Lens Reviews

We're big fans of using old lenses on modern mirrorless cameras for a variety of reasons. Not only is vintage glass far less expensive than modern counterparts build quality is often superior, and the necessary adapters are readily available for less than 20 bucks. The wide-angle prime discussed in the video below is a perfect example

Olympus just introduced a 90mm f/3.5 macro lens, and Shutterbug had a chance to give it a full workout on the new Olympus OM-1 mirrorless marvel prior to launch. Here is our evaluation and a few sample photos captured by this camera/lens combo.

Tamron just announced an 8X lens for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras that starts at 50mm and zooms to 400mm, widening the range of creative applications compared to telephoto zooms that begin at the 100mm focal length. In addition to beginning at 50mm (the established “normal” or “standard” focal length for full-frame cameras) the new ultra-telephoto zoom focuses as close as 9.8 inches, rendering a magnification ratio of 1:2 (one-half life size).

Sony offers a wide assortment of excellent optics for their popular mirrorless full-frame and APS-C cameras, but so do other high quality lens manufacturers, including the three we identify here. Sometimes adding the “just right” glass to your lens arsenal gives you a whole new way to look at things.

When we reviewed the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Ultra-Zoom Lens in Sony APS-C mirrorless mount, we were truly impressed that a long-reach zoom that small (< 5 inches) had such outstanding IQ, focused to 5.9 inches and cost less than $700. But I must confess that all the while, I was eagerly awaiting the Fujifilm X version of this beauty. I finally landed a sample, and here’s what happened.

Time to hit the Reset Button and put your notions of Image Quality on Pause. In our everyday lives as photographers we prize sharpness, saturation, acutance and absence of aberration when we idealize the images we want to capture. Now it’s time to recognize that images that are blurred, smeared, warped and otherwise traumatized can be beautiful.

Lensbaby lenses produce images that are intentionally unsharp, because optical aberrations can be beautiful. In a word, a Lensbaby turns blur into bliss.