Category Archives: Equipment
7Artisans 60mm macro II for Fuji apsc – Review
If you prefer this review in video and to see some clips the lens in action, check the YT link above. My main macro setup is still m4/3 but I’m always curious about testing Fuji gear.
It’s a lens designed specifically for aps-c mirrorless instead of just a ported mount so 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, with the most notable change being the internal focus now, no more extending barrel – that’s a problem I see with the majority of macro lenses, Laowa had been safe from this lately and now 7artisans came out with this updated lens as well, I’m happy for it.… Continue reading
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Tagged 7artisans lens, apsc, gear, macrophotoraphy, review
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Laowa 50mm 2x macro for mft – Review
Time to give my input on this new Laowa 50mm macro after using it enough now, this is just a bit more extended version of my YT review and with different photos, in case you want to see the lens in action and how it looks on hand I’ll also leave the video link here:
If you aren’t familiar with Venus Optics / Laowa, they have been putting out some first in their class and high quality lenses recently specially in macro and wide angle – after they released a 65mm 2x for aps-c I started getting tempted to get one for my Fuji, but that 65mm having a manual aperture without camera contacts put me off as usability wouldn’t be so different from a reverse lens, except that I’d still have focus to infinity.… Continue reading
Birding with the Canon FD 300mm 2.8 Fluorite
As mirrorless cameras get popular we’re seeing old manual lenses springing back into life more and more as budget options (even though 2.8 isn’t exactly low budget), for telephoto it’s particularly teasing to be able to use them on stabilized sensors, so I figured it’s worth sharing the experience I have with some of those lesser used lenses. This is a long term review of the FD 300mm 2.8 fluorite after 10 years using it first on the aps-c Canon 450D and later on the m4/3 Olympus EM5.
Relevant specifications, taken from Canon:
Release date: 1975
Diaphragm blades: 9
Minimum focus distance: 3.5m
Length: 230mm
Weight: 1900g
Short version: image quality is great in real life shooting, surprised me how glowy it looked after shooting a test chart, and usability is difficult because of how long the focus throw is.… Continue reading
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M4/3 25mm 1.8 cctv ‘green circle’ – Review
Seemed worthy to review this cheap lens since there isn’t much info around, it’s a no-name lens and is being referred simply as ‘green circle’ the few times I tried to find anything about it, there’s also a red ring one but it should be the same.
The short version: it’s not a total crap and better than legacy lenses at the same price in some aspects, sharper than lots of them wide open while also having lots of ‘character’ if that’s your thing. Wide open it’s sharp as the olympus 14-42 II kit lens at 25/4.4, but while the kit lens maintains the image quality throughout the frame, this 25mm gets weird towards the edges.… Continue reading
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Tagged 25mm 1.8, budget lens, lens review, m43, manual focus
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Lens reversing technique
This is a brief explanation of the technique without entering the technical aspects of it, I’ll be just talking on pratical experiences here. Sometimes when I’m asked which macro lens I use, the person gets surprised when I answer none. Macro can be a very cheap kind of photography, it can be done without actually needing to expend hundreds on a true macro lens. For reference, I was able to find the main lens I use for reversing (Soligor 28-35) for less than U$20, that’s cheaper than a good close-up filter or branded extension tubes.
What I use to achieve magnification are various alternatives methods, and I’m not against macro lenses but I simply never owned one, and think I should invest in other fields I’m lacking more at the moment, like a better telephoto. … Continue reading
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Compact cameras on macro
I will just leave these two wasp pictures here, stripped of exif information.
If I tell one of them was taken with a compact camera and other with a DSLR minutes apart, would you be able to identify which is from which?
Certainly not. Still it’s very easy to see people insisting you can only take quality pictures with a DSLR. I agree they are required in some more demanding situations, dynamic range and pixel density are different, and yes it’s a fact that you can’t compare the ISO1600 of a DSLR from the ISO1600 of a common compact for example, but the the thing is that these little cameras are usually more capable than what the common user thinks, specially in stituations where you have full control of the light or if you don’t want print the photos in poster sizes.… Continue reading
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM – Review
This is basically a review I wrote in 2009 right after I got this lens, but updated with the now three years of experience using it.
It has a metal mount, the lens is light (at about 600g) and feels very balanced on my 450D (keep in mind all I say is based in a 1.6x crop camera, I don’t know how it behaves in a fullframe).
Placement of the focus ring is after the zoom ring, which I like. I don’t know if it’s a standard in zoom all lenses but I noticed you can also zoom it by push and pull, instead of using the zoom ring.… Continue reading
The gear
As a starting post I think it’s worthy to show the tools used to create the images you see. Some of the photos shown in the galleries were taken with older equipment, but what I’m using nowadays is as follows:
Canon 450D (Xsi)
Canon 18-55mm 5.6 IS
Canon 50mm 1.8
Canon 70-300mm 5.6 IS
Canon FD 300mm 2.8
Soligor 28-35mm
Canon Powershot G9
The Canon FD had it’s mount adapted to EOS but of course everything is maintained manual. The Soligor 28-35 is used for high magnification macros with a reversal ring (which is probably ground to explore on a post of it’s own), and I also use a bunch of filters, extension tubes, and Kenko 1.4x teleconverter sitting always on the 70-300.… Continue reading