Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM Review (a genuinely useful lens, D. Abbott)

Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM review
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Here is a Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM review by one of our favorite gear reviewers.

At a glance:

  • RF-S-Mount Lens/APS-C Format
  • 29-240mm (35mm Equivalent)
  • Aperture Range: f/3.5-6.3 to f/40
  • One UD Element & Two Aspherical Elements
  • Super Spectra Coating
  • STM Stepping AF Motor
  • Optical Image Stabilizer
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Rounded 7-Blade Diaphragm

Dustin Abbott posted his full and comprehensive Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM review. From his conclusion:

There’s no question that the [RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM] didn’t exactly ace my modern testing standards, particularly on the higher resolution sensor of the Canon EOS R7.  This is a lens that is more valuable for its versatility than it’s optical performance in any particular area.  At the same time, however, it does deliver great looking images that hold up well on any level but the pixel level.  And, to be fair, because of the way that modern images are shared there will rarely be opportunities for those images to be seen on a pixel level.  And don’t forget that high magnification that adds even more versatility.

While I would like to have seen Canon’s new APS-C mirrorless lineup launch with some genuinely new and unique lenses, I am glad that the RF-S 18-150mm is part of the opening lineup.  It’s a genuinely useful lens that remains a far more intriguing “kit lens” to me because of great zoom range, compact size, and good enough performance in basically all areas.

Read the review at Dustin Abbott’s….

As usual, Dustin Abbott’s reviews come with test charts, sample pics, dynamic range tests, and much more. D. Abbott also provides a video-review that someone might prefer to the written review. It’s here for your viewing pleasure. More reviews by Dustin Abbott are listed here.

Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM:

America: B&H Photo, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

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Canon EOS R7 Review (lot of camera for reasonable money, D. Abbott)

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Here is a Canon EOS R7 review. The Canon EOS R7 is Canon’s first APS-C mirrorless camera with RF mount and users and reviewers seem to love it.

At a glance:

  • 32.5MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF II
  • 4K60 10-Bit Video, HDR-PQ & C-Log 3
  • 30 fps E. Shutter, 15 fps Mech. Shutter
  • 2.36m-Dot OLED EVF
  • 1.6m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
  • Sensor-Shift 5-Axis Image Stabilization
  • Dual UHS-II Memory Card Slots
  • Multi-Function Shoe, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM Lens

Dustin Abbott posted his comprehensive Canon EOS R7 review. From his conclusion:

[…] the Canon EOS R7 is a lot of camera for a reasonable amount of money.  It has a lot going for it, from the blistering burst rate in either mechanical (3FPS faster than the EOS R3) or electronic shutter mode to the excellent, high resolution 32.5MP sensor.  This is a tool that makes it easy to capture images in a wide variety of situations.

The focus system is largely borrowed from the EOS R3, which means that it is among Canon’s best, and the great focus and blistering frame rate is held back only by buffers that fill a little too quickly.

Canon does ergonomics extremely well, and the EOS R7 feels great in the hand and is intuitive to operate.

At a price point of $1499 USD, this is the spiritual successor of the very popular 7D series.  It is reborn in mirrorless form and is all the better for it.  The EOS R7 does things the 7D could only dream of, and despite a decade of inflation since the last 7D model, the price remains the same.  Canon has jumped into the RF APS-C space very ably, but now they need to fully commit with a wide range of RF-S lenses that will make the system – and not just the camera – competitive.

Read the whole review at Dustin Abbott’s website…

As usual, Dustin Abbott’s reviews come with test charts, sample pics, dynamic range tests, and much more. D. Abbott also provides a video-review that someone might prefer to the written review. It’s here for your viewing pleasure.

More Canon EOS R7 information, reviews and more is listed here.

Canon EOS R7:

America: B&H Photo, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Laowa 58mm f/2.8 APO 2x Macro Review (great value, D. Abbott)

Laowa 58mm f/2.8
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Here is a Laowa 58mm f/2.8 APO 2x Macro review by one of the most serious and professional gear reviewers you may find. The The Laowa 58mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO has been just announced, and sells at $499 at Venus Optics.

Dustin Abbott posted his exhaustive and complete Laowa 58mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO review. From Mr. Abbott’s conclusion:

[…] I’m delighted with the Laowa 58mm F2.8 APO 2x Macro. While it is very similar in many ways to the 90mm F2.8 APO 2x Macro, the wider focal length opens up a lot of different and unique opportunities. Very close macro is a little more difficult due to the closer working distance, but I do think that is compensated for by the versatility of the focal length for other subjects.

It is that versatility that makes this such an appealing option, much like my Voigtländer 65mm but with more macro capabilities […]

When you look at the price tag (about $500 USD) relative to the competing lenses, the Laowa really starts to feel like a great value, particularly if you tend to do your macro work utilizing manual focus anyway. Modern mirrorless bodies eliminate a lot of the sting of doing macro work, and you can’t argue with the kinds of results you can get from this lens. This is a top-notch value lens, and should be near the top of your macro list if you own a Canon, Sony, Nikon, or Leica mirrorless body and would prefer a slightly wider angle of view in your macro lens.

Read the full review on Dustin Abbott’s website…

The review comes with test charts, sample pics, and much more. As usual, D. Abbott also posts a video-review that someone might prefer to the written review. It’s here for your viewing pleasure.

More reviews by Dustin Abbott are listed here.

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Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM Review (fun, flawed, and useful, D. Abbott)

rf 16mm f/2.8 STM review
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Here is a Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM review by one of our favorite gear reviewers. This lens is inexpensive yet it delivers.

