OpticalLimits

next OL lens test - Laowa AF 12mm f/2.8 FF II Zero-D

me

https://opticallimits.com/nikon/nikon-z/laowa-af-12mm-f-2-8-ff-ii-review/

Pretty good actually

Rover

My 10mm is still in the repairs. Hope their newer AF lenses have a better reliability against failure; that or maybe I was uniquely unfortunate. 😃
The 180mm macro sure looks interesting, because for some reason, no one has been making any AF macro lenses longer than 100/105mm for... ages? Certainly none for any of the mirrorless mounts, IIRC.

me

I agree ... but then do you really need AF for macro?

Rover

Probably, as I can't focus manually to save my life. At least not in the timeframe that would've been required to save my life, lol.

davethebirder

Klaus wrote
I agree ... but then do you really need AF for macro?

Well if your macro lens is just used for macro, yes .... but 85/105/150/180/200mm macros are useful for portraits as well as telephotos .... my will never sell Sigma 150mm F2.8 macro gets more use as a portrait lens ...

Btw slightly OT ... I was thinking how well the Samyang 14mm F2.8 which had excellent resolution to the corners would fare on a 45Mp sensor (don't panic I not asking for a review 🙂 ) ....

.. it's distortion of 5.2% was almost considered a deal breaker back in the day .... these days it would barely covet a mention with a reference to turning on lens corrections ... it also has the best bokeh I've ever seen on a ultra wide angle lens, truly soft and the distortion is not a big deal on the D500 ....

now where was I? 🙂

Rover

I think the Samyang 14mm was tested in E mount and it wasn't super hot.

davethebirder

I don't think it's the same lens (+ a built in extension) ... the new lens is too short for that ... distortion is lower on the RF 3.8% vs 5.2% DSLR version .. 3 aspherics (RF) vs 2 on the DSLR etc etc ....

The corners are only poor on the RF) vs very good (DSLR) .... I expect to see a drop for sure but that difference seems a awful lot ....

Rover

Ah, so you were talking of the old DSLR lens.

davethebirder

Well yes .... the smoke and mirrors version ....

davethebirder = MLonlooker ....

king of lost passwords ... 🙂

Rover

The style is unmistakable. 🙂 But I thought you could recover passwords?
Anyway, I thought the old MF Samyang lenses have been discontinued long ago.

davethebirder

Since the occurrence of the "big bang" and all of it's recorded agenda stored in the universal catalogue of events (UCOE), Samyang MF lenses are there to be found at the bottom of the latest entries page ..... their AF counterparts of course figure in the first paragraph .....

unfortunately for security reasons the UCOE does not record passwords ..... 🙂

nsandersen

Klaus wrote
I agree ... but then do you really need AF for macro?

I think it helps with bees or other insects moving around flowers moving in the wind.. I think. Could try without and see if the hit rate is better.