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Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro APO Review

The Leica Q2 is a fixed-lens, full-frame camera sporting a new 47.3MP sensor and a sharp, stabilized 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens. It's styled like a traditional Leica M rangefinder and replaces the hugely popular original Leica Q (Typ 116), launched in 2015.

Digital Photography Review: All the latest digital camera reviews and digital imaging news. Lively discussion forums. Vast samples galleries and the largest database of digital camera specifications.

The Canon EOS 6D is something of an oddity in digital camera terms, having been in continuous production for almost five years. But finally, the time has come for an update to one of Canon's most popular models, and it has arrived in the shape of the EOS 6D Mark II.

Unusually for a new Canon product, we had the chance earlier this month to use a late pre-production EOS 6D Mark II ahead of its official announcement. What follows is a first take on how the camera performs, based on a two-day shooting excursion, organized by Canon, to the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

A great looking camera
Our first impression of the X-T20: 'that's going to generate a lot of comments.' And there's one simple reason for that: the X-T20 is an awful lot of X-T2 for a lot less money.

This probably shouldn't be a surprise: the X-T20 has the same relationship to the X-T2 as the X-T10 did to the X-T1. The only difference is how quickly the smaller camera has followed on its big brother's heels.

The sixteen month gap between the launch of the X-T1 and X-T10 softened the blow of Fujifilm offering much of the T1's spec at a lower price. But X-T2 owners are likely to flinch slightly at the sight of a camera with such similar spec announced only four months after the T2 hit the shelves, and the knowledge that it'll be another month before anyone can get hold of one is unlikely to ameliorate the sting.

The Fujifilm X-T2 is an updated version of the company's top-level DSLR-shaped APS-C camera. It's built around the same 24MP X-Trans sensor as the X-Pro2 but ends up being much more than an X-T1 with more pixels. Instead, the X-T2 is a camera that does much to address the X-System's remaining weaknesses, which can only broaden its already considerable appeal.

The Chinese Yongnuo brand name has been progressing by leaps and bounds. Soon after the launch of the YN 50 mm f/1.8 the producers announced the YN 35 mm f/2.0 and the YN 50 mm f/1.4. The company also suggested that in the future they wouldn’t limit themselves to just Canon mount lenses and their line-up would also feature F Nikon mount instruments.
Our detailed test of the Yongnuo YN 50 mm f/1.8 showed that you don’t deal here with simply a clone of the Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II. Apart from small changes in the casing and the inner construction the Chinese lens also had a better aperture and a bit different optics. One glance at the YN 35 mm f/2.0 and you know that there might be even more differences between that device and the Canon EF 35 mm f/2.0. Of course we decided to check it out very thoroughly anyway.

We would like to thank the FoxFoto company for lending us one specimen of the lens for testing purposes.

A few weeks back we reviewed an exciting product from a newcomer company - the Laowa 105mm f/2 STF. The characteristics of this lens are truly exciting and, even better, the performance is also top notch. Laowa is about to release another unusual lens - the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D - a fully corrected, ultra-wide full format lens which will be available in Canon, Nikon AI, Pentax K and Sony A- & E-mount (September 2016). Laowa provided us with a prototype just prior of the launch. The project will be partially funded via Kickstarter. The final retail price will be 949US$ but if you are bold, brave and especially fast, you may get a discounted one for 649US$ in the campaign. While you may think that the pricing is steep, you should be aware that the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4 USM L or Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 USM L II have a far higher price tag.
Please note that lenses as extreme as the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 are notoriously difficult to master in terms of image composition. While Laowa promises very low distortions, it is challenging to avoid a vanishing point effect due to perspective distortions unless you keep your camera strictly leveled. Primary applications are architecture photography or in-room scenes. Extreme close-ups and landscapes should also be interesting.

For the past few years, I've been recommending the Nikon D750 to enthusiasts and semi-professionals needing a reliable DSLR to grow in to – probably more than any other ILC on the market. It was even my Gear of the Year in 2015 for its excellent feature set to price ratio.

Though it debuted in late 2014, the D750 remains a relevant and reliable workhorse years later. 24MP of resolution on a full frame sensor is a sweet spot for a lot of shooters, and the D750 still offers competitive dynamic range and excellent high ISO performance. It also has terrific autofocus, with Nikon's reliable 3D Tracking.

