Viltrox makes some of the best third-party lenses for Sony, Nikon, and Fujifilm cameras, amongst others, and all at a fraction of the price of official glassware. And on Prime Day(s), there's a cool 20% off a range of lenses, from fun lens cap pancakes to fully pro fast autofocus glass, making these already attractively priced lenses not-to-be-missed bargains!

Here are some of the highlights, but there are loads more. Click on the alternative lens tabs on the Amazon page to find the perfect Viltrox lens for you.

While Viltrox lenses may be cheap to buy when compared to the big manufacturers' equivalents, there's nothing cheap about their build quality or spec sheets, with luxuries such as fast apertures and autofocus found throughout the range. While the deals above are Sony-fit, you'll find Prime Day Deal discounts on Nikon and Fujifilm-fit lenses, too, on Amazon's Viltrox Store.

Not many people are still walking around with a first-generation 2007 iPhone in their pockets – but camera lens tech ages differently. According to new data from Japan, photographers aren’t afraid to twist a 20-year-old lens onto their camera.

The data comes from Minna Camera, a photo gear buying and selling app popular in Japan. The company compiled a list of all the lenses still being sold on the platform that are at least 15 years old in order to find the most popular retro lenses still being used today. The research uses data from the last seven months of sales.

The top ten lenses on the list are nearly all zooms, with just two prime lenses in the top ten – hinting that photographers aren’t just after images with less modern sharpness but versatility too.

Two of the top three retro lenses, in fact, are superzooms that cover a wide-to-telephoto range without lens swaps. The Nikon AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR takes the number one spot, a lens that first launched in September 2010. While Nikon has a similar Z Mount lens, the DSLR lens’ average selling price on Minna Camera is less than a third of the cost of the Z mount 24-120mm.

A Canon all-in-one zoom takes the third-place spot: The EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. Launched in the fall of 2005, the lens is the oldest option on the top ten list. Like the top Nikon lens, the Canon 24-105mm has a mirrorless equivalent (but also an even a brighter f/2.8 option), but the average used price on Minna falls much lower.

A prime slots in between those two super zooms in second place, one of only two primes on the list: The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, released in October 2009. The lens is also the only specialty lens on the list with its macro designation for close-up shots.

Much of the list is dotted with so-called “workhorse lenses," the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 versatile bright zooms that typically come with a pro-level price. The full list of the top ten retro cameras over the last seven months, according to Minna Camera, includes:

1. Nikon AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR
2. Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
3. Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
4. Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G
5. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM
6. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
7. Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G
8. Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR
9. Nikon AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
10. Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 Mega OIS

Only one mirrorless lens made the list, the Panasonic 45-200mm, a nod towards the Micro Four Thirds long history. That lens launched alongside the first commercially available mirrorless camera – the Panasonic Lumix G1 – released in October, 2008.

Interestingly, Minna Camera crafted a similar list of the most popular cameras that are at least 15 years old. On average, those cameras still tended to be newer than the list of lenses. I can easily see why this is – I think one of the best ways to get the retro look that’s popular right now, without giving up digital, is to adapt an older lens – I even adapted an old film SLR lens to work on my mirrorless camera.

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Browse the best Nikon DSLR lenses or the best Canon DSLR lenses.

Canon RF and Nikon Z crop sensor shooters are finally getting an affordable f/2.8 all-in-one zoom. The longstanding favorite Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD will begin shipping for Canon RF Mount and Nikon Z Mount next week on July 02, bringing a best-selling third-party E-Mount and X-Mount lens to more crop sensor bodies.

The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 is a highly versatile lens that earned 4.5 stars in tests of the Sony E-Mount version, which launched in 2021.

The new mount updates of the 17-70mm is only the third Tamron lens launched for the Canon RF mount, but join a list of ten other Nikon Z mount optics from the popular third-party brand.

Moving the lens to Canon RF mount is notable, as Canon doesn’t offer its own native constant f/2.8 zoom made specifically for crop sensor cameras – though pricier full-frame f/2.8 zooms will also work on crop sensor bodies. The Tamron will join a highly limited number of third-party constant-aperture lenses for crop sensor RF bodies, including the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 and Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8.

Nikon Z mount shooters already have access to a native constant aperture zoom with the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR, but Tamron’s launch notably extends the long end of the zoom range by another 20mm.

The new Canon RF and Z Mount options keep what made the earlier E Mount and X Mount options a popular choice, including the constant aperture, stabilization, and weather-resistant construction.

The 17-70mm range is equivalent to a 25.5-105mm full frame range on the Nikon Z and 27.2-112mm on Canon RF. That allows the lens to capture both a wide angle and shorter telephoto without lens swaps. Adding to the versatility is a minimum focus distance of .19m / 7.5 inches for close-up capabilities.

Packing that wide zoom range and constant aperture into one lens creates an optic that is larger than most variable aperture kit lenses, putting the RF mount version at 117mm / 4.6 inches long and the Nikon Z at 121.3mm / 4.8 inches long. The lens weighs around 530g / 18.7 oz on Canon RF and 540g / 19 oz on Nikon Z.

As an existing lens arriving on more mounts, it’s fairly easy to predict the image quality coming from the new lens. Based on the E-Mount tests, photographers (and videographers) can expect pleasant images with soft bokeh and solid sharpness – though a few settings create softer edges, and the images look best with lens profile corrections applied.

The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 for Canon RF and Nikon Z begins shipping on July 02. Both mounts are expected to retail for $749 / £549.99 / CA$949 – which converts to about AU$1082.

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Take a deep dive into the best Nikon APS-C lenses or the best Canon APS-C lenses.

I've been scouring Amazon for the best Prime Day deals on the best Nikon cameras and best Nikon lenses, and I'm afraid I've come up empty-handed, on day one at least. But just when I thought all was lost, I came across these cracking deals on Viltrox Nikon-fit lenses for Z-mount cameras.

Viltrox makes some of the best third-party lenses for Nikon cameras, and all at a fraction of the price of official Nikon glassware. And on Prime Day(s), there's a cool 15% off a range of lenses, from fun lens cap pancakes to fully pro fast autofocus glass, making these already attractively priced lenses not-to-be-missed bargains!

Here are some of the highlights, but there are loads more. Click on the alternative lens tabs on the Amazon page to find the perfect Viltrox lens for you.

While Viltrox lenses may be cheap to buy when compared to Nikon equivalents, there's nothing cheap about their build quality or spec sheets, with luxuries such as fast apertures and autofocus found throughout the range. You'll find some of these lenses available as Sony-fit too, with the same Prime Day Deal discounts!

Variable ND filters are an essential purchase for any serious run-and-gun videographer. If you want to keep your shutter speed under control, maintain a wider aperture in bright light, or avoid constantly changing fixed ND filters between shots, a good VND is one of the quickest upgrades you can make to a camera setup.

Freewell has teamed up here with seasoned YouTuber Brandon Li, known for his fast-moving travel and documentary-style filmmaking, and this kit has clearly been designed around speed, convenience, and minimizing the number of individual filters you need to carry.

I tested the Pro Kit, which includes the VND/CPL, ND32, Glow Mist ¼, and base adapter ring (in my case, 77mm). The idea is simple enough: leave the base ring on your lens, then attach the filters magnetically as needed. You can use the VND/CPL on its own for 1-5 stops, add the ND32 to extend the range up to 10 stops, or bring in the mist filter when you want a softer look.

That makes it a direct alternative to buying several separate filters, and it will be of obvious interest to anyone looking through our guides to the best variable ND filters or the best filters for photography. The question is whether the convenience justifies the price.

Specifications

Price

The Freewell x Brandon Li Magnetic VND/CPL Pro Kit is not cheap, with the Pro Kit priced at $379.99 at the time of writing, discounted from a listed regular price of $449.99. The Basic Kit, which excludes the Glow Mist 1/4 filter, is currently priced at $349.99.

On one hand, the Pro Kit replaces several separate filters and gives you a lot of flexibility in a relatively compact package. You are getting a VND/CPL, ND32, mist filter, magnetic caps, and a proper case, so the value looks stronger when considered as a complete system rather than a single filter.

However, I do think Freewell should include more than one base ring. My 82mm filter came with one 77mm magnetic adapter ring, and if I want to use the same filters across lenses with different thread sizes, I will need to buy additional rings separately, which aren’t cheap. That is not unusual with magnetic systems, but at this price, it feels like Freewell could have included at least one or two common step-up sizes.

Design & Handling

At least the Freewell x Brandon Li kit feels like the premium product its price suggests. The filters have a solid, neatly machined feel, and the whole system is slimmer than I expected considering how much functionality is being squeezed in. On my 77mm diameter lens, the main filter is larger than the lens thread, which helps avoid vignetting, but it still does not feel overly bulky on the camera.

The design comes in a single distinctive green color. It is subtle rather than garish, but it does still stand out a little on my otherwise all-black camera and kit. I suspect this will be a love-it-or-hate-it for a lot of people. I do not mind it, but anyone who likes their gear to disappear visually might find it a bit more noticeable than a standard black or silver filter ring.

The magnetic base ring screws onto the lens, and from there, the system becomes much quicker than conventional screw-in filters. The main VND uses a locking system rather than relying only on magnets. You line up the red marks on the edge of the magnetic adapter ring and the edge of the VND, snap the filter into place, then twist so the lines no longer match. At that point, it is locked on. It is simple, and once you have done it a couple of times, it becomes second nature.

The locking mechanism for adding extra filters to the front is less elegant. You again have to line up the red marks, but I found the alignment slightly less obvious as the marks are very subtle, and because the magnetic connection is strong, the filter tends to snap on before you have everything exactly where you want it. Pulling it off again is harder than it should be, partly because the ND section can rotate and partly because the filters are slim, so there is not a huge amount to grip.

Once everything is locked in, I am very confident the attachments are not coming off. The problem is more about the process of stacking. If you want to use the ND32 and the mist filter together, the second filter locks in, but the additional filter effectively sits magnetically on top of the glass of the second filter. That means the top filter does not feel quite as secure, and I noticed it could rub against debris trapped between the filter surfaces. It is workable, but it is the least polished part of the system.

You can also attach the included mist filter or ND32 directly to the ring without using the VND, which is very useful. The magnetic connection is strong, and I never felt like the filter was going to be knocked off easily.

The VND itself is quite stiff to turn, which I actually think is a positive, as it means I was not accidentally unlocking it or knocking it out of position when handling the camera.

I do really like the lens cap. It is magnetic, made from solid metal, and has a built-in gray card, which is a genuinely useful touch for video work. The case is also excellent. Freewell has done a good job here. Its dome shape slots easily into a kit bag, feels protective, and has space for four or more filters.

Performance

Optically, the Freewell x Brandon Li kit performed very well in my testing. The biggest thing I look for in any variable ND is whether there is an obvious X pattern, and I could not see one here. The filter has hard stops, which reduce the chance of overdoing the polarisation effects.

Color shift is well controlled. There is a very minor shift at the top end, but I would describe it as almost negligible with the VND/CPL on its own. In some shots, I could see a slight yellow cast comparing images side by side, but I probably wouldn't notice in real-world shooting, and it is easily corrected in post. For anyone already grading footage or editing raw photos, this is not something I would lose any sleep over.

I also saw no vignetting on the 24mm end of my lens, even when stacking all three components, although this is helped by the fact that the filter is effectively oversized for my 77mm lens thread.

The built-in CPL does a great job at cutting reflections, and having the CPL integrated with the VND just reduces the need to stack yet another separate filter just to manage glare and reflections. I probably wouldn't buy a pro VND without the ability to twist the whole filter to adjust polarisation.

Adding the ND32 on top of the 1-5 stop VND range gives you much more flexibility in very bright light, but it also adds a little more color cast. The yellow tone becomes more noticeable than with the VND alone. Again, it is something I would be happy to correct in editing rather than a dealbreaker, but if you need straight-out-of-camera perfection, then fixed NDs are much better here.

The Glow Mist 1/4 filter is quite strong. That is not necessarily a criticism, but it is not something I would leave on permanently. Used carefully, it can give highlights a softer, more cinematic bloom and take a little bite out of digital sharpness, but here, the effect is not especially subtle, so I would use it deliberately.

Verdict

The Freewell x Brandon Li Magnetic VND/CPL Filter Kit is an incredibly good filter system. I like it so much that it has become the default glass on the front of my lens.

I was impressed by the build quality, the secure locking system, and the optical performance. I saw no visible X pattern, no vignetting on my 24mm lens, and only very minor color shift with the VND/CPL. The ND32 and mist filter introduce a little more warmth, but nothing I would consider difficult to correct.

There are a few frustrations. I do not think it is generous enough to include only one base ring at this high price, especially when the whole point of a system like this is using the same filters across multiple lenses. Stacking multiple filters is also more fiddly than the main magnetic system suggests.

Even with those caveats, if you are mostly shooting video, switching between stills and motion, or working quickly outdoors, having a VND, CPL, ND32 and mist filter in one compact setup is genuinely useful.

Alternatives

My colleague Mike made a fascinating observation on the latest episode of our podcast.

"People that are not photographers are drawn to macro photography, I always find. If you give someone a camera with a macro lens, who's not necessarily a photographer, I think they'll be well happy going around [taking pictures], trying it out."

Now that he's said it, it seems so obvious. I know so many people who, the odd selfie or cat photo aside, have no interest in taking pictures. But they specifically upgraded to phone because it had a macro mode, or they asked if they could "have a go" with my macro lens to photograph coins or buttons or tiny mushrooms in the forest.

The act, or indeed art, of photography itself doesn't really resonate with them. But being able to see the world differently is something that resonates with everyone. I think it's the same reason that a magnifying glass is such a brilliant gift for kids.

"It's something people kind of do with their phones, a little bit like astrophotography but more accessible," Mike continued. It's a way of partaking in something that you don't see with the human eye. It's a novelty, isn't it.

"You can kind of go around with a macro lens and look at everything at a macro level, and it kind of seems amazing and interesting."

Chris agreed, adding that macro photography is pretty unique in that it doesn't even require you to leave the house – something that became a pretty big deal a few years ago, during the pandemic.

"[Even if] you're stuck at home, it's raining, you can't get out or whatever – get a macro lens. Get a bit of broccoli or cauliflower or something out of your fridge, and take close-up pictures of it. It's amazing."

Unlike many genres of photography where a cost is involved – either in terms of investing in lighting and equipment, or simply in travelling to locations or hiring models or other creatives – macro can essentially be enjoyed with no further outlay.

It also complements many other hobbies, creating a bridge between pastimes that enables people to increase their enjoyment of both.

"I do like gardens," said Chris. "I don't – as my father said, I'm a plantsman, not a gardener – so I like plants, I don't like the actual gardening bit. I buy lots of plants, but I'm not very good at actually creating the whole garden thing. So I enjoy going to a garden and looking at the different plants and photographing them."

To that point, I think macro is something that many photographers shoot to relax. It's something they can do for themselves, independent of whatever "proper pictures" they take. It's a pastime within a pastime, which can remind us why we fell in love with photography in the first place.

Indeed, when I split up with my ex (who is a photographer), we had to divide up some kit. We both shot on the same system and shared a few lenses – but the only lens she absolutely insisted on keeping was the macro.

Even my wife (who is not a photographer) has expressed an interest in learning photography so she can take macro shots of nature while we're out on walks. So I guess, if you want to Trojan horse your family or friends into taking an interest in photography, put a camera with a macro lens in their hands.

You might just unlock a new photography buddy – or change someone else's life the way photography has changed yours. You can watch the full discussion on macro lenses in our podcast below (I've teed it up to the right timestamp).

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Take a look at the best cameras for macro photography and the best macro lenses, along with the best ring flashes for macro photography.

The Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master has dropped to just $1,598, down from $1,798, saving you a cool $200 on one of Sony’s most trusted professional zoom lenses.

For many photographers, the 24-70mm f/2.8 is the lens that rarely leaves the camera. It covers everything from portraits and weddings to travel, events, landscapes, and everyday documentary work. Pair that versatile focal range with a fast constant f/2.8 aperture, and you have a lens that can handle almost anything the day throws at you.

Check out all the early Prime Day camera deals

What makes the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master so appealing is its balance of speed, sharpness, and reliability. This is a serious workhorse lens, built for photographers and filmmakers who need dependable performance without constantly changing glass. It is the kind of lens that earns its place in the bag because it can do so much, and do it well.

The G Master badge matters here, too. Sony designed this lens to deliver high-end image quality, strong contrast, attractive background blur, and the kind of optical performance that makes it a natural fit for full-frame Alpha cameras. Whether you are shooting stills or video, it offers the flexibility and polish expected from Sony’s premium lens lineup.

At $1,598, this deal makes a professional-standard Sony zoom that little bit easier to justify. A $200 saving on a lens this useful is not something to ignore, especially if you are building out a serious Sony kit or finally upgrading from a slower standard zoom.

Note, that there is now an updated version of this lens available, the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, but this costs $2,248.

SG-Image is rumored to soon be releasing a new lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras: the AF 25mm f/1.8. This lens is already available for Fujifilm X and APS-C Nikon Z and Sony E-mount cameras – it’s the widest and most affordable lens in SG-Image's range of five autofocus mirrorless lenses. At just 31mm long it almost qualifies as a pancake prime, and the lens is refreshingly lightweight at 145 grams, despite having an all-metal barrel. SG-Image claims this "may be the slimmest 25mm f/1.8 lens in the world" - you be the judge of that.

Inside are 7 elements arranged in 5 groups, including 3 high-refractive-index elements to reduce chromatic aberrations. Other specs include a 0.3-meter minimum focussing distance and a 52mm filter thread diameter.

With its focal length equating to around 37.5mm in full-frame terms, the lens is ideal for street photography, while the fast f/1.8 max aperture should also make it very useful in low light. Factor the aperture diaphragm with its fairly generous nine blades and bokeh has the right ingredients for sumptuous smoothness.

Unlike affordable third-party primes of old which would have sacrificed autofocus and electronic contacts to stay in budget, the AF 25mm includes an AF motor, which SG-Image says is fast, accurate and quiet.

Though rumored to be launching on June 15th, the MFT variant of the SG-Image AF 25mm f/1.8 isn't yet showing on the brand's website. Once it does, expect it to cost $125, assuming it's priced in line with the lens's other three mount options. Like those, the MFT version will probably also be available in a choice of black or silver barrel finishes.

Story credit: 43rumors

According to Leica Rumors, Meyer Optik Görlitz is continuing its comeback and is now apprently working on the with a sort a lens that immediately catches the eye. After a break of almost a year and a half, the Hamburg-based optics maker has confirmed that it is developing a new 42mm f/1.2 lens, including a version for Leica M-mount.

That alone is enough to make many rangefinder users pay attention. A 42mm focal length sits in that interesting space between the classic 35mm and 50mm fields of view, offering something slightly different for everyday photography, portraits, travel, and available-light shooting. Pair that with a very fast f/1.2 aperture, and this starts to sound like a seriously characterful optic.

Inside, the lens is said to feature 10 elements in total, including two aspherical elements and two floating elements. That suggests Meyer Optik is aiming for more than just vintage charm here, with optical correction and close-range performance clearly part of the design brief. The lens will be offered for Sony E, Canon RF, and Leica M mounts, which should give it appeal beyond the Leica world.

But the detail I cannot stop looking at is the inclusion of 15 red aperture blades. Do red aperture blades make a real-world difference to the final image? I am definitely not convinced. My feeling is that this is more about aesthetics than optical performance, but I have to admit, I absolutely love it. There is something wonderfully bold and slightly indulgent about seeing that flash of red inside a handmade lens.

The new Meyer Optik Görlitz 42mm f/1.2 will be handmade in Hamburg, Germany, and while there is still more to learn about pricing, availability, and final performance, it is already one of the more intriguing lens developments for Leica M users and others. In a market often dominated by technically perfect but visually forgettable lenses, this feels like something with a little more personality.

If I were stranded on a desert island with just one lens, I’d want it to be a 70-200mm f/2.8. At the wide end, you've got a versatile short telephoto that can be used for everyday snaps and portraits, while the zoom range provides enough reach for wildlife photography. This class of lens also tends to work very well for close-up work if you don’t need true 1:1 macro.

But if you’re thinking of stepping up to a full-frame camera or even switching systems, who makes the very best 70-200mm? Well, everyone’s favorite Hong Kong-based photography YouTuber Matt Granger has answered that question, pitting pro-grade f/2.8 telephoto zooms from five of the top manufacturers against each other in a real-world head-to-head battle.

During the video, Matt tests the autofocus, build, image stabilization, and image quality of each lens, attached to a high-resolution camera. The Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 70–200mm f/2.8 ASPH is used with the Leica SL3, the Canon RF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS USM Z on the Canon R5 Mark II, the Nikon Z 70–200mm f/2.8 VR S II on the Nikon Z8, the Sigma 70–200mm f/2.8 DG DN OS Sports on the Sigma fp L, and the Sony FE 70–200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II on the Sony A7R V.

Ultimately, Matt concludes that the Nikon, Canon and Sony exist in a class of their own, but there are a few caveats, so to find out his opinion on each lens, make sure you watch the video (above) all the way to the end. If you’re interested in finding out the telephoto lenses that Digital Camera World rates, check out the best telephoto lenses.

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Want a lens that's a little shorter? Check out the best standard zooms. If you're after something with more reach, here are the best lenses for bird photography. And to stay up to date, here's the latest camera news.

Ultra-wide lenses typically come with a curved front glass that prevents the lenses from usuing filters in the traditional sense. But a new lens from Brighin Star has an unsual take with a filter holder that also doubles as a lens hood. The Brightin Star 14mm f/2.8 spans an impressively wide view – and arrives compatible with full-frame E Mount, RF Mount, Z Mount, and L Mount mirrorless camera bodies.

The Brightin Star 14mm f/2.8 covers an impressively wide 116-degree view, but like most ultra-wides, that creeates a curved front element, making traditional screw-in filters impossible.

Instead, the full-frame lens includes a detachable filter holder that can accommodate square 82mm ND filters, but also supports circular polarizing filters. The filter holder also doubles as a lens hood.

Filter holders for ultra-wide lenses aren’t uncommon, but most are sold seperately. Brightin Star includes a filter holder, but also allows it to double as a lens hood to help prevent flare too.

The manual focus design, 116-degree wide view and f/2.8 aperture is a mix meant for astrophotography as well as architecture and interiors. The lens is built with 13 elements in nine groups, including coatings to reduce flare and help keep stars sharp. Brightin Star says that the design is meant to minimize lens distortion.

