Samyang and Rokinon have been busy little bees, to steal a quote from a tyrannical Roman Emperor. Fortunately, they’re not working to bring down an empire, but to build cost-effective prime lenses. The Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC is aimed at users who are happy with manual focusing and need a fast lens, while also
Third-Party Lenses
Meike 35mm f/1.7: An Ideal, Affordable Prime
The 35mm focal length provides a wonderful, standard view of the world. This focal length is ideal for capturing environmental portraits or when a bit more width than the standard 50mm prime lens is needed. As the 35mm focal length is one of the standards, there are plenty of examples on the market. But if
The Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2: A Classic Revisited
Usually, when it comes to buying into a high-quality 70-200mm zoom lens, the first port of call is to check out the camera manufacturer offerings. But for the vast majority of us, price is always a big consideration, which is why the likes of the Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 will always
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye: Delightful Distortion and Sharpness
If you’re looking for a different perspective on things, then the Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye might be the perfect lens for you. If you tire of the straight lines afforded by longer focal length lenses, yet don’t want to produce completely circular images, the Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG is a good
4 Best Tamron Macro Lenses Under $500
Tamron provides some affordable and budget-friendly alternatives if you want to dive into the world of macro photography. The best Tamron macro lenses under $500 are going to be the focus today, and we’ll see exactly what we can get for this amount of money and if they check all the boxes for a top-quality
5 Best Sigma Lenses for Nikon Crop Sensor Cameras
Once you’ve taken the jump from the average kit lens to more refined optics, there is a whole world that opens up. One area where high-quality glass can be found outside the Nikon camp is with third-party lens makers, which is why today’s focus is on finding the best Sigma lenses for Nikon crop sensor
Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary: Affordable Excellence
The Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens has a name almost as long as its maximum focal length, but is it worth dropping some of your hard-earned dollars on? Sigma has a lot of experience in making long focal length zoom lenses, and the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM is one of
Laowa 25mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro: A Macrographer’s Delight
With the Laowa 25mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro, Venus Optics has introduced an ultra macro lens that can achieve an impressive magnification between two and a half and five times the size of the subject. This allows you to capture minute subjects and discover exciting details that you can barely notice with the naked eye. The
4 Best Tamron Lenses for Nikon Crop Sensor Cameras
There’s no denying that Nikon produces quality lenses, with options available for every conceivable focal length. For those with deep pockets, this would be the end of the story. But for the rest of us who want to squeeze out the most optical quality for our chosen budget, a third-party Tamron lens is the next
Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD: A Tried and Tested Third-Party Zoom Lens
Tamron has an excellent range of telephoto zoom lenses at affordable prices, and the Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD is a solid choice. This multi-zoom telephoto lens offers a good set of features, a versatile focal distance, and consistent image quality. It is also part of the Tamron SP range, which means it
7 Best Third-Party Lenses for Nikon G-Mount Cameras
The Nikon F-mount is a bayonet mount for lenses that has been in existence since the introduction of the Nikon F 35mm SLR camera in 1959 and has been adapted over the years to take advantage of new technologies in SLR cameras. Some of the more substantial changes involved how the camera and lenses “talk”
4 Best Tamron Macro Lenses Under $1000
For those who like to photograph the smallest things in life, a macro lens is the usual way to go. As you shop, you’ll find some macro lens options available that are the same as your camera brand. But if you want to dive into what the third-party camp has to offer, there are many
Sigma APO 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM: Quality Telephoto Abilities
One of the standard zoom lenses that is always touted to cover the short to medium telephoto range is the 70-200mm. This zoom lens has been a great solution for everything from portrait, wedding, events or wildlife images, with a fast enough aperture for low light scenarios. Most will look at the same-as-camera-make versions as
3 Best Sigma Macro Lenses Under $1000
To capture the smallest of subject matter and detail, a macro lens is the most likely option for us photographers. This type of lens generally doubles up as a regular high-end prime or zoom, which also features a macro mode. Macro lenses are generally, but not always, linked to certain focal lengths. This means, when
Zenit Zenitar 50mm f/0.95: The Best Low-Light Specialist?