And as far as full frame DSLRs go, it's among the lightest ever made. But it's also a camera we know will likely stand the test of time thanks to aggressive weather-sealing and sturdy construction. In short, the D750 has proven to be among the most future-proof full frame DSLRs in recent memory. Even today it's still priced aggressively enough – with technology that is relevant – to warrant my recommendation, not to mention the recommendation of the DPReview staff in our Best Camera Under $2000 roundup.

Time for a new recommendation?

Yashica recently released the digiFilm Y35: a camera that tries to simulate the "experience" of shooting film... and it's just the worst.

Nikon's AF-P 10-20mm F4.5-5.6 DX is the company's latest lens specifically designed for its crop-sensor camera bodies. It may have a plastic mount, but with a 35mm-equivalent focal range of 15-30mm, it is a versatile yet affordable lens for those looking for a wider view than the kit lens has to offer without breaking the bank. See how it performs from the inner streets of Seattle to the remote, sandy beaches of Washington's coast.

The Sony a9 made headlines shortly after its announcement due in no small part to its laundry list of impressive specifications. With 20fps burst shooting, 693 autofocus points and a 3.7m dot electronic OLED viewfinder with no blackout at all in continuous shooting, this camera's got some serious specs and Sony has made some serious claims about its performance.

During our time in New York for the announcement, we were able to learn the ins-and-outs of the camera while photographing hockey players, figure skaters, and a full-on track meet to see just how the camera fared - and it fared well. But don't take our word for it, check it out for yourself in our real world samples gallery. The AF system combined with 20 fps allowed us to nail the exact moment, while the excellent JPEG engine retained detail and minimized noise even at ISOs in the thousands.

I must admit that at first I wasn't too excited when Nikon announced the AF-S 105mm f/1.4E ED. Those specs, f/1.4 at 105mm, that really sounded a bit too ambitious. Probably a lens focused on 'character' rather than performance, a blown-up tele version of the bokehlicious AF-S 58/1.4. Even the high price (currently retailing for around 2300 EUR) fitted this initial perception.

Seeing the MTF charts published by Nikon changed that impression, though. And first reviews and early adopters confirmed that Nikon obviously didn't add just another f/1.4 to their portfolio, but in fact delivered a very capable lens.

So, let's have a look how the lens performs in our test lab.

Fujifilm has announced the fourth in its series of X100 rangefinder-style cameras: the X100F. The X100F features an updated sensor, revamped autofocus system, larger battery and tweaked ergonomics. We met with Fujifilm recently and got our hands on a pre-production sample. Click through for a quick product tour.

The Canon EOS 5D series is arguably one of the most recognizable camera lines of the digital age and the Mark IV is designed to appeal to the same wide range of enthusiasts and professionals. Nearly identical-looking to its predecessor, it receives substantial upgrades under the hood, including: a higher-resolution sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus, 4K video capture, an upgraded AF system, a touchscreen, improved weather-sealing, built-in Wi-Fi/NFC, an interval timer and GPS. All this adds up to a camera that fits into Canon's product line nicely as the all-around full-frame option.

It is built around a new 30.4MP CMOS sensor and uses the Digic 6+ processor. The AF system is from the flagship 1D X Mark II and contains 61 AF points (41 of which are cross-type) with up to 24% expanded vertical coverage compared with the system in the Mark III. The center point is sensitive to -3EV in One Shot (AF-S) mode (in Live View the sensor is sensitive to -4EV with a fast lens).

4K video capture is a welcome addition to this camera and users can record in either 24 or 30p, albeit with a 1.64x crop. All footage is captured as Motion JPEG. Additionally, the camera allows for 4K Frame Grabs, effectively giving users 30 fps stills shooting with (Dual Pixel) AF. We've seen that the camera suffers from some rolling shutter, but it may still have some merit for capturing the decisive moment when 7fps just isn't enough.

While developing the IV, Canon says it sought feedback from 5D-series users and found that dynamic range, resolution, AF precision and AF speed were the four most important areas improvements were requested. On paper, the Mark IV seems to address these aspects nicely.

Digital Photography Review: All the latest digital camera reviews and digital imaging news. Lively discussion forums. Vast samples galleries and the largest database of digital camera specifications.

Digital Photography Review: All the latest digital camera reviews and digital imaging news. Lively discussion forums. Vast samples galleries and the largest database of digital camera specifications.