While the manual focus is perhaps expected for the brand and price point, I’m surprised that the lens still offers focusing as close as .2m in front of the lens. That could help photographers turn the perspective distortion that comes from such a wide view into a quirky creative effect.

The lens uses a ten-blade aperture, which means narrowing that f/2.8 aperture down will turn points of light into ten-point starbursts.

The Brightin Star 14mm f/2.8 will be available beginning on June 17. The lens is set to retail for $279 in the US – about £208 / AU$394 / CA$390. Until June 27, Brightin Star is offering a $40 launch discount.

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Take a deep dive into the best lenses for astrophotography or the best ultra-wide lenses.

It's tough being an S9 owner. Panasonic proudly announced an ultra-small full-frame camera that's about the same size as a Fujifilm X100VI – but the only ultra-small lens available for it was barely fit for purpose, and every other L-Mount lens was comedically oversized on the camera.

Since then, even the so-called small Lumix S 40mm f/2 and TTArtisan 40mm f/2 are too chunky for my taste. But thankfully, mercifully, Viltrox has come to the rescue with an ultra-small lens that the Lumix S9 has been screaming out for.

Already available for Sony E, Nikon Z and Fujifilm X mounts, the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 has just been launched for L-Mount. It's a super-thin pancake lens that's just 15mm thick, making it a perfect pairing for the svelte S9.

I wish this lens was available for the S9 at launch, as I think it would have utterly transformed the reception that greeted the camera. Instead of Panasonic's poorly-received, manual focus, fixed-f/8 26mm pancake, this is the proof-of-concept optic that the Lumix deserved.

As it is, the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 – which my colleague Matt Richards awarded four stars in his review – offers silent and snappy autofocus, a faster (but still fixed) f/4.5 aperture and tasty central sharpness (even if it gets choppier towards the edges of frame). Heck, it even has a built-in lens cap that can be engaged with the flick of a slider switch!

All that tech and it's still slimmer than Lumix's 18.1mm-thick pancake – and only a shade heavier, too, at just 60g (compared to 58g).

And while I've been moaning about the S9, the L-Mount version of this lens obviously fits any camera using the mount – it's equally at home on the similarly small Sigma BF, chunkier bodies like the Lumix S1IIE or even a Red Dot camera like the Leica SL3. But we all know that it's meant for the S9.

"I feel that the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 is the last word in convenience and portability, thanks to its incredibly small and lightweight build," Matt said in his Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 review. "I really like using it for street photography and for walkabout/travel shooting, as it keeps size and weight to an absolute minimum."

He does note that the fixed aperture can prove tricky (though nothing that isn't remedied by nudging your ISO) and found that flaring can be an issue, but otherwise concluded that "it's a fun lens that keeps things simple." Which is exactly what I want from my S9 – and is exactly what the 26mm f/8 failed to deliver.

Anyway, S9 users like me can finally shut up as we've got the lens we always wanted. It's available now for $99 / £90 (Australian price to be confirmed). Now, if only Samyang can be persuaded to bring the Remaster Slim to the L-Mount as well… 

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This is definitely one of the best lenses for the Panasonic Lumix S9, but see how it fares against the best L-Mount lenses from all manufacturers.

Photographing the sun safely has traditionally meant one of two things: building a DIY filter using specialist solar film, or investing in a dedicated astronomical solar filter system. The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 takes a different approach.

Rather than using a dedicated solar film, it’s essentially an extremely dark 20-stop neutral-density filter that reduces sunlight by a factor of 1,000,000. Designed primarily for ultra-long-exposure photography, it’s a convenient, durable, and straightforward screw-in design.

Compared to fragile Baader AstroSolar Safety Film or foldable universal filters like the Daystar Universal Lens Filter, the K&F filter is much easier to travel with. There’s no cardboard to crush in your luggage, no delicate film to puncture or stretch, and no tape-covered DIY construction rattling around your camera bag.

For this review, I tested the filter primarily on a DSLR camera with a 100-400mm telephoto lens. The results were surprisingly impressive – though not without important compromises and safety considerations.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Specifications

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Price

The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 is simple and reasonably affordable. Available in 49mm, 52mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm, and 95mm sizes, prices typically hover around the $50 / £38 mark for the 77mm size, and there are frequent discounts.

That’s competitive pricing considering the filter also doubles as a creative long-exposure tool outside eclipse seasons. Unlike specialist solar film that may sit unused for years between eclipses, the K&F ND1,000,000 can also be used for ultra-long daytime exposures, smoothing water, removing crowds, cloud streak effects, and minimalist landscape photography. So it should appeal to photographers worried about investing in niche eclipse gear.

However, dedicated solar filters still offer advantages in thermal management and safety certification. The K&F is ultimately a photographic ND filter first and foremost, not a purpose-built astronomical solar filter.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Design & Handling

Safety first. The K&F ND1,000,000 is a photographic filter, not a certified visual solar observing filter. You should never look directly at the sun through it – or via a DSLR's optical viewfinder. Mirrorless EVFs and rear LCD Live View systems are the safest workflows to use (besides, zooming in on a Live View image of the sun is the best way to manually sharpen the image).

The K&F ND1,000,000 feels surprisingly well-made for the money. The aluminum frame threads smoothly with no cross-threading issues, the grip texture is easy to handle even with gloves, and the included hard protective case is tough. It occupies almost no space in a camera bag and feels substantially more durable than solar film systems.

However, there are practical trade-offs. Glass solar filters absorb and retain heat far more than solar film systems do. After prolonged shooting sessions in direct sunlight – the definition of an eclipse shoot, which can last over three hours – the filter becomes distinctly hot to the touch. This makes removing the filter quickly before totality slightly trickier than with lightweight slip-on film filters, which typically rely on cardboard or tough plastic housings.

That said, you don’t necessarily need to fully tighten the filter during eclipse photography. Leaving it slightly loosened allows much faster removal just before totality while still remaining secure enough for shooting the partial phases.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Performance

Considering its intended purpose as a creative long-exposure filter rather than a specialist astronomy product, the K&F ND1,000,000 performs impressively well. Mounted on a Canon 100-400mm telephoto lens attached to a mirrorless camera, image quality was genuinely good. Contrast remained strong, flare was well controlled, and the filter introduced no obvious vignetting or focusing issues during testing. The ND1,000,000 should be the only filter mounted on the lens when imaging the sun to avoid ghost reflections.

Compared to DIY solar film filters, the screw-in design makes setup dramatically simpler, especially while traveling. There’s no concern about crushed filter cells, wrinkled film, or masking tape-secured housings. For lightweight eclipse expeditions, that convenience becomes extremely appealing. Dedicated solar film systems still hold a clear optical advantage.

With ISO100 and f/8 dialed in, exposures between 1/13 sec and 1/100 sec produce usable images, with 1/50 sec superior. Compared to Baader AstroSolar Safety Film, the K&F filter produces a yellow-tinted and slightly softer image of sunspots and the solar limb, as well as a little less contrast across the sun’s disk. The difference isn’t huge for casual use, but experienced eclipse photographers will notice it.

The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 ND filter gets hot. Dedicated solar film reflects much of the sun’s energy away before it enters the lens, whereas dense glass ND filters absorb more internally. Since prolonged Live View sessions in hot environments may increase thermal stress on both the filter and camera, it’s something to consider.

Without formal solar certification documentation, the K&F ND1,000,000 should be considered for occasional mirrorless solar photography with moderate telephoto zooms – thereby avoiding the need for optical viewfinders. With those caveats in mind, it works far better than many photographers might expect.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Verdict

The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 is not a replacement for dedicated astronomical solar filters, but that’s not really the point. What it offers instead is one of the most practical, compact, and travel-friendly ways to occasionally photograph the sun with a mirrorless camera. For eclipse travelers wanting a lightweight setup without DIY filter construction, it makes sense. Image quality is solid, handling is straightforward, and the screw-in design is dramatically easier to travel with than delicate solar film systems. The ability to repurpose it for creative long exposures outside eclipse season also helps justify the purchase.

However, the compromises are real. Dedicated solar film from Baader or Thousand Oaks remains cheaper, sharper, and better able to handle heat. This filter should also never be treated as suitable for direct visual observing.

For casual eclipse photography and lightweight travel kits, the K&F ND1,000,000 is an excellent option. But for publication-grade solar imaging at long focal lengths, specialist solar film still leads the way.

Alternatives

What’s in a name? Thypoch is a Chinese manufacturer best known for its Simera f/1.4 manual-focus prime lenses and more movie-focused Simera-C T1.5 cine lenses. Thypoch takes its name from ‘epoch’ and Simera is Greek for ‘today’. Taking a step forward, the new Voyager 24-50mm is the company’s first autofocus zoom lens, advertised as ‘the cine-soul in motion, bringing world-class cinematic rendering to your everyday kit’.

I’ve seen a variety of full-frame compatible standard zoom lenses that aim to be as compact and lightweight as possible, but they usually come with the compromises of a fairly slow aperture rating that varies with focal length, a lack weather-seals, and come up short at the long end of the zoom range. A couple that spring to mind are the Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM and the Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3. On the other hand, traditional ‘trinity’ standard zooms with a constant f/2.8 aperture rating tend to be much bigger and heavier, but a variety of downsized alternatives have come to market, generally with a different zoom range to the classic 24-70mm (see ‘pricing’ below).

A notable recent newcomer in the alternative trinity camp is the LK Samyang / Rokinon AF 24-60mm f/2.8 FE for Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras, designed in partnership with Schneider-Kreuznach. Like the Samyang, Thypoch’s first autofocus zoom aims to be one of the best standard zooms on the market, as well as one of the best lenses for Sony full-frame E-mount cameras, at least if you’re on a tight budget.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Specifications

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Price

The launch price of the Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8 is a relatively budget-friendly $649 / £489 / AU$926. For the sake of comparison, other ‘alternative trinity’ standard zooms include the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at $1,249 / £1,249 / AU$1,599 and the Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 at $1,197 / £889 / AU$1,499. Naturally, the Thypoch is also a direct competitor to the Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G, which has a much more expensive list price of $1,298 / £1,149 / AU$2,000, costing about twice as much.

Third-party offerings for Sony E-mount cameras include the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN | C at $989 / £779 / AU$1,320 and the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD G2 at $899 / £649 / AU$1,279. The LK Samyang / Rokinon AF 24-60mm f/2.8 FE that I mentioned earlier launched at $899 / £635 / AU$1,209. On the face of it, the Thypoch looks very competitively priced.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Design & Handling

Along with a constant f/2.8 aperture, an almost constant theme to ‘alternative trinity’ standard zooms is that they sacrifice wide-angle coverage, typically starting at 28mm instead of 24mm. The Thypoch, along with the Samyang / Rokinon, buck the trend and match full-sized trinity zooms with a 24mm minimum focal length. The wider perspective is very noticeable when shooting. However, something’s gotta give and what you gain in wide-angle coverage you lose in telephoto reach. Again, most alternative trinity standard zooms stretch to 70mm or 75mm, the Samyang / Rokinon only gives a nod to telephoto reach, maxing out at 60mm, and the Thypoch has none at all, only going to a ‘standard’ 50mm focal length at the long end.

In its defense, Thypoch claims that its first autofocus zoom lens covers three classic or ‘golden’ focal lengths of 24mm, 35mm and 50mm. I’d personally add 28mm to the list, bringing the total up to four. Either way, the net result in terms of handling is that you get a very useful range of focal lengths, all with the same ‘constant’ f/2.8 aperture rating. More remarkably, and unlike with the Samyang / Rokinon lens, the Thypoch has a fully internal zoom mechanism, so the physical length of the lens doesn’t extend at any zoom setting.

Despite the downsized design and lightweight build, the lens is based on no less than 16 optical elements arranged in 13 groups. Those include two aspherical elements, three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and three HR (High Refractive index) elements. The aim is to maximize sharpness, clarity and color rendition while minimizing unwanted aberrations. Nano-structure coatings are also applied to suppress ghosting and flare.

A key facet of any ‘trinity’ zoom lens is the relatively fast and constant f/2.8 aperture, that remains available at all focal lengths. Advantages include the ability to maintain quick shutter speeds under low lighting conditions, to freeze motion and avoid camera-shake without needing to bump up your camera’s ISO setting too much. But the biggest plus point is that you can gain a tighter depth of field for creative effect, isolating subjects within a scene by blurring the background. Bokeh becomes an important factor in the overall performance of the lens and to help ensure that bokeh remains attractive when stopping down a little, the aperture is based on a well-rounded 10-blade diaphragm.

Handling feels impressively up-market, especially for such a budget-friendly lens. The zoom and focus control rings work with smooth precision. Helped by the fully internal mechanisms for both, there’s no hint of zoom creep. The dedicated aperture control ring operates in one-third click steps through its entire range of f/2.8 to f/22, complete with a marked, calibrated scale for easy reference. As usual, there’s an ‘A’ (Auto) position at the narrow end of the range, for controlling the aperture from the host camera body, rather than on the lens itself. It’s a must if you’re shooting in Program AE or Shutter-priority modes.

A couple of downsides are that there’s no switch for locking the aperture ring in its Auto position, so you need to be careful not to nudge it accidentally to a narrow aperture setting when controlling the aperture from the camera body. A bigger problem for videographers is that there’s no de-click switch for the aperture control ring. The upshot is that smooth, silent and stepless aperture transitions are unavailable. Back on the plus side, handling extras include an AF/MF focus mode switch and a customizable function button on the left hand side of the barrel. I’d generally use the latter for autofocus-hold.

Low-budget lenses from certain camera manufacturers (Canon and Nikon spring to mind) are notorious for being supplied with no hood, the item in question being sold separately as an ‘optional extra’. I’m happy that a good-quality and efficient petal-shaped hood is supplied with the Thypoch, as part of the standard kit.

When attached, the hood doesn’t extend very far but does offer extra resistance against ghosting and flare, as well as giving some physical protection to the front element of the lens. It’s a win-win.

I’ve used various lenses that are designed to be lightweight, which have plastic rather than metal mounting plates. That’s not the case here, as the Thypoch features a ‘proper’ metal mounting plate with gold-plated electronic contacts, a rubber weather-seal and a USB-C port for applying firmware updates, if and when needed.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Performance

Like most modern lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, the Thypoch utilizes a linear stepping motor for autofocus, as well as for shifting the relevant groups of elements when focusing manually. Autofocus speed is quite pedestrian for this type of focusing system but typically whisper-quiet in operation. Similarly, manual focusing is smooth and precise. The lens’s autofocus abilities are compatible with Sony AF options like face/eye-detection and tracking, while focus peaking is available for manual focusing.

In my ‘real-world’ tests, sharpness was a bit of a mixed bag. I found center-sharpness to be generally very good when the lens was correctly focused, even at the widest aperture of f/2.8, although it paid to stop down a little at the longest zoom setting. Levels of sharpness towards the edges and corners of the frame were a little lackluster at f/2.8, but noticeably better at medium apertures, again dropping off at the longest zoom setting, where narrowing the aperture gave relatively little improvement.

My main issue with the Thypoch's performance is that I encountered a problem with the lens frequently autofocusing a little short of the subject on which I was trying to focus, especially at or near the long end of the zoom range. This front-focusing issue made foreground areas look sharp, but sharpness was lacking in areas in the scene that were at the distance I was autofocusing. I’m confident that the problem doesn’t lie with my Sony A7 III camera body, as I haven’t had the same issue before or since with all of my other Sony and third-party E-mount lenses (I have many). I’m hoping it's an issue that Thypoch might be able to fix with a firmware update for the lens.

Back on the plus side, the quality of bokeh is pleasingly soft and smooth at f/2.8 and remains attractive when stopping down a bit, aided by the well-rounded 10-blade aperture diaphragm. This helps to maintain a reasonably circular appearance for ‘bokeh discs’ caused by defocused lights or bright spots. In addition to smooth bokeh, there’s good control over axial chromatic aberration (bokeh fringing) at f/2.8, with an absence of colored fringes around high-contrast transitions just in front of or behind the plane of focus. The following gallery contains shots of a phrenology head against a garden backdrop, taken at various apertures from f/2.8 to f/8. It serves as a good test for sharpness, bokeh and axial chromatic aberration.

For such a relatively compact f/2.8 constant-aperture zoom, there’s fairly little vignetting even with automatic in-camera correction disabled. The same holds true for distortions, which rely rather less heavily on automatic in-camera correction than many recent lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, especially those that aim to be compact in size. Unlike when using many of these lenses, you can opt to disable automatic in-camera correction for distortion, rather than it being forced on.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Sample Images

The following gallery of sample images was shot at the Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in the English city of Wells. Most of the pictures were shot in pairs, demonstrating the field of view and overall image quality at the shortest and longest zoom settings, respectively. Some of them taken at or around f/8 demonstrate the front-focusing issue that I encountered mostly at the long end of the zoom range. I also shot some of the images wide-open at f/2.8, to give an idea of the quality of bokeh.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: 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:

In laboratory conditions, center-sharpness generally proved very convincing even wide-open at f/2.8, although it dropped off substantially at the long end of the zoom range. Edge/corner-sharpness is comparatively disappointing at wide apertures and fails to improve much when stopping down to medium aperture settings at the longest zoom setting.

Fringing:

The lens does very well to minimize both lateral and axial chromatic aberrations, which remain negligible across the whole image frame, throughout the entire zoom and aperture ranges.

Distortion:

There’s the typical swing of barrel distortion at the shortest zoom setting, switching to pincushion at the long end. However, the Thypoch does a whole lot better to keep distortions to a minimum, compared with many modern lenses designed for mirrorless cameras. As such, it relies much less on automatic in-camera corrections than is often the case.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Verdict

As some say, ‘if something looks too good to be true, it probably is’. An alternative trinity standard zoom lens that’s so compact and lightweight, selling for such a budget-friendly price, makes the Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8 look like a lens that would be wonderfully easy to live with, as well as a standout bargain to buy. Add to that the impressive, weather-sealed build quality, handling extras like an AF/MF focus mode switch, customizable function button and dedicated aperture control ring, and the lens does indeed look a little too good to be true, considering its selling price.

I wanted to fall in love with this Thypoch lens but, while I do like it a lot, I have a couple of reservations. My main problem is that I found autofocus accuracy to be inconsistent in my real-world tests, and that edge/corner-sharpness was disappointing at f/2.8 throughout the zoom range. Narrowing the aperture to medium values brought little improvement at the longest zoom setting. Center-sharpness was also relatively poor at the long end of the zoom range when using the widest aperture.

For a lens based on a rich cine heritage and billed as being ‘cine-soul in motion’, I’m also surprised that there’s no de-click switch for the aperture control ring, or that the ring isn’t permanently de-clicked. Maybe it’s just because I only tend to use an aperture control ring (where available) when I’m shooting video rather than stills.

Ultimately, the Thypoch looks an attractive lens at an appealing price, and it’s refreshingly compact and lightweight, with solid build quality. It’s just not as excellent as I’d hoped, mostly because my review sample was hampered by poor autofocus accuracy.

Alternatives

Chinese lens manufacturer has just posted that it is launching three autofocus lenses for Nikon APS-C mirrorless cameras tomorrow, June 16.

The 7artisans 25mm f/1.8, 35mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.8 are already available for Sony E and Fujifilm X mounts - but now will go on sale for use on models such as the Nikon Z50 II and the Z fc.

The trio of lenses is designed to be ultra-lightweight - hitting the scales at around 180g (6.35 ounces) each. When the crop factor is taken into account, the lenses with provide equivalent focal lengths of 37.5mm, 52.5mm and 75mm.

The prices of the new Nikon AF versions will cost the same as for existing mounts, with the individual lenses costing $125 a piece - or you can buy all three in a set for $359.

Some people might not be aware that Tamron's largest shareholder is Sony. Which, in a very roundabout way, kinda means that Sony makes lenses for rivals like Canon and Nikon. However, that could be about to change thanks to "a massive capital upheaval, perhaps the largest since the company's founding".

For years Sony has owned the biggest share in Tamron, enjoying a 15.35% slice of the company as of December. But according to a report by Digital Camera Life, the second-largest shareholder – activist hedge fund investor Effissimo Capital Management – could might have muscled its way to a majority interest.

As of December, Effissimo owned 10.76% of Tamron. However, as of April, the group has increased its ownership stake to 17.38%. So unless the electronics giant likewise bought a bigger stake in Tamron, Effissimo now owns 29,691,800 shares compared to Sony's 25,038,000.

Who is Effissimo Capital Management?

Effissimo is a Singapore-based hedge fund investment firm that has made a name for itself by strategically buying into Japanese manufacturers such as Nissan and Toshiba, the latter leading to a buyout that privatized the company.

Described by the Financial Times as "a secretive fund run by Japanese managers," Effissimo is "known for its high-profile campaigns against some of the biggest names in corporate Japan".

Often acting in the background, Star Magnolia Capital notes that "Effissimo quietly built large, economically decisive stakes in target companies and then pushed for change through behind-the-scenes engagement".

All of which suggests that its controlling interest in Tamron is not a benign investment but may signal an intention to modify the direction of the company.

What does Effissimo's move mean for Tamron (and Sony)?

So what does this all mean? Digital Camera Life has some interesting insights.

The outlet clarifies that Tamron may not necessarily welcome Effissimo's aggressive purchasing of shares, but may be using its presence "as a legitimate 'justification' for management reform" following the 2023 scandal that saw former president and CEO, Shiro Ajisaka, depart Tamron over misappropriation of company funds.

"Does Tamron want to be free from Sony? The answer is 'no.' Sony will continue to be Tamron's most important 'guardian angel' and 'biggest business partner.' There is virtually no reason for Tamron to want to separate from Sony.

Sony's firm hold of 15.35% of the shares acts as a safety valve (a white knight-like role) that prevents the company from being taken over by another company."

It posits that Tamron's recent announcement that it plans to launch more than 10 lenses per year "might be a positive response (or defense) to the pressure from these funds (demands to increase corporate value instead of letting cash sit idle)."

As such, it could actually be a positive move for all concerned – specifically in terms of accelerating the push into the Canon RF lens ecosystem.

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See how Tamron's glass ranks among the best Sony lenses, the best Canon RF lenses and the best Nikon Z lenses.

Voigtlander is bringing out one of its legendary Nokton fast prime lenses in both Canon RF and Nikon Z fits. The new full-frame mirrorless lenses promise a retro-looking wide-angle lens with a fast maximum aperture that providing a classic lens that uses modern optical technology.

