Category: Technical Discussions
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The (sort of) Great 400mm Lens Shootout!
I get asked a lot about different telephoto lenses. Is the 400 DO II better than the 400 DO? Which is better, the Tamron 150-600mm or the Sigma 150-600mm? You’ve probably noticed that I don’t answer those questions. The reason is simple. Our optical bench is designed to test lenses up to 2.5kg…
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How to Use Interview Transcripts as an Editing Tool
I was introduced to the benefits of interview transcription a surprisingly long time after I’d started learning about documentary filmmaking. Tired of introductory-level film classes and spending hours discussing editing theory between screenings of Koyaanisqatsi, I decided to take a Journalism 101…
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The Zeiss FE Batis 25mm f/2.8 & Loxia 35mm f/2 Lens MTF Charts
For quite a while now, some you have asked where the MTF results were for the Zeiss Batis and Loxia lenses, and my answer has been not done yet. There were a lot of reasons for that. Chief among these was the lenses are so popular that we can’t get as many as we want and keep them in stock long…
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Sony FE Planar T 50mm f/1.4 ZA MTF and Variance Testing
OK, you probably know I don’t like ultra-long lens names. I don’t like lenses that are expensive (who does?). So when you throw out a 50mm lens with a long name, like the Sony FE Planar T\* 50mm f/1.4 ZA, and price it at $1,500 I’m a bit predisposed not to like it. Seriously, that’s a lot of money…
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Guide to Leica Wide Angle Lenses on Sony a7 Series Bodies
It’s been known for some time that wide angle M mount lenses have issues on Sony mirrorless cameras because of the way the sensors are designed, but there’s never been a very good list of what lenses work best, much less a visual reference to see how bad things can really be. So I took it upon…
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The Sony FE Lenses MTF and Variance Summary
We’ve put all of this information out in other articles, but it was as we finished each one so it’s become scattered about. I wanted to simply put up all of our MTF and variance curves for Sony FE lenses in one place so you wouldn’t have to hunt and search for different articles to get the…
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Sony FE 16-35 f/4 & Sony FE 24-70mm f/4 Zoom MTF and Variance
Many of you who have followed along as we beta-test our Sony FE lens testing have been asking where the FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS and the FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS test results are. Well, the answer is they are here. But your other question, why has it taken so long, has a more complex answer. Testing FE…
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A Look at the New Sigma MC-11 Lens Adapter
We’ve recently received the Sigma MC-11 Sony E to Canon EF mount adapter which promises full autofocus functionality for 15 Sigma Art Lenses on Sony E-mount cameras. What the Sigma MC-11 brings to the table is the ability to use face detection, eye recognition, and the use of continuous phase…
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Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 MTF and Consistency
Sony has cranked out a bunch of new lenses lately, and one of their latest got my attention: the FE 50mm f/1.8. It did so for a couple of reasons. First, I wasn’t expecting it, since they already have the really good FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA lens in their lineup. Second, I’ll admit I expected them to…
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Review of the New Fuji X-Pro2
The Fuji X-Pro2 is the long awaited successor to the beloved Fuji X-Pro1. The retro look, functional external dials and comfortable medium size that I love about the Fuji X-Pro1 has been updated for the Fuji X-Pro2. And among the many updates that have been added, the one I’m most excited to try is…
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The Nikon D5 Review: Roller Derby and Mammoth Cave Testing
The weekend before last, I had quite a trip planned for my birthday. I was going camping at Mammoth Cave, with a side trip to see some friends play roller derby in Bloomington, IN. I had originally planned to bring only my Mamiya Universal and some instant film for a personal project I’m working…
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Hands On With The Panasonic Varicam LT
Panasonic’s new Varicam LT is basically a lighter-weight, more compact version of their Varicam 35, which has seen relatively wide adoption since its introduction in 2014. Weighing in at 6 pounds (body only) the Panasonic Varicam LT is a capable alternative for applications such as gimbal work or…
