-blade aperture diaphragm also helps to maintain a circular appearance for bokeh disks caused by bright spots when stopping down.

Although often labelled as a ‘portrait prime’, an 85mm lens certainly isn’t a one-trick pony. It can be equally useful for still life and product photography, and for any time you simply need a short telephoto focal length to cover a bit of distance. The Meike works well for long shots, with excellent sharpness and clarity, along with minimal distortion and color fringing.

Getting back to portraiture, although it can be beneficial for creative effect when shooting other subjects as well, the 85mm focal length gives a slight compression in perspective. It’s demonstrated in the shot below.

Naturally, with a tight depth of field on offer, the accuracy and consistency of autofocus becomes hugely important. I’m happy to report that the lens performed very well in these respects, throughout my testing.

Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II: Sample Images

The following gallery of example shots was taken at the Floating Harbour in the English city of Bristol. I used varying subject matter with a mix of wide and medium aperture settings, to demonstrate the qualities of the lens in differing shooting scenarios.

Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II: 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 in the center of frame, even wide open, and stays so as you move towards the corners. Only in the corners themselves does sharpness start to drop off, but it's only noticeable at larger apertures, and not distractingly so.

Fringing:

Lateral chromatic aberration is negligible, even out at the extreme edges and corners of the image frame, and will generally go unnoticed with automatic in-camera correction disabled. Axial/longitudinal chromatic aberration is also minimal, even wide-open at f/1.4.

Distortion: 0.9

There's a hint of pincushion distortion, but it should only be apparent when shooting geometric subjects, and even then it won't be distracting.

Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II: Verdict

Alternatives

The Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. is now in its third generation, and this latest version brings one of the M system’s most versatile focal lengths firmly into the modern era.

Combining a fast f/2 aperture, a compact aspherical design, an integrated hood, and a new 0.4m close-focusing distance, it promises classic Leica handling with greater flexibility than ever before. I tested it on the new Leica M EV1 to see whether this £4,700 / $6,000 lens can justify its considerable price.

Leica 28mm Summicron-M f/2 ASPH. Specifications

Mount: Leica M-mount
Lens design: 9 Elements in 6 Groups
Maximum aperture: f/2
Minimum aperture: f/16
Angle of view: 74°
Minimum focusing distance: 1.3' / 40 cm
Filter size: 46 mm
Dimensions: 2.3 x L: 2.2" / ø: 58 x L: 55 mm
Weight: 9.7 oz / 275 g

Leica 28mm Summicron-M f/2 ASPH. key features

The Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH., model 11618, represents the third generation of Leica’s fast 28mm lens for the M system. It takes the traditional qualities associated with an M lens – compact dimensions, mechanical controls, premium construction and a clear focus on photographic simplicity – and updates them for the latest generation of digital Leica cameras.

Its 28mm focal length makes it an extremely versatile option for documentary, travel, street, and environmental portrait photography. It is wide enough to include plenty of context within the frame, but it does not immediately introduce the more extreme perspective effects associated with wider focal lengths. For photographers who like to work with a single lens, 28mm can cover a surprisingly broad range of subjects.

The fast f/2 maximum aperture adds another layer of versatility. It allows the lens to be used comfortably in lower light while also providing some control over depth of field, particularly when working near the new 0.4m minimum focusing distance. A 28mm lens will never produce the same dramatic subject separation as a fast 50mm or 75mm optic, but the combination of f/2 and close focusing makes it possible to isolate details while still retaining a sense of the surrounding environment.

Aspherical elements are used to help maintain strong image quality while keeping the lens compact. This is one of the core appeals of Leica’s modern M lenses: they deliver impressive optical performance without turning the camera into a large or cumbersome system.

The biggest practical development is the extension of the focusing range from the traditional 0.7m limit down to 0.4m. The lens remains mechanically coupled to the rangefinder between infinity and 0.7m, while focusing between 0.7m and 0.4m requires Live View or an electronic viewfinder.

This model also features the built-in retractable hood that is becoming increasingly common across Leica’s newer close-focus lenses. I particularly like its implementation on the 28mm Summicron-M. It keeps the overall package neat, removes the need to carry a separate hood, and feels entirely in keeping with the compact philosophy of the M system.

Leica 28mm Summicron-M f/2 ASPH. Build and handling

The Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. is built to an outstanding standard, exactly as you would expect from Leica. Its metal construction feels substantial without making the lens unnecessarily heavy, and every control has the precision required from a fully manual lens at this level.

Mounted on a Leica M camera, it creates a wonderfully compact and well-balanced package. The 28mm Summicron-M feels reassuringly solid in the hand, yet it is small enough to carry for an entire day without becoming a burden. That compactness is an important part of the lens’s appeal, especially when compared with fast 28mm lenses designed for larger autofocus mirrorless systems.

The built-in hood is one of my favourite aspects of the design. It slides smoothly into position when required and retracts neatly when it is not needed. There are no separate accessories to attach, remove, or potentially lose, and the hood does not disrupt the clean silhouette of the lens.

The manual focusing action is beautifully smooth and offers enough resistance to make precise adjustments without feeling slow. Leica has also incorporated a noticeable stopping point when the lens reaches 0.7m. From there, you deliberately push the focusing mechanism further to enter the extended close-focus range between 0.7m and 0.4m.

I found this particularly encouraging in use. You can clearly feel the transition when the camera is held to your eye, so there is never any confusion about whether you have moved beyond the range that can be focused through a traditional optical rangefinder. It is a small mechanical detail, but one that makes the expanded focusing range feel intuitive rather than awkward.

The aperture ring is equally impressive. It is incredibly responsive, with positive clicks that are easy to feel when the camera is held to your eye. This makes it straightforward to make quick exposure adjustments without lowering the camera or checking the position of the aperture markings.

I tested the lens on the new Leica M EV1, and I have to say that the combination works incredibly well. The compact dimensions of the lens suit the body perfectly, while the electronic viewfinder lets you make full use of the close-focus range without changing how you operate the camera.

On a Leica M11-P or another optical rangefinder-equipped M camera, reaching the close-focus range means switching to Live View and relying on the rear LCD screen. That can interrupt the otherwise fluid experience of shooting through the optical finder. The M EV1 eliminates this slightly strange operational change.

With the EVF held to your eye, you can continue focusing smoothly from infinity all the way down to 0.4m. Focus magnification and electronic focusing aids also make it much easier to confirm critical focus, particularly when working at f/2 or f/2.8.

Leica 28mm Summicron-M f/2 ASPH. Performance

The images produced by the Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. are fantastic. At its maximum aperture, the lens delivers a lovely combination of detail and character. Images remain sharp, but they do not feel overly harsh or sterile, and there is a pleasing transition between areas that are in and out of focus.

Shooting at f/2 also gives the lens a distinct visual quality. There is enough separation to draw attention to a subject when working at shorter distances, but the 28mm field of view continues to provide context around it. This makes the lens particularly effective for environmental portraits, close documentary details and low-light street photography.

As the aperture is stopped down, the rendering becomes progressively more controlled and clinical. Between f/4 and f/8, the lens produces the kind of crisp, detailed and highly consistent results that make it suitable for landscapes, architecture, travel and general documentary work.

I normally tend to photograph between f/4 and f/8, particularly when using wide-angle lenses. However, while testing the 28mm Summicron-M on the Leica M EV1, I found myself shooting much more frequently at f/2 and f/2.8.

That was largely because the EVF made it easier to hit critical focus. Rather than relying entirely on rangefinder alignment or moving to the rear screen when entering the close-focus range, I could keep the camera to my eye and confirm exactly where focus was falling. This made me far more confident about using the lens wide open.

The ability to focus down to 0.4m also changes the way the lens can be used. Previous versions of the 28mm Summicron-M were already excellent documentary lenses, but the shorter minimum focusing distance opens up opportunities for photographing smaller details, food, objects and more intimate moments.

It does not transform the lens into a macro optic, but it brings a useful new dimension to a focal length that is often associated primarily with wider scenes. You can move closer, fill more of the frame and take greater advantage of the f/2 aperture without needing to change lenses.

The 28mm Summicron-M also feels extremely consistent throughout its aperture range. At wider settings, it offers a little more atmosphere and character, while smaller apertures produce cleaner, more technically precise results. This gives photographers a meaningful creative choice rather than simply encouraging them to stop down for better quality.

As expected from a modern Leica aspherical lens, the overall rendering is refined and controlled. Detail is excellent, contrast is strong without feeling excessive, and images have the clarity required to make the most of high-resolution M cameras.

Sample images: Leica 28mm Summicron-M f/2 ASPH. 

Leica 28mm Summicron-M f/2 ASPH. 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 in the center of frame, even wide open at f/2. Move out towards the corners and sharpness quickly drops off, however, though at least there's no further reduction in sharpness when you reach the extreme corners of frame.

