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The Nikon 105mm f/1.4 and Laowa 105mm f/2 go head-to-head in this lens shootout

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Nikon’s 105mm f/1.4 lens made a big splash when it was announced last year. Being the world’s fastest 105mm prime lens, it’s not much of a surprise. Having been in the hands of photographers for a few months now, it’s done nothing but impress. It’s a top quality lens, with a price tag to match. But what about those who don’t want or can’t afford to spend $2,200 on a 105mm lens? Are there other options?

Well, there’s the Venus Optics Laowa 105mm f/2 STF at a mere $699. But how does it compare? That’s the question this video from Ling at Zero-Day Photography hopes to answer. Smooth Trans Focus (STF) is Laowa’s technology which “soften[s] the borders of the bokeh” to create the effect of a wider aperture lens. In theory, this should let it provide images with a similar appearance to the Nikon. Should. In theory.

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Tearing down the $2,200 Nikon 105mm f/1.4

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When I see the phrase “for those of you following along at home” in a teardown article, I know it’s going to be a good one. This is especially so when it’s the first public teardown of such a new and expensive lens. Nikon announced the 105mm f/1.4E back in July to much fanfare. Many photographers who managed to get their hands on one instantly fell in love.

So, what’s caused this teardown now? Is there an issue with these lenses? Nope, it’s simply maintenance and cleaning. For most of us, a few specks of dust aren’t an issue, but for gear hire company LensRentals, the equipment has to look like brand new each time it goes out to the next client. This means regular teardowns and cleaning of their equipment.

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Nikon’s new 105mm f/1.4E out in the wild and sample photos

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Nikon’s new 105mm f/1.4E ED isn’t officially available until the end of the month. A few lucky people have managed to get their hands on one, though. On that short list are photographers Lindsay Silverman and Vincent Versace, who have both posted sample shots to social media.

I always find it interesting to see what comes out after a new lens is announcement. While there’s no substitute for trying a lens yourself, photos shot with them do show things that spec sheets cannot. They help you to make more informed choices about whether or not you even want to try one.

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Nikon just announced the world’s fastest 105mm portrait lens it’s f/1.4

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This is one of those lenses that you almost don’t even know you want until somebody announces that it exists. I’ve been using my Nikon 105mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor as a portrait lens for years and always loved it. It’s one of my absolute favourites. I never really thought about a potentially faster version. Until now.

Nikon have today announced the AF-S Nikkor 105mm f/1.4E ED lens, a very fast take on their 105mm legacy which includes the very popular 105mm f/2.8G AF-S Micro-Nikkor and slightly less common 105mm f/2D AF DC.

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This photographer brings Lego characters to life with these movie inspired and humorous scenes

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With influences ranging from The Avengers and X-Men to Star Wars and The Martian, French photographer Sofiane Samial (AKA Samsofy) spends his days making amazing Lego photography in a project titled Legography.

Intriqued by Samsofy’s work, DIYP reached out to get some more insight into this project, discussing his inspirations, and how he creates them.

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