Lens Reviews

Pentax – A SMC 35mm F/2.8 – Lens Review
5817 3272 James Tocchio

I’m back from a brief vacation and I’ve brought with me a treasure trove of material for my photophile friends! First on the docket is a review of a pretty rare and rather wonderful legacy lens from Pentax.…

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What’s a Prime Lens and Why You Need One
1806 1016 James Tocchio

Prime lenses are lenses that use a single fixed focal length, as opposed to zoom lenses which offer a range of variable focal lengths. It’s simple, really; zooms can zoom in or out, primes cannot.…

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Minolta’s MD 50mm F/1.4 Might Be The Ultimate Standard Legacy Lens
2448 1632 James Tocchio

Along with the runaway success of today’s mirrorless digital cameras, another segment of the photo gear market has seen a big rise. And while the products in question are neither new nor novel, they’re essential…

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Olympus Zuiko Auto-W 28mm F/2.8 – Lens Review
2560 1440 James Tocchio

We’re back with another lens review, and this time we’re taking a look at a sleeper lens from Olympus. The OM-System Zuiko Auto-W 28mm F/2.8 doesn’t look like much on paper, but its fun-factor, price,…

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Nikon Nikkor 105mm F/2.5 – Nikon’s Most Famous Portrait Lens
2200 1238 James Tocchio

We’re back with another noteworthy lens, and this one’s a real legend for Nikon photographers of a certain age. If you were shooting film during the 1960s or in any of the subsequent three decades,…

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Minolta MC Macro Rokkor QF 50mm F/3.5 Lens Review
2560 1439 James Tocchio

Today we’re talking about a truly versatile lens. It’s Minolta’s MC Macro Rokkor QF 50mm F/3.5, and it provides one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get into macro photography whether you’re shooting…

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Canon FD 28mm F/2.8 – Lens Review
1609 905 James Tocchio

For a lens to be remarkable it doesn’t always have to be exceptionally gorgeous, have the highest specification, or cost as much as a small, used car. Sometimes the best lenses are modestly specced and…

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Nikon 50mm Manual Focus Lens Shootout
1280 720 James Tocchio

The 50mm lens; for decades it’s been the do-it-all piece of glass for countless photographers. From product photography to portraits, journalism to snapshots, 50mm lenses are so highly regarded on account of their compactness, capability, and typical low cost. While…

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Canon FD 50mm F/1.8 Lens Review – The Original Nifty Fifty
1280 720 James Tocchio

In previous weeks we’ve talked about some noteworthy lenses, including a Minolta fish-eye and a Nikkor ultra-wide. Today, we’ll talk about a more standard focal length, a focal length that many consider to be the standard,…

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Noteworthy Lenses – Nikon Nikkor 20mm ƒ/3.5
2278 1518 James Tocchio

It’s time for another examination of a noteworthy lens. Last time we looked at the Minolta Fish-Eye Rokkor-X 16mm F/2.8, and again we’re checking out a wide-angle lens from the Land of the Rising Sun.…

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Minolta MD Fish-eye Rokkor-X 16mm F/2.8 Lens Review
150 150 James Tocchio

For every camera maker there exists a following of fans who are passionate about that particular brand’s creations, and those collectors always lust after the very best lenses of the marque in question. Call them fanboys…

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