Fringing:

There's a little fringing visible in the corners of frame at mid-to-narrow apertures, and wide open you might spot some aberrations in the mid-frame, but it's nothing distracting.

Distortion: -0.33

The lens produces just a hint of barrel distortion, but it's impressively minimal for a wide lens.

Leica 28mm Summicron-M f/2 ASPH. Verdict

The Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. is an extremely versatile lens and one that is capable of producing outstanding images. Its compact construction, fast maximum aperture, and expanded focusing range combine to make this third-generation model the most practically capable version Leica has produced.

The built-in hood is a welcome improvement, the aperture and focusing controls feel exceptional, and the noticeable transition at 0.7m makes the close-focus mechanism easy to understand through touch alone. These details show how Leica has modernised the lens without losing the mechanical simplicity that defines the M system.

Its partnership with the Leica M EV1 is particularly convincing. The electronic viewfinder allows the lens’s extended focusing range to feel like a natural part of the shooting experience rather than an additional feature that requires a change in technique.

On an optical rangefinder body, the need to move to the rear LCD once you pass 0.7m can still feel a little awkward. On the M EV1, however, you simply continue focusing with the camera held to your eye. That makes the 28mm Summicron-M feel more complete and encourages greater use of both its close-focus capabilities and wider apertures.

There is, of course, no escaping the price. At $6,000 / £4,700, the Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. represents a considerable investment. That is a lot of money, no matter how you look at it, and there are significantly more affordable 28mm alternatives available for the M system.

However, as I often say with Leica lenses, this is not necessarily something you buy with the intention of replacing it in a few years. It is a lens that could remain in your camera bag for the rest of your photographic career. Viewed across decades of use, that initial cost may become easier to justify.

The 28mm Summicron-M produces the kind of outstanding images that it should at this price, while its build quality and mechanical operation feel designed to last. The cost must still be seriously considered, particularly when comparing it with other options on the market, but there is no questioning the quality or capability on offer.

For photographers who want one of the finest compact 28mm lenses available, particularly those using the Leica M EV1 or another EVF-equipped M camera, the third-generation Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. is an exceptional choice.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like our best Leica M lenses guide, Leica Q3 review, Leica M EV1 reivew, and see the best Leica cameras.

Telephoto lenses make you a lazy photographer. There, I said it. That might sound like a strange admission from someone who spent years working as a professional sports photographer, particularly when I was fortunate enough to use some of the finest long lenses ever made. At different points in my career, I had access to a 600mm f/4 lens and a 200mm f/2, and both were absolutely fantastic lenses in their own right.

They were fast, sharp, beautifully made, and capable of producing images with a level of clarity and subject separation that cheaper lenses could only dream of matching. When you are standing beside a sports field and need to deliver a certain photograph, there are few better tools for the job.

However, what those lenses offered in optical quality, I sometimes felt they took away from my imagination.

A 600mm lens could bring almost any part of the action straight to me. During a show jumping competition, I could stand in one position and photograph as many as six different fences around the course. That sounds fantastic, and in many ways it was. If I needed a strong image of a particular rider, having six opportunities to capture the perfect moment dramatically increased my chances of delivering the shot.

For a working sports photographer, that reliability matters. Clients are not always interested in how hard you worked to get an image. They simply want the photograph. A long telephoto lens gives you reach, consistency, and the ability to cover more of the action without constantly changing position. The problem is that it can become too easy.

Once I knew I could photograph most of the course from one place, there was less incentive to move. I did not need to walk to the far side of the arena, crouch beside a fence, search for a cleaner background, or think about how the light might change from another angle. The lens solved the problem of distance, but in doing so, it sometimes removed the challenge that forced me to be creative.

Earlier in my career, when I was working with a 70-200mm f/2.8 or even a simple 50mm f/1.8, I had no choice but to move. I had to anticipate where the action would happen, decide which fence might produce the most dramatic image, and physically put myself in the best possible position. Those limitations made me work harder, but they also made me see more.

With a shorter lens, I would look for ways to include the atmosphere around the action. I might photograph a rider approaching through the crowd, frame a horse against the architecture of the venue, or use foreground elements to give the photograph greater depth. I was not simply trying to fill the frame with the subject. I was thinking about the entire scene.

That is where telephoto lenses can make us lazy. They encourage us to believe that getting closer is the same as making a better photograph. It is not. A tightly framed image of a rider clearing a fence can be technically perfect, but technical perfection does not automatically make it interesting. If every photographer is standing in the same position with a similar long lens, everyone is likely to come away with a variation of the same photograph.

The images that stand out are often the ones created by photographers who were willing to move, experiment, and occasionally risk missing the safe shot in pursuit of something better.

This is not an argument against telephoto lenses. I loved using the 600mm f/4, and the 200mm f/2 remains one of the most extraordinary lenses I have ever worked with. Both were professional tools that helped me deliver photographs under pressure, and there were plenty of situations where nothing else would have done the job as effectively. However, I also think photographers need to recognize when a tool begins to dictate the way they work.

A long lens can quickly become a comfort zone. You find a suitable position, attach the biggest lens in your bag, and wait for the action to arrive. The photographs might be sharp, correctly exposed, and commercially usable, but the process can become repetitive. You stop exploring because the lens allows you to remain exactly where you are.

Photography should involve more than pointing expensive glass at a distant subject.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is leave the telephoto lens behind. Take a 50mm lens, move closer, and accept that you might miss a few photographs. Force yourself to think about backgrounds, light, composition, and timing rather than relying on reach to solve every problem.

You may not come away with six safe opportunities at the same image, but you might come away with one photograph that nobody else saw. Telephoto lenses are incredible tools, but they should not become substitutes for movement, curiosity, or imagination. The moment a lens makes photography feel too comfortable is probably the moment you need to take it off the camera.

If you've been looking for a stunner of a lens, for both general shooting and extreme close-ups, the Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S is now available for just $896.95 at B&H – and you get a free filter kit on top.

With this new low price, you save $250 on its previous price of $1,146.95 – and top-tier primes are not coming cheap, so this deal offers a great discount on what we've called in our review "one of the finest Nikon Z lenses that we've seen."

Short: The Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S is a top-tier lens for performance and versatility. It's one of the finest Nikon Z lenses that we've seen to date, and that’s really saying something.

The Z MC 105mm is great for capturing wildlife photography, through portraiture and landscape, to extreme close-ups, where its 1.0x magnification factor reveals near-microscopic levels with clarity and depth.

And it's not only about sharpness (though it's razor-sharp from center to the edge), it's also about how effortlessly it lets you create.

With lightning-fast pinpoint autofocus and 4.5-stop optical VR, it partners beautifully with Nikon's Z-series cameras for incredibly stable, high-impact images – handheld or on the go.

From the customizable control ring to the multifunction OLED display and weather-sealed construction, this lens has it all. And yes, it costs more than the Z MC 50mm – about 50% more – but the performance leap is undeniable.

As mentioned, top-tier primes are not coming cheap, making this deal even more interesting. By investing in the Nikkor Z MC 105mm, you get a pro-grade build and image quality that borders on flawless.

Browse the best Nikon cameras and the best macro lenses.

Photographing the partial phases of a solar eclipse with a smartphone is traditionally rather basic – you clumsily hold the lens of a pair of solar eclipse glasses over the smartphone’s lens, then snap away. However, with modern multi-camera phones sometimes switching lenses at exactly the wrong moment, everything can get a bit too DIY. The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter is designed to solve all of that by delivering a clip-on solar filter that covers all smartphone lenses without any fuss.

It’s important to note that the K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter is not a certified safe solar filter, but merely an ND1,000,000 filter. However, while it should not be used to visually look at the sun, it reduces the sun’s brightness enough for photography and is perfectly safe for a smartphone.

Rather than using a fragile piece of solar film taped over the camera, this kit combines a 58mm or 67mm ND1,000,000 filter screwed onto a plastic smartphone mount. It’s basically a clip-on solar photography filter for phones, aimed at eclipse chasers who want a straightforward way to record the partial phases – the changing crescent sun – of any solar eclipse.

A much more limiting imaging platform than K&F’s standalone ND1,000,000 filter – which uses the same optical idea and performed well on a manual camera – I am reviewing the K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter as a practical phone accessory rather than a specialist astronomical filter, but it's nevertheless one of the best solar filters if you're a dedicated smartphone shooter.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter: Specifications

K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter: Price

The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter comes in two sizes – 58mm ($35 / £27) and 67mm ($40 / £30). The 58mm version works fine for an iPhone, which bunches lenses in one corner, while the 67mm is aimed at Android (including Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel) phones, which can have a strip of lenses less suited to a circular filter. Given the tiny savings, the 67mm version is the one to choose if you plan to share the filter while observing a solar eclipse with a group.

