lens

Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 C-Dreamer Review: Not Quite a Dream

Venus Optics has continued to expand on an already extensive list of ultra-wide-angle lenses with the addition of the Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 C-Dreamer for full-frame mirrorless systems. Where many ultra-wide lenses can be big, bulky, and incredibly pricey, this new "slow" lens becomes even more impressive with its relatively small $649 price.

TTArtisan’s New 50mm f/2 Full-Frame Lens Costs Only $69

TTArtisan has announced a new 50mm f/2 full-frame manual focus lens. Though not the fastest “nifty fifty” in the company arsenal, the standard focal length lens has a natural viewing angle and the company says it has a fast enough aperture to provide high performance in low light.

Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Lens Review: A New Benchmark

When the Z mirrorless system was first announced, Nikon swore to deliver lenses with far superior image quality and optical characteristics when compared to the DSLR F-mount siblings, and it all started with the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens. Despite how good the f/4 "kit" version performed compared to the F-mount version, the $2,295 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens might be one of the best 24-70mm lenses ever made.

How to Clean a Camera Lens

Realizing that your lens was dirty during a shoot is not a great feeling. While some specks of dust and other consequences of a dirty lens can be fixed via spot healing and other post-processing, it’s much easier to make sure your lens is clean to begin with and save editing time. Plus, attention to the state of your lens will help it retain its value over time and increase its longevity.

Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 Lens Ultra-Wide AF Lens Lands on Indiegogo

The camera equipment manufacturer Viltrox has launched a Indiegogo campaign for the Viltrox 13mm f/1.4, a large-aperture ultra-wide-angle autofocus lens that is perfect for vlogging, landscape, architecture, street, food, and astrophotography.

What is Focus Breathing in a Camera Lens?

Focus breathing is a term that is often used when discussing the features and specs of a camera lens. It is an issue that occurs across a wide range of lenses, and it is one that can negatively affect your photography and videography in certain situations. In this article, we will take a look at what focus breathing is, the situations it affects, and how you can avoid it.

Does Your Lens Rattle? Here’s What You Need To Know

It's quite a scary thought when you hear your new lens rattle for the first time. Let's face it, you most likely spent a stack of cash to obtain new gear, and if it's failing out of the box, you're not going to be too impressed. So rather than ringing the manufacturer's support line to complain, know that there is nothing wrong with your rattling lens.

Bokeh: A Photographer’s Guide

As photographers, when we hear the word "bokeh", we probably already have a visual in our mind of its meaning. Since bokeh can be somewhat abstract and subjective, describing it can be difficult. 

7artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro II APS-C Review: A Good Lens for Its Price

The 7artisans 60mm f/2.8 II APS-C is a lens designed specifically for crop-frame mirrorless. Instead of just a ported mount, there’s no image circle wasted. The design itself is a big upgrade that makes the Mark I look like a weird prototype in comparison.

Nikon 28mm f/2.8 review

Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 Lens Review: Tiny, Mighty, And Cheap

There has been a lot of chatter and excitement surrounding the Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 lens when it was announced as a special pairing (along with a special version) with the Z fc camera. As one of the smallest and lightest lenses released for the Z mirrorless system that comes paired with one of the shorter focus distances, the $297 "pocket" lens packs a lot of punch in a tiny and affordable package.

What to Check for When Buying a Used Film Camera and Lens

As with buying anything secondhand, it is a good idea to have a good idea of what to look for when buying a used film camera lest you spend money on one that has major problems. Thankfully, there are some simple ways to check for problems in film cameras and their lenses... including smelling them.

Nikon Z 40mm f/2 Review: Affordable and Surprisingly Useful

Despite a nearly two-year global supply chain shortage, Nikon has been making good on the company's promise to deliver a plethora of new lenses for the mirrorless Z system. Filling in most of the missing gaps from the F-mount lineup with greatly improved lenses, this time with a unique and affordable "in-between" focal length lens for everyday use, the $297 40mm f/2 Z.

Laowa Argus 45mm f/0.95 FF Review: Unique Focal Length and Unreal Bokeh

In the last few years, Chinese lens manufacturer Venus Optic has released a plethora of versatile, unique, and affordable fast aperture lenses for most camera systems on the market. Today the company has officially launched the latest lens in the Argus lineup, the Laowa Argus 45mm f/0.95 FF -- one of the first full frame 45mm lenses with a maximum aperture of f/0.95.

Laowa 85mm f/5.6 Review: The Smallest 2x Macro Packs a Big Punch

The new Venus Optics Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Macro lens is one of the smallest macro lenses that I’ve ever used for a full-frame sensor. It is even smaller than the Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2:1 for Micro Four Thirds, and that’s no mean feat!

How I Tamed the Humongous Aero Ektar Lens

I met Carlo a few months ago as I was looking for some honey. I discovered this passionate beekeeper lived only half a mile from my home.