The Voigtlander NOKTON Classic 35mm F1.4 will, however, remain traditional in that it will not offer autofocus or image stabilization as part of the design.

Unlike modern performance-oriented lenses, these wide-angle primes "intentionally retains aberrations to pursue the lens's unique character and the beauty of its rendering".

The 35mm f/1.4 uses eight elements in six group, with a Gauss type construction forming a symmetrical shape around the aperture, aiming to reproduce the unique rendering of classic lenses.

Nokton lenses were originally introduced in the 1950s primarily for use in lowlight, but in the digital era they are sort after for their smooth, gente bokeh, and soft rendering when used at maximum aperture.

The lens offers a minimum focusing distance of 0.26m, and uses ten aperture blades.

The Nikon and Canon options use different designs for the focusing ring of the lens, to give the distinct looks in keeping with each brand's own heritage. The Canon RF version weighs 260g, while the Nikon Z opton weighs 250g.

Both versions are set to go on sale in July, with at a price of 90,000 yen (equivalent to around $562 / £420).

The Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is not just another wide-angle lens in the M system; it is one of Leica’s most ambitious pieces of glass. Combining an ultra-wide 21mm field of view with a fast f/1.4 aperture, it offers a rare mix of dramatic perspective, low-light capability, and shallow depth of field that few lenses of this type can match.

On paper, it is a specialist lens, but in use it quickly becomes something far more versatile, opening up creative possibilities for documentary work, travel, interiors, environmental portraits, and available-light photography.

For Leica M photographers, the 21mm Summilux sits in a unique position. It is wider than the classic 28mm and 35mm focal lengths many rangefinder users gravitate toward, yet it retains the character and speed expected from the Summilux name.

It is a lens designed for photographers who want to step closer, include more of the world around their subject, and create images with a sense of space, atmosphere, and depth. In this review, I take a closer look at how it handles, how it performs, and whether this remarkable wide-angle Summilux still justifies its place in the Leica lineup.

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph: Specifications

Mount: Leica M-mount
Full frame: Yes
Autofocus: No
Image stabilization: No
Angle of view: 92°
Minimum aperture: f/1.4
Minimum focusing distance: 2.3 ft / 70cm
Maximum reproduction ratio: 1:29
Dimensions: 2.7 x 2.6 in / 69.5 x 66mm
Weight: 1.3 lb / 580g

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph: Build and Handling

The Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is everything you would expect from a premium Leica M lens. It is solid, beautifully finished and has the kind of engineering feel that reminds you exactly why Leica lenses are held in such high regard. It feels like a proper piece of photographic equipment rather than just another lens, and there is a real sense that this is something designed to be used, treasured and kept for decades.

In the hand, the lens feels reassuringly substantial without becoming unmanageable. The focus ring is wonderfully smooth, with a short and precise focus throw that makes manual focusing feel intuitive and rewarding. The aperture ring is equally satisfying, clicking into place with a snappy, mechanical confidence. Everything about the main construction of this lens feels considered, premium and deeply sophisticated.

However, there are a few handling points worth mentioning. Because this is a 21mm lens, you do not get automatic frameline detection in the same way you would when mounting a 28mm, 35mm or 50mm lens on a Leica M camera. The widest framelines shown by modern Leica rangefinders are 28mm, which means you are forced to compose in a different way.

On a modern digital Leica M body, that means using live view on the rear screen or adding a Visoflex electronic viewfinder, which shows the entire image the lens sees and helps with critical focusing.

If you are using a Leica M without live view, whether digital or film, you will need the separately sold Leica 21mm external optical viewfinder to properly see what you are taking. Of course, if you are using this lens on the modern Leica M EV1, then this is not an issue at all, as the built-in EVF allows you to see the full 21mm field of view without any additional accessories.

Having reviewed this lens on the Leica M11-P, I found myself opting for live view with red focus peaking, which made the whole process of shooting with this lens far more accurate and enjoyable. It is not quite the pure rangefinder experience some Leica users may want, but with a 21mm lens this wide, it does make practical sense.

One small frustration is the lack of a focusing tab. The focus action itself is superb, but a thumb tab would have made quick focusing feel even more instinctive, especially for street and documentary work.

There is also the lens cap. While correct for the period in which this lens was produced, the lightweight plastic Leica-branded cover does not really match the premium quality of the lens itself. This is admittedly being very picky, but when you are spending this much money on a lens, you do want the accessories to feel just as special.

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph: Performance

The performance of the Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is fantastic. This is a lens that oozes quality, not just in how it is built, but in the images it produces. When paired with a modern 60MP Leica M body such as the M11-P, the level of detail, sharpness and rendering is truly impressive.

A 21mm lens is already a dramatic focal length, giving you a wide, immersive view of the world, but the Summilux adds something extra. The f/1.4 aperture gives this lens a character that is not commonly found in ultra-wide M lenses. It allows you to work in low light, separate subjects in a subtle but beautiful way, and create images that have both scale and atmosphere.

The image quality is excellent across real-world use. Detail is crisp, contrast is strong, and colors have that unmistakable Leica richness. It is the sort of lens that rewards careful composition, but it can also be used in a more instinctive way once you get used to the 21mm field of view. Architecture, interiors, environmental portraits, travel, documentary and street photography all suit this lens brilliantly.

However, one thing that is slightly annoying is the minimum focusing distance of 0.7 meters. For a lens this wide, there are times when you naturally want to get closer to your subject, especially when trying to create a more dramatic foreground or intimate perspective.

The 0.7m limit can be a challenge in some shooting situations, and it is one of the few areas where the lens feels slightly restricted compared with more modern close-focusing designs.

That said, when you work within its limits, the results are exceptional. The Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is not simply sharp for the sake of being sharp. It has character, presence and a beautiful way of drawing a scene. The files it produces feel rich and full of life, especially when used with the latest high-resolution Leica M sensors.

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph: Sample photos

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 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:

Center sharpness wide open is good, but not particularly special - you'll have to stop down to f/4 for a noticeable improvement, but even then we'd expect better performance from a prime lens like this. Corner sharpness is downright disappointing through most of the aperture range, only becoming respectable at f/11.

For some reason our lab data test shots had aperture f/stop values recorded in EXIF data which didn't match the lens's physical aperture settings. Our f/1.4 shots were also recorded with narrower aperture values, hence the lack of f/1.4 data in our test results.

Fringing:

Fringing in the center and mid region of frame is negligible, however it is noticeable in the corners of frame throughout the aperture range.

Distortion: -0.93

There's slight barrel distortion, but it shouldn't be easily visible in real-world shooting.

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Verdict

The Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is one of those dream lenses. It is the kind of lens you buy once, use with pride and very possibly keep for the rest of your life. It is beautifully made, truly fantastic to use and capable of producing images that feel every bit as special as the lens itself.

Yes, it is incredibly expensive. At around $9,840 / £7,500, this is a serious investment, even by Leica standards. It also comes with a few practical compromises, including the lack of 21mm framelines in the rangefinder, the need for live view, Visoflex or an external finder, and the 0.7m minimum focusing distance.

But none of that takes away from what this lens is. If 21mm is your desired focal length, and you want one of the finest ultra-wide Leica M lenses ever made, then the Summilux-M 21mm f/1.4 ASPH is a significant investment into your photography that will be worth every penny of your hard-earned cash. It is expensive, rare and slightly demanding, but it is also magnificent.

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The Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH has long been one of the defining lenses of the M system, combining the classic 35mm field of view with the speed, character, and low-light capability of Leica’s Summilux line.

This latest close-focus version feels like the most complete expression of that legacy, taking everything photographers already love about the 35mm Summilux and expanding its usability in a meaningful way.

While 35mm has always been one of the most versatile focal lengths for rangefinder photography, this lens goes a step further by focusing beyond the traditional 0.7m rangefinder limit, reaching down to 0.4m when used with live view, the Visoflex, or an EVF.

That close-focus ability may sound like a small update on paper, but in real-world use it makes the lens feel far more flexible, especially for detail shots, environmental portraits, travel work, and everyday storytelling. In this review, I take a closer look at its build, handling, performance, and whether this could be the pinnacle of Leica’s 35mm Summilux line.

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Specifications

Mount: Leica M-mount
Full frame: Yes
Autofocus: No
Image stablization: No
Minimum aperture: f/1.4
Minimum focusing distance: 0.4 m.
Construction: 9 elements in 5 groups
Diaphragm blades:
Dimensions: 46x58mm
Weight: 338g

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Build and Handling

The Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. is everything you would expect from a modern Leica M lens. It is beautifully made, reassuring in the hand, and finished with the kind of precision that makes using Leica glass such a pleasure. This is not just a tool; it is a piece of photographic engineering that feels designed to last for decades.

The most important update is, of course, the close-focus ability. Traditionally, Leica M rangefinder lenses have focused down to 0.7m, but this lens goes beyond that, allowing you to focus from 0.6m down to 0.4m. This might not sound like much on paper, but in real-world use, it makes the lens far more versatile. It opens up closer detail shots, tighter portraits, and more intimate compositions that were previously harder to achieve with a standard rangefinder-coupled 35mm Summilux.

Leica has also built a very useful physical indication into the focus throw. As you focus closer than 0.7m, you feel a small notch in the focus movement. This tells you that you are moving past the physical rangefinder focusing ability of the camera. From 0.6m down to 0.4m, you cannot focus through the optical rangefinder and must instead use live view, a Visoflex electronic viewfinder or, on a Leica M body with an EVF, the electronic finder.

This is a clever and reassuring design touch. It means you always know where you are in the focusing range, and it avoids any confusion when moving from traditional rangefinder focusing into the close-focus zone. It also makes this lens feel like a true bridge between classic Leica M shooting and a more modern way of working.

However, because the lens now focuses from 0.4m all the way to infinity, the focus throw is longer than some users may be used to from a more traditional 0.7m-to-infinity M lens. For very quick street photography, this may take a little getting used to. It is not a flaw as such, but it does slightly change the feel of the lens compared with older 35mm Summilux designs.

This is also the first Leica 35mm lens to come with the newer rounded built-in hood. In performance terms, the hood works well, and it gives the lens a more compact and modern appearance compared with the more traditional square hoods of the past. Personally, I tend to lean more towards the classic square hood design, but that is very much a matter of personal preference.

The practical advantage of the new rounded hood is that it drastically reduces the amount of frameline blockage compared with the older square hood design. That means you can see more of your image through the rangefinder, which is a genuine benefit when focusing quickly and grabbing a picture. For a 35mm lens designed to be used in real-world situations, that is a very welcome improvement.

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Performance

Optically, the Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. is outstanding. In fact, this is probably the sharpest 35mm lens Leica has ever produced. As someone who regularly uses a 35mm lens and also the 50mm Summilux, this lens excels in optical quality, tonal control, and overall rendering in a way that genuinely feels like it surpasses some of the so-called “holy grail” Leica lenses of the past.

From f/1.4 through to f/16, this lens is outstandingly sharp. Wide open, it delivers a beautiful mix of clarity and atmosphere, with a slightly dreamy rendering from around f/1.4 to f/2.8. There is sharpness, but it is not harsh. It has that Leica glow and depth that makes images feel rich, three-dimensional, and full of character.

Stop the lens down to around f/4 and beyond, and it becomes a different animal. The rendering becomes sharper, more clinical, and more precise, making it perfect for documentary work, architecture, travel, and any situation where you want maximum detail and definition. This is one of the most impressive things about the lens: it gives you two distinct looks in one compact body.

At wider apertures, it has mood, atmosphere, and softness in the right places. Stopped down, it becomes incredibly crisp and controlled. This makes it a dream for anyone who wants a versatile 35mm lens that can adapt its style to the shooting environment. It can be romantic and characterful one moment, then clean, sharp, and highly detailed the next.

The tonal range is also exceptional. Shooting in color, the lens produces beautiful transitions, rich shades, and a refined sense of depth. There is a real clarity in the way it handles light and shadow, allowing images to feel natural but still unmistakably Leica. In black and white, the lens is equally impressive, delivering deep contrast, strong separation, and a wonderfully classic look.

The close-focus ability also adds real creative value. Being able to move closer than 0.7m gives the 35mm focal length a fresh sense of flexibility. It allows you to create more intimate frames, isolate smaller details, and produce images that would previously have required either cropping or switching to another lens. For travel, portraiture, street photography and documentary work, that extra focusing range makes a noticeable difference.

Sample images: Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 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.

Find out more about: how we test and review on Digital Camera World

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 (line widths per picture height)

Aperture

CenterMid-frameCorners

Sharpness Data

Timestamp (f/)	Center (line widths per picture height)	Mid-frame (line widths per picture height)	Corners (line widths per picture height)
2	1570	1447	804
2.8	1893	1721	1215
4	2438	2064	1618
5.6	2621	2290	1818
8	2724	2331	2143
11	2451	2270	1915
16	2049	1963	1672

Sharpness at larger apertures could be better, but stop down to f/4 and the lens is very sharp in the center and mid region of frame. Corner sharpness is disappointing wide-open, but again it soon improves and by f/8 it's excellent.

For some reason our lab data test shots had aperture f/stop values recorded in EXIF data which didn't match the lens's physical aperture settings. Our f/1.4 shots were also recorded with narrower aperture values, hence the lack of f/1.4 data in our test results.

Fringing:

< Prev

Center

Next >

f/2

0.37

f/2.8

0.26

f/4

0.23

f/5.6

0.27

f/8

0.3

f/11

0.28

f/16

0.18

01.252.53.755

Center Data

Product	Value
f/2	0.37
f/2.8	0.26
f/4	0.23
f/5.6	0.27
f/8	0.3
f/11	0.28
f/16	0.18

f/2

0.7

f/2.8

0.66

f/4

0.69

f/5.6

0.72

f/8

0.74

f/11

0.68

f/16

0.73

01.252.53.755

Mid-frame Data

Product	Value
f/2	0.7
f/2.8	0.66
f/4	0.69
f/5.6	0.72
f/8	0.74
f/11	0.68
f/16	0.73

f/2

0.81

f/2.8

0.78

f/4

1.28

f/5.6

1.43

f/8

1.37

f/11

1.44

f/16

1.37

01.252.53.755

Corners Data

Product	Value
f/2	0.81
f/2.8	0.78
f/4	1.28
f/5.6	1.43
f/8	1.37
f/11	1.44
f/16	1.37

1 of 3

Fringing in the center and mid region of frame is negligible, just barely becoming visible in the corners of frame, and even then only at f/4 and narrower.

Distortion: -0.89

There's slight barrel distortion, but it shouldn't be easily visible in real-world shooting.

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Verdict

The Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. is a truly exceptional lens, and one that feels like the pinnacle of the 35mm Summilux line. It takes everything photographers already love about the 35mm Summilux and makes it more usable, more flexible, and more capable for modern shooting.

The close-focus feature is not a gimmick. It genuinely expands what this lens can do, allowing you to move beyond the usual 0.7m limit and focus down to 0.4m when using live view, Visoflex, or an EVF. Combined with its outstanding sharpness, beautiful tonal range, and two distinct rendering styles, this is one of the most complete Leica M lenses available today.

At $6,900 / £5,400, it is undeniably a massive investment. But considering its optical performance, close-focus ability, superb construction, and ability to deliver both dreamy character and clinical sharpness, it feels like money well spent for anyone serious about the 35mm focal length.

This is a lens you can use in almost any situation, from travel and portraiture to street photography and documentary work. It is compact, beautifully made, optically exceptional, and wonderfully versatile. If 35mm is your preferred focal length, this close-focus Summilux-M is not just one of the best Leica lenses you can buy; it may be one of the finest 35mm lenses Leica has ever made.

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Among eclipse chasers and photographers, Baader AstroSolar Safety Film has achieved near-legendary status. Manufactured by Baader Planetarium in Germany, it has become one of the most widely trusted materials for safe white-light solar photography and observation.

During the 1999 total solar eclipse across Europe, Baader Planetarium reportedly supplied enough solar safety film for more than 20 million eclipse viewers – a remarkable indication of the company’s scale and reputation within the astronomy community.

But it’s not for everyone. Unlike rigid glass solar filters or photographic ND filters, AstroSolar is an ultra-thin 0.0004-inch [0.01mm] metalized film specifically engineered for observing and imaging the sun safely with telescopes, binoculars, and camera lenses.

It’s available in a number of forms, including loose A4 sheets for DIY filter construction, and integrated into products like Baader’s ASBF AstroSolar Binocular Filters, ASBF Solar Filters for Binoculars and Camera-Lenses, and its ASTF AstroSolar Telescope Filter. All come in various sizes and block 99.999% of visible sunlight.

For this review, I tested several products using the same AstroSolar film, including a homemade binocular filter made from an A4 sheet, an ASBF AstroSolar Solar Filter used on a small telescope, and an AstroSolar Solar Filter used on a camera’s zoom lens.

While the housings and mounting methods varied, the underlying optical performance remained the same throughout.

Something to note about AstroSolar Safety Film is that, technically, it does not meet the strict ISO 12312-2 international standard required for eclipse viewers. The problem is that it allows slightly too much UV light through.

However, it has been safely used by amateur and professional astronomers for several decades with telescopes, binoculars, and camera lenses, whose glass elements filter out the excess ultraviolet light. The safest way to use it on a camera is by using a digital viewfinder.

Baader AstroSolar: Specifications

Baader AstroSolar: Price

AstroSolar film occupies an interesting position in the solar filter market because, while the loose A4 sheets themselves can appear relatively affordable, complete large-aperture filter builds quickly become more expensive than equivalent Thousand Oaks polymer-based filters.

However, an A4 sheet of AstroSolar Safety Film can produce multiple DIY filters for telephoto lenses or binoculars, making it relatively economical in the long term, while Baader’s own filters made with AstroSolar Safety Film are lightweight and reasonably travel-friendly – though delicate.

Availability can also be frustrating. While Baader products are extremely common throughout Europe, they are not always widely stocked in North America, particularly close to major eclipses when demand spikes dramatically.

Baader AstroSolar: Design & Handling

The first thing most photographers notice about Baader AstroSolar Safety Film is just how thin it is. Compared to Thousand Oaks polymer film, which is darker on one side with a reflective metallic surface on the other, AstroSolar Safety Film is identical on both sides and feels far more fragile.

It’s prone to tearing or scratching if mishandled, particularly around the edges or if packed carelessly during travel. Extreme care is required when making and using homemade filters; resist the temptation to stretch it, instead keeping it slack (wrinkles or ripples in the film make zero difference to optical quality).

That said, it’s crucial to store Baader filters very carefully so the film doesn’t get damaged. Do that, and a filter – whether homemade or pre-constructed – can last for many years.

During testing, I used Velcro straps mounted on a Baader filter and a camera's lens hood to keep everything in place, and masking tape to secure a homemade filter. Both methods made it relatively quick to remove the filter.

Baader AstroSolar: Performance

Compared to Thousand Oaks polymer film and many glass solar filters and ND filters, AstroSolar Safety Film consistently delivered noticeably sharper images with cleaner edge definition and stronger micro-contrast during testing.

At focal lengths around 70-200mm, the differences are relatively modest, with the sun much smaller in the frame. But once moving into the 400mm range, the optical advantages of AstroSolar Safety Film become clear.

Most noticeable are sunspots, which look sharper, as well as a more defined solar limb. That’s helpful because, depending on the lens used, significant cropping is typical during post-processing after an eclipse. The more detail there is in the raw file, the better.

One characteristic of AstroSolar Safety Film is its neutral white rendering of the sun’s disk. Unlike Thousand Oaks film, which produces a warm orange sun straight out of the camera, Baader renders the sun white or slightly bluish-white.

That provides more than enough flexibility during post-processing; you can always warm a white sun, but you can’t recover detail.

One reason AstroSolar Safety Film is slightly sharper is that it is slightly brighter. It’s essentially why the film is not used in eclipse glasses (and why it's best to use a digital, not optical, viewfinder).

For photography, however, the brighter image allows faster shutter speeds, which yield more detail. In my tests at ISO100 and f/8, exposures of 1/500 sec, 1/800 sec, and 1/1000 sec produced excellent images, with the latter yielding the most detail. Anything longer was overexposed.

All the different AstroSolar Safety Film products I tested – from DIY A4 sheet filters to Baader’s own ASBF binocular filters – performed identically.

Baader AstroSolar: Verdict

Baader AstroSolar Safety Film is the benchmark choice for serious eclipse photographers and high-resolution white-light solar imaging.

Its ability to allow fast shutter speeds to preserve fine detail, excellent contrast, and neutral solar images makes it slightly superior to competing filter materials, particularly at longer focal lengths.

It’s not perfect. The film demands much more careful handling than Thousand Oaks polymer filters; it’s more expensive for larger apertures, and beginners may initially find DIY filter construction intimidating.

But for photographers chasing top-quality eclipse imagery, those compromises are relatively minor.

Alternatives

Total solar eclipses may happen somewhere on Earth almost every year, but for most photographers, they’re rare events to capture. That makes solar filters a surprisingly difficult buying decision. Should you spend heavily on a premium threaded glass filter or opt for something lighter, cheaper, and more adaptable? After all, solar filters are only necessary for the partial phases – but then there are also partial solar eclipses and annular solar eclipses, both of which demand a solar filter.

Daystar’s Universal Lens Filter is firmly aimed at those seeking versatility. Rather than a traditional screw-in filter, this clever fold-flat design uses trusted American-made Thousand Oaks SolarLite film mounted inside a collapsible cardboard cup that slips over the front of lenses, binoculars, and small telescopes. Available in three sizes, it’s designed as a universal solution for eclipse photographers who may use multiple lenses (or who frequently upgrade gear) and want something inexpensive, portable, and easy to remove quickly during totality.

It’s important to understand exactly what material is being used here. Alongside Baader Planetarium and American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks is widely regarded as one of the “big three” eclipse filter manufacturers relied upon by experienced eclipse chasers. SolarLite film is also used in eclipse glasses and in solar filters for equipment.

I tested the filters on a DSLR camera with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens to see whether its low-tech approach could genuinely compete with more sophisticated, pricier solar filters.

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Specifications

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Price

One of the Daystar Universal Lens Filter’s biggest strengths is value. Prices start at just $17 / £21 for the smallest ULF-50 model, rising to $30 / £37 for the larger ULF-90 version designed for telescopes and large telephoto lenses. Compared to threaded glass solar filters, which can easily exceed $100/£75 even before you start buying multiple thread sizes for different lenses, the Daystar system is inexpensive. Its universal design also means a single filter can often work across multiple optics. During testing, I was able to swap the filter between telephoto zoom lenses, binoculars, and a spotting scope.