At this price, the K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter sits in a useful space. It’s more polished and durable than taping eclipse glasses or loose solar film (such as Baader AstroSolar Safety Film) over a phone camera, but much cheaper and more portable than building a dedicated eclipse-photography kit around a mirrorless camera, a telephoto lens, and a solar filter.

However, value depends on expectations. If all you want is a simple souvenir image of the crescent sun during a partial eclipse, the asking price is reasonable. If you are expecting crisp sunspots, a large solar disc, and publication-quality results, the money is better spent on a standalone filter for a proper camera setup.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter: Design & Handling

The design is straightforward. The filter, packed separately, screws into a plastic press-on clip mount, which clamps onto the phone and positions the glass over the camera lens. That simplicity is the product’s biggest strength, but there are a few caveats. A smartphone may have wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto sensors, and the camera app may switch between them automatically as you zoom.

Before eclipse day, it’s best to know which lens your phone uses and to make sure the filter fully covers that lens. However, if you buy the 67mm version of the K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter, it’s likely going to be able to cover all of the lenses on your phone.

I was able to leave a phone case on both iPhone and Android smartphones when I tested the K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter, though thick, rugged cases may need to come off. That is worth knowing in advance, because removing a case while an eclipse is underway is exactly the kind of avoidable faff that leads to missed shots.

Safety when imaging the sun is essential. The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter is for filtered smartphone photography through the phone screen, not for direct visual observation. It is not a substitute for certified solar eclipse glasses, and it should not be used for looking directly at the sun.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter: Performance

Optically, this filter is closely related to K&F’s standalone ND1,000,000 filter, which performs well on a manual camera. In that form, mounted on a telephoto lens, the filter produced pleasing solar images with visible sunspots, solid contrast, and a neutral-to-slightly-warm yellowish-white sun that was easy to adjust in post-processing.

On a smartphone, the experience is more limited. I tried using the K&F Phone Solar Lens Filter handheld, and it worked in the most basic sense: the sun was filtered, visible, and I was able to take an image. However, the resulting images were very simple. The solar disc was small, framing was fiddly, and the overall image quality was governed far more by the phone’s camera system than by the filter. In short, it was blurry and not worth having.

The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter can reduce light and allow a phone to capture the sun, but it cannot give a smartphone the reach of a 400mm lens or the manual control of a mirrorless camera. Handheld shots are fine for proving you were there, or for sharing a quick image of a partial eclipse, but they should not be judged against dedicated eclipse photography.

Cue a tripod. Once the phone was stable in a clamp on a tripod, it was much easier to zoom in on the sun, refine framing, and avoid accidental movement. It still took practice, and it was hot work. The sun drifts through the frame, the clip can be nudged during handling, and some phones become awkward when digital zoom and automatic lens switching get involved.

The only sensible approach is to test the entire setup days before the eclipse, and absolutely not during first contact, but it’s not complicated. After 10 minutes of experimenting, I had images that were as good as I was going to get.

Shooting in Raw is technically worthwhile if your phone supports it – just for added flexibility in adjusting exposure, contrast, color temperature, and sharpening later on in post-processing – but that kind of user is not the market for the K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter. My shots featured a reasonably sharp solar limb, but no sunspots or any surface detail.

It would definitely work for the partial phases of a solar eclipse, and with your phone already on a tripod, you’ll be ready for totality if you’re in the path (which is in Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain on August 12, 2026) – just remember to remove the K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter when it gets dark. And turn off your flash…

K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter: Verdict

The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter with Press-on Mount Kit is best understood as a souvenir-shot accessory. It’s ideal for people who do not own, and do not want to buy, a manual camera, but want souvenir shots of a solar eclipse, which almost everyone does once it’s underway. It’s compact, affordable, and much more elegant than improvising with tape and eclipse glasses, though the biggest difference you can make is a tripod, which will vastly improve images.

Learn how your phone handles zoom and lens switching before the eclipse begins, don’t expect a perfect shot, and the K&F Concept ND1,000,000 Phone Solar Lens Filter is a practical and well-priced eclipse accessory for casual smartphone users.

Alternatives

An awful lot of photographers have never used lens filters and, thanks to the ever-increasing dynamic range of modern mirrorless cameras, the frankly mind-boggling capabilities of the latest photo editing software and even a few clever in-camera effects (I’m looking at you, OM System), there have never been fewer reasons to ignore lens filters altogether.

But if any of that sounds at all familiar to you, and especially if you’ve never used a lens filter before, then I’m here to tell you: that is a great shame. Using lens filters isn’t just fun; I think it’s an important step in almost every photographer’s journey.

Don’t get me wrong, how often you use lens filters will depend on the genre(s) that you shoot. But if you’re a prolific photographer, you’ll almost certainly encounter a situation where a physical lens filter would fit the bill at some point.

For example, I capture a lot of motorsport photography and a neutral density filter is a useful asset when capturing pans with extremely slow shutter speeds. Because many races take place during the brighter months and in the middle of the day, it can often prove impossible to reach shutter speeds such as 1/20 sec without using an ND.

But I digress; the whole point of this article is to explain how using a lens filter changed my whole relationship with photography.

How a simple lens filter changed my relationship with photography forever

Perhaps the most cliched piece of photography advice is "get it right in-camera".

I generally agree with the sentiment, but there are times when I oppose it. For example, if your image is sharp, you’ve got enough resolution to play with and you didn’t have time to refine your framing, I see nothing wrong with heavy cropping at all.

However, you should absolutely aim to get it right in-camera where possible. That’s where lens filters come in.

Filters enable you to produce all manner of effects in-camera. And I believe that to be extremely important for several reasons, but by far the most important is that it enables you to realize the image you have in your mind’s eye as you take it.

I remember the first time I used a filter; unsurprisingly, I was using an ND filter to restrict the amount of light entering my camera, so I could use a very slow shutter speed to blur a body of water. It was like watching a magic trick happen right before my eyes.

I couldn’t believe that I’d managed to create what I was seeing on my camera’s playback screen without the use of digital editing software. It was all me and my camera!

That was a huge confidence booster – and boy did it ramp up my love for photography. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that using a filter for the first time can transport you right back to when somebody first handed you a camera as a child.

I love photo editing more than most. But at its core, photography is about using a device that exposes a light-sensitive material to light, enabling you to capture a moment in time.

A lens filter doesn’t take away from that process; it adds to it. It interacts with the light as it enters your camera – shapes the light, if you will – and leaves you to marvel at the results.

If you’ve never thought about using a filter before, get yourself a cheap one I don’t care whether it’s an ND, ND grad, polarizer, diffusion filter or anything else; every photographer should try a physical lens filter at least once.

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Filters require a good understanding of the exposure triangle and if there’s one genre of photography where filters are essential, it's landscape photography. Plus, here are the best cameras for landscape photography.

These days we see some absolute behemoth full-frame camera sensors packing 50, 60 and now close to 70MP (megapixels). While these specs are certainly attractive, and do contribute towards the overall quality of your images, they’re only as good as the lens you pair them with.

Megapixel counts can create a false perception, with many photographers – especially newcomers – falling into the trap of thinking the higher the number, the better quality their images will be.

To an extent, this is correct. After all, a top-tier full-frame model – such as the Sony A7R VI with its 67MP sensor – will enable you to crop in closely in post-production without losing definition or degrading image colors. Given you use the same high-quality lens, you'll get much more leeway than if pairing it with an older DSLR with, say, a 24MP sensor.

However, if you stick a poorly made lens onto that same Sony full-frame beast then it’s a different story – and you won’t even need to crop the image tightly to see the difference.

What you need to keep in mind is that lenses are what determine the sharpness, clarity and even the color rendering, as well as suppressing aberrations and distortion.

So if your lens doesn’t handle these tasks well, then a high-resolution sensor will only highlight the flaws of your poor-quality lens. On the other hand, a great lens can make even a modest sensor perform better.

Then there's the physical size of the camera sensor to consider, which, arguably, is more important than pixel count too. Cramming too many megapixels onto a physically small sensor can result in smaller individual pixels, which may yield noisier, less detailed photos in low-light conditions.

While this issue is best exemplified by smartphones, some APS-C cameras, like the Canon EOS R7 and Fujifilm X-T5, have been criticized for it.

All this isn’t to say that you should completely ignore MP counts and only buy the most expensive lenses. Not at all. In fact, cheaper third-party manufacturers like Tamron, Sigma and now Viltrox produce lenses that give premium native glass like Sony G Master and Nikkor S lenses a close run for their money.

