Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO Review Posted

By bdery in Review Announcements on Feb 8, 2021

Laowa (also called Venus Optics) is becoming one of the best-known third-party manufacturer of lenses for the K-mount. Concentrating on wide angle and high magnification macro lenses, the company create a successful niche for themselves.

One of their most compelling products, the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO, has been available in various mounts for some time, but until now it was not available on Pentax's K-mount. This changed during the fall of 2020, with the release of this lens on K-mount.

Offering a high 2.0x magnification, automatic aperture coupling on a metal body, the lens offers a unique list of features (typical macro lenses have between 0.5x-1.0x magnification). How does it perform in actual use? Can it compete with the other macro lenses already available for the K-mount? Read our review to find out!

Review: The Integer Backpack from Mission Workshop

By bdery in Review Announcements on Dec 14, 2020

Founded in 2009, Mission Workshop is a company specializing in bags, apparel, and accessories catering in particular to technical lifestyle cycling. In other words, while their products can please a wide variety of customers, special thought is given to how their equipment will operate when worn during biking or other dynamic activities.

Rather than trying to design with a one-size-fits-all philosophy, the company developed a proprietary modular system, called Arkiv. Most of their bags can accept various modules to fully customize the bags’ operation.

One such bag, the Integer, is of particular interest. It is currently the only dedicated camera bag from Mission Workshop. With a rugged exterior, strong modularity, a 24 liter internal volume, and quick access to photo equipment, this bag is an interesting product worthy of further examination.

How does the Integer function as a backpack and as a camera bag? Read our review to find out!

SMC Pentax-FA 50mm F1.4 Re-Reviewed

Taking a fresh look at a classic lens

By bdery in Review Announcements on Oct 18, 2020

We are happy to announce our latest stand-alone lens review of the SMC Pentax-FA 50mm F1.4.

This well-known lens had originally been reviewed by us in 2011, together with the K10D. A lot has changed since then, and while the lens is the same, the camera bodies, the sensor format, and the photogrpahy landscape, have changed enough to warrant revisiting this fast fifty.

After comparing it to the M and D FA* 50mm, we now take the time to study the affordable FA 50mm on its own, in an in-depth review using a full-frame camera. How well does this 1991 lens perform with modern sensors? How does it compare with modern lenses? Read on to find out!

Think Tank Urban Access 15 Review Posted

By bdery in Review Announcements on Oct 3, 2020

Today we present a review of the Urban Access 15 backpack by Think Tank.

Clearly intended to cater to a more urban demographic, the Urban Access is designed to be a camera bag but also to serve as an everyday bag. Assembled with elegant fabrics, including numerous features while still remaining true to its Think Tank DNA, the Urban Access is an interesting product to say the least.

Can it compete with other everyday backpacks on the market? Read our review to find out!

Pentax D FA* 85mm F1.4 Review Posted

By bdery in Review Announcements on Sep 7, 2020

One of the most exciting lens to be released by Pentax in recent years, the D FA* 85mm F1.4, started shipping at the beginning of July 2020. Building on the standards introduced with the D FA* 50mm F1.4, the new 85mm strives to offer peerless optical capabilities, with no compromises on build quality and ruggedness.

The result is a large, heavy, and solid lens already beloved by users, witness its perfect 10/10 rating based on user reviews. 85mm has always been regarded as a sweet spot for portraits, and the D FA* was clearly designed with this application in mind. Before its inception, the reference portrait prime on K-mount has been the FA 77mm F1.8 Limited, a smaller and less expensive lens introduced more than 20 years ago.

Just how much can things improve in 20 years? Is the D FA* 85mm as good as market expectations? Read our review to find out!