However, the tradeoff is longevity. Unlike aluminum-framed glass filters, the Daystar’s folded cardstock construction inevitably feels temporary. After repeated use, transport and setup, it will likely accumulate tears in the cardboard and some reinforcing tape (though the SolarLite film itself is hard-wearing). Considering the modest asking price, that’s reasonable.

Buy Daystar solar filters at Astroshop.eu

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Design & Handling

The Daystar Universal Lens Filter is very simple. It ships flat, housed in a square plastic envelope, and folds into a cup-shaped holder, with cardboard tabs that serve both as structural supports and gripping fins to hold the filter against the outside of a lens barrel.

In practice, the setup is slightly fiddly the first time, though the process quickly becomes familiar. Once assembled, the fit is surprisingly secure, particularly on larger telephoto lenses, where the tabs grip the barrel tightly. However, because this is fundamentally a slip-on system rather than a locking threaded filter, I found myself instinctively reaching for masking tape during windy conditions.

But what photographer doesn’t carry masking tape? For eclipse chasing, it’s important because the consequences of a solar filter falling from a lens mid-shoot are potentially catastrophic. Securing the filter in three places gave far more confidence during testing, especially when the sun was lower in the sky (if you’re shooting straight up, gravity keeps it in place).

One major advantage over threaded filters became obvious during testing: removal speed. During a total solar eclipse, the filter must be removed entirely moments before totality so the corona can be photographed. The Daystar’s slip-on design is dramatically faster to remove than threaded filters, which can be awkward to remove quickly.

What makes this product very different from other solar filters is its use of Thousand Oaks SolarLite film, which produces a warm orange sun rather than the neutral white sun associated with Baader AstroSolar film and ND filters. It largely comes down to aesthetic preference, but the warmer tone is immediately more natural straight out of the camera.

Another advantage of Thousand Oaks SolarLite over Baader AstroSolar is that the polymer film itself is more robust. The cardboard may degrade after a few eclipses, but the polymer film is very unlikely to tear or crease, which makes it easier to travel with.

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Performance

For eclipse photography and casual solar imaging, the Daystar filter performs very well. Mounted on a 100-400mm telephoto zoom, exposures were straightforward to manage, manual focus worked well, and the solar disk showed strong contrast with clearly defined sunspots. In some ways, the warm orange sun produced by the Thousand Oaks film is irrelevant given what can be done in post-processing, but it does save time.

One practical difference compared to Baader AstroSolar film is exposure speed. The Thousand Oaks SolarLite film produces a dimmer image, which requires slower shutter speeds under identical conditions. For example, with ISO100 and f/8, anywhere between 1/13 sec and 1/40 sec produces a terrific image, whereas it’s more like 1/500 or 1/1000 sec using Baader AstroSolar film.

If you demand fine sunspot detail and razor-sharp solar edges, choose products using Baader AstroSolar film, but only if you’re using extreme focal lengths. For anyone shooting with telephoto zooms between 70-400mm, the Daystar filter delivers more than enough sharpness for high-quality eclipse sequences, composites, and social media-ready imagery.

The filter’s practical advantages arguably outweigh its very slight optical shortcomings. Its lightweight design packs flat into a camera bag, one filter can fit several lenses, and the ability to remove it instantly during totality is so valuable.

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Verdict

The Daystar Universal Lens Filter is not elegant, premium, or especially durable, but it succeeds brilliantly at what it’s designed to do: provide a low-cost, lightweight, and versatile way to safely photograph the sun. Its foldable cardboard design may initially feel crude compared to other products, but in real-world eclipse photography, it’s surprisingly practical. The universal fit, rapid removal during totality, and compact portability make it particularly attractive for traveling eclipse chasers using multiple lenses or telescopes. Don’t bank on its cardboard remaining intact for more than three or four trips, though the tough polymer filter itself will likely last much longer.

Sure, it offers slightly softer detail and marginally slower exposure speeds than Baader AstroSolar film, particularly at long focal lengths. But it also provides a pleasing orange rendering of the sun, saving time on post-processing. For occasional eclipse photographers, the Daystar Universal Lens Filter is easy to recommend. Just keep some masking tape in your camera bag.

Alternatives

If you've upgraded from a Nikon DSLR to a shiny new Z-mount mirrorless camera, you might be wondering what to do with all your old lenses. Well, if you follow my advice and pick up this adapter, you can keep 'em!

Amazon has knocked a stunning 25% off the Nikon FTZ II adapter's RRP, bringing the price down from £249 to just £187.

This is one of the best deals I've seen, with other retailers typically selling the adaptor for £219.

The Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter enables the vast majority of Nikon and third-party F-mount DSLR lenses to be used on newer Z-mount mirrorless camera bodies. Its core functionality is identical to the original FTZ, but this Mark II version features a significant design revision: the removal of the original's tripod mounting protrusion.

This is particularly beneficial for photographers using cameras with a vertical grip, as it provides unrestricted access for portrait-orientation shooting – a limitation of the original adapter. The FTZ II is slightly smaller and 10g lighter, built with a durable, magnesium alloy.

Like its predecessor, the FTZ II offers full compatibility with autofocus, auto exposure (AE), and optical Vibration Reduction (VR) for modern F-mount lenses, specifically AF-P and AF-S types. AE is supported for around 360 Nikkor F-mount lenses.

Since the adapter contains no glass, it does not degrade image quality, so performance is entirely dependent on the F-mount lens being used. Autofocus speed is generally maintained, and with Z-series cameras’ sensor-based AF, accuracy can even be improved. When using an F-mount lens with optical VR on a full-frame Z body, the performance is enhanced by combining the lens's VR with the camera's In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS).

Check out the best Nikon Z lenses

7Artisans has teamed up with historic Chinese camera brand Seagull to launch a new limited-edition 35mm rangefinder lens for Leica M-mount cameras, and it might just be one of the most interesting affordable M-mount lenses we have seen this year. The new Seagull x 7Artisans M 35mm f/1.7 is a full-frame manual-focus prime designed for Leica M cameras, combining a classic 35mm focal length with a fast f/1.7 maximum aperture.

Priced at $369, this is a much more affordable route into Leica M-mount shooting than many rangefinder photographers will be used to. But what makes this lens more interesting is the story behind it. Seagull is one of China’s most historic camera brands, originally launched under the Shanghai name before adopting the Seagull identity in 1968 as its cameras reached international export markets.

Over the years, Seagull produced several notable cameras, including the Seagull 4 twin-lens reflex series, Dongfeng and Hongqi cameras, and the popular Seagull DF SLR range. Now, with this new collaboration, Seagull returns with what is described as its first large-aperture manual-focus lens since the brand’s revival, bringing together its camera heritage with 7Artisans’ modern lens-making approach.

The Seagull x 7Artisans M 35mm f/1.7 features an 8-element, 6-group optical design, with a 10-blade diaphragm to help produce smooth bokeh when shooting wide open. The f/1.7 aperture should make it well-suited to street photography, travel, documentary work, environmental portraits, and low-light shooting, while the 35mm focal length remains one of the most versatile choices for Leica M photographers.

The lens supports rangefinder-coupled focusing, with a focus range from 0.7m to infinity, keeping it in line with the classic Leica M shooting experience. It also features a crescent-shaped focusing tab for single-finger control, an all-metal build, an anodized surface for durability, a dedicated round lens hood, 40.5mm filter thread, clicked aperture ring from f/1.7 to f/16, and weighs just 145g.

Only 500 pieces are being made worldwide, with each lens supplied with an exclusive badge and unique serial number. That combination of affordability, limited-edition collectability, and genuine camera heritage makes this one of the more charming M-mount releases of the year, especially for Leica shooters looking for a compact 35mm lens with a little vintage soul.

Yes, it’s a new camera in the Canon EOS R6 pantheon, but the full-frame Canon EOS R6 V is completely different from the EOS R6 III, maybe more akin to the APS-C format EOS R50 V'. It’s built for Video with a capital V, and while you can shoot stills with both of these EOS V-series cameras, the design, specifications and handling are firmly aimed at content creators who major very much on vlogging and videography.

Starring roles in the EOS R6 V’s videocentric line-up include 7K open gate video capture with active cooling, image stabilization and weather-sealing, all wrapped up behind an interface that’s comprehensively geared towards videography, and works equally well in landscape and portrait orientations.

So what are the best lenses for the EOS R6 V? By design rather than coincidence, Canon has been really ramping up the video and hybrid side of its new RF lenses, with both zooms and primes to suit pretty much any and every shooting scenario and being equally adept at video capture as well as stills – in fact, even more so.

You can use APS-C format lenses in crop mode, including some of the best lenses for the EOS R50 V, but you’ll really need full-frame glass to make the most of the EOS R6 V – and that means that you can't currently buy third-party lenses for the camera, so have to use Canon's own RF lenses.

Naturally, you can use any Canon RF lens to shoot video, but the hybrid and more specialized video glass focuses more on what type of autofocus system is employed, the suppression of focus breathing, fast aperture ratings and in some cases dedicated aperture control rings. There’s sometimes the inclusion of optical image stabilization, although the EOS R6 V features both IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) and advanced digital video stabilization. Some new top-choice lenses also feature power zoom, either built into the lens of via an optional Canon PZ-E2 / PZ-E2B Power Zoom Adapter. I’ll cover all of these topics and more at the end of this guide, in my ‘how to choose’ section. But for now, let’s crack on with the best lenses to suit a variety of videography.

The Best lenses for the Canon EOS R6 V

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The best everyday lens for the Canon EOS R6 V

For my money, this lens has everything I could wish for in a versatile zoom for everyday videography. The zoom range is generously wide-angle at the short end, and great for vlogging in conjunction with the lens’s close-focusing abilities, while stretching to the natural perspective of a ‘nifty fifty’ at the long end. It also boasts a 6-stop optical stabilizer, boosted to 8-stop effectiveness by the EOS R6 V, but its killer feature is ‘power zoom’, for smooth, motorized zooming.

Typical L-series attractions include superior build quality, complete with extensive weather-sealing. That can be an important factor for ‘everyday shooting’, especially where I live in the South West of England (it’s raining right now). Optical finery includes two GMo (Glass Molded aspherical) elements and three UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) elements, along with both Super Spectra coating and more high-tech ASC (Air Sphere Coating). If I had to choose just one lens for the EOS R6 V, it would probably be this one.

Read more: Canon RF 20-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ review

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The best standard zoom for the Canon EOS R6 V

When this lens launched, I felt it was a genuine gamechanger, ushering in Canon’s new range of hybrid lenses for video and stills photography. Moreover, it combines the desirably generous 24-105mm zoom range of Canon’s back-catalog f/4L kit zooms, with the faster constant f/2.8 aperture of a 24-70mm trinity standard zoom. And as with other Z series zooms, it’s compatible with the Canon Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E2 / PZ-E2B. Autofocus is powered by dual Nano USM motors which are rapid and virtually silent, as well as enabling super-smooth focus transitions. There’s also effective suppression of focus breathing.

I’d be tempted to pick this lens as my everyday zoom for walkabout shooting, except that it’s big and bulky, and weighs in at 1,350g. Indeed, it’s noticeably heavier than the stills-focused Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM trinity telephoto zoom, which only weighs 1,070g. On the upside, the large size does accommodate chunky focus and aperture control rings, more like what I’d expect to find on a cine lens. 5.5-stop optical stabilization rises to as much as 8 stops with IBIS, and the high-grade optical path includes two GMo elements, four UD elements and one replica aspherical element, along with Super Spectra and ASC coatings.

Read more: Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z review

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The best telephoto zoom for the Canon EOS R6 V

Zoom lenses with a relatively fast and constant f/2.8 aperture rating are often referred to as ‘trinity’ wide-angle, standard and telephoto zooms, the last of these having a 70-200mm zoom range. Canon actually offers a threesome of RF 70-200mm telephoto zooms, this third and latest in the line being a Z series lens that’s designed more for videography than for stills shooting. As such, it’s compatible with the Canon Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E2 / PZ-E2B. It also has a dedicated aperture control ring along with the more usual mode switches and forward rank of customizable function buttons.

This Z lens also happens to be Canon’s first trinity telephoto zoom that’s available in black as well as the usual white finish, and I think it’s nice to get the choice. On a more practical note, advantages over the previous pair of RF 70-200mm zooms is that the Z lens has a fixed physical length thanks to an internal zoom mechanism, which is a plus point when using a gimbal as the center of gravity remains more centralized. It’s also compatible with Canon’s RF Extenders for gaining extra telephoto reach, which can’t be said for either of the earlier RF 70-200mm zooms. The Z lens is simply a brilliant zoom for weddings and events, sports and wildlife videography, complete with dual Nano USM autofocus, 5.5-stop optical stabilization, and two GMo, one UD GMo, one UD and two Super UD elements in its optical line-up.

Read more: Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Z review

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The best ultra-wide prime for the Canon EOS R6 V

It’s not so long ago that the Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM was the most ‘ultra-wide-angle’ prime in the RF hybrid lens line-up, and that lens remains an excellent option for a really expansive field of view. But if you want to go all out for ultra-wide perspective, this newer 14mm lens really takes the blinkers off your videography. It’s simply epic for landscapes and cityscapes, and for exaggerating the apparent distance between foreground and background areas in the frame, for creative effect. The lens is also great for vlogging, when you want to set the scene by shoehorning in a large expanse of background while you’re presenting to camera.

Autofocus is driven by the highly effective, rapid, smooth and virtually silent combination of Nano USM and VCM (Voice Coil Motor) actuators. Despite its monster viewing angle and fast aperture rating, I like that the lens is relatively compact and lightweight, ideal for handheld shooting. Speaking of which, there’s no optical stabilization, which isn’t at all surprising for a lens with such a ‘fast’ aperture, but you do get up to 6-stop stabilization with IBIS at the center of the frame. Optical highlights include one each of fluorite, UD and BR (Blue Spectrum Refractive) elements, along with three GMo elements and both Super Spectra and ASC coatings. One word of warning is that the lens has an integral hood to protect the bulbous front optical element, so there’s no front filter attachment thread.

Read more: Canon RF 14mm f/1.4L VCM review

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The best wide-angle prime for the Canon EOS R6 V

I’ve always felt that 24mm is a classic wide-angle focal length for full-frame cameras, and this lens serves up that desirable perspective with a fast f/1.4 aperture rating. Along with other f/1.4 prime lenses in the RF hybrid series, this lens therefore enables me to shoot in low-light conditions without bumping up my ISO too much, as well as delivering a tight depth of field to isolate subjects within a scene by blurring the background. That can actually be a struggle with short focal length lenses but this lens nevertheless enables a tight depth of field for close-up shooting.

Typical of Canon’s RF hybrid primes and (so far) two Z series zoom lenses, the 24mm has a particularly well-rounded 11-blade aperture diaphragm, which helps to maintain high quality bokeh when stopping down a little. Other attractions include 8-stop IBIS at the center of the frame, despite the lack of any optical stabilization in the lens, and the inclusion of both Nano USM and VCM autofocus motors. Optical finery includes a GMo element, two UD elements and no less than three ASC, SWC and Super Spectra types of coatings.

Read more: Canon RF 24mm f/1.4L VCM review

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The best standard-wide prime for the Canon EOS R6 V

A natural perspective can go a long way in keeping things real when you’re storytelling. I love the way that a 35mm focal length gives a slightly wide but entirely natural perspective on a full-frame camera. There’s a good reason why it’s the classic choice for street photographers and for walkabout shooting. This lens gives me my golden focal length with a fast f/1.4 aperture that it has in common with the RF 24mm, 50mm and 85mm f/1.4 lenses, all of which are also on my hit list.

I really like that all four of these prime lenses have exactly the same physical dimensions, handling characteristics and filter attachment threads, making it dead easy to swap between them without any disruptions to the creative flow. That counts for handheld shooting as well as for use with a gimbal. Again, the inclusion of Nano USM plus VCM autofocus motors is a common trait, and this time around you get 7-stop IBIS at the center of the frame, despite the lens not featuring optical stabilization. High-end glass includes two GMo and two UD elements, along with ASC and Super Spectra coatings.

Read more: Canon RF 35mm f/1.4L VCM review

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The best standard prime for the Canon EOS R6 V

Maybe I’ve shot myself in the foot by saying that the RF 35mm above gives an entirely natural perspective, but I stand by my words. Even so, for many photographers using full-frame cameras, a ‘nifty fifty’ with its 50mm focal length is seen as the ideal for delivering a ‘normal’ perspective, as it closely mimics the sense of scale, relative distance and proportion that are perceived by the human eye. If a 50mm lens is your go-to prime, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be, then this is the perfect example for the EOS R6 V.

Like others in the ‘VCM’ hybrid system, it’s designed and built for exceptional videography performance, along with sublime handling characteristics and tough L-series build quality. I find the uniform, consistent dimensions and aperture rating with other VCM lenses in the RF prime line up to be a real advantage, as well as the dual Nano USM and VCM autofocus motors. A further bonus for handheld shooting is that IBIS is worth up to a class-leading 8.5-stops at the center of the frame with this lens, narrowly beating the effectiveness of IBIS with other primes in the series. The optical line-up includes one GMo and one regular aspherical element, a UD element and both ASC and Super Spectra coatings.

Read more: Canon RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM review

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The best portrait prime for the Canon EOS R6 V

We’re a bit spoilt for choice when it comes to RF portrait lenses and I’d go so far as to recommend any of the lenses in this guide for portraiture of varying styles. That includes the versatility of the zoom lenses for portraiture at weddings and other events, the ability of an ultra-wide-angle prime to add context in environmental portraiture and vlogging, wide-angle and standard primes for full-length and half-length portraits, and even the focal length of the 100mm macro lens in my guide for tight head-and-shoulders portraits (while not taking advantage of its actual macro abilities). But if I had to pick just one portrait prime, it would be this RF 85mm f/1.4 hybrid lens.

Like the others in the series that I’ve already covered, the RF 85mm is designed with videography in mind, so autofocus is fast yet offers smooth transitions in virtual silence, this time delivered purely by a VCM (Voice Coil Motor). There’s also an absence of focus breathing and, again, the physical size and layout of the lens is impressively uniform among most in the series. A generous 8 stops of IBIS is available at the center of the frame, courtesy of the EOS R6 V camera body, and quality glass includes a GMo aspherical element and a UD element, along with ASC and Super Spectra coatings. Another similarity is the 11-blade aperture diaphragm, which helps to keep that all-important bokeh looking gorgeous even when stopping down from the generously wide f/1.4 maximum aperture.

Read more: Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM review

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The best macro prime for the Canon EOS R6 V

Shock, horror! Unlike every other lens in this guide, the RF 100mm wasn’t designed as a video or hybrid lens. Even so, there’s no beating it for extreme close-ups and macro shooting. It’s arguably the best of its kind on the planet. Whereas most autofocus macro lenses top out at 1.0x maximum magnification, this lens delivers a huge 1.4x magnification, so small objects are reproduced at nearly one and a half times life size on the image sensor. That gives phenomenal scope for enlargement when viewing images on screen or in print.

Another totally tricked-up feature is the ‘Spherical Aberration Control’ ring, which gives you the power to adjust how bokeh looks in defocused areas of images. This makes the lens literally a thing of beauty for portraiture, as well as for extreme close-up shots of the tiny things in life. Dual Nano USM autofocus fits the bill nicely, and the lens features ‘hybrid’ optical image stabilization that’s particularly efficient for close-up photography, counteracting x-y shift as well as the usual angular vibration. If you’re into shooting macro in videography, stills or both, this is a must-have lens.

Read more: Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM review

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Lab data and comparisons

The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. High-end primes typically lead the way for sharpness, but the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z is particularly impressive for a zoom lens. We don’t yet have lab data for the Canon RF 20-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ and the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Z but they performed very well in our hands-on, real world tests.

Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also generally averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion.

Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel and pincushion distortion at its shortest and longest focal lengths respectively, which tends to average out when looking at the data overall. With that in mind, I’ve listed the uncorrected distortion of the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at its shortest focal length, where barrel distortion is pretty extreme. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, which give the full picture, check out the graphs in our full standalone lens reviews.

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How to choose the best lenses for the EOS R6 V

Here are some of the things to look out for when choosing your ideal lenses, with videography firmly in mind...

Hybrid lenses
Designed with content creation front and center of the thought process, Canon’s RF hybrid lenses are built to handle and perform equally well in videography and stills shooting scenarios. Desirable features typically include smooth and virtually silent autofocus (or manual focus) transitions, often based on dual Nano USM and/or VCM actuators, along with a dedicated aperture control ring and suppressed focus breathing. Most prime RF ‘VCM’ RF lenses also have uniform dimensions and are of a very similar weight, which is a particular advantage when using a gimbal.

Power zoom
A motorized zoom mechanism can be very useful for transitioning between different focal lengths with the ultimate in smoothness, while avoiding any unwanted jerks along the way. At the time of writing this guide, the Canon RF 20-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ is the only full-frame compatible RF lens to feature a built-in ‘Power Zoom’ mechanism, but Z series RF zoom lenses including the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z and Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Z are compatible with the Canon Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E2 / PZ-E2B, which you can buy separately (at considerable expense).

RF vs RF-S
While they use the same camera/lens mount, Canon RF lenses are full-frame compatible whereas RF-S lenses only produce an image circle that’s large enough to cover an APS-C format sensor. Unlike with EF and EF-S lenses for Canon DSLRs, you can use RF-S lenses on full-frame EOS R system bodies, but you need to shoot in crop mode, which only utilizes a relatively small central area of the full-frame image sensor, and therefore only a smaller number of the total available megapixels. An upside is that you get a 1.6x image multiplier or ‘crop factor’, effectively extending your telephoto reach with no loss in aperture rating.

Autofocus
The autofocus system used Canon’s hybrid lenses typically involves either one or two Nano USM motors, a VCM motor, or a combination of both. The Nano UltraSonic Motor dates back to Canon DSLR lenses and was designed to be super-fast and near-silent, as well as enabling smooth transitions when shooting video. The Voice Coil Motor is a more recent introduction, used in Canon’s hybrid lenses. It’s exceptionally fast and virtually silent, based on a similar electromagnetic technology to that used in audio loudspeakers.