But the point I am making is that you shouldn’t splurge on a camera body because of its attractive sensor, only to then cheap out on the lens you’re going to pair it with.

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Here’s our expert pick of the best cheap lenses for your camera. And if you're all about the pixels, these are the highest resolution cameras you can buy right now.

Viltrox has announced the release of its full-frame 26mm autofocus (AF) Evo pancake lens for Sony E-mount and Nikon Z-mount cameras. This pancake prime brings the sophistication of longer-barreled telephoto lenses that, until now, we've had yet to see.

The Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo is the first full-frame AF pancake lens to feature not only a dedicated aperture ring, but a focus ring too. On an APS-C body, it has an equivalent focal length of 39mm.

This latest addition to Viltrox's apochromatic-dedicated Evo lineup could become a new favorite among photographers wanting a pocket-friendly lens with solid aberration-busting abilities, but that also features a high level of built-in tactile control.

With the dual control ring system, it seems like Viltrox is trying to corner the pancake corner of the lens market by out-sophisticating the competition (which includes its own, budget-friendly and even slimmer Viltrox AF 26mm f/4.5, which lacked any rings and had a fixed aperture).

While Sony and Nikon both produce equivalent native AF lenses, in the Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 G and Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8, the Sony model is not a true pancake lens at almost twice the thickness of the Viltrox – and the Nikon, which is ever so slightly thinner, features a single (albeit) programmable, control ring.

Like any true pancake lens, Viltrox has packed this tactile control into a lens that's incredibly thin. Yet despite being just 23.8mm thick, it houses an optical design of 8 elements in 6 groups (including a high-refractive and a pair of aspherical elements) with a minimum focusing distance of 0.2m.

"To my mind, the 26mm Evo proves that the best things sometimes do come in small packages," said my colleague Matthew in his Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo review.

"Despite its wide-angle perspective and reasonably fast f/2.8 aperture, the lens is less than an inch thick, quintessentially qualifying as a pancake prime. Even so, its image quality is impressively sharp and crisp, and the lens manages to pack both focus and aperture control rings.

"All in all, I love this lens as a travel companion and for everyday shooting, and it’s great value at the price."

The Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo is available now, with an RRP of $299 USD / £279 / AU$579.

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Here’s our pick of the best pancake lenses. These super-skinny primes and zooms save size and weight!

Third-party lens brand Tamron isn’t afraid to stray from the usual focal length combinations in order to create something unusually versatile – and now some of the brand’s best lenses have dropped to the lowest-ever price.

Case in point? Tamron’s 35-150mm hits an unusually bright f/2-2.8 for an all-in-one zoom. The lens is not only unusually wide at f/2, but covers a rare wide-to-telephoto range. The E-Mount option has dropped down to its lowest price yet – but Tamron’s unusually versatile, unusually bright zooms have discounts across several mounts, including Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, and, yes, even a Canon RF discount.

The 35-150 isn’t the only Tamron lens hitting a new low price. The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 rewrote the rule book, shaving a few mms off the wide end and tacking it on the long end. The lens is more compact and lightweight than most first-party workhorse lenses, and the popular zoom has dropped back down to its lowest price yet for both Nikon Z Mount and Sony E-Mount options.

Sony E-Mount

Nikon Z-Mount

Fujifilm X-Mount

Canon RF-Mount

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Tamron's newest lens is an impressive 12-20mm f/2.8 that brings in a key design (and name) change. Read the Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 review and learn where to pre-order.

The Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo gives me a slight but not completely convincing case of déjà vu. A couple of years ago I reviewed the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 pancake lens.

Just a tiny slip of a thing, it’s only about half an inch thick and only weighs a couple of ounces. Indeed, I found that it made my interchangeable lens camera even more pocketable and convenient than some compact cameras.

Full-frame compatibility is shoehorned into this featherweight lens, but little else. There’s no manual focus nor an adjustable aperture diaphragm, and therefore no control rings. Handling is basic, to say the least. Originally for Sony E-mount cameras, it later became available for Nikon Z, L-mount and Fujifilm X system APS-C cameras.

The new lens that I’m reviewing here, the Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo, is twice as long but still less than an inch thick, qualifying as a pancake prime.

Currently the latest in the Viltrox Evo line-up, it’s a much more sophisticated lens than the 28mm. Again it’s full-frame compatible, so far being produced in Nikon Z and Sony E options, but is equally viable on APS-C cameras from both camps.

Instead of acting as a full-frame, 26mm wide-angle lens, it has an ‘effective’ focal length of 39mm on APS-C, pretty much identical to the 40mm of various alternative standard primes.

Either way, handling and build quality are relatively upmarket, and the Evo lens aims to be one of the best pancake lenses on the market.

Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo: Specifications

Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo: Price

Pancake lenses aren’t exactly slim pickings (ironically), but they often have skinny price tags. The previously launched Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 is pretty much as cheap as they come, selling for just $99 / £90 / AU$169.

For about the same price, there was also the now discontinued Olympus Fisheye Body Cap 9mm f/8 for Micro Four Thirds cameras.

The new 26mm lens that I’m reviewing here is much more sophisticated, but still very competitively priced at $299 / £279 / AU$579. That’s potentially very good value, so long as the design, handling and performance pass muster. Let’s find out.

Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo: Design & Handling

There’s thin and then there’s super-skinny. Unlike the half-inch Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5, the new 26mm lens is just under an inch thick, still easily qualifying as a pancake lens. That’s despite boasting a pair of manual focus and aperture control rings, which are both absent on the 28mm lens.

As a quick size guide, the picture below shows the lens mounted on my Nikon Z6 III, which itself is fairly svelte for a full-frame body. As you’ll notice, the lens doesn’t really stick out any further than the Nikon’s sculpted hand grip.

Not just physically thin, the lens also has a very small-bore optical path. This is immediately apparent when looking at the front of the lens head-on, or from its rear.

One thing you’ll also notice when looking into the front or back of the lens is the seven-blade aperture diaphragm. As I’ve mentioned, the Viltrox 28mm pancake has no adjustable aperture diaphragm at all, just a fixed heptagonal cutout that’s inserted into the optical path.

Squeezing two control rings into a lens this small is a tall order. The Viltrox nevertheless features an electronically coupled manual focus ring up front and an aperture control ring near the rear. They’re both necessarily very thin, or they just wouldn’t fit, but work well enough

The aperture ring operates in one-third f-stop click steps and has the usual Auto position just beyond the f/16 mark, at the narrow end of the aperture range. Unsurprisingly in such a small lens, there’s no room for an AF/MF focus mode switch or a click/de-click switch for the aperture ring

As I mentioned earlier, the lens itself has no filter attachment thread. However, it comes complete with a hood. The hood isn’t reversible but only protrudes by a small amount when fitted, as it’s similarly thin.

As well as further combating ghosting and flare, the filter has a 43mm filter attachment thread, so you can actually use screw-in filters or filter holders with the lens.

When fitted to the lens, the hood only adds about a quarter of an inch to the overall physical length. You certainly couldn’t call it large, but it does have the usual bayonet-fit attachment mechanism.

A smart addition is that it features a magnetic ring around its inner circumference, which I’ll come back to in a moment.

Build quality feels very solid, especially considering that the Viltrox is such a small, lightweight lens. It has a sturdy metal barrel and, taking advantage of the fact, the front lens cap attaches by magnetic attraction.

When the plastic hood is fitted to the lens, this attraction would be lost, hence the inclusion of that magnetic ring on the inside of the hood. You can therefore use the front cap in exactly the same way, regardless of whether or not the hood is fitted.

Like with other Viltrox Evo lenses so far, the mounting plate as well as the barrel is made from metal rather than plastic, and features a rubber weather-seal gasket, plus a USB-C socket. The latter enables the easy application of firmware updates, if and when needed.

Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo: Performance

The standout performance characteristic of the Viltrox AF 26mm Evo, as far as I’m concerned, is its tiny size. It makes my camera small enough to take anywhere and everywhere, thus enabling me to get shots that I’d otherwise miss altogether (with my camera left at home).

And the lens doesn’t come along just for the ride; I find that its 26mm focal length delivers a generously wide-angle perspective that I love for travel and street photography, and for casual walkabout shooting.

Getting down to the nitty gritty, one thing I haven’t mentioned so far is the autofocus system. Whereas most Viltrox AF lenses employ a linear stepping motor or a voice coil motor, this one uses a gear-type stepping motor.

To some extent, this is necessitated by the design criterion of squeezing a quart into a pint pot. The relatively small motor is comparatively pedestrian in terms of speed but still quick enough for the vast majority of shooting scenarios.

It’s also slightly more audible than a linear stepping motor, so you can just about hear it in a quiet room and might pick up on it when shooting video using a camera’s internal microphone.

