Leica APO-Vario-Elmar-TL 55–135mm f3.5–4.5 ASPH Lens Review:
As some of you know, I’ve been a Leica user for many, many years. I was solely an M user for decades but now, I am an SL user. I was speaking to my camera dealer a few days ago, and he had mentioned that it looks like the SL is the camera I’ve used most out of anything he has ever sold me. This is definitely true. I shoot quite a bit with my SL; I schedule about two to three shoots per week with it, and most of the times, these shoots are either half day or full. So, I feel like I have a lot to say about the L mount system in general but the funny thing is, I’ve only posted my APO-Summicron-SL 90mm ASPH review so far. Well, I’m definitely going to make a bigger effort to include more L mount gear in my blog from this point on, and I’m starting with the APO-Vario-Elmar-TL 55-135mm f3.5-4.5 ASPH. Since it is an L mount lens, it can be use on the SL. However, it was originally designed for Leica’s APS-C line of cameras, so I tested this lens with the Leica CL (which is probably the APS-C camera I lust for most right now), and I have to say, the results were surprising to me but in a very good way. [continue reading…]
Fujifilm XF 16mm f2.8 R WR Review: Tiny Powerhouse of a Lens
The 24mm focal length is popular because it’s versatile. It can be used for cityscape or landscape, for street photography to even environmental portraiture. It’s also a great everyday lens for some. For a long time, Fujifilm’s 24mm equivalent was the 16mm f1.4, which is a superb lens but because of the f1.4 large aperture, it’s not only expensive, it’s also relatively large. Some users just don’t need the f1.4 aperture, especially for a focal length that is used in areas of photography that, sometimes, can favor a larger depth of field. I, for one, don’t even shoot a 35mm lens at wide open aperture that much let alone a 24mm (or in this case, a 24mm equivalent). So, Fujifilm released the XF 16mm f2.8 R WR lens, which is not only much more compact but at the price of $399, it’s also a lot cheaper. Let’s take a closer look. [continue reading…]
Leica SL: Window Portraits With The Summilux-SL 50mm f1.4 ASPH:
For over a year now, I’ve been shooting more portrait and modern boudoir style shoots. I’ve been doing about two to three of these shoots per week, which with the editing has taken up a lot of my time. A lot of my stuff is actually on my Instagram, which you’re all more than welcomed to look at but the vast majority I still haven’t posted yet. Good news is I’ve finally gotten to the point where I can post more and more gear reviews here. Next up will be reviews for the Fuji X-T30, Fuji XF 16mm f2.8, and the Leica 55-135mm APO-Vario-Elmarit-TL (btw, definitely going to be posting more Leica reviews in the near future). I also have a film guest post coming up by a great photographer. For now, I have a very short post just on a shoot I did a couple of months ago, so you can see what I’ve been up to these days. [continue reading…]
Fujifilm XF 16mm f2.8 R WR Lens First Impressions:
I reviewed the XF 16mm f1.4 a long time ago when it was first released, and found it to be one of Fujifilm’s best lenses. It’s decently made, autofocus is good, and best of all, the image quality is superb. Being that it’s a 24mm equivalent, it’s also a popular focal length. However, with its large aperture of f1.4, it’s a physically big lens. The truth is, not everyone really needs that large aperture, especially for something like a 24mm equivalent. I for one, shoot most of my wide angle lenses with smaller aperture settings, and would gladly have a slower lens, if it meant it would be a lot more compact, not to mention, also significantly cheaper. Well, Fujifilm listened, and they recently released the XF 16mm f2.8 R WR lens. It’s two stops slower but it’s also much more compact, and the price makes it almost a steal if you ask me. Here are my first impressions of it. [continue reading…]
Leica APO-Vario-Elmar-T 55-135mm f3.5-4.5 ASPH First Impressions:
I’ve been posting a lot of Fujifilm content lately, which isn’t bad at all but I’ve neglected a lot of other stuff. So, in an effort to include other gear, today I bring you my first impressions of the Leica APO-Vario-Elmar-T 55-135mm f3.5-4.5 ASPH. For Fuji fans, don’t worry; stay tuned, and you’ll see the new Fuji gear I’m currently reviewing :). Getting back to the 55-135mm, as some of you know, this is an L Mount lens, so it’s designed for cameras, such as, one of my favorites, the Leica CL or the TL. It can also be used on the SL as well. Being that this lens is an 80-200mm equivalent, I guess you can use this lens for wildlife and stuff like that; however, I live in NYC, so other than the occasional turkey we might find in Staten Island lol (there really are turkeys there), I haven’t been using this lens much for say photographing birds. But I shoot primarily portraits and boudoir these days, so I’ve been using the lens a lot for those types of images. Anyway, expect a full in-depth review of this lens soon. Right now, here are my first impressions of it. By the way, everything here was tested on the CL. [continue reading…]
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