Zeiss Loxia lenses are changing things

It's not just end users that are picking up on mirrorless. It's optical companies, like Zeiss, that are capitalising on the possibilities afforded by still-youthful mirrorless mounts that don't already have legions of long-time users.

Background Blur have a great writeup comparing the Sony 35/2,8, a Panasonic 20/1,7, and the Loxia 35/2. While I disagree with them regarding the Panasonic 20/1,7's OOF rendering (they call it 'distracting' and 'harsh'), I do agree that Loxia is a powerful alternative. 

I'd like to see high-quality native manual focus lenses with electronic coupling come to more mounts.

Background Blur: Zeiss Loxia 2/35 First Impressions

Deck the halls with onion balls and cat eyes (or Fujifilm VS Nikon)

Amid all the clamour and hubbub at DPReview's Fujifilm X's equivalence forum, a saner thread emerges. Telemarketing-Roger-Moore- lookalike, Robert Betchel, whipped out his Nikon D750 and Fujifilm X-T1 cameras and equivalent portraits lenses and photographed his mug in front of a bit of holiday green to settle the age old question: which do you prefer, cateyes, or onions?

Source: Comparing Nikon D750 and Nikon 85 1.8 to Fuji X-T1 and Fuji 56

NOTE: the above images were taken from page 2 of the above thread. They are heavily cropped from the 1:1 samples Robert uploaded to DPReview. The image on top is from the XF 56/1,2; the image on bottom is from the 85/1,8 AFS.

Randall Cipriano: The real difference: Fujifilm XF56 vs XF56 APD

While the Canon 85/1,2 lens was probably thrown in for click bait, this terse Randall Cipriano article and attendant images make for a compelling argument in favour of Fujifilm's XF 56/1,2 APD lens over the regular XF 56. 

Source: THE REAL DIFFERENCE: XF56 vs XF56 APD vs FF (GUEST POST – NIKO VILLEGAS | JAN GONZALES)

Martin Irwin: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4

At long last, Martin Irwin has published a review of the diminutive Voigtländer. Poetic as always, he strives for the why not merely the what:

“If you buy this lens knowing about its foibles listed above, you’ll be doing so with your eyes wide open. Then you can enjoy using this lens wide open, as it was meant to be.”

Be sure to enjoy the entire thing: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 MC. As is to be expected of a Martin Irwin review, it is well-worded, and full of eye-candy.

Fujinon XF 50-140/2,8 LM OIS WR

I handled one of these today at Yodobashi in Akihabara. Its OIS is amazing. I'm sure I could smash through 1/20 and lower exposures inside with no problems at all. Manual focus was lousy: slow and heavy and required many turns of the focus wheel to reach either extreme. AF seemed to lock in pretty fast, but then again, with a low-res EVF, you can't eye-ball it to be sure it is locked in or not.

The short: feel/speed of MF in comparison to a 70-200/4 or 2,8 from any major manufacturer was very, very poor. But OIS way, way better. Size was comparable to its FF 70-200/4 equivalents from Nikon or Canon.

Meet Aleph, Steve Huff's bearded puppy wuppy

Oh, and Sony's awesome-looking FE 4/16-35 OSS lens wide-angle zoom lens.

Thanks, Sony Alpha Rumors.

A-Mount Surprise?

No, Sony Alpha Rumors, it is no surprise that lenses which substitute mechanical controls with cost-cutting fly-by-wire systems are, by comparison, poor for video, or anything but single focal plane photography.

Surprise at Newshsooter: A-mount lenses are much better than E-mount lenses on the FS7!

Em-Zwee-ko 40-150 f28 Pro, hey!

Oh how I wish John Stewart got ahold of this Olympus video.

via Steve Huff Photo