Tag Archives: Lens test

Badass Fins and Badass Distortions

1959 Chevrolet Impala, La Habana Centro. Nikon Z7, Z 24-70 f/4 @ 24 mm. Distortion correction with the generic profile in ON1. Nothing is really straight in Havana, but it is not that warped.

The word badass has both negative and positive connotations, unlike the separate words bad and ass suggest. The positive meaning describes something impressive, admirable, and cool. The negative meaning refers to something frightening and tough.

The tail fins on the 1959 Chevrolet Impala (here in La Habana Centro) are badass. Fins started to appear on American cars in the early 1950s and peaked at the end of that decade. The pinnacle is the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville. The fins supported the concept of design obsolescence; although quite technically similar, the cars and their fins grew bigger every year, so that customers could clearly see the difference between the models.

The geometric-distortion aberrations* of the Nikon 24-70 f/4 S for the Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras are definitely badass, whether or not they are a matter of concern will be the subject of this post.

Continue reading »

Posted in Equipment reviews, Image quality, Travel photography Also tagged , , , |

Review: Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 E FL ED VR

The 70-200 f/2.8 accounts for about 80% of my images taken in Antarctica. Here a stitch of three horizontal images resulting in file of about 52 MP. Then resized to 550 px on the narrow side. Click to enlarge for a 2400 x 2820 px image.

If you don’t want to read the rest, in short, the new Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 has found its way into my bag. The lens has been put through its paces during a recent trip to Antarctica, where it accounted for about 80% of all images. Built quality is on a par with the predecessor model, i.e., the now typical magnesium alloy and polycarbonate shell over a metal core construction. Micro contrast and edge-sharpness has improved visibly at all focal lengths and the focus breathing (change of magnification ratio) at close-focus distance has been minimised. I haven’t blown the trumpet for Nikon’s releases recently but here I can conclude with a highly recommended rating.

Because I mislike posting images bar any composition and subject value for mere lens testing, let’s start with some eye-candy from the Antarctic peninsula.

Continue reading »

Posted in Equipment reviews, Image quality Also tagged , |

Testing Lens Alignment

align1

My target for testing lens alignment. Almost a nice image in the autumn fog.

A year without new gear hasn’t been really successful. And although we have seen a lot of new equipment this year, there was nothing to merit a complete system change (to the Sony mirrorless or the Pentax 645, for example).

After the disappointing test of the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 VR, I thus treated myself to a Zeiss Distagon T* 25 mm f/2.0. Great deals can be had on these “classic line” Zeiss lenses, because they will be replaced by the Milvus lenses. The Milvus 50 f/1.4 and 85 f/1.4 are new designs, while the others are basically avatars in an Otus gestalt.

Continue reading »

Posted in Equipment reviews, Image quality Also tagged , , |

Hands on review: AF-S Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8E ED VR

The public library in Stuttgart, Germany. All you need to test corner to corner sharpness, lateral and longitudinal chromatic aberrations, flat field, out-of-focus rendering, and geometric distortions

I love my holy trinity of Nikon f/2.8 zoom lenses covering a total range of 14-200 mm focal length. The mid-range zoom AF-S 24-70 mm f/2.8G ED N (short G-version) has become my workhorse and go-to lens with its most versatile zoom range; from wide-angle landscapes and panoramas, to portraits and events. Not that it is lightweight, but the built quality is excellent, the out-of-focus areas are smooth, and there are very little chromatic aberrations along the entire zoom range and at all apertures. The lens snaps into focus instantly and silently and it never hunts, even in most challenging lighting conditions.

Continue reading »

Posted in Equipment reviews, Image quality Also tagged , , |