Image stabilization
Historically, Canon always built optical image stabilization into its ‘IS’ lenses, in preference to using IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) within camera bodies. The main reason for this was that the optical stabilizer could be specifically designed for maximum performance in each particular lens. That ethos continued up to and including the original EOS R and EOS RP cameras, but most subsequent full-frame EOS R system cameras and the EOS R7 APS-C format cameras now feature IBIS. Combining optical image stabilization with IBIS often gives a further boost to effectiveness, especially for telephoto lenses.

Focus breathing
Focus breathing is an unwanted aberration in lenses that causes the perspective (angle of view) to alter when you adjust the focus distance. In practical terms, if you change the focus distance setting of the lens, it can look as if you’re also zooming in or out. The effect is of little consequence when shooting stills but can be a big problem when shooting video. As such, Canon’s video and hybrid lenses are designed to have minimal focus breathing.

Aperture rating
A ‘faster’ aperture rating (denoted by a lower f/number) can often be preferable when choosing lenses. More light is transmitted through the lens to the camera, so you can shoot in low-light conditions without needing to bump up your ISO setting so much, which can degrade image quality. Faster apertures also give the bonus of being able to gain a tighter depth of field, ideal for isolating the main subject within a scene by blurring the background. Most Canon RF hybrid prime lenses have a fast aperture rating of f/1.4, whereas it’s typically f/2.8 for hybrid zoom lenses.

Aperture control ring
Many of Canon’s RF lenses have customizable control ring that you can assign to the function of adjusting the aperture setting. However, these control rings often work in click steps, so they’re less than ideal if you want smooth, silent aperture transitions when shooting video rather than stills. Canon’s RF hybrid lenses generally feature a dedicated aperture control ring, that operates silently with no click steps, often referred to as having a ‘de-clicked’ action.

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How we test lenses

The lens experts in our testing lab run a range of 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 centre of the image frame, corners, and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths.

There's more to it than just the technical side, though! Beyond the lab, our reviewers test lenses in real-world environments – and sometimes on professional shoots! We work with lenses both indoors and outdoors, in studio conditions and in natural light, with as many different subjects as possible (or appropriate – there's no point testing a landscape lens' ability to shoot a portrait!).

We take into account everything from handling and ease of use to speed of autofocus and the overall quality of the images produced.

Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World

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I started my collection of Viltrox prime lenses a few years ago, with a fab four f/1.4 prime lenses for my Nikon Z fc camera. I’ve been entirely happy with them but things have moved on since then, with Viltrox concentrating on new line-ups featuring lightweight and low-budget Air lenses, top-grade Pro and Lab lenses and (most recently) next-generation Evo lenses.

The evolution in question came to fruition with the full-frame compatible Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo for Nikon Z and Sony E mount mirrorless cameras. That was followed by the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo and the Viltrox AF 55mm f/1.8 Evo, which launched simultaneously in the same two mount options. With unified features, size and weight, all three lenses work superbly well as interchangeable optics, without throwing any spanners in the creative flow. Fast-forward a little and there are now two APC-C format Evo lenses, in virtually the same size and weight, and with the same handling characteristics and filter thread as the pre-existing full-frame lenses.

The new kids on the block are the Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo that I’m reviewing here, and the slightly longer Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo. Both are eminently suitable for APS-C format portraiture and are again available in Nikon Z and Sony E mount options. There are also Fujifilm X mount editions, although the Fuji versions lack the AF/MF focus mode switch, customizable function button and click/de-click switch of the other two mount variants.

Other portrait-friendly, dedicated APS-C format Viltrox lenses in the same choice of three mount options include the cut-price Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 Air and the super-fast Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro. Even so, the combination of focal length and aperture rating aim to make the new APS-C format Evo primes among the best portrait lenses, in terms of bang for your buck.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Specifications

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Price

The Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo looks, feels and performs like a properly high-class prime lens, making it very competitive in terms of price, launching at $329 / £319 (AU$TBA). So how does that stack up against other Viltrox Evo lenses in the line-up, as well as the lightweight Air and top-speed Pro options? Well, the bottom line is that the Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo costs $275 / £265 / AU$449, the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo sells for $395 / £385 / AU$529 and the Viltrox AF 55mm f/1.8 Evo costs $370 / £359 / AU$519.

Meanwhile, the Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 Air is relatively basic and inexpensive at $179 / £139 / AU$282 and the top-end Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro is naturally pricier at $580 / £530 / AU$889. All things (and alternatives) considered, the new APS-C format Evo looks great value for money.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Design & Handling

Unlike the previous three offerings in the Viltrox Evo line-up of prime lenses, the two latest 75mm and 90mm lenses are designed specifically for APS-C format Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony mirrorless cameras, instead of being full-frame compatible. Naturally, if you’re in either of the Nikon or Sony camps, you can use the full-frame Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo on your APS-C format body, with no compromises. The new lenses are arguably of greater interest to Fujifilm shooters, as these are the first Evo lenses available in X-mount.

One of the things I like most about all five Evo lenses in the line-up so far is that, irrespective of whether they’re full-frame or APS-C format, they’re all pretty much the same size and weight, and have the same 58mm filter attachment thread up front. The handling characteristics (Fujifilm versions aside) are also identical. The upshot is that if you’re chopping and changing between different lenses in the series to make use of different focal lengths, the shooting experience is virtually identical. That means you can concentrate fully on shooting, without the risk of any differences in handling spoiling your creative flow.

It goes without saying (I’ll say it anyway) that any lens is only as good as its glass. This one features 11 elements in 9 groups, including two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and two HRi (High Refractive index) elements. The aim is for excellent clarity and contrast, along with natural color rendition and the minimum of unwanted aberrations. Other optical highlights include HD Nano multi-layer coatings to minimize ghosting and flare, and the front element also has a moisture/grease-repellant fluorine coating.

Handling extras, at least for the Nikon and Sony mount editions of the lens, include an AF/MF focus mode switch and a customizable function button. The former avoids any time and effort spent in camera menus, when you want to swap between autofocus and manual focus. The latter can be assigned to various functions, but AF-hold is usually the favored option.

One thing that’s shared by all three mount versions of the lens is the dedicated aperture control ring. Unlike some of its kind, the scale is only marked in full f/stop increments rather than having intermediate one-third f/stop markings. As usual, there’s an A (Auto) setting at the narrow end of the aperture range, for controlling the aperture direct from the camera body. This is essential in Program and Shutter-priority shooting modes. My only gripe is that there’s no locking switch for the aperture ring’s Auto position. As such, you need to be careful while shooting that you don’t nudge the ring from its A setting to a narrow aperture, which overrides the camera-driven value.

The click steps in the aperture control ring are subtle in feel and ultra-quiet in operation, but there’s a click/de-click switch featured in the Nikon and Sony mount versions of the lens anyway. The latter mode enables smooth, stepless and virtually silent aperture transitions, most useful when shooting video rather than stills. The autofocus system is also near-silent, based on the now common variety of linear stepping motor. As such, the motor is also employed to shift the relevant groups of elements when focusing manually as well as in autofocus modes.

Build quality feels solid and sturdy, right down to and including the metal mounting plate. The control rings, switches and function button (where fitted) work with smooth precision and feel high-quality items.

I’d expect a lens of this quality to be supplied complete with a hood and in this case, it’s an efficient circular-profile hood befitting the short telephoto nature of the lens. As usual, it has a bayonet-fit coupling and can be reversed on the lens to enable more compact stowage.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Performance

As always with APS-C format lenses, it’s important to take the crop factor into account. Applying the 1.5x conversion factor, the Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo has an ‘effective’ focal length of 112.5mm in full-frame terms. The net result is that it delivers a very natural and comfortable working distance for head-and-shoulders portraiture, as well as for tight head shots. The effective focal length can also work very well for still life and product photography.

Coupled with the widest available aperture of f/1.8, the focal length enables a tight depth of field, ideal for isolating subjects within fussy scenes by blurring the background. Performance of the lens is very good in this respect. It combines excellent sharpness when shooting wide-open at f/1.8 with sumptuously smooth bokeh. Bokeh also remains of good quality when stopping down a little, helped by a well-rounded 9-blade aperture diaphragm.

As a part of testing the lens, I shot the following gallery of images, using a phrenology head as the main subject against a backdrop of garden plants and hedging. The series of images was taken at apertures from f/1.8 up to and including f/5.6. They serve as a good test for the qualities of sharpness, bokeh and axial chromatic aberration. The last of these is a phenomenon also known as ‘bokeh fringing’, which can be problematic with fast lenses at their widest aperture, resulting in color fringing around high-contrast transitions just in front of and behind the plane of focus, like the phrenology head’s black lines and writing on their white porcelain background.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Sample Images

The following gallery of sample images was shot at the Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in the English city of Wells, both indoors and outdoors. I majored on wide aperture settings, which is the principle advantage of this lens compared with a zoom. Many of the shots give an idea of the qualities of both sharpness and bokeh, as well as the lens’s excellent control over unwanted aberrations.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 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:

General (line widths per picture height)

Aperture

CenterMid-frameCorners

General Data

Timestamp (f/)	Center (line widths per picture height)	Mid-frame (line widths per picture height)	Corners (line widths per picture height)
1.8	2323	2163	1565
2	2317	2217	1537
2.8	2297	2259	1690
4	2438	2151	1826
5.6	2271	2029	1792
8	1975	1869	1692
11	1614	1518	1430
16	1298	1218	1179

Levels of sharpness are highly impressive, from the center of the image frame right out to the extreme edges and corners, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8. Sharpness only really drops off noticeably at the narrowest aperture of f/16, due to the normal issue of diffraction.

Fringing:

< Prev

Center

Next >

f/1.8

0.33

f/2

0.3

f/2.8

0.32

f/4

0.35

f/5.6

0.37

f/8

0.29

f/11

0.39

f/16

0.41

01.252.53.755

Center Data

Product	Value
f/1.8	0.33
f/2	0.3
f/2.8	0.32
f/4	0.35
f/5.6	0.37
f/8	0.29
f/11	0.39
f/16	0.41

f/1.8

0.65

f/2

0.67

f/2.8

0.59

f/4

0.53

f/5.6

0.59

f/8

0.61

f/11

0.59

f/16

0.58

01.252.53.755

Mid-frame Data

Product	Value
f/1.8	0.65
f/2	0.67
f/2.8	0.59
f/4	0.53
f/5.6	0.59
f/8	0.61
f/11	0.59
f/16	0.58

f/1.8

0.8

f/2

0.8

f/2.8

0.85

f/4

0.8

f/5.6

0.75

f/8

0.74

f/11

0.78

f/16

0.83

01.252.53.755

Corners Data

Product	Value
f/1.8	0.8
f/2	0.8
f/2.8	0.85
f/4	0.8
f/5.6	0.75
f/8	0.74
f/11	0.78
f/16	0.83

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Both axial and lateral chromatic aberrations are very minimal, and will generally go unnoticed even with automatic correction for the latter disabled, either in-camera or when processing raw files.

Distortion: 0.18

There’s the slightest touch of pincushion distortion revealed in our lab tests but it’s almost impossible to detect with the vast majority of subject matter in real-world shooting conditions. Again, this is with automatic in-camera correction disabled.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Verdict

The Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo gives an ‘effective’ focal length of 112.5mm in full-frame terms, when used on the APS-C format camera bodies for which it’s designed. That works a treat for head-and-shoulders portraiture, tight head shots, still life photography and any time you simply need a short telephoto lens with a fast aperture rating.

I’m really impressed with the build quality and handling of the lens, the Nikon and Sony mount options adding an AF/MF focus mode switch, a customizable function button, and a click-de-click switch for the dedicated aperture control ring. However, these handling extras are absent in the Fujifilm X-mount edition of the lens. That’s understandable really, as the Viltrox matches the design of Fujifilm’s own-brand XF R series lenses in this respect. Either way, everything’s wrapped up in a sturdy metal casing with multiple weather-seals.

Performance is excellent in all respects, from the speed and consistent accuracy of autofocus to image quality. Image quality itself combines excellent edge-to-edge sharpness even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8, with beautifully smooth bokeh. Even so, Nikon and Sony shooters (myself included) might feel tempted to buy the very similar but full-frame compatible and even better-value Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo, even if that lens is one-third of an f/stop slower.

Alternatives

The Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR has just dropped to $1,146.95 at B&H, down from its usual $1,446.95 price tag, saving you a very handy $300 on one of Nikon’s most versatile full-frame mirrorless lenses.

This is the kind of lens that makes complete sense for photographers who do not want to keep swapping glass every five minutes. With a huge 28-400mm zoom range, it takes you from wide-angle travel shots and street scenes all the way through to distant wildlife, sports, portraits, events, and those moments where you simply cannot move closer to your subject.

Of course, with a lens this ambitious, there are always compromises. The variable f/4-8 aperture means this is not going to be the low-light monster that a fast prime or pro telephoto zoom might be, but that is not really the point of this lens. Its strength is convenience, flexibility, and the ability to cover a huge range of subjects with one single piece of glass.

For Nikon Z shooters, especially those using cameras like the Nikon Z6 III, Z7 II, Z8 or even the Zf, this could be the ultimate travel companion. It keeps your camera bag lighter, reduces the need to carry several lenses, and gives you the confidence that, whatever appears in front of you, there is a very good chance you can frame it without changing lenses.

The built-in VR is also a major advantage, especially at the longer end of the zoom range. When you are shooting handheld at 300mm or 400mm, stabilization becomes much more than a luxury - it becomes the difference between getting the shot and missing it completely.

At $1,146.95, this $300 saving makes the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR a much more tempting buy. It might not be the fastest lens in Nikon’s Z lineup, but as an all-in-one superzoom for travel, wildlife, everyday photography, and general adventure, it is one of the most practical lenses Nikon has made for its mirrorless system.

What a camera! The Sony A7R VI is undeniably expensive but I’d expect nothing less, considering the specs. A headline attraction of this 2026 launch is Sony’s ultra-high-resolution 66.8 megapixel stacked image sensor, with the potential to capture the utmost in fine detail and texture. However, that places big demands on any lens that you mount on the camera. To say that you need really sharp lenses to make the most of the A7R VI would be an understatement.

But there’s more. Not just for meticulously planned and executed studio setups, the Sony A7R VI is perfectly viable as a sports and wildlife camera, complete with a super-fast 30fps burst rate, tenacious autofocus, and rock-steady image stabilization. Oh, and it more than qualifies as a hybrid camera, with a pretty amazing feature set for shooting video as well as stills.

With all of that in mind, I’ve selected some of the sharpest zoom and prime lenses from Sony’s own-brand FE-mount collection, plus some spectacular third-party lenses that really deliver the goods while being very competitively priced. I’ve also covered everything from top-grade standard, wide-angle, and telephoto zooms to perfect primes for street photography, portraiture, macro work, and everyday shooting. Let’s get straight to it…

The best lenses for the Sony A7R VI

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Best standard zoom for the A7R VI

The original version of this lens was an optical recipe for success, but the Mark II is better in every way. Honoring the name of its flagship G Master series, Sony has delivered a professional-grade zoom that is pin-sharp across its entire image frame, more comprehensively weather-sealed than the previous lens, and yet, somehow, is also 20 per cent lighter and 18 per cent smaller than the previous version. That's really very remarkable.

Handling has been revamped and is better than ever; the optical layout is completely revamped, and the lens boasts a new floating autofocus system powered by four XD (eXtreme Dynamic) linear stepping motors. It's incredibly precise, as we extolled in our review, and the technical quality is unimpeachable. Our exacting lab tests revealed a basically faultless lens across its zoom range.

Of course, all this quality comes at a cost. While I firmly think that the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II is worth its price tag, if your budget doesn't stretch that far, I'd recommend the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD G2 as an excellent cost-cutting alternative, which only costs about a third of the price.

Read more: Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II review

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Best wide-angle zoom for the A7R VI

Naturally, Sony makes some excellent wide-angle zoom lenses but of the two top choices, the FE 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master is a little overly wide for my liking and the FE 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II doesn't go quite wide enough. I was a big fan of Sigma’s 14-24mm F2.8 lens for DSLRs, and this E-mount version is even better. It’s redesigned from the ground up to make the most of Sony mirrorless cameras. Optical highlights include three aspherical elements, including a high-precision, large-diameter one at the front, an FLD (‘Fluorite’ Low Dispersion) element, and no less than five SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements. A significant addition is the use of NPC (Nano Porous Coating) as well as Sigma’s more conventional Multi-Layer Coating.

In practical terms, I’ve found that the lens delivers superb sharpness and clarity, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8, throughout the zoom range. Color fringing is entirely negligible, and there’s excellent resistance to ghosting and flare. Barrel distortion can be noticeable in the shorter half of the zoom range, but there’s less reliance on automatic in-camera correction than with many recent lenses designed for mirrorless cameras.

Like most other recent Sigma Art and Sports lenses, this one has really solid build quality and is extensively weather-sealed. I like that the AF-L (Autofocus Lock) button is featured and that I can customize it for other uses via in-camera menus. All in all, this Sigma looks, feels, and performs like a fully pro-grade ‘trinity’ zoom, but for about half the usual price. Bargain!

Read more: Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art review

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Best telephoto zoom for the A7R VI

My first impression of this Mark II Sony lens was how much lighter it is than the original, as well as beating most other ‘trinity’ telephoto zooms in this respect. Despite the lightened load, there’s no shortage of high-end handling extras, including switches for auto/manual focus, full-time DMF on/off, autofocus limiter, stabilization on/off switch, and stabilization mode. On the opposite side of the lens, there’s a switch to turn the aperture ring on and off.

Performance is everything I’d expect from a next-generation Sony G Master lens, combining excellent image quality with fast autofocus and effective stabilization. The only real sticking point is the price; then again, most camera manufacturers’ 70-200mm f/2.8 command the big bucks, so the Sony isn’t unusual in this respect.

Read more: Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II full review

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Best street prime for the A7R VI

I’ve come to expect a lot from Viltrox lenses, and for comparatively little outlay compared with equivalent own-brand Sony lenses. Even so, the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo II really comes up trumps with excellent all-metal build quality despite its compact and lightweight construction, along with advanced handling characteristics that include a click/de-click aperture ring and a customizable function button.

More importantly, as far as I’m concerned, the autofocus mechanism is fast, near-silent, and consistently accurate, while image quality is superb in terms of sharpness and clarity, smooth bokeh, and a minimum of unwanted aberrations. Everything’s packed into a compact and lightweight package that helps with remaining inconspicuous when you’re out and about, shooting on the streets.

Read more: Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo II review

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Best standard prime for the Sony A7R VI

The Sony FE 50mm F1.2 G Master is a spectacular nifty-fifty, boasting impressive sharpness right the way through its aperture range – yes, even at f/1.2. Sony has built this lens from the ground up with sharpness in mind, and its optical path includes three XA (extreme aspherical) elements; remarkably, these have been engineered to an accuracy of 0.01 microns (or one hundred-thousandth of a millimeter).

What this means, as I found in my testing, is that the lens performance is absolutely stellar – blowing away its rivals from the likes of Canon and Nikon. Our lab tests reported basically nothing in terms of imperfections, except for some pincushion distortion, and a little vignetting at f/1.2.

The handling, too, is excellent. It's a heavy lens, as it needs to be with specs like these, but not exceptionally so in the pantheon of 50mm f/1.2 lenses. This is an all-around fantastic optic, and if its asking price isn't too dear for you, it'll deliver nothing short of spectacular performance.

Alternatively, the Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM is more affordable, captures very good center-sharpness, and is relatively light and compact.

Read more: Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master review

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Best portrait prime for the A7R VI

Like many portrait photographers, I swear by the 85mm short telephoto focal length, and if you're looking to shoot compelling images of people, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens is one of the smartest buys you can make. Something that's critical in portrait photography is being able to produce images with smooth, attractive bokeh (the defocused areas of an image), and the G Master lens delivers that in spades thanks to its 11-bladed aperture.

Sharpness and image quality are exceptional, as I discovered when I tested the lens, and the high-grade construction means that handling is perfectly on point. If you need a cheaper alternative, the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro is a terrific money-saver.

Read more: Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II review

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Best macro prime for the A7R VI

Sony’s time-honored FE 90mm macro lens has been looking a bit old and tired for some time now. Enter the new FE 100mm, which is everything I’d hope for (and more) in a top-end macro lens. For starters, it goes extra-large on maximum magnification, boasting 1.4x magnification at its minimum focus distance, instead of the more usual 1.0x. And if that’s still not enough, you can boost it to as much as 2.8x for revealing near-microscopic levels of detail, if you add a 2x teleconverter.

While the maximum magnification is highly impressive, there’s a lot more to this lens than just acting as a magnifying glass for your Sony A7R VI. There’s a smorgasbord of handling exotica, including a calibrated manual focus scale (I typically prefer manual focusing for macro shooting), an AF/MF switch, focus range limiter, stabilizer on/off and an iris lock switch to go with the aperture control ring.

High-performance glass includes two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and two XA (eXtreme Aspherical) elements, along with a particularly well-rounded 11-blade aperture diaphragm. Nano AR Coating II and fluorine coatings are also applied. The lens isn’t a one-trick pony either. Great for portraiture or just as a short telephoto prime, it has no less than four XD (eXtreme Drive) linear motors to power its fast and virtually silent autofocus system.

Read more: Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS review

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Best super-telephoto zoom for the A7R VI

Even though this lens is now up against a new constant-aperture version that Sony has subsequently released, it remains one of my all-time favorites. I was hugely excited to see the coveted G Master line-up of lenses getting a 100-400mm optic, and the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master OSS lives up to all of my expectations.

Blending superb sharpness with well-pitched handling that supports hand-held shooting, this is an ideal lens for long days capturing sports or wildlife on an A7R VI camera.

Indeed, in my tests and in our review, we couldn't say enough good things about this lens. Its impressively complex optical path gives it excellent image quality across the board, while the handling is nothing short of impeccable. The focus operates smoothly, the three customizable buttons give you real customizability, and the ‘zoom smoothness’ ring lets you adjust the torque required to move the zoom in accordance with your preferences.

Read more: Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master OSS review

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Best ultra-telephoto zoom for the A7R VI

A complete redesign of the already excellent DSLR lens, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports is a great lens for bird photography, airshows, and all manner of different sporting occasions.

The autofocus system is excellent, able to take advantage of the latest AF subject-detection and tracking facilities of Sony cameras. The build quality of the lens is also impressive – while no one is going to pretend this is a lightweight lens, it handles well, with tactile zoom and focus rings and a series of on-body controls for functions like AF speed, stabilization intensity, and, as an addition for the mirrorless version, Zoom Torque control to adjust the resistance of the zoom ring.