Some say that an f/2.8 aperture doesn’t quality as ‘fast’ and I’d tend to agree. Even so, it’s generally fast enough to freeze motion and avoid camera shake under very dull lighting conditions, without needing to massively bump up your camera’s ISO setting, which can degrade image quality.

Naturally, the other main advantage of faster aperture ratings is that you can get a tighter depth of field. You might struggle with this lens, as the short focal length makes it more of a challenge. However, the combination of the 26mm focal length and f/2.8 aperture enable a fairly tight depth of field when shooting close-ups.

Most camera lenses use relatively large-diameter glass, compared with pancake lenses. Pancake lens design can therefore be a compromise, causing concerns over image quality, especially in terms of sharpness and clarity, and the suppression of unwanted aberrations like distortion, vignetting and color fringing.

This Viltrox lens really impressed me in all these respects, with plenty of bite and sharpness right out to the edges and corners of the image frame on a full-frame camera.

Sure, barrel distortion can be noticeable when automatic in-camera correction is disabled – as can vignetting at the widest aperture of f/2.8. However, unlike with many modern lenses for mirrorless cameras, these aberrations aren’t very severe and the Viltrox gives you the choice of whether or not you want to use auto corrections, rather than having them ‘forced on’.

Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo: Sample Images

The gallery below comprises shots taken at Bristol Docks in the English south-west city. I’ve used a variety of subject matter and aperture settings to demonstrate the qualities of the lens in general, walkabout shooting.

Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo: 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:

For a pancake lens, sharpness is very good even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8, becoming excellent at f/4 and narrower apertures, dropping off at f/16 due to diffraction. As I'd expect, the lens is less sharp at the edges and corners of the frame than in the central region, but it's still impressive.

Fringing:

There’s only very minimal color fringing throughout the entire aperture range, even out at the extreme edges and corners of the frame. You’ll rarely notice any fringing in images, even with automatic in-camera correction disabled.

Distortion: -2.14

Something has to give when you’re cramming a wide-angle perspective into such a small but full-frame compatible lens. Sure enough, barrel distortion is visible but the lens is still usable without in-camera correction, which isn’t ‘forced on’ in the menu system.

The Viltrox is a step ahead of many modern lenses for mirrorless cameras in this respect, especially those designed with compactness in mind.

Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo: Verdict

Sometimes I really feel that less is more. As if to prove the point, this Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 lens is less than an inch thick, fully qualifying it as a pancake prime. And yet it has solid metal build quality with a weather-sealed mount, along with sophisticated handling characteristics that include an aperture control ring and slimline hood (complete with filter attachment thread).

The ultra-compact and lightweight design genuinely enables me to take my camera pretty much anywhere and everywhere on a daily basis, capturing shots that would naturally be impossible if I’d left it at home.

Getting down to the business of actually taking pictures, I love the wide perspective that the 26mm focal length delivers on a full-frame camera. I find it ideal for travel and street photography, as well as landscapes, cityscapes and many other shooting scenarios. It’s also ideal for vlogging.

On an APS-C body, it transforms to give a very natural perspective, akin to using a 40mm lens on a full-frame camera. The autofocus system won’t break any speed records and it’s not completely silent, but it’s definitely up to the job, delivering consistent accuracy.

All in all, I love this lens as a travel companion and for everyday shooting, and it’s great value at the price.

Alternatives

Voigtländer has announced the APO-Lanthar 90mm F4 Close Focus VM, a compact medium-telephoto prime lens designed for full-frame M-mount rangefinder cameras.

Scheduled to arrive in August 2026, the new manual-focus lens promises premium optical performance without the size and weight normally associated with highly corrected telephoto glass.

The APO-Lanthar name is reserved for some of Voigtländer’s most ambitious lenses, and this latest model uses an apochromatic optical design to suppress axial chromatic aberration and other unwanted color fringing.

Its construction includes eight elements arranged in seven groups, with six elements made from anomalous partial dispersion glass to deliver high resolution, strong contrast, and consistent performance across the frame.

Despite its advanced optical design, the lens measures just 54.8mm from the mount surface and weighs only 235g. The relatively modest maximum aperture of F4 helps keep the body impressively compact, while also reducing viewfinder blockage when the lens is used with an optical rangefinder. It will be available in both silver and black finishes, with each version featuring a durable all-metal barrel.

Image samples

Close-focusing performance is another major part of the lens’s appeal. The APO-Lanthar 90mm F4 Close Focus VM can focus down to 0.5m, extending beyond the typical 0.7m limit for rangefinder-coupled lenses.

At its closest setting, it offers a maximum magnification of 0.28x, while Voigtländer says the apochromatic correction helps maintain image quality even when photographing subjects up close.

The lens also includes a high-precision rangefinder coupling mechanism, an all-metal helicoid for smooth focusing, and a click that identifies the point where focusing moves beyond the coupled range.

A compact dedicated metal hood is included, extending by only around 9mm to reduce flare without significantly interfering with the camera’s framelines. The Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 90mm F4 Close Focus VM will carry a suggested retail price of ¥121,000 ($759 / £550 approximately) when it launches in August.

This Canon premium super-telephoto zoom is one of the best Canon zooms we've ever tested – and with this B&H deal, you can now get it for a great price.

You can grab the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM for $2,799 at B&H. With this offer, you save a stunning $300 off its regular price of $3,099.

The Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM is known for its hefty price tag, making this deal even more tempting. It is one of the best Canon telephoto zoom lenses, designed for Canon's EOS R-series cameras.

This lens is a favorite among wildlife, sports, and aviation photographers who need reach and versatility in one package. With its impressive 100-500mm focal range, you're covered for everything from sweeping landscapes and intimate close-ups to fast-paced action shots.

It's the kind of lens that adapts to your creative vision, whether you're tracking birds in flight or capturing the thrill of the game.

Crafted with Canon's legendary L-series quality, this lens is a stellar build. To get the best performance and fastest AF (autofocus) – especially for capturing fast-moving subjects – pair it with the advanced AF and IBIS (in-body image stabilization) systems of the EOS R5 or R6.

One thing to keep in mind is that the aperture narrows as you zoom in. Unlike the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, which holds f/5.6 at 400mm, the RF 100-500mm lens stops down to f/7.1 at 500mm.

It's a slight trade-off for the extra reach you get, but that's a point that's often worth it for the flexibility and performance you get.

Given the hefty original price tag, this deal is a great offer to invest in this 100-500 telephoto zoom.

If it is your first one, you will notice a difference in framing and will be amazed at how close you can get to the wildlife or sports action with this lens.

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The ultra-wide zoom doesn’t just cover wide perspectives – the category also tends to be “ultra” pricey, not to mention oversized. But the new Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8, available in full-frame E-Mount and Z-Mount, slides into the category with not just a competitive third-party price but a lightweight design.

Beyond offering a tantalizingly more affordable ultra-wide zoom, Tamron's lens also marks a new era for the brand. The Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 is its full name, dropping the usual “Di III VXD G2” jumble of letters at the end. (Tamron tells me the designation for APS-C and stabilization will remain, but this lens doesn’t fall in either category.)

The lens also features a new design that’s somehow full of sleek, clean lines yet packed with extra controls. I spent a week with the Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 shooting the stars and landscapes – including getting photobombed by lightning bugs. This is how well the new optic holds up.

Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 review: Specifications

Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 review: Price

The Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 retails for $1,699 / £1,449 / CA$2,299 for E-Mount and $1,799 / £1,529 / CA$2,399 for Nikon Z Mount.

While that’s still a four-figure price, it puts the lens at around half the cost of Sony’s 12-24mm f/2.8 GM and around $600-700 less than the Sony 12-24mm f/4 G and Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 S in the US.

Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 review: Design and Handling

The Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 doesn’t look like a typical Tamron, as the lens marks the beginning of a new look for the popular third-party optics maker. The design is all clean lines and shiny black surface that, outside of the wealth of different controls, gives the lens a streamlined, minimalistic feel.

When I first picked up the lens, I was surprised at how light it is, as it looks like it should be heavier. That’s due in part to the new finish that looks almost metallic, though Tamron sticks with plastic for the lighter profile.

The lens weighs 20.2 oz / 570g for the E-Mount variant and slightly more for the Z mount.

In comparison, Sony’s 12-24mm f/2.8 GM reaches farther, but comes in at a heavier 1.86 lb / 847g – and the Tamron is only five grams heavier than Sony’s 12-24mm f/4 G. Nikon’s native ultra-wide zoom is 14mm at the widest and still slightly heavier at 1.4 lbs / 650g.

While the design of the lens feels more minimal, the lens barrel actually houses a ton of controls. The first ring out from the mount is a control ring, which controls aperture on the Sony E-Mount version and can swap between aperture and exposure compensation on the Nikon Z Mount.