At a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
  • One Aspherical Element
  • Super Spectra Coating
  • STM Stepping AF Motor
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Rounded 7-Blade Diaphragm

Dustin Abbott posted his exhaustive Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM review. Many so called “reviews” out there are nothing more than rewritten user manuals. Not Mr. Abbott; his reviews are professional, thoroughly, and answer all questions you might have. From Mr. Abbott’s conclusion:

[…] the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM is fun, flawed, and useful. It does have some severe flaws, but I love the flexibility of the focal length and the compact size of the lens. It does something that no other lens is really doing on the Canon RF platform right now, and does it at a truly reasonable price point.

The RF 16mm is not going to compete with L series lenses optically, but I also found that images had a certain pop to them that stood out when I compared them to images I was taking on the Canon EOS R7 and EF-S 18-150mm STM that I was reviewing at the same time.  This image, for example, is pretty lovely.

So, in conclusion, the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM is not only worth buying because it is cheap, but also worth buying because it is competent.  It will go anywhere with you and provides a nicely wide alternative to something like the 24-105mm or 24-70mm lenses.  It would also be a great focal length counterpart if your primary lens on an outing is a telephoto, offering the option to get a wider angle of view but with a minimum of additional size and weight.  It is for this reason that I’m considering a purchase even despite the RF 16mm’s many flaws.

Read the full review at dustinabbott.net

The review comes with test charts, sample pics, and much more. As usual, D. Abbott also posts a video-review that someone might prefer to the written review. It’s here for your viewing pleasure.

Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM (sells at $299):

America: B&H Photo, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

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TTArtisan 11mm F/2.8 Fisheye Video-Review (RF Mount)

TTArtisan 11mm F/2.8
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Here is a TTArtisan 11mm F/2.8 Fisheye Video-Review. The RF-mount option is reviewed.

At a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/16
  • Fisheye Optical Design
  • Manual Focus Operation
  • Minimum Focusing Distance: 6.7″
  • 7-Blade Diaphragm
  • Built-In Lens Hood

User Qippy’s Channel on YouTube posted the TTArtisan 11mm F/2.8 Fisheye Video-Review you can watch below. Enjoy.

The is a rather inexpensive lens, you can get it for $215:

America: B&H Photo, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 Fisheye Overview

Offering a uniquely wide angle of view, the TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 is a fisheye lens designed for Canon RF-mount mirrorless cameras. The expansive field of view and distinct fisheye look is characterized by immense depth of field along with strong distortion for creating very striking and dynamic imagery. The wide-angle design is also complemented by a bright f/2.8 maximum aperture, to suit working in available lighting conditions, and the lens’s manual focus design permits working with subjects as close as 6.7″ away.

Ultra-wide prime is designed for full-frame Canon RF-mount mirrorless cameras.

Fisheye design renders an immensely wide angle of view to produce distinct visual appeal characterized by dramatic distortion and a creative depiction of space.

Manual focus design permits smooth, refined control along with a minimum focusing distance of 6.7″.

Built-in petal-shaped lens hood that helps to block stray light from causing lens flare and also offers some physical protection to the front of the lens.

Canon EOS R3 Review: Bird and Wildlife Photography (a stunning package, leaves nothing to be desired)

canon eos r3 review canon cameras eos r1
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Here is a Canon EOS R3 review with an eye on bird and wildlife photography. It seems the EOS R3 delivers.

Canon EOS R3 at a glance:

  • 24MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Sensor
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, Eye Control AF
  • 6K60 Raw and 4K120 10-Bit Internal Video
  • 30 fps E. Shutter, 12 fps Mech. Shutter
  • 5.76m-Dot EVF with 120 fps Refresh Rate
  • 3.2″ 4.2m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
  • Sensor-Shift 5-Axis Image Stabilization
  • Multi-Function Shoe, Built-In Vert. Grip
  • CFexpress & SD UHS-II Memory Card Slots
  • Wired LAN and 5 GHz Wi-Fi Support

Our friends at Mirrorless Comparison posted their full Canon EOS R3 review. A review that explicitly looks at bird and wildlife photography. They are rather fond of the Canon EOS R3. From their conclusion:

[…] a stunning package that leaves nothing to be desired, and no detail is overlooked.

The image quality is fantastic, probably the best Canon sensor I’ve ever tested. Some of you might have preferred more resolution, but the advantage here is the high ISO performance, with very usable images at 25,600 ISO. Dynamic range is also excellent.

The R3 offers a state of the art autofocus system and it has a unique characteristic that resonates with innovation – Eye Control – which works surprisingly well. The software is also very impressive, and the capability to detect and follow animals is the best I’ve seen. Only the occasional lack of consistency stops this camera from being the very best in the field.

Read the full review at Mirrorless Comparison…

The review comes with a lot of sample pictures at various ISO settings, tests, discusses ergonomics, and everything you might want to know. For the lazy ones among us, there is also a video-review (below).

You can download the Canon EOS R3 user manual from Canon. Or you might read it online. A technical brochure about the EOS R3 is available. You can watch the EOS R3 live-stream again here. More Canon EOS R3 review stuff is listed here. We put together some interesting videos about the EOS R3, listed here. Be sure to check Gordon Laing’s in-depth review of the EOS R3, part 1 and part 2. Oh, and don’t forget to listen how the R3’s 30fps sound.

Order in the USA ($5,999):
B&H Photo | Adorama

All Canon EOS R3 world-wide order links:

America: B&H Photo, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE