The Sony 35mm F1.4 GM is a still a lovely choice if you want both high performing and compact, but the LAB 35mm is the new champ if you want that next level F1.2 goodness. It can produce brilliant images at all apertures [...] and won’t break the bank.
The Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G will make you wonder why carrying a larger lens is necessary, as it delivers great looking images and is generally a delight to carry and use.
Nikon’s premium S-Line lenses represent the pinnacle of their Z-mount engineering, and the Nikkor Z 135mm F1.8 S Plena is one of the best.
Lenses like the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS are going to be completely wasted on a large swatch of the photography world but will immediately send a certain subset to place a preorder as quickly as possible.
I recognize that LAB 135Z will be too big and heavy for some potential buyers, but [y]ou will find an absolutely stunning lens that will produces images that are richer, sharper, and more compelling that what you can get with just about anything else in your bag.
This is a great walkaround lens, perfect for capturing the varied moments that life brings.
Fuji’s new XF 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR has made a lot of positive strides. I particularly appreciate the internal zooming design, the addition of weather sealing, and the extra width on the wide end of the zoom range.
There’s so little to think about other than just shooting, which might allow photographers to spend more time thinking about their subjects and composition than they do on their gear.
All in all, the Tokina ATX-M 11-18mm F2.8 X is well worth considering if you’re looking for a wide angle zoom for your Fuji camera.
If you can live with the shortcomings I’ve detailed here, the X-M5 is a solid option at its reasonable price tag of $800 USD.
The bottom line is that while Fuji has work to do on the autofocus front (upgraded hardware rather than just software, I think), the Fujinon XF 16-55mm is making more of the existing hardware than any lens I can remember testing outside of the killer XF 200mm F2.
Not everyone will want to spend over $600 for this lens, but those that do will find a lens that they will invariably enjoy, providing fast autofocus, good handling, and a very good (and consistent) optical performance.
The optics are optimized for portrait zones, and the gorgeous rendering/bokeh helps make images really look great.
A manual everything lens isn’t going to be for everyone, and this is a lens for those who don’t mind (or even prefer) moving at a slower pace with their photography.
The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM is smaller, lighter, faster focusing, sharper, and even cheaper! This is the lens that will officially make Canon (and Nikon) shooters jealous instead.
The Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB is a rare treat for a reviewer like me. [...] [T]he LAB 135mm has allowed me to both do my job (as a lens tester), but do photography with one of the nicest optical instruments I’ve had the privilege to use.
This is a jack-of-all-trades camera that can be used effectively for everything from sports to portraits to landscapes to cinematography, so it is easy to justify the price…particularly if you make some money from your work.
The Tamron 90mm F2.8 Di III Macro VXD is a lens whose only surprise (to me) is that it took so long to arrive. This lens makes perfect sense, delivering faster autofocus and better image quality than any macro lens we’ve seen on Sony E mount so far.
The bottom line is that the focus system for both stills and video is smooth and confident, but not incredibly fast.
I don’t really understand Canon’s logic in this mirrorless phase, but I’m glad that the Canon RF 35mm F1.4L VCM exists nonetheless, as it fills a definite need on the platform.
I’ve been recommending the Sigma 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN to a lot of people looking for a good APS-C wide angle zoom on multiple platforms, so I’m not surprised that it performs well on Canon RF mount.
The Fujinon GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR is a very important lens for Fuji. It is twice as long a focal length as the previous longest lens for the platform, and is much more of a legitimate telephoto than the GF 250mm F4.
I can see this lens becoming a favorite for those who want a one-lens solution for events or portrait photography, allowing them to switch from wide angle to tighter framing with a twist of the zoom ring.
The truth of the matter is numbers sell. Tamron already had an excellent 28-200mm RXD lens, which is, in fact, optically superior to this new lens.