The Z Mount option has a control lock that prevents an accidental bump from throwing off the exposure settings, and both variants have a switch to click or declick the aperture or control ring.

That bank of control switches also includes a customizable lens function button, a custom switch, an auto-to-manual focus switch, a manual focus lock and a zoom lock.

That focus lock was excellent for shooting astrophotography and keeping the stars in focus between frames – though the number of switches meant I had to turn on a flashlight to make sure I flipped the right one.

After that bank of controls is the zoom ring, followed by the focus ring. Both rings have a slightly different grip pattern to them in order to help differentiate by feel.

Like most ultra-wide zooms with a bright aperture, the front of the Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 has a curved piece of glass that prevents using the standard front filters. Sheet filters can be cut to size to fit the back of the lens instead.

The lens has a built-in petal-shaped hood and a nice oversized lens cap that still fits over the hood and curved front. The lens also includes a self-gripping lens wrap for added protection.

That lens design is completed with one of my favorite features: weather-sealing. Tamron says the lens has multiple seals through the controls, rings and mount, as well as fluorine coating on the front to help repel buildup.

There’s a USB-C port to support firmware updates and the Tamron Link accessory, but that port has the same waterproofing as the iPhone’s charging port.

Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 review: Performance

The genre that I was most excited to try with the Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 was astrophotography. I’m always looking for a wide view and a bright aperture when photographing the stars, and the 11-20mm range is excellent for this type of shot.

Astrophotography, of course, requires manual focus. Getting the stars locked in sharp took some patience (and focus peaking) hindered by the swarm of mosquitoes that comes with astrophotography in the summer.

The focus lock was very helpful, and I managed to get several star shots that I was happy with – and even a few lightning bugs.

Switching to autofocus, the lens didn’t seem to have any issues locking on to the usual suspects in front of an ultra-wide lens and had a few misses across the landscapes and perspective play the lens is built for.

The focus range is also aided by a minimum focus distance of 7.1” / 0.18m at the widest zoom position. That’s certainly not macro territory, but it is enough to exaggerate the perspective distortion of a 12mm lens by getting in really close to the subject.

The mix of ultra-wide perspective, bright f/2.8 aperture, and close focusing capabilities captured an impressive gallery of images across astrophotography and landscapes.

At the center, subjects are sharp without being overly sharp. Towards the edges, the sharpness can soften a bit. For astrophotography, the stars on the edges appeared slightly more smudged than the stars at the center. The focus was also very sensitive at f/2.8, so getting the stars locked in was a challenge.

On the flip side, while ultra-wides aren’t known for bokeh, get close to the subject and shoot at f/2.8 and there’s a bit of background blur to be had here. Bokeh is round with smooth edges and no evidence of soap bubbling.

There’s a light vignetting in some shots, particularly at 12mm, but nothing too troublesome.

Direct the lens towards the sun, and the optic can catch a bit of sun flare and an occasional arc of light, but ghosting spots are well-controlled. Step the aperture down, and the sun becomes a 12-point starburst.

I didn’t spot any colored fringing or chromatic aberration over the course of my week with the lens.

While full lab testing is needed to see how the optic directly compares with its competitors, I was overall happy with the Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 – I just wished for a little more edge sharpness in some shots.

Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 review: Early Verdict

The Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 doesn’t reach quite as far as many competing ultra-wide zooms, but the lightweight design and more affordable price are well worth the trade. The lens has plenty of controls and an understated design, but most importantly it comes in an easily transportable weight for the category.

The 12-20mm offers some versatility while still hitting the ultra-wide perspective. Images are acceptably sharp at the center and only slightly smudged towards the edges. Vignetting is minor and I didn’t spot any aberration.

I did wish for a tad more sharpness on the edges – and getting the stars perfectly in focus was a challenge. The Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 has just launched, so our forthcoming lab tests will offer a better overall picture of how the image quality compares to competing optics.

My early experience with the lens, however, has been overwhelmingly positive.

Alternatives

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Take a look at the best wide-angle lenses or the best Nikon Z lenses or the best Sony E lenses.

Tamron’s lenses come with so many suffixes that the names sound almost royal. So when Tamron told me about the new 12-20mm f/2.8, I had my fingers poised, waiting for the second half of the name. Except… that’s it.

Tamron’s new lens is named simply the “Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8” – it’s not followed by the usual jumble of “Di III VXD G2” at the end.

Photographers will be undoubtably excited over the Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 lens’ lightweight design, which is nearly half the weight and half the cost of the farther-reaching Sony 12-24mm f/2.8.

The full-frame lens also comes in the Nikon Z mount, where it still comes in under the price, under the weight and slightly wider than the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 S.

Tamron tells me that lens abbreviations will still be used for VC (Vibration Compensation or stabilization) and the Di designation for APS-C lenses – but the Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 is neither of those things.

Tamron’s new lens doesn’t just have a new naming convention, but launches a new look for the popular third-party lens maker as well.

The lens leans towards a more mechanical, robust design and focuses on more "tactile joy", leaning into the feel of the materials and plenty of physical controls in the era of smartphone photography.

Ultra-wide zooms tend to sit on the heavy side, but the Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 slides in at a 20.2oz / 570g in E-Mount and just 5g more in the Z-Mount. I had no problems carrying the lens around, spending a week shooting landscapes and astrophotography with the new optic.

The 12mm focal length is an encompassing view that captures striking scenes, and the f/2.8 aperture lets in a lot of light – for the zoom category, anyway. I snapped shots with sharp centers and only a minor tendency to smudge towards the edges.

The ultra-wide can also create some fun perspective distortion, helped by the fact that the lens can focus as close as 7.1 inches / 0.18m. That focus system uses Tamron’s modern VDX (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive), even though there’s no VXD listed in the name itself.

Shooting with the Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 for a week, I think this is a lens that a lot of photographers will be excited about.

The lens is rather lightweight and affordable for the category. My biggest complaint was the difficulty of manually focusing such a wide perspective – and a very slight softening in the stars towards the corners.

Photographers won’t have to wait long for Tamron’s new ultra-wide. The Sony E-Mount variant is set to ship on July 30, with the Z-Mount to follow on August 27. The lens retails for $1,699 / £1,449 / CA$2,299 for the E-Mount and $1,799 / £1,529 / CA$2,399 for the Z-Mount.

For more insight, read my Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 review.

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Take a look at the best Sony E-Mount or the best Nikon Z-Mount lenses.

If you've been looking for a stunner of a lens, for both general shooting and extreme close-ups, the Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S is now available for just £717 at Wex.

With this new low price, you save £332 on its previous price of £1,049 – and top-tier primes are not coming cheap, so this deal offers a great discount on what we've called in our review "one of the finest Nikon Z lenses that we've seen."

Short: The Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S is a top-tier lens for performance and versatility. It's one of the finest Nikon Z lenses that we've seen to date, and that’s really saying something.

The Z MC 105mm is great for capturing wildlife photography, through portraiture and landscape, to extreme close-ups, where its 1.0x magnification factor reveals near-microscopic levels with clarity and depth.

And it's not only about sharpness (though it's razor-sharp from center to the edge), it's also about how effortlessly it lets you create.

With lightning-fast pinpoint autofocus and 4.5-stop optical VR, it partners beautifully with Nikon's Z-series cameras for incredibly stable, high-impact images – handheld or on the go.

From the customizable control ring to the multifunction OLED display and weather-sealed construction, this lens has it all. And yes, it costs more than the Z MC 50mm – about 50% more – but the performance leap is undeniable.

As mentioned, top-tier primes are not coming cheap, making this deal even more interesting. By investing in the Nikkor Z MC 105mm, you get a pro-grade build and image quality that borders on flawless.

Browse the best Nikon cameras and the best macro lenses.

I am a proud owner of a Fujifilm X100VI. I even managed to get one of the limited-edition versions from the anniversary. It genuinely is a wonderful camera that’s easy to use and even easier to have with you. It scored ‘Best for Travel’ in our Fujifilm Camera Buying Guide, and it’s a well-deserved accolade. The fixed 23mm (35mm equivalent) lens does have an in-between feel that’s a great fit for street shots and travel, but neither wide enough for proper landscapes nor long enough for portraits. When I say equivalent, it’s because the X100VI uses an APS-C sensor, which has a 1.5X multiplier on focal lengths.

Of course I wanted to find some way to get wider and longer shots, without adding significant weight. Fortunately, Fujifilm does have a wide and tele adaptor lens for this system, but at a price. I do own these as there were no real alternatives at the time. It was inevitable that other makers would seek to add more competitive options. The big question, of course, is whether they match up to Fujifilm's version, or if that’s not the intention, do they offer something different and unique that I might prefer?