Read more: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports review

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Lab data and comparisons

The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. You’ll see that the Sony FE 85mm and FE 50mm G Master primes rule the roost for sharpness, but Viltrox 35mm runs them extremely close, especially for such a comparatively low-budget lens. Color fringing and distortions are generally pretty low, although the Sigma 14-24mm relies more heavily on automatic in-camera correction for distortion, at the short end of its zoom range.

Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion.

Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel distortion at its shortest focal length, which is less obvious when everything is averaged out. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, take a look at the graphs published in our full standalone reviews.

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How to choose the best lens for the A7R VI

The A7R VI, like all Alpha 7 cameras, uses the Sony E lens mount. Sony’s own E-mount lenses have either FE or E in their model names. All of them work on the A7R VI but FE lenses are designed for use with full-frame Sony cameras, so these should be your first choice. If you're buying a third-party E-mount lens, check that the lens is designed for use with full-frame cameras.

Sony lenses with an E (rather than FE) prefix are designed for APS-C format cameras such as the A6000 series. You can therefore only use them effectively in APS-C 'crop mode' on the A7R VI, which gives you a 1.5x magnification factor but only utilizes a smaller area of the full-frame image sensor.

Check out our guide to the best Sony lenses if you want to know more

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How we test lenses

The lens experts in our testing lab run a range of 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 centre of the image frame, corners, and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths.

There's more to it than just the technical side, though! Beyond the lab, our reviewers test lenses in real-world environments – and sometimes on professional shoots! We work with lenses both indoors and outdoors, in studio conditions and in natural light, with as many different subjects as possible (or appropriate – there's no point testing a landscape lens' ability to shoot a portrait!).

We take into account everything from handling and ease of use to speed of autofocus and the overall quality of the images produced.

Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World

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I’ve been enjoying Viltrox lenses for four years and counting, having originally bought a set of four f/1.4 Viltrox primes for my Nikon Z fc camera back in 2022. The 13mm, 23mm, 33mm and 56mm lenses in question are old news now, but still do me proud. More recent offerings have been divided into four main product lines, comprising low-budget Air lenses, top-grade Pro and Lab lenses and next-generation Evo lenses, the last of these representing the latest line-up from the Chinese manufacturer.

The first Evo lens out of the gene pool was the full-frame compatible Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo, followed by the similarly full-frame Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo and Viltrox AF 55mm f/1.8 Evo, all three being available in Nikon Z and Sony E mount options. Despite the different focal lengths, the look and feel of these lenses is virtually identical, being extremely similar in size and weight and having exactly the same handling characteristics and 58mm filter thread.

There are now two APC-C format Evo lenses, comprising the 90mm that I’m reviewing here and a 75mm f/1.8 lens. They follow suit with pretty much the exact same size and weight as the full-frame trio, the same handling characteristics and the same filter thread.

Okay, I’ll revise my last statement. The Nikon Z and Sony E mount versions of the APS-C lenses have the same handling layout as their full-frame counterparts. The Fujifilm X editions have a more streamlined layout, as I’ll come to later. Either way, the new Evo lenses aren’t the only APS-C gig in town for portraiture fans. There’s also the ultra-lightweight, cut-price Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 Air and the super-speedy Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro to consider, both of which give a classic 85mm ‘effective’ focal length, or thereabouts. But if you fancy a longer focal length, the 90mm Evo aims to be one of the best portrait lenses, especially if you’re after great quality without spending over the odds.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Specifications

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Price

The Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo has the look and feel of a seriously up-market prime lens, making the launch price of $369 / £359 (AU$TBA) look extremely competitive. I’m well used to Viltrox delivering great value for money and, to give a little perspective, previous Evo lenses include the Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo at $275 / £265 / AU$449, the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo at $395 / £385 / AU$529 and the Viltrox AF 55mm f/1.8 Evo at $370 / £359 / AU$519, all of these three being full-frame compatible rather than APS-C format.

And there’s more. The low-budget Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 Air is relatively basic and ultra-lightweight, priced at $179 / £139 / AU$282, while the super-fast, top-end Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro comes in at $580 / £530 / AU$889. Long story short, the new AF 90mm Evo looks very good value for a classy prime lens.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Design & Handling

It bears repeating that the 90mm f/2.2 Evo lens is designed specifically for APS-C format cameras and isn’t full-frame compatible, unless you use your full-frame camera in crop mode. Even if you have a Nikon or Sony APS-C format camera, it’s tempting to use the full-frame Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo, as it costs less to buy and is a third of an f/stop faster. The 90mm lens is therefore maybe of greater interest to Fujifilm shooters, as the full-frame Evo lenses aren’t available in X-mount versions.

Let’s talk glass. The lens features 10 elements in 8 groups, complete with two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and two HRi (High Refractive index) elements. The optical design and addition of specialist glass seek to deliver excellent clarity and color rendition, along with the minimum of unwanted aberrations. A further boost is on hand from HD Nano multi-layer coatings to minimize ghosting and flare.

The Nikon Z and Sony E mount editions of the lens win out for handling extras. Onboard controls include an AF/MF focus mode switch and a customizable function button. The focus mode switch saves any faffing around in camera menus when you want to switch focusing modes. You can typically assign the function button to various different tasks via in-camera menus, but AF-hold is often the top choice. The focus mode switch and function button are omitted in the Fujifilm X mount version of the lens, which has a relatively straightforward layout of controls.

A feature that’s common to all three mount options of the lens is the dedicated aperture control ring. It’s only marked in full f/stop increments rather than having intermediate one-third f/stop markings, but still has click steps at one-third f/stop increments. This is generally favored for stills photography, but the Nikon Z and Sony E mount editions boast a click/de-click switch, enabling silent and stepless aperture transitions when shooting video. Again, this is lacking in the Fujifilm X mount version.

One thing that’s absent from all editions of the lens is a locking switch for the A (Auto) position on the aperture control ring. I’d have liked that to be included, just to avoid any accidental nudging of the ring from its ‘A’ position to a narrow aperture setting, when controlling the aperture from the host camera body.

The autofocus system is based on a linear stepping motor, which is par for the course with modern lenses designed for mirrorless cameras. Typical of the breed, it enables swift yet near-silent autofocus operation, and the motor is also called upon when applying manual focus adjustments.

Evo lenses feel solid and robust, and this one is no exception. The relatively compact and lightweight build certainly doesn’t come at the expense of flimsy build quality. Multiple weather-seals are incorporated and the controls all work with smooth precision.

Unlike some budget-conscious lenses from certain camera manufacturers, this one comes complete with a hood, as do nearly all other Viltrox lenses. Off the top of my head, the only one that doesn’t is the super-skinny Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 pancake lens. The 90mm actually uses the same PL-122A circular-profile hood that’s also supplied with the 75mm Evo lens. As I’d expect, it has the usual bayonet-fit coupling and can be reversed on the lens so you can stow it away in smaller spaces.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Performance

A vital factor when choosing any APS-C format lens, not just of the wide-angle variety, is that you take the crop factor or ‘focal length multiplier’ into account. The 1.5x conversion factor gives the Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo a classic 135mm ‘effective’ focal length in full-frame terms. I’ve been using 135mm lenses on full-frame film cameras for tight head shots and for head-and-shoulders portraiture for the last 50 years, since the film cameras of my youth. I really like that the focal length enables a very natural and comfortable working distance and a flattering look due to the slight compression in perspective. Ultimately, it’s a key plus point for the performance of this lens.

The focal length and widest available aperture of f/2.2 combine to enable a tight depth of field. Again, in the context of portraiture, as well as for still life photography, it’s ideal for isolating subjects within a scene by blurring fussy backgrounds. Also, you can literally make people stand out from the crowd. The lens delivers excellent performance in this respect, combining scintillating sharpness where you want it, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8, with beautifully soft and dreamy bokeh where you don’t. There’s a well-rounded 9-blade aperture diaphragm that helps to maintain the quality of bokeh when stopping down a little.

I keep a phrenology head in my studio, which scared the living daylights out of my dog when he first saw it, dismembered and sitting on the shelf. A more useful application of the head is that it works well for testing portrait lenses. Shooting it against a backdrop of detailed garden plants and hedging reveals levels of sharpness, the quality of bokeh and any signs of axial chromatic aberration. The last of these is a phenomenon also known as ‘bokeh fringing’, which can be problematic with fast lenses at their widest aperture. It gives rise to color fringing around high-contrast transitions just in front of and behind the plane of focus, like the black lines and writing on the head’s white porcelain surface. The following gallery includes shots taken at all main aperture steps from f/2.2 to f/5.6.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Sample Images

The following gallery of sample images was shot at the Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in the English city of Wells, both indoors and outdoors. I majored on wide aperture settings, which is the principle advantage of this lens compared with a zoom. After the first few shots in the gallery, many of the images give an idea of the qualities of both sharpness and bokeh, as well as the lens’s excellent control over unwanted aberrations.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 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:

General (line widths per picture height)

Aperture

CenterMid-frameCorners

General Data

Timestamp (f/)	Center (line widths per picture height)	Mid-frame (line widths per picture height)	Corners (line widths per picture height)
2.2	2440	2115	1514
2.8	2395	2194	1580
4	2409	2276	1707
5.6	2343	2133	1737
8	2004	1884	1680
11	1594	1611	1487
16	1232	1212	1141

Sharpness is pretty epic even when shooting wide-open at f/2.2, not just at the center of the frame but right out to the edges and corners. Levels of sharpness start to drop off at f/11, more so at f/16, due to narrow-aperture diffraction.

Fringing:

< Prev

Center

Next >

f/2.2

0.31

f/2.8

0.36

f/4

0.51

f/5.6

0.26

f/8

0.35

f/11

0.38

f/16

0.28

01.252.53.755

Center Data

Product	Value
f/2.2	0.31
f/2.8	0.36
f/4	0.51
f/5.6	0.26
f/8	0.35
f/11	0.38
f/16	0.28

f/2.2

0.62

f/2.8

0.54

f/4

0.5

f/5.6

0.34

f/8

0.37

f/11

0.34

f/16

0.26

01.252.53.755

Mid-frame Data

Product	Value
f/2.2	0.62
f/2.8	0.54
f/4	0.5
f/5.6	0.34
f/8	0.37
f/11	0.34
f/16	0.26

f/2.2

1.12

f/2.8

1.07

f/4

0.91

f/5.6

0.68

f/8

0.57

f/11

0.6

f/16

0.53

01.252.53.755

Corners Data

Product	Value
f/2.2	1.12
f/2.8	1.07
f/4	0.91
f/5.6	0.68
f/8	0.57
f/11	0.6
f/16	0.53

1 of 3

Lateral chromatic aberration is minimal even at the edges and corners of the frame, while axial chromatic aberration is negligible at the widest aperture of f/2.2. There’s no reliance on automatic in-camera correction for color fringing.

Distortion: 0.56

The lens exhibits a very slight amount of pincushion distortion, but it’s only really discernable in lab-test data rather than being visible in real-world images. For completely zero-distortion results, automatic in-camera correction is generally available.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Verdict

I love the classic 135mm ‘effective’ focal length in full-frame terms, that’s delivered by the Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo on APS-C format camera bodies. It works a treat for portraiture and still life photography, as well as for general shooting when I need a short telephoto focal length. Moreover, the lens’s performance is top-drawer, combining superb sharpness and clarity with beautiful bokeh, courtesy of the shallow depth of field that’s on offer.

There are two more big ticks in the boxes of my wish list, when it comes to build quality and handling. The Nikon Z and Sony E mount versions build further on the robust, weather-resistant construction and handling finesse of the Fujifilm X mount edition, adding an AF/MF focus mode switch, a customizable function button, and a click-de-click switch for the dedicated aperture control ring. It’s perhaps a shame that these extras are omitted from the Fujifilm version but in its defense, the Viltrox follows suit with the design ethic of Fujifilm’s own-brand XF R series lenses.

Even in its more basic trim, the lens is a highly attractive proposition for Fujifilm shooters. However, owners of Nikon or Sony camera might feel drawn to the full-frame compatible Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo instead, which is a third of an f/stop faster and even better value for money.

Alternatives

Viltrox’s new portrait primes sit in the telephoto family, yet only weigh about as much as a can of soda – and sell for under $400 / £400. The Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 EVO and AF 90mm f/2.2 EVO, unveiled on June 8, mix bright optics with a compact design.

The two prime lenses join VIltrox’s Evo series, which sits in both cost and size between the Chinese optics brand’s Air and Pro series, alongside previously launched 35mm f/1.8, 55mm f/1.8, and 85mm f/2.0 Evo lenses.

Both the new Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo and 90mm f/2.2 Evo lenses are multi-mount optics made for APS-C camera bodies, including the Sony E, Nikon Z, and Fujifilm X mounts.

As part of the Evo series, Viltrox worked to keep the lenses compact and lightweight - right around the weight of a 12-ounce can of soda. The 90mm weighs about 320g / 11.2 ounces, while the shorter 75mm weighs about 355g.

Both lenses use the same type of autofocus – an STM or stepping motor that the company says delivers both speed and precision. The 75mm can focus as close as .74m / 29.5 inches away, with the 90mm minimum focus distance almost identical at .74m / 29.1 inches.

The lenses share a handful of design features, including the option to switch between a clicked or clickless aperture ring, an Fn button, and a USB-C port for firmware updates. Both lenses also share a 58mm filter thread size.

The Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 EVO is a shorter telephoto prime that’s equivalent to a 112mm focal length on full-frame. The longer focal length helps bring in more distant subjects and compresses the background, further helped along by that f/1.8 aperture.

The new 90mm, meanwhile, is a 135mm equivalent designed for tighter portrait crops. Viltrox says the 90mm focal length is also ideal for more distant street scenes, as well as photographing pets and travel.

Viltrox says that both lenses are built to suppress colored fringing and minimize vignetting.

While judging a lens by a spec sheet is difficult to do, Digital Camera World’s Matthew Richards was able to test the new lenses, giving both the 75mm and 90mm five stars for a balance of image quality, features, and price.

While the new Viltrox lenses may not have the brightest apertures for their respective focal lengths, the new lenses similarly launch at a competitive price point. The 75mm retails for $329 / £319 / CA$479 and the 90mm for $369 / £359 / CA$539. (Australia pricing has not yet been announced, but that converts to about AU$466 and AU$523.)

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Browse the best lenses for travel or the best portrait lenses.

A US$4,599 medium-format lens isn't the kind of model you'd expect to see competing with mainstream full-frame best-sellers. Yet the Hasselblad XCD 35-100E has been doing exactly that in Japan, consistently ranking among the country's most popular lenses and now claiming the No.1 spot in Yodobashi's latest sales chart for the second half of May.

The world's fastest medium-format zoom is Hasselblad's second "trinity" lens for the X-System and is versatile enough to replace up to seven premium prime lenses worth over US$20,000.

That winning formula has helped it outperform some of photography's biggest pro workhorse lenses, including Sony's flagship Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II and Nikon's new Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II.

Yodobashi's 10 best-selling lenses (2nd half May)

1. Hasselblad XCD 35-100E
2. Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II
3. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
4. Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
5. Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 (E-mount)
6. Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II
7. Fujifilm XF 16-55mmf /2.8 R LM WR II
8. Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN | Contemporary (E-mount)
9. Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II
10. Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM

Why is the XCD 35-100E so popular?

In real-world use, the XCD 35-100E can handle a wide range of genres.

From street photography and architecture to portrait, it replaces multiple prime lenses while maintaining the image quality expected from Hasselblad's high-resolution system.

That versatility is one of the reasons it has become such a strong seller in Japan.

The fastest (and best) zoom lens for medium format cameras

With the Hasselblad XCD 35-100E, the brand has delivered one of its most capable lenses to date.

And the competition is strong: Sony's 70-200mmm is a key lens in the company's pro lineup, while Nikon's latest Z 70-200mm successor arrived to huge acclaim after the original was described as "probably the best 70-200mm zoom in the world," in our review.

While the XCD 35-100E is not a constant f/2.8 throughout its entire range, its ability to reach f/2.8 at the wide end still makes it the fastest autofocus (AF) medium-format zoom currently available.

Combined with Hasselblad's latest AF system in the X2D II 100C, it delivers a level of responsiveness that brings medium-format shooting closer to the speed and flexibility traditionally associated with full-frame systems.

Lower demand for 70-200mm in Japan

The second half of May shows a modest shift in the ranking. Canon's RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z is absent from the top 10 this time, with the popular 70-200mm category represented by one fewer lens overall.

At the same time, the rankings continue to favour versatile zoom ranges. Standard 24-70mm lenses remain a staple, while extended-range options such as 24-105mm, 28-200mm, and 100-400mm optics continue to appear regularly across the top 10.

The next best-seller chart could see further changes following the arrival of Sony's FE 100-400mm f/4.5 GM OSS.

High-profile launches have historically performed strongly in Japan's rankings, with Nikon's Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II, for example, quickly climbing to the No.1 spot after release before settling into the chart.

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I've been going down the rabbit hole that is the ongoing legal situation surrounding Nikon and third-party manufacturers.

In case you missed it, the Big N’s relationship with Viltrox has been under the spotlight due to a high-profile legal case in the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court – with Sirui and Meike also seemingly falling foul of the Z-mount clampdown.

Having discussed Samyang’s strategy for different mounts at CP+ 2026 with its head of product planning, Phototrend reported: “As for a potential move to Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts, the lens maker is still waiting for official licenses from the Japanese manufacturers.”

This won’t be a surprise to Canon photographers, given that the imaging titan is notoriously protective of its RF lenses, but the general consensus has been that Nikon is much more open to third-party optics.

Indeed, Tamron, Sigma and Samyang itself have all contributed to the Z mount, as well as a host of Chinese manufacturers.

However, when you look a little closer, the evidence suggests that the Z mount isn’t perhaps quite as open as you might think.

Granted, Tamron has produced nine full-frame and one APS-C Tamron-branded Nikon Z lenses, but Sigma has only produced three – and they’re all APS-C. In the case of Samyang, the two it produced were manual-focus only. This is crucial, as it seems likely that the infringement case pertains to autofocus lenses.

[Autofocus is also one of the restricting factors for Canon's RF mount, along with image stabilization, with Viltrox and Samyang withdrawing RF lenses from sale a few years ago – Ed.]

We know that Nikon has launched legal proceedings against Viltrox, and both Sirui and Meike have reportedly pulled Z-mount glass from online sale in China.

However, it’s important to note that Asobinet reported that Meike has attributed this to inventory optimization and that the situation is supposedly temporary. And I can find no evidence that Sirui has pulled its own optics due to the unfolding legal situation.

Ultimately, reports suggest that Nikon is pursuing alleged patent-infringement royalties, rather than trying to lock the Z mount down completely. I can find nothing to suggest that such manufacturers have been granted official Nikon licensing, whereas Tamron and Sigma Z-mount lenses are licensed.

So, don't go expecting Samyang glass for the Z-mount until such a time as it gets the license. Although, with it producing both L-Mount and Sony E lenses, the Seoul-based manufacturer is certainly keeping busy.

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Want to know my opinion on third-party royalties? Protection or profit? The hidden truth behind Nikon’s dispute with Viltrox. And if you're a Nikon fan, check out the best Nikon cameras and the best Nikon Z lenses.

Earlier this year, news broke about Nikon suing Viltrox over unlicensed products for the Z-mount. And following reports that Sirui and Meike pulled Z-mount-compatible lenses from sale in China, the legal dispute is once again in the headlines following a new Viltrox Z-mount patent.

And while the big question is what Nikon hopes to achieve, the bigger question for many consumers is this: is Nikon in the right?

While it’s very easy to take the side of the cheap lens manufacturer, I really don’t think this is a case of greed on Nikon’s part.

It’s difficult to have a rock-solid opinion when we don’t have all the facts, so I can only go by what I know – which is that a patent dispute could suggest that Nikon’s problem isn’t with third parties making Z-mount-compatible lenses, but rather third parties using patented technology that supports the mount. Two very different things. Let me explain…

In a previous story I quoted Professor Bob Newman, whose Amateur Photographer article highlighted how an overarching Z-mount patent doesn’t exist, presumably because the concept of a camera mount isn’t wholly original, leading to the assumption that Nikon is, in fact, protecting the electrical-contact arrangement.

This would make a lot of sense, because cheap Chinese optics with robust autofocus systems are still relatively new. For a long time, most cheap Chinese optics were manual focus-only, which presumably reduced the chances of patent infringement.

However, I also came across another interesting point from ENS, whereby patent attorney Dr Bernard Dippenaar stated: “If a patent owner ignores large-scale, unauthorized use of its technology, those patent rights can become harder to enforce”.

Thus, Nikon’s motivations may also be to protect its patent long term.

If the legendary Japanese manufacturer’s goal is to obtain reasonable reparations via royalties, then I sit firmly on the side of Nikon – because the Z mount is so much more than just a mount. For that mount to have any relevance at all, an entire system had to be built around it at Nikon's expense.

A third-party manufacturer only has to worry about developing and building an optic. A first-party manufacturer has to develop and maintain an entire system, which requires pumping huge amounts of resources into the development of a mount, but also cameras – and all the technology that goes along with them – all the while creating a formidable lens ecosystem that redefines modern optical technologies.

This is why I think it’s only right that Nikon receives its dues.

My hope is that this is a relatively routine case in which an agreement can be reached that benefits both parties. Nikon protects its patent and receives reparations, and Viltrox is able to continue building affordable Z-mount optics.

And while it might be an unpopular opinion, if Viltrox has to raise its prices slightly to compensate, then so be it. Ultimately, a healthy relationship between first- and third-party brands is good for everyone, including the consumer.

In a world of computer chip shortages and rising memory costs, it feels like the fast-tech industry could be experiencing something of an affordable renaissance. And while I think cheap third-party optics are great – perhaps even necessary for a thriving camera industry – we still need to support first-party companies. Because without them, none of this exists.

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Into Nikon? Check out the best Nikon cameras and the best Nikon Z lenses. If you'd like to read more of my ramblings: I chose the Nikon Z 180-600mm for its value and reach, but my chiropractor would recommend the Z 100-400mm.

Cosina Japan has confirmed the discontinuation of six Voigtländer lenses across Nikon Z and Leica M (VM) mounts. The affected optics will remain available only until current stock is exhausted, marking the end of production for Japan.