In the past, if you needed a prime lens with an aperture less than f/1, you had to give Stanley Kubrick a ring to ask him nicely if you can borrow his legendary Zeiss Planar 50mm f/0.7. In today’s market, taking advantage of the latest mirrorless platforms, there are now lenses available which hover around
5 Best Tokina Zoom Lenses Under $500
Tokina is a top-rated third-party manufacturer of quality lenses. It has a good selection of lenses for Nikon and Canon full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras. In this guide, we look at five of the top Tokina zoom lenses under $500. Tokina specializes in wide-angle lenses and often provides great maximum apertures. This means their lenses
5 Best Sigma Ultra Wide-Angle Lenses Under $1000
Sigma is one of the top third-party lens manufacturers. Included in their range is a great choice of ultra-wide lens options. In this guide, we have chosen five of the best Sigma ultra wide-angle lenses under $1000 to help narrow down your choices. Sigma makes very good lenses but they have several features and models
5 Best Tokina Telephoto Lenses Under $1000
In days of yore, Tokina was the option most associated with the affordable and budget class of optics. The type of lens you would plump for to gain the best value before anything else. But just like other third-party lens makers, Tokina is now producing glass which is a viable alternative to same-as-camera-make offerings. Today’s
5 Best Sigma Wide-Angle Lenses Under $1000
Sigma is one of the best third-party lens manufacturers. It has a range of good lenses for Nikon, Canon, and Sony DSLR cameras. In this guide, we look specifically at the best Sigma wide-angle lenses under $1000. When choosing a Sigma lens, always check for the features. For example, Sigma’s Art range offers superior image
Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD: A High-Priced Prime That Falls Just Short of the Mark
The Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD is a prime standard focal length 45mm lens that’s available in Canon and Nikon mounts. This is a great lens for low-light photography due to the fast f/1.8 aperture and the Vibration Compensation (VC) image stabilization. Tamron threw everything it had into the Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8
5 Best Tokina Zoom Lenses Under $1000
In days gone by, Tokina was lumped in with the rest of the third-party lens makers as a second choice to same-as-camera-brand offerings. This wasn’t so much a problem when a very tight budget had to be adhered to. Today’s third-party lens landscape doesn’t just provide a good array of affordable options, it also provides
4 Best Tokina Wide-Angle Lenses Under $1000
Wide-angle lenses, as the name suggests, are a great way to capture the largest breadth viewpoint of a scene. In today’s market, we don’t just have the choice of same-as-camera-make brand lenses, but also a wealth of good lenses from third-party manufacturers. Today’s focus will be on the best Tokina wide-angle lenses under $1000, mainly
5 Best Tamron Ultra Wide-Angle Lenses Under $1000
Ultra wide-angle is generally considered to be any focal distance under 24mm. However, this varies depending on the format of the camera. The best Tamron ultra wide-angle lenses under $1000 offer the chance to capture extra detail and create fantastic landscape shots or even panoramic-style photos. Having an ultra wide-angle lens in your kit offers
ZEISS Otus 28mm f/1.4: Sumptuous Image Quality
We all have those times in our lives where quality comes first above everything else. We can still keep a close eye on the overall price, but it’s the end results that are paramount. In the world of optics, the ZEISS name usually pops to the top of the list of being no compromise glass,
4 Best Sigma Ultra Wide-Angle Lenses Under $500
Digging through the vast array of optics out there to find the best Sigma ultra wide-angle lenses under $500 can be quite a chore. When it comes to the widest of the wide of lenses, which generally means glass under 10-12mm, the options are far fewer. Sigma has put all their widest, i.e. fisheye lens
5 Best Nikon Telephoto Lenses Under $1000
Telephoto lenses give a narrow-angle of view, magnifying objects that are very far away, hence making them look much closer than they actually are. A lens with a focal length longer than 105mm is considered to be telephoto and it’s usually referred to as a short telephoto if its focal length ranges from 105mm to
6 Best Sigma Wide-Angle Lenses Under $500
Sigma is one of the best third-party lens manufacturers and has a similar range of lenses to top contender Tamron. It has a good choice of wide-angle lenses too. In this guide, we look at six of the best Sigma wide-angle lenses under $500. In this list, we have included a selection of prime lenses,
4 Best Sigma Zoom Lenses Under $500
Sigma is a top manufacturer of third-party lenses for Canon, Nikon, and Sony cameras. It has a good range of zoom lenses under $500 that are compatible with both full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras. In this guide we specifically look at four of the best Sigma zoom lenses under $500. When looking at Sigma lenses,
4 Best Sigma Prime Lenses Under $500
The usual course of events when eyeing up a prime lens is to check out the same-as-camera-brand offerings. This route makes sense for ultimate compatibility and peace of mind, but the third-party manufacturers like Sigma have really stepped up their game in recent years. Sigma offers lenses that are equal or better in optics and
Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD: A Solid, Practical Prime
The Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD is a 35mm third-party prime lens that features Tamron’s cutting-edge Vibration Compensation (VC) system, which has consistently been one of the best image stabilization systems since it was introduced. When you’re looking for a prime lens, you often need to choose between a fast aperture or some