Here I'm looking at Viltrox’s recently launched versions of these screw-on lens adaptors. The WCL-X100VI and the TCL-X100VI, wide and tele respectively. These are significantly lower in price than the Fujifilm version, but is this because the adaptors don’t hit the mark on quality? Maybe I’d be better off saving up and getting the original?

Who are Viltrox even? Well, Viltrox are a well-established third-party lens manufacturer working across a range of camera systems: Fuji, Sony, Nikon, Canon and others. Initially they created manual focus lenses, but branched into autofocus lenses in more recent years. They have a range for the X-Series, and I’m particularly fond of the XF13mm f1.4, which is very sharp for astrophotography. You can check out our Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8mm and AF 90mm f/2.2 review for more.

I’m happy with the pedigree that Viltrox has established, which gives me some hope for the quality of these as a potential alternative to the Fuji WCL-X100II and TCL-X100II. And with Viltrox's reputation for having lenses that sit well above their price point, it could be a win-win on price and performance.

Specifications

Price and Availability

The WCL-X100VI lists for $159, £159, €179, while the TCL-X100VI is $189, £179, €219, though Viltrox often has sales. Given that the Fujifilm versions are $399, £289, €319 and $399, £299, €339, respectively, I think this is a fantastic price point.

Even a not-so-genius like me can see that there’s a massive saving to be made should the lenses stack up. These adaptors have just been launched and are accessible from the Viltrox website or via their suppliers. Given the solid nature of the adaptors, and the amount of glass, I think the build quality exceeds the listed price. If price were the main concern, there are other options, including the Freewell Tele adapter at $149.99 and combined Wide and Macro adapter at $99.99-even cheaper if price is an issue.

Design

Viltrox definitely went out of their way to make these match the X100VI in colour, with both silver and black versions available. I have the silver versions, and they match the camera really well, along with being very similar to the Fujifilm versions. When testing without the lens caps on, I had to read the name on the adapters each time to make sure I’d pulled out the one I wanted to use for the shot while comparing. So yes, aesthetically, they’re quite similar to the originals. Both the WCL and TCL have a knurled ring, which is nice in hand, and distinguishes them from the Fujis’.

It’s having these originals to compare that really makes any potential issues stand out. The filter threads on the Viltrox also match those of the originals, meaning that if I had started with the Viltrox, I wouldn’t lose out if I went to the Fujifilm versions later. I have a lovely 67mm diffusion filter from K&F Concept that gives soft portraits with the TCL, for example.

The lens cap on the TCL is the central pinch-to-remove type that is now the default everywhere (and I am glad to see this). The rear caps and cap on the WCL are Viltrox-branded push-on rubber with the thread marked on them. Still not as cool as the screw-on rear caps from Artra Labs though. Realistically, both Fuji and Viltrox need something better for the back of the adapters, as these wear over time and become loose and easy to misplace.

The adapters screw on easily and are immediately recognised by the camera, showing a W or T icon on the camera screen. Viltrox says this is due to a combination of a magnetic mount and an integrated chip in the camera. This embeds metadata in the file so programs like Lightroom Classic can automatically apply the correct lens correction for that adapter. They also label the focal length correctly, so the TCL shows as 33mm, for example. Viltrox do warn that metal-on-metal screwing can cause issues, but I feel it would take a reasonable amount of force to cross-thread. Just be careful! There’s a small ring that unscrews from the front on the built-in lens to give access to the threads. Something else for me to lose.

Both lenses use 5 elements in 4 groups, whereas Fuji has 4 elements in 4 groups for the WCL and 4 elements in 3 groups for the TCL-this explains the roughly 50g difference between each brand’s version of the teleconverter. It’s an impressive reason for the additional weight. As with other Viltrox lenses, there’s a nano coating on the lenses to help retain sharpness, while minimising aberrations and chromatic dispersions. It’s not perfect, as there is a situation where flare is very visible-more shortly. The final note that I should make on the glass is that these don’t change the minimum aperture, so you have the option to shoot at f2.0 with either lens.

Performance

Getting these adapter lenses on and off was flawless, but keeping the caps despite making use of the cloth bags for each lens wasn’t. I couldn’t find them after my first use- I did eventually! I wanted to give these a test in some of my typical shooting situations, so I shot both outside and in studio.

I often shoot quick model sets with the TCL. I had a day-long shoot with Olga Solo, and as part of that I did some test shots to compare to the Fuji. When I A/B’d the shots together I was surprised by how similar they were. Initially, the auto white balance had the Viltrox looking warmer and with better contrast, but when I made them the same temperature and tint in Lightroom, they were hard to tell apart. There is maybe a small amount more vignetting on the Viltrox TCL, but it’s very subtle. Other brands, like Freewell, have significantly more darkening of the corners.

The TCL is wonderfully sharp with these studio shots, again directly comparable to the Fujifilm. Viltrox was definitely trying to match the look and has succeeded. The Viltrox TCL is a little heavier, but in practice you don’t notice the difference.

The Wide Converter lens is practically weightless, meaning I could forgo the tele for some travel elements; I could always use the digital zoom and lose some of the 40MP I have to save weight. Equally, that zoom with the TCL gives a nice 100mm equivalent view, back to the wide lens. When I compare the photos to the original wide converter, they’re very similar.

I used the Viltrox in a variety of situations, and the main issue I could find is that there’s a dramatic flare with the sun in the centre of the frame sometimes, as with this sunset shot in the woods. Even dropping or raising the camera helped significantly, but I haven’t seen anything like this before. It’s the only real negative I have with the lens.

When I tried this during the afternoon, aiming at the sun, it didn’t flare, so it may just have been a fluke related to the conditions in the woods. Flare isn’t strictly a bad thing, and as an avid user of Boris FX Optics, where I add flare, I can’t complain about it artistically. It’s where I can’t control it that I have an issue. Besides this, the lens performed flawlessly for me. At the beach, in the woods, even out camping. When compared to the Fuji, there was very little difference-often anything I thought I’d notice would turn out to be a slightly different white balance or a minor change in shutter speed.

Given that Viltrox only advertises these as conversion lenses for the X100 series, it’s not setting itself up for comparison directly. But I think they match the look and feel of the X100VI beautifully, as well as competing in optical quality-probably the key metric.

Sample Images

Verdict

I think the Viltrox TCL-X100VI and the WCL X100VI are an excellent addition to my X100VI kit. They’re optically great and easily compete with Fujifilm’s versions of these converters. I love the retro look and the additional knurled ring that adds a unique visual element. The lens caps are great, but I do think there needs to be a better rear cap system. I love that the styling sits perfectly with the camera, so much that I think it looks like it could just be part of the camera natively.

I find the weight to be more than acceptable, even with the TCL being heavier than other versions. They’re more than pocketable should I decide to go out with the camera around my neck-though I’d avoid jeans pockets for moisture.

My only concern is that flare, but I’m finding it hard to repeat, so it may have been a fluke. Perhaps a mix of the shadow and light, and maybe I hadn’t screwed the converter on far enough? Either way, these will come in the small messenger bag for my X100VI, along with a small flash, ready for everything from landscapes to portraits, as well as those travel shots.

I would not hesitate to recommend these converters to anyone, whether budget-driven or otherwise. Viltrox has come through again, showing that they are a force in the optics world.

Alternatives

I’ve mentioned alternatives throughout, but in summary there are three other alternatives:

• Fujifilm have their own converter lenses used for comparison in this review.
• The Freewell Tele adapter combines a Wide and Macro adapter. These do match the styling of the X100VI, but also offer a macro option. The converters have threads on them as well, so require a threading ring to connect them, which comes as part of the kit. The TCL has a strong vignette, and may be related to the fact that they don’t trigger the lens correction switch like Viltrox.
• Artra Labs have slightly longer tele at 60mm equivalent and 24mm equivalent versions. They advertise the 24 as a 16mm and the 60mm as the equivalent. This is entirely true, but at first glance I thought it was a much wider lens for the WCL. It does vignette significantly, though with a lot of barrel distortion.

At the end of January we reported on a new SG-image 35mm autofocus lens sporting a rather attractive retro barrel design that had been spotted on several rumor websites. Internally, the lens seemed the same as SG-image's full-frame AF 35mm f/2.2 launched last year, but the revamped retro version had several styling cues that made it ideally suited to cameras like the Nikon Zf and Nikon Zfc.

New details have now emerged about this rumored lens. It is officially called the SG-image AF 35mm f/2.2 Classical Edition, and is priced at $158. It's available for Nikon Z, Sony E, and L-mount cameras, and if you really want to complete the retro look, you can spec it with a square lens hood for an additional $10.