Voigtländer, manufactured by Cosina, is known for its premium lenses that blend classic optical design with modern digital compatibility – especially striking in apochromatic sharpness and rendering.

The discontinuations appear to be a product line refinement and a shift towards updated versions. However, one optic was just launched in 2024: the 28mm f/1.5. 28mm f/1.5 Asph Type I from the vintage line.

Discontinued products

Nikon Z mount

• Voigtländer Nokton D23mm f/1.2
• Voigtländer Nokton D35mm f/1.2
• Voigtländer Nokton Macro Apo-Ultron D35mm f/2

Leica VM mount

• Voigtländer Nokton Vintage Line 28mm f/1.5 Asph Type I
• Voigtländer Nokton Color-Skopar 28mm f/2.8 Asph Type I
• Voigtländer Nokton Apo-Skopar 90mm f/2.8

The Type II versions of the Voigtländer Nokton Vintage Line 28mm f/1.5 and Color-Skopar 28mm f/2.8 remain in production and continue the lineup.

US + UK availability

While these Voigtländer lenses are still available at some US and UK retailers, their discontinuation in Japan typically signals that availability will gradually decline worldwide.

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This ultra-fast 35mm lens is a compact lens, built for serious photographers – and now you can grab it at a big discount.

The Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/0.9 lens with Fujifilm X-mount is now just $1,199 at B&H. With this offer, you save $300 off its regular price of $1,499.

The Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/0.9 is a groundbreaking manual focus lens, designed exclusively for Fujifilm X-mount mirrorless cameras. If you are looking for a fast lens that covers portrait, street, and low-light photography, this 35mm prime combines standout performance with true portability.

Thanks to its ultra-fast f/0.9 aperture, the Nikton excels in low-light conditions and delivers a beautifully shallow depth of field. You'll be able to create stunning, soft bokeh with ease – something few other lenses in this class can match. Its manual focus design also encourages you to follow a slower, more deliberate shooting process, helping you get more creative and intentional with your images.

It's compact, lightweight, and packed with advanced optics, including aspherical elements for sharp images. This 35mm lens is built to be your go-to lens for creativity on the go. Plus, with full compatibility with Fujifilm's in-body stabilization and EXIF data, you get modern convenience without sacrificing manual focus control.

The Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/0.9 measures just 64mm in length and 492g in weight, making it lighter and shorter than many comparable lenses. Built with a durable all-metal barrel, it's made to last.

With its f/0.9 maximum aperture, this lens is a serious investment in your photography – and with this current deal, you can save big on a lens with even bigger creative potential.

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You might also be interested in discovering why this pro photographer prefers a 35mm prime for portraits.

Point-and-shoots aren’t the only photo gear rebounding after a steep drop-off in 2019 – according to the latest numbers from Japan, interchangeable lens shipments are at the highest in more than five years for the first four months of the year.

The insight comes from the Camera Imaging Products Association, an organization tracking camera data from Japanese camera brands including Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, OM System, and Panasonic, as well as lens makers like Sigma, Tamron, and Zeiss. Tokina also joined the list of CIPA members this year.

According to CIPA, in the first four months of 2026, these brands shipped more than 3.2 million interchangeable lenses. Looking back across the same January to April timeframe, that’s the best numbers that lenses have had since 2019, when 4.4 million lenses were shipped in that same four-month span.

That echoes the rebound of the camera industry, as 2025 was the best year for digital camera shipments since 2019, and the numbers have continued to climb in 2026, outside of a slight dip in February.

The combination of COVID-19 shutdowns and supply chain struggles amid the growth of the smartphone camera had a severe impact on the camera industry, and while 2026’s numbers are the highest in more than five years, the latest lens numbers are still more than a million less than in 2019.

In the first four months of 2026, brands have shipped around 3.2 million interchangeable lenses, a 106.3 percent change from the same time frame last year. At the same time, brands shipped about 2.08 interchangeable-lens bodies, suggesting there are still a healthy number of photographers shooting with more than a kit lens.

Lenses meant for cameras with sensors smaller than full frame see the highest numbers for 2026 so far – echoing camera trends, as the smaller sensor category is the entry-level and more budget-friendly option that tends to attract a higher number of users. In the first four months of the year, those crop sensor format lenses numbered more than 1.8 million, a 111.6 percent change from the same time last year in shipments.

Lenses for full-frame cameras (and larger formats, including medium format) numbered around 1.4 million, which is only a slight change from the same time frame last year, at a 100.2 percent change.

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Zeiss has revealed its latest move in the cinema lens world with the launch of the new Horizon Anamorphic series, a high-end full-frame lens lineup designed for serious professional filmmakers.

These are not everyday lenses for casual video shooters, but a new generation of Zeiss anamorphic primes built for major productions, offering a 2x squeeze factor, strong oval bokeh, and the kind of cinematic character that anamorphic users chase.

The new Zeiss Horizon Anamorphic series includes seven focal lengths, ranging from 35mm to 200mm. The lineup covers 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 110mm, 150mm, and 200mm options, giving cinematographers a complete set of primes for a wide range of shooting situations. Zeiss says these lenses have been designed to deliver a clean, sharp, and neutral starting point, while providing enough flexibility for filmmakers to shape the image to their own taste.

One of the biggest talking points is the fully motorized design. Zeiss has built focus and iris motors directly into the lenses, removing the need for external motors on set. That should make rigging cleaner and faster, while also allowing the lenses to work directly with existing industry-standard lens control systems. For productions where time, reliability, and repeatability matter, these lenses could make for a serious tool rather than just another impressive-looking piece of glass.

The other clever feature is the interchangeable look tuning back element. This allows cinematographers to adjust the rendering of the lens, changing things like contrast, sharpness, and overall character without affecting scale accuracy or calibration. In simple terms, the Horizon lenses are not locked into one fixed personality. They can begin from a crisp, clean Zeiss look and then be tuned to feel softer, more stylized, or more characterful, depending on the production.

The lenses also mark quite a visual shift from Zeiss’ more traditional cinema designs. Each Horizon Anamorphic lens features dual displays and touch panels built into the barrel, giving operators direct access to live focus and iris values. These displays show current focus distance and t-stop information, while also allowing users to move through lens settings directly on the lens itself. It is a much more modern, tech-forward approach than many would expect from a traditional cinema prime.

Zeiss has also built the encoding systems directly into the lenses, with factory calibration and lens scales stored inside each lens. That means productions should not need to re-map scales or re-rig motors when moving between lenses. For high-end sets where metadata, accuracy, and consistency are essential, that could be a major time-saver and one of the reasons these lenses will appeal to cinematographers working at the very top end.

Despite all that built-in technology, Zeiss says the Horizon Anamorphic lenses remain surprisingly manageable in weight. They are said to be roughly comparable to Zeiss Master Anamorphic 2x primes, even though the new Horizon lenses use a larger 114mm front diameter. All seven lenses share that same 114mm front, which should make life easier when swapping lenses with matte boxes and other accessories.

The 35mm T2.3, 40mm T2.3, 50mm T2.3, and 75mm T2.3 lenses are each 199mm long, while the 110mm T2.3, 150mm T2.3, and 200mm T2.9 lenses measure 262mm. Weights range from 2.42kg to 3.25kg, or around 5.34lb to 7.17lb, so these are still serious professional lenses, but not wildly out of step with what filmmakers working in this space will already expect.

Zeiss has not yet confirmed pricing for the Horizon Anamorphic series, but let’s be honest, these are not going to be cheap. The 40mm, 50mm, and 75mm lenses are expected to start shipping this fall, with the 35mm, 110mm, 150mm, and 200mm lenses set to follow later this year or in 2027.

For filmmakers looking for a modern anamorphic system with built-in motors, digital controls, and a tunable optical character, Zeiss’ new Horizon lenses could be one of the most interesting cinema launches of the year.

The OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro is undoubtedly the ‘grail’ lens for any wildlife or sports photographer with a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera. And what better camera to test this monster "Big White" optic than the flagship OM System OM-1 Mark II?

These two MFT titans combine to create a truly formidable pro-grade package. The lens itself delivers an incredible 35mm equivalent zoom range of 300-800mm, extended to a whopping 375-1,000mm with the built-in 1.25x teleconverter. Add an external 2x teleconverter to the mix and you get 2,000mm!

And while it’s a huge lens for a system that’s known for its pint-sized optics, the OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro still exceedingly small and light for a lens of its class.

This OM System classic is, without a doubt, targeted at the most serious MFT wildlife / sports enthusiasts and professionals on the planet. So, I decided to visit both WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre and the Hawk Conservancy Trust to put this top-tier optic through its paces, photographing birds in flight.

The question on my mind is whether its premium build and performance are enough to justify that premium price tag…

OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro: Specifications

OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro: Price

The OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO is not a cheap lens. It retails for $8,999.99 / £6,799 / AU$11,999, making it the most expensive optic in OM System’s lineup by some margin and the most expensive MFT lens on the market.

This is because it represents the pinnacle of OM System’s optical engineering and feature set. This may jar with some users because the MFT system is often framed as a more cost-effective alternative, especially when it comes to premium bodies and optics.

It’s difficult to compare the "Big White" to OM’s competitors because it offers an equivalent zoom range and speed that simply isn’t available in full-frame.

The Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S retails for around half the price at $3,499.95 / £3,299 / $5,499, but it’s a prime lens and doesn’t have a built–in teleconverter.

At the other end of the spectrum, you have the Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S, which has a built-in 1.4x teleconverter, but is also a prime and has a faster maximum aperture. This lens retails for roughly twice the price of the M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 at $14,699.95 / £13,499.00 / $24,299.00.

It’s a similar story when it comes to both Sony and Canon, but perhaps the closest offering is the relatively recent Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports, which retails for $6,599 / £5,899 / AU$12,995, although it doesn’t have a built-in teleconverter.

Ultimately, though, the OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro sits right within the mix of the world’s most premium lenses and, in that respect, it offers up a comparatively middling price point.

OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro: Design & Handling

When I first picked up the OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro, I was struck by two things: its weight and build.

The lens weighs 1,875g / 4.13lbs (without lens hood and cap) and measures 314.3 x 115.8mm, which is comparatively huge compared to other MFT lenses, but comparatively small next to range-topping full-frame lenses.

To put that into perspective, you’re getting a full-frame-equivalent focal length of 300-800mm (375-1,000mm with the teleconverter) in a package that you can actually handhold. The lens hood is big and solid, but a carbon-fiber build means it’s also surprisingly light.

That said, wildlife photography often requires an awful lot of waiting around – and holding a near 2kg lens for long periods of time will fatigue any photographer, so I’d still opt to bring a tripod, monopod or beanbag in reserve.

The good news is that the lens is light enough that you don’t have to pair it with a hulking tripod that weighs you down. My Manfrotto Befree Advanced travel tripod had no problem accommodating it.

When it comes to the lens’ build, it reminds me very much of a pro-grade DSLR optic. I’ve often thought that premium DSLR glass feels slightly more solid than most top-tier mirrorless offerings, so I mean that entirely as a compliment.

Its magnesium-alloy construction might be light, but it feels reassuringly solid in all aspects, from the barrel to on-board controls. I’m also a sucker for an internal zoom, which adds a premium feel to any lens.

I’ve personally never encountered a species that’s more bothered by a white lens than my presence, but some wildlife photographers like to cover white lenses in a camo skin, of which plenty are available specifically for the OM System 150-400mm f/4.5.

However, the white paint job doesn’t just look good; it serves a purpose as part of a three-layer heat-repellent coating.

As you’d expect from a Pro-line OM System lens, the 150-400mm f/4.5 has an extensive IP53 rating, meaning it’s splashproof and dustproof.

I carry a rain cover in my camera bag at all times and won’t trust any standard camera or lens in a consistent downpour, but I did use the 150-400mm f/4.5 on a day with frequent light showers and felt entirely confident that not only would it hold up but it could weather plenty more.

You’ll have to forgive me for waxing lyrical about a tripod collar and foot, but the designers have thought about almost everything in this instance. It’s a shame that the tripod collar isn’t removable to shed even more weight – although the foot can be removed – otherwise this is a near-perfect feature.

The foot is Arca-Swiss compatible for quick release/attachment, and I’m particularly impressed by the rubber lining on the inside surface. I can only assume this is so you can use it as a handle when carrying the lens around, without worrying about it slipping out of your hand in wet or sweaty conditions.

You’ll find two attachment points on the collar for a strap and, while you can rotate the collar to level your horizon at any angle, it also clicks securely into four different positions set at equidistant intervals at twelve, three, six and nine o’clock – each lining up perfectly with one of four custom buttons set further down the barrel.

These buttons are set before the focusing ring so you’re in no danger of inadvertently nudging it.

Both the focus and zoom rings are suitably smooth and the throw of the zoom is short, so you can quickly amend your framing.

The switch for the built-in 1.25x teleconverter is cleverly positioned on the right-hand side of the barrel, very close to the host camera’s grip. This enables you to toggle the converter on/off by extending a single finger while still clasping the grip.

With a little practice, you’ll start to do this instinctively, without pulling your eye away from the viewfinder. The switch also features a locking mechanism, which is a neat touch, although I found the switch itself to be robust enough that you’d have to be really unlucky to trigger it by accident.

And while it’s purely cosmetic, I really like the blue band that frames the lens’ front element. It’s a little touch that screams quality.

Unfortunately, the drawstring canvas bag that comes with the lens is a bit of a letdown, especially if you were anticipating the robust kind of cases that come with Sony, Canon and Nikon’s range-topping wildlife optics.

There’s minimal padding around the barrel, more padding around the base (but not enough) and although it was workable, I couldn’t completely close the bag with the OM-1 Mark II attached.

OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro: Performance

Real-world testing presents difficulties when working with super-telephoto optics due to phenomena such as heat distortion and camera shake.

Camera shake is the bane of the super-telephoto photographer’s life, but the first thing I noticed about the OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro is just how stable it is.

Despite that monster 35mm-equivalent 1,000mm potential, the Sync IS (optical image stabilization) achieved by the lens and OM-1 Mark II working in tandem delivered up to 8 stops of compensation – meaning I was rarely bothered by camera shake.

In a world where high-resolution sensors are causing photographers to double or even triple the reciprocal rule, it’s a joy to shoot with a long lens (and camera) that isn’t working against you. And of course, that constant f/4.5 aperture certainly helps in poorer lighting conditions.

I did notice some chromatic aberration, but this was easily mitigated via editing software corrections.

When it comes to overall image quality, the OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro performs very well, but stops short of being exceptionally sharp. Even for a lens that debuted in 2021, I couldn’t help but feel slightly left wanting from what is ultimately a range-topping optic in a very high-end price range.

However, it’s also important to remember that the equivalent focal range made possible by an MFT sensor means you’re getting much closer to the subject than you would with a full-frame setup. This, in turn, reduces the amount of cropping required, meaning you’re less likely to hack away at the resolution of your images.

What impressed me was the quality of the built-in teleconverter, which really doesn’t impact image quality that much at all. Really, the only penalty is the narrower aperture; beyond that, the teleconverter feels a little like a cheat code in the best way possible. So much so that I could easily forget it was engaged.

OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro: Sample Images

The following gallery of sample images was captured with the flagship OM System OM-1 Mark II at both the Hawk Conservancy Trust and WWT Slimbridge.

This meant that I was able to test the lens in a challenging real-world environment by photographing birds in flight, while also dealing with inclement weather.

OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro: Lab Results

Our lab manager, Ben Andrews, runs a variety of tests in controlled conditions using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the lens’s zoom and aperture ranges (where available), which are then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software are used 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).

Testing a super-telephoto Micro Four Thirds lens is always a challenge. The 2x crop factor means that you need to allow for double the distance between lens and test chart, compared to a full-frame lens.

Consequently, Ben was not able to test the 150-400mm at its full 400mm zoom. There simply isn’t enough space in the lab and, because lighting must be carefully controlled, outdoor testing is not an option. The best he could achieve was 367mm – and even this required a shooting distance of over 18 meters.

Sharpness:

Sharpness in the central region is good, although never particularly special. You do, however, get very good consistency throughout the focal range. Only at f/16 and narrower does center sharpness really dip. Corner sharpness is noticeably softer, though consistency across all focal lengths and apertures is excellent.

The lab also tested the optic’s sharpness at 150mm with the inbuilt 1.25x teleconverter enabled, resulting in a 187.5mm focal length (equivalent to 375mm). Teleconverters often noticeably reduce sharpness, but in this case, the reduction is minimal, and sharpness remains consistent with the results at other focal lengths.

Fringing and distortion:

There is some chromatic aberration, but it's not strong enough to be obvious in real-world shooting. And thanks largely to firmware-based distortion correction, which cannot be disabled, the lens appears to be almost distortion-free.

OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro: Verdict

The OM System M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS Pro is a bit of an oxymoron in that it’s a large, $9K / £6.8K / AU$12K optic for a system that’s built around the concept of portability and affordability. And yet, compared to full-frame range-topping super-telephoto optics, it’s significantly cheaper and lighter.

This isn’t the lens for your average MFT photographer; it’s a serious piece of equipment for a dedicated enthusiast or wildlife / sports professional.

When it comes to the design and build of the 150-400mm f/4.5, it’s about as good as it gets. It’s an absolute joy to operate and carry around, and it’s a rare example of a super-telephoto lens that I actually like to look at. It’s a bit of a beauty to say the least.

The price tag and top-tier status can draw unavoidable but unhelpful comparisons with full-frame glass, but it’s important to remember that these lenses tend to be twice the price and sit on sensors that are twice as big.

That said, I did expect slightly better image quality in both lab and real-world testing, although the quality of the teleconverter and image stabilization was extremely impressive.

Ultimately, the design and operation of this lens blew me away, the performance felt solid, if not quite exceptional. And yet, this lens undoubtedly complements Micro Four Thirds’ inherent advantages.

The monster zoom range and built-in teleconverter will get you closer to subjects than ever before. Its premium handling will increase your chances of capturing the moment you envision.

A small MFT sensor’s superior stability synced with this lens’ excellent optical image stabilization will enable you to shoot at slower shutter speeds without experiencing camera shake. And its rock-solid build and weather sealing mean it can accompany you on dusty safaris, in muddy forests and on damp hills.

Alternatives

Teleconverters have always felt like one of photography’s great false economies. On paper, they sound brilliant. Take the lens you already own, stick a little optical adapter between the camera and lens, and suddenly you have more reach without spending thousands on a longer lens.

For wildlife, sport, aviation or anything where distance is your enemy, I understand the appeal completely. It feels like a cheap shortcut to getting closer to the action. The problem is, in my experience, shortcuts in photography almost always come at a cost.

I spent many years as a professional sports photographer hauling around big lenses. I have dragged 400mm and 600mm glass around stadiums, race tracks and touchlines, and two of my most used lenses over the years were a Nikon 200mm f/2 and a Nikon 600mm f/4.

I also fully understand that not everyone is in the lucky position to buy that kind of extravagant equipment. These lenses cost serious money and, for many photographers, a teleconverter looks like the sensible way to squeeze a little more reach from the kit they already own. I get it. I really do. But that does not mean I think it is the right move.

The trouble is that even the best teleconverters are not magic. They do not give you free focal length. The most common options are usually 1.4x, 1.7x, and 2x converters, and each comes with a compromise. Yes, your 300mm lens can become something longer. Yes, your 400mm lens can suddenly look more like an 800mm with a 2x converter.

But depending on the quality of the lens you are attaching it to, you are also taking a hit in light, autofocus performance, sharpness and overall optical quality. That extra reach comes at a price – and it is not just the money you paid for the converter.

The f-stop penalty alone is enough to make me question the whole thing. A 1.4x converter usually costs you around 1 stop of light, while a 2x converter costs you around 2 stops. That might not sound too bad in perfect daylight but, in the real world, sport and wildlife do not always happen under perfect light.

Suddenly, your lovely fast lens is not so fast any more. Your autofocus has less light to work with, your shutter speeds become harder to maintain, your ISO starts climbing… and that clean, crisp image you hoped to capture begins to fall apart.

This is where I think the modern camera industry has completely changed the argument. Twenty years ago, if you wanted serious reach, you needed serious money. Long professional primes were the dream and, for most people, they were simply out of reach. But today, we are spoiled.

There are now so many super-telephoto zooms and long-range lenses available at prices that would have seemed unbelievable when I was at the top of my profession. People think nothing of using a 100-400mm lens now, and we even have huge-range options like 28-400mm superzooms that give photographers a level of flexibility we could only have dreamed of years ago.

Of course, a good long lens or superzoom may still cost more than a teleconverter. I am not pretending otherwise. But I think the value is in the long game. A purpose-built longer lens gives you flexibility, balance, proper optical design and a single, stronger connection to the camera body.

It is a complete tool, designed to do the job from the start. A teleconverter, by comparison, always feels like a compromise bolted into the middle of the system. It might get you out of trouble occasionally, but I would rather have a lens that was built for reach than an optical add-on trying to fake it.

There is also the physical side of it – and this is something too many people ignore. With a lens attached directly to a camera, you have one main point of contact: the camera mount. Add a teleconverter, and suddenly you have two. You have the camera to teleconverter mount, and then the teleconverter to lens mount.

That might sound perfectly secure, and most of the time it probably is, but I have seen failures.

I have seen mounts damaged. I have seen gear put under the kind of stress that makes your stomach turn. When you are dealing with expensive cameras and long, heavy lenses, adding another weak point into the chain is not something I take lightly.

And when it fails, it really fails. You are not just left with a disappointing image. You could be left with a damaged lens, a damaged camera body or both. Suddenly, that “cheap reach” does not look so cheap. The cost of a teleconverter is nothing compared to the repair bill for a professional lens mount or a broken camera body.

This is the part of the conversation that rarely appears in the marketing material. Everyone talks about extra reach. Fewer people talk about the added strain, the extra contact points and the very real chance that your clever little adapter could help create a very expensive problem.

Optically, I also think photographers need to be honest with themselves. A built-in teleconverter on a high-end professional lens is one thing. Those systems are designed from the ground up to work properly with the optics of that lens – and when done well, they can be brilliant.

But an external teleconverter is different. You are adding more glass into the optical path and hoping the combination works well enough. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it is acceptable. But acceptable is not the same as excellent – and if I am spending money and time chasing an image, I want the best possible chance of getting it right.

That is why I have never been convinced by the “just in case” argument, either. I know plenty of photographers like to keep a teleconverter in the bag for those moments when the subject is just a little too far away. I understand the logic.