According to SG-image:

This CE Classic Edition features a specially upgraded retro vintage exterior. Polished silver decorative trim paired with knurled textured focus ring recreates iconic classic lens styling, perfectly matching silver retro mirrorless bodies. Full aviation-grade metal barrel delivers solid premium texture, low-profile engraved focal scale maintains minimalist vintage charm, making it a collectible daily carry lens for aesthetic-focused photographers.

Inside the stylish all-metal barrel is a 7-element optical stack arranged in 5 groups. A 9-blade diaphragm, combined with the wide f/2.2 maximum aperture, is said to provide natural bokeh for portrait and still life photography. The 35mm focal length is ideal for street and general purpose photography on full frame cameras, or the lens would work well as a standard prime on APS-C bodies where it'll give a 52.5mm-equivalent focal length. Despite the metal barrel, weight has been kept to a reasonable 163g, and the lens itself is very compact at just 36.2mm long with a 69mm barrel diameter.

The SG-image AF 35mm f/2.2 Classical Edition is available to buy now from SG-image direct.

Kase, a Chinese brand known for its ND filters, is building a new tiny pancake lens with an unusual twist. The Kase FE 24mm f/3.8 is a pancake with autofocus and a built-in flip lever cap, to replace standard lens caps.

Kase has confirmed that the full-frame pancake lens is launching in Sony E-Mount, but reports hint that additional mounts may be in the works including Leica L-Mount, Nikon Z-Mount and Fujifilm X Mount.

If you’ve never heard of Kase lenses, you’ll be easily forgiven as the 24mm is only the brand’s fourth lens – building on a history of creating lens filters to creating the lenses themselves.

The new 24mm lens is deserving of the “pancake” category, coming in at 16mm / 0.62 inches thick and about 60g / 2.11 oz, which is about the weight of a tennis ball.

But as someone who loses lens caps on new optics with frightening speed, the feature that caught my attention is that the Kase 24mm has a built-in lever flip cap. Turning a small slide on the front of the lens closes a piece of plastic over the glass, creating a built-in lens cap.

Built-in lens caps are common on compact cameras, but less so on mirrorless optics – though a small number of pancake lenses, including the VIltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 and Olympus Fisheye Body Cap 9mm f/8, have the feature. The lens is not only small but has fewer pieces to try to keep track of.

To get to that size, however, there are some sacrifices. The lens’ aperture is fixed at f/3.8 – no more, no less. But while many budget lenses skip the autofocus, the Kase FE 24mm f/3.8 uses a VCM motor for autofocusing. The lens can focus as close as .3m / 11.8 inches, which translates to a 0.1x macro ratio.

Kase says the lens is designed with six groups and six elements, including components to help reduce distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting.

Kase hasn’t yet shared a price or availability date for the new lens. The 24mm joins the Kase 150mm f/5.6 AF Reflex, 85mm f/1.4, and 200mm f/5.6 lenses in a growing list of optics from the China-based brand.

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Collapsible lenses are nothing new: lenses such as the OM System 40-150mm F4 PRO M.Zuiko, Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM, as well as several generations of Nikon kit zooms must first be extended from their retracted positions before they can be used. This keeps the lens barrel as short as possible when the lens is not in use.

Now it seems Panasonic might be working on a macro lens that incorporates a collapsing lens barrel. A recent patent applicaton discovered by Asobinet shows diagrams of a small prime lens with an f/2.8 maximum aperture. The illustrated lens appears to be an L-mount design, rather than Micro Four Thirds, as the lens's electrical contacts are at the top of the barrel. The exact focal length isn't specified, but the optical design isn't actually the focus of the patent. Instead, the aims specified in the patent are:

To provide a lens barrel that displays different information depending on the shooting mode and can suppress the size of the lens barrel in the optical axis direction when not shooting.

Judging by the patent diagrams, this barrel retraction is achieved by a third ring, located behind the aperture and focus rings. It shows stops for 'Macro' and 'Retract’, positioned on either side of a central setting; presumably a standard shooting mode. Though no exact dimensions are given, the length of the lens in its retracted state appears smaller than the diameter of the barrel, indicating this is indeed a compact design for an L-mount macro lens. With the lens extended to its standard (non-macro) shooting mode, a focus distance scale is revealed, and this marks the other aim of the patent:

[To] display different distance scales depending on the shooting mode, such as displaying a first distance scale in normal shooting mode and displaying a second distance scale in macro shooting mode.

In the lenses retracted state, neither the first nor the second distance scale would be displayed. Rotated the mode ring to the normal shooting position and only the first distance scale is displayed. Change to the macro mode and the lens barrel would extend further forward, revealing the second distance scale while also hiding the first. The idea sounds like an elegant piece of lens engineering, combining the smallest possible barrel length with two distance scales that automatically switch depending on the rotational position of the shooting mode ring. Whether or not Panasonic can turn these patent diagrams into a fully-functioning lens remains to be seen.

Story credit: Asobinet.com

Sirui has expanded its Vision Prime 1 full-frame cine lens lineup with three new focal lengths, but the real magic is that each lens ships with user-interchangeable mounts for four major mirrorless camera systems!

The new 15mm T1.6, 75mm T1.4, and 150mm T4 Macro 1.5x lenses all come with Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L-Mount support in the box, giving filmmakers a far more flexible way to build a cine lens kit without being locked into one camera system.

The new additions broaden the existing Vision Prime 1 series, which already includes 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm T1.4 primes. With the arrival of the 15mm, 75mm, and 150mm, the range now covers everything from dramatic ultra-wide shots to portrait work, telephoto compression, and close-up macro detail.

The 15mm is designed for immersive compositions, tight interiors, and wide establishing shots, while the 75mm offers a more flattering mid-telephoto look with natural compression and soft background separation.

The 150mm is arguably the most specialized of the three, bringing integrated 1.5x macro capability and a 0.29m minimum focus distance. That gives filmmakers the ability to capture fine texture, product detail, nature work, and dramatic close-ups, while still benefiting from the compression of a longer focal length.

It makes the lens a useful addition for anyone who wants one optic that can move between macro-style detail and more distant telephoto framing.

All lenses in the Vision Prime 1 series cover a 46mm image circle, making them suitable for full-frame mirrorless cameras and open-gate shooting without vignetting.

Sirui says the optical design uses aspherical elements, ED glass, and HRI glass to improve sharpness, reduce chromatic aberration, and control distortion, with resolving power intended to go beyond the demands of modern 8K sensors. The series is also designed with consistent cine handling in mind, including identical gear positions, a 270-degree focus throw, and an all-metal build.

The user-interchangeable mount system is what gives these lenses their strongest appeal, especially for filmmakers who move between camera brands or want to future-proof their kit. Each lens comes natively in Sony E-mount, with RF, Z, and L-Mount modules included, and SIRUI says the mounts can be swapped quickly without shims.

The new Sirui Vision Prime 1 15mm T1.6, 75mm T1.4, and 150mm T4 Macro lenses will be available in Black and Metal Grey from the end of August.

Metal or plastic? That’s one of the key questions left to answer for a newly teased lens coming to the E-Mount, L-Mount, and Z Mounts: The Meike AF 85mm f/1.2.

A post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo from the Independent Photographer’s Association (which was quickly picked up by rumor sites) says that the Meike AF 85mm f/1.2 is currently under development. But while the post claims that the optical design is “nearly complete,” the brand has yet to choose between a metal or plastic barrel design.

Irix famously gave its customers the choice as to the material used in some of its lenses - producing both metal and ABS versions of with both Blackstone (metal) and Firefly (ABS) versions of tis 11mm f/4 and 15mm f/2.4 wide-angle primes.

The upcoming Meike 85mm is said to prioritize weight with the optics design, but choosing the final barrel materials will play a key role in just how lightweight the lens ends up. A plastic variant would be around 750g to 780g – that’s about 26.4 to 27.5 ounces.

A metal design would push that weight even higher, to 870g / 30 oz on the low side and 900g / 31.7 oz on the high side.

Labeling a lens as “lightweight” is relative. A prime that weighs well over a pound doesn’t exactly scream lightweight, but f/1.2 primes aren't exactly known for being light. If the lens ends up hitting that projected weight – even the metal one – it would sit weight-wise somewhere between the 642g Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II and the 1160g Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S.

I love a good metal lens – the material feels far more luxurious in my hands – and frankly feels like it can take more of a beating than plastic barrels. But metal lenses tend to be the ones that have me wishing for something smaller at the end of a long, all-day shoot.

With the information coming from Weibo – a frequent source of Chinese lens brand leaks and development announcements – it's unclear if Meike is the source or if the lens remains a rumor. A number of details on the upcoming lens are missing. But, if the early post is accurate, then the lens at least has autofocus and is built for full-frame E-Mount, Z-Mount, and L-Mount cameras.

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