But for me, if I need more reach that badly, I would rather plan properly and use the right lens. If I am consistently finding myself too far away, the answer is not to keep compromising my current lens. The answer is to buy or rent the focal length I actually need.

Teleconverters promise a lot but, in my opinion, they rarely deliver enough to justify the compromises. They cost you light, can affect sharpness, may slow autofocus, add another physical weak point and often leave you with a setup that feels more like a workaround than a proper solution.

For occasional use, maybe they have a place. For some photographers, in some situations, they might make sense. But if you regularly need the extra reach, stop kidding yourself. Buy the longer lens.

Photography is already full of compromises, and we all have to make choices based on budget, weight, access and the jobs we shoot. But I have learned over the years that reach is something you are better off buying properly.

A good long lens will serve you better, last longer and give you more confidence than a teleconverter ever will. So yes, I know this will annoy people, but I will say it anyway: teleconverters are usually a waste of time and money, and if you really want to get closer to the action, buy the lens that gets you there.

You might also like…

Ready to ditch the converters? Take a look at the best telephoto lenses as well as the best superzoom lenses for Nikon and the best Canon superzoom lenses.

Camera lenses are already mind-boggling enough, but seeing one that has been sawed in half still able to take photos is even stranger. Well, this is exactly what Viltrox did recently at the China P&E trade show in Beijing, when it sliced one of its lenses lengthwise before a photo shoot.

This wasn't just any lens, either. It was one of the company's premium AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB lenses, and the resulting photos were honestly pretty impressive – and quite creative.

As far as I can tell, there was absolutely no practical reason to doing this; it was simply a PR stunt designed to show off Viltrox's lens constructions. But it does have me wondering how the lens kept working.

Even if a lens is sawn in half, as long as light can still travel through every part of the lens unobstructed, a complete image can still be formed.

By slicing a lens in half, you won't block half of the image; you'll simply let in less light, typically resulting in a dimmer, grainier image. Admittedly, before seeing the results, I had imagined the subject being sliced down the middle, too. Evidently not.

When taking photographs, an infinite number of light rays bounce off your subject, with all of these rays traveling through every element contained within the lens barrel – even if it has been cut lengthwise – and recreating the image on the camera sensor.

Because light from the entire scene still passes through the remaining half of the lens, the resulting image still captures the whole scene.

Above: Physicist explains how blocking half a lens doesn't stop half the image from forming

As for the images themselves, they have an ethereal look with some unusual distortion, yet the subject is still clearly rendered. Although, I can't say I'm a fan of the choice of outfit or the questionable posing. Still, it's impressive that the Viltrox lens was able to function despite being only half of itself (see what I did there?).

You might also like…

Viltrox launches two new lenses, taking its Evo range from one to three prime numbers.

This Canon premium super-telephoto zoom is one of the best Canon zooms we've ever tested – and with this 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 just £2,385 at Amazon. With this offer, you save a stunning £774 off its regular price of £3,159.

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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If you are a Canon shooter or want to become one, check our guide to the best Canon cameras, along with the best Canon standard zoom lenses and best Canon superzoom lenses.

The best Sony wide-angle lenses enable you to fit a sweeping vista into a single frame. Wide-angle lenses are among my personal favorites – all but essential for landscapes and cityscapes, helpful for architectural interiors, and great for emphasizing perspective to creative effect.

These are the best ones I’ve tested for the Sony E-mount ecosystem. All of these are lenses I’ve taken out into the field and tested in the lab to assess their resolving power, focusing capabilities, and ease of use. I’ve included zooms and primes, and options for both full-frame cameras (the A1, A7, and A9 ranges), and for APS-C Sony models (the A6000 and ZV-E ranges).

Let’s take a closer look at the best Sony wide-angle lenses for a range of different needs, budgets, and camera types. For more options in different focal lengths, see my general guide to the best Sony lenses, which includes standard and telephoto lenses as well as wide-angle glass.

Best Sony wide-angle lenses

Best wide-angle zoom for pros

I love the wow-factor that this lens delivers, as soon as I put my eye to the viewfinder. Most ‘trinity’ f/2.8 wide-angle zooms serve up a 14-24mm zoom range, but this one goes even wider. An additional 2mm in focal length might not sound like a lot, but the more expansive field of view is immediately obvious through the viewfinder. When this lens was launched, Sony already had a smaller FE 12-24mm F4 lens on the market, but I like the faster aperture of the newer model for freezing movement under dull lighting. It also gives more potential for blurring the background in close-up shots, especially towards the longer end of the zoom range. Bokeh is soft and dreamy, typical of G Master lenses.

I’m impressed that the lens is packed full of top-quality glass, including three XA (eXtreme Aspherical) elements that are manufactured to a tolerance of just one hundredth of a micron. The pay-off is superb sharpness for an ultra-wide-angle lens that extends right out to the edges and corners of the image frame. I also find that autofocus is very fast for a lens with such wide-diameter elements. That’s thanks to four high-speed XD (eXtreme Dynamic) Linear Motors, two for each of the pair of groups that move during focusing.

As with many ultra-wide-angle lenses, this one has an integral hood. As such, there’s no filter attachment thread, but at least there’s a slot in the mounting plate for inserting gel filters.

Read more: Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 G Master review

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Best affordable pro wide-angle zoom

I was a big fan of Sigma’s 14-24mm F2.8 lens for DSLRs, and this E-mount version is even better. It’s redesigned from the ground up to make the most of Sony mirrorless cameras. Optical highlights include three aspherical elements, including a high-precision, large-diameter one at the front, an FLD (‘Fluorite’ Low Dispersion) element, and no less than five SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements. A significant addition is the use of NPC (Nano Porous Coating) as well as Sigma’s more conventional Multi-Layer Coating.

In practical terms, I’ve found that the lens delivers superb sharpness and clarity, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8, throughout the zoom range. Color fringing is entirely negligible, and there’s excellent resistance to ghosting and flare. Barrel distortion can be noticeable in the shorter half of the zoom range, but there’s less reliance on automatic in-camera correction than with many recent lenses designed for mirrorless cameras.

Like most other recent Sigma Art and Sports lenses, this one has really solid build quality and is extensively weather-sealed. I like that the AF-L (Autofocus Lock) button is featured and that I can customize it for other uses via in-camera menus. All in all, this Sigma looks, feels, and performs like a fully pro-grade ‘trinity’ zoom, but for about half the usual price. Bargain!

Read our full Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art review

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Best affordable full-frame wide-angle zoom

I think this Tamron lens has a lot going for it. There’s no shortage of similar own-brand lenses, including the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS, which is ‘slower’ but features Optical SteadyShot, and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 G Master. A ‘trinity’ f/2.8 lens with a difference, the Tamron has a slightly more restrictive zoom range and marginally less maximum field of view, but it’s relatively compact, lightweight, and sells for a much more affordable price. That ticks a lot of boxes on my wish list.

Although small and light, I like that the Tamron feels solid and well-built, and includes weather seals. I also like its nippy RXD (Rapid eXtra silent stepping Drive) autofocus system, which I’ve found to be fast, virtually silent, and consistently accurate. What matters most to me is image quality, and the Tamron scored highly again in this respect. Corner-to-corner sharpness is excellent, and there’s virtually no color fringing. Unusually for a wide-angle lens, there’s a little pincushion distortion in the longer half of the zoom range, but automatic in-camera correction is available.

Especially for landscape photography, I feel that the inclusion of a front filter thread is a bonus. It means I can use the likes of neutral density and ND grad filters easily, and the 67mm thread is refreshing modest for a wide-angle lens.

Read more: Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD review

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Best APS-C wide-angle zoom

Sony’s APS-C format cameras tend to be small and lightweight, and I like that this E-mount lens follows suit. Weighing in at just 335g, it feels beautifully balanced on slimline Sony bodies, and I like that the 11-20mm zoom range delivers good wide-angle coverage, equivalent to 16.5-30mm in full-frame terms. Another bonus for me is the relatively fast and constant f/2.8 aperture, which I find extends the versatility of the lens.

I feel that the build quality and handling are very good. The Tamron features weather seals and comes with a bayonet-fit petal-shaped hood. I find it useful that, unlike with many wide-angle lenses, I can easily attach filters via the 67mm attachment thread. Autofocus is fast and virtually silent, as I’d expect from a stepping motor-based system. However, there’s no optical image stabilizer, which can be a concern as so many APS-C format Sony mirrorless cameras don’t have in-body stabilization.

Another thing I like about this lens is its short minimum focus distance of just 0.25m at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, although it stretches to 0.24m at the long end. Either way, I can get in really close to subjects and exaggerate perspective at wide-angle zoom settings. As with many wide-angle lenses, lab test results don’t flatter the Tamron, but in real-world shooting conditions, I found sharpness very impressive across the whole image frame, right into the corners. There’s some reliance on automatic in-camera distortion correction, but unlike many recent wide-angle lenses for mirrorless cameras, it’s not wholly dependent on it.

Read more: Tamron 11-20mm F2.8 Di III-A RXD review

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Widest full-frame prime

I think this lens is quite astonishing. At first glance, I assumed it was an APS-C format lens, due to its super-short focal length and small size. But no, it’s a full-frame compatible lens. Digging a little deeper, I’ve found that it’s a conveniently compact and lightweight lens that bears some heavyweight credentials. Despite its 9mm focal length, it’s a rectilinear rather than curvilinear (or fisheye) lens, shoehorning an epic 132-degree viewing angle into its small build. When I put my eye to the viewfinder, it really feels like taking the blinkers off my photography.

I like the solid metal construction, which extends to a metal integral hood and slip-on metal cap. Naturally, though, the built-in hood precludes the use of filters. Not just a manual-focus lens, it’s fully manual and includes no electronics whatsoever. As such, you need to adjust the aperture via the onboard control ring rather than from the camera body, and no lens-based EXIF information is saved in image files.

On the plus side, I find that focusing is quick and easy. The focus ring works with smooth precision, and the enormous depth of field means I don’t have to be painstakingly accurate, even at the lens’s widest aperture of f/5.6. At the price, it’s a nicely crafted and very useful kit bag addition for capturing sweeping vistas in landscape photography, architectural interiors when space is tight, vlogging when you want to set yourself in an expansive scene, and a lot more besides. I really like it.

Read more: 7Artisans 9mm F5.6 review

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Best professional wide-angle prime lens

I love that this Sony lens is so compact and lightweight for an ultra-wide-angle, full-frame compatible lens with such a fast f/1.8 aperture rating. Even so, there’s a lot packed in when it comes to handling exotica and all-around performance. I’ve found that the electronically-coupled manual focus ring has a smooth and precise action with a linear response that’s well suited to both stills and video shooting. A further bonus for video is that the manual aperture ring can be de-clicked via a switch on the right-hand side of the barrel. On the left, there’s an AF-MF focus mode switch and a function button, which is nominally for AF Hold, but you can customize its action via in-camera menus.

Build quality feels very solid for such a lightweight lens, and extensive weather seals are fitted to all the joints, mounting plate, switches, and buttons. Florine coatings are applied to the front and rear elements. Although small, the lens packs 14 optical elements. Specialist glass includes two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, one Super ED element, and two high-precision XA (eXtreme Aspherical) elements, plus a regular aspherical element. The mix intends to maximize sharpness, contrast, and clarity while keeping aberrations to a minimum. Nano AR Coating II is also applied to minimize ghosting and flare.

I found that sharpness is superb, right out to the extreme corners of the frame, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8. There’s also remarkably little coma and astigmatism. That’s great news for astrophotography and shooting nighttime cityscapes, as it ensures that stars and pinprick lights don’t take on irregular shapes towards the edges and corners of the frame, especially when shooting at the widest aperture.

Read more: Sony FE 14mm F1.8 G Master review

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Best affordable full-frame wide-angle prime

The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN | C joins a growing range of fairly fast primes for Sony E-mount cameras, in Sigma’s ‘I-series’ range. I like that the look and feel of the lenses is so consistent across the range, which includes 24mm, 35mm, and 65mm F2 DG DN | C options, as well as a slower 45mm F2.8 lens. For me, the ‘Contemporary’ design ethos works well in delivering excellent performance with a compact and lightweight build.

I’m impressed that there’s some impressive glass shoehorned into the diminutive construction, with 13 elements in total that include three high-precision glass-molded aspherical elements, one SLD (Special Low Dispersion) element, and one top-spec FLD (‘Fluorite’ Low Dispersion) element. Sigma’s conventional Super Multi-Layer Coating and more high-tech Nano Porous Coating are both employed to fend off ghosting and flare.

As with other lenses in Sigma’s I-series Contemporary line-up, I like the build quality, which is based on a coated brass mounting plate, a metal barrel, and even a metal lens hood and lens cap, the latter of which is magnetic. A more regular plastic lens cap is also supplied in the box. The construction features multiple weather-seals and is dust- and moisture-resistant. Handling is enhanced by an aperture control ring which operates in one-third f/stop increments, but there’s no ‘de-click’ option. Sharpness is very good, but automatic in-camera correction comes in useful to reduce distortion and wide-aperture vignetting.

Read more: Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN | C review

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Best APS-C wide-angle prime

A small lens with a big heart and a big viewing angle, I love how this Sony 11mm shoehorns so much into the image frame. I find it ideal for everything from cramped architectural interiors to sweeping landscape vistas and cityscapes, while its fast f/1.8 aperture makes it equally adept for astrophotography. Buy one, and it won’t be long before you wonder how you ever managed without it.

I really like that the lens is designed to be equally adept at shooting stills and movies, boasting two linear stepping motors that deliver super-fast autofocus for stills and smooth, virtually silent focus transitions for movies. The minimum focus distance of 0.15m shrinks to just 0.12m in manual focus mode, delivering a tight depth of field at f/1.8 for close-ups or using the lens for vlogging. Handling benefits from an AF/MF switch and a customizable autofocus-hold button.

I also like that the lens is neatly compact and lightweight, ideally suited to slimline Sony A6000-series camera bodies. Even so, it packs quality glass, including three aspherical elements and three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements to optimize image quality, while build quality is convincingly robust, featuring multiple weather seals.

Read more: Sony E 11mm f/1.8 review

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Widest APS-C prime

When I think of ultra-wide-angle lenses with a relatively fast f/2.8 aperture, two things spring to mind – size and weight. They tend to be big and heavy, which is the last thing I want if I’m trekking off across tricky terrain, in search of great landscape photo opportunities. The same thing goes for pounding city streets, looking for great architectural shots. This lens fits the bill perfectly, and really redresses the balance, so to speak. It’s so small and light for an ultra-wide-angle lens that it almost seems to defy the laws of physics. Indeed, it weighs in at a mere 175g or 6.2oz.

Typical of Viltrox's ‘Air’ series lenses, it has a very streamlined build that doesn’t include an AF/MF focus mode switch, nor an aperture control ring. The upside is that it really couldn’t be any simpler to use and feels like a perfect fit for Sony’s slimline APS-C format mirrorless cameras. I also like that it has a separate rather than integral hood, enabling the easy fitment of landscape-friendly filters.

It’s only natural to think that if a lens is this small, there’s going to be a compromise in terms of image quality and all-around performance. I was pleasantly surprised that the Viltrox autofocuses with speed and consistent accuracy, and that in real-world shooting, it maintains impressive levels of sharpness right out to the edges and corners of the image frame. Even the asking price is super-small, making it standout value for money.

Read more: Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 E Air review

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Best wide-angle lens for video

The first thing that hit me about this wide-angle zoom lens for Sony’s APS-C format mirrorless cameras is just how small it is. To me, it feels much more like the size and weight of an ultra-compact standard kit zoom lens with a variable (and slow) aperture rating. The fact that Sony has managed to shoehorn such an expansive range of viewing angles with a constant f/4 aperture into such a small lens, complete with motorized zoom, really is quite something. Especially as image quality and overall performance are so excellent.

I find that the silent power zoom facility makes the lens ideal for vlogging and general video shooting, but it’s equally adept at capturing stills of anything and everything from architectural interiors to sweeping landscapes, or just for exaggerating perspective effects. The electronically coupled zoom ring feels wonderfully responsive, seamlessly converting the speed and amount of rotation to the resulting focal length. I also like the additional zoom lever that enables constant-speed adjustments right down to super-slow movements, ideal for avoiding jerky zoom transitions when shooting movies. I’m also pleased that there’s an optional grip and remote controller, plus a free app for controlling everything from my mobile phone.

Although really small, the lens feels very solid and well-built, and includes multiple weather seals around all the joints, buttons, and switches. Handling refinements include an AF/MF focus mode switch and a customizable focus hold button. I’m a bit disappointed that the lens lacks an aperture control ring, for which a de-clicked option would have been nice when shooting movies, but there’s only so much you can squeeze into such a small lens.

Read more: Sony E PZ 10-20mm F4 G review

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Lab data and comparisons

The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. You’ll see that the mighty Sony FE 12-24mm G Master lens is outstanding for sharpness, and I’d expect nothing less. However, the relatively humble Sigma 20mm ‘Contemporary’ lens is quite the overachiever. Lab tests at extremely close range don’t do justice to the incredibly ultra-wide 7Artisans full-frame lens in terms of sharpness, which performs better in real-world shooting. The distortion figures flatter some of the zoom lenses, as the scores are averaged out across the entire zoom range.

Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion. Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel distortion at its shortest focal length, which is less obvious when everything is averaged out. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, take a look at the graphs published in our full standalone reviews.

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How to choose

Prime or zoom?
Sometimes it’s hard to decide whether a zoom lens or a prime lens will be a better buy. Zoom lenses tend to be more versatile, as they cover a broad spread of focal lengths. However, there’s a lot to be said for prime lenses, which generally have a wider or ‘faster’ aperture rating and are often relatively small and lightweight. Some photographers find that they only tend to use wide-angle zooms at or near their shortest focal length anyway, which is another reason for considering a prime lens.

Do I need speed?
If you’re mainly using a wide-angle lens for landscape photography, you won’t need one with a really fast aperture rating, and an f/5.6 lens should suffice. That said, most of the lenses in this buying guide have aperture ratings of f/2.8 or faster. That’s a real bonus for astrophotography, for which wide-angle lenses are particularly well suited, as well as for shooting architectural interiors under low indoor lighting, and for night-time cityscapes.

How do I tell if a lens is full-frame compatible?
It can be tricky for the uninitiated to recognize the difference between Sony lenses that are made for full-frame or APS-C format cameras. The clue is in the title. APS-C format lenses have an ‘E’ prefix, whereas full-frame compatible lenses have an ‘FE’ prefix. Sigma designates its lenses as ‘DC’ for crop-sensor cameras and ‘DG’ for full-frame. Bear in mind though, that you can shoot with E lenses on full-frame cameras in crop mode, and with FE lenses on APS-C cameras with no limitations.

What’s the APS-C crop factor?
Sony’s APS-C cameras have an image sensor that’s the same size as a frame of ‘Advanced Photographic System type C’ film. That’s quite a bit smaller than a frame of 35m film, on which full-frame digital cameras are based. The outcome is that the ‘crop factor’ gives a 1.5x magnification in the focal length of lenses. For example, a 10mm wide-angle lens will give the same field of view as using a 15mm lens on a full-frame camera.

Do I need OSS?
Optical SteadyShot can be really useful if your Sony camera doesn’t feature IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization). It’ll help counteract the effects of camera-shake and ensure you get sharp handheld shots more consistently with slow shutter speeds. However, OSS is generally not featured on wide-angle lenses, as camera-shake is less of a problem in handheld shooting compared with standard and telephoto lenses.

How we test

We test lenses using both real-world sample images and lab tests. Our lab tests are carried out scientifically in controlled conditions using the Imatest testing suite, which consists of custom charts and analysis software that measures resolution in line widths/picture height, a measurement widely used in lens and camera testing. Our lab tests also reveal the extent of color fringing and distortion. We find the combination of lab and real-world testing works best, as each reveals different qualities and characteristics.

You can find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World.

Sometimes a great camera kit can be more than the sum of its parts. I think it’s true that particular lenses are a better fit for individual camera bodies rather than others, even when there are similar models in the line-up. When I’m choosing lenses for the slim and budget-friendly Sony A6400, I feel that the size, weight and price are strong contributing factors. For my money, the A6400 is one of the best Sony cameras because I think it delivers such a great combination of features and versatility, at a keen price. It’s a compact and affordable camera, so its lenses should be as well.

I’ve regularly used the Sony A6400 and I’ve tested all the lenses featured in this guide. If I was spending my own money, these are the options I would consider first. You can also check out my list of the best lenses for Sony A6000 cameras generally if you like, and many of the best Sony lenses will also be a good match for the A6400.

As photographers, we all have our special areas of interest, so I’ve tried to cover plenty of genres, from travel photography to portraiture, sports and wildlife. As you’ll see, I’ve also taken A6400 video shooters into account, with the inclusion of a couple of affordable prime lenses which are great for video as well as for stills. Above all, I’ve aimed to give full consideration to each lens’s suitability for the A6400’s size, its performance in relation to the camera’s 24MP sensor, and the kind of value for money that reflects the price of the A6400 itself.

Best lenses for the Sony A6400 

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Best everyday lens for the A6400

The Sony A6400 is usually sold with Sony's 16-50mm power zoom kit lens, which is very compact and convenient but a bit lacking in optic prowess. If you want a step up in quality, one option is Sony's rather massive and expensive 16-55mm f/2.8 G, but I would pick this Sigma instead.

The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN offers a constant f/2.8 aperture, just like the Sony lens, with a classic 3x zoom range for a standard zoom. The Sigma is smaller than you’d expect given its constant maximum aperture (my shot shows it fitted to a Sony A7R III, but you'll get the idea), yet the build quality is very good – and it’s weather-resistant as well. The autofocus system is super-fast and virtually silent, and I'm impressed by the image quality.

Read more: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C review

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Most versatile lens for the A6400

Frustrated by the short focal range of the standard Sony 16-50mm kit lens? Get this! With an equivalent focal range of 27-202mm in full frame terms, the Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS is practically a superzoom, but remains compact, neat, and affordable, and – unlike almost every other long-zoom lens – it holds its performance all the way through to its longest zoom setting.

What I like about this lens is its neat, simple design, its fuss-free exterior, easy operation, and built-in optical image stabilizer. Like a lot of modern mirrorless lenses, it does rely on digital as well as optical corrections, but the result is a long-range lens with far better image quality across the range than I would normally expect from a lens of this type.

Read more: Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS review

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Best wide-angle lens for the A6400