Photography News | Issue 68 | photographynews.co.uk
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First tests
Irix 150mm f/2.8Macro £569
Specs
Irix in Switzerland and made in Korea. Currently three manual focus primes are on offer, this medium telephotomacro, and two ultrawide- angles, an 11mm f/4 and 15mm f/2.8. We’ll be testing these two wides in forthcoming issues of PN . The two Irixwides are available in two optically identical but different build-quality versions, but there is just one 150mm with what Irix calls its Dragonfly finish, a lightweight composite construction with metal components inside and at the rear of the lens for durability. There is no denying the lens’s fine build and cosmetics. The manual focusing barrel is rubber covered with a protruding rib which is at 11 o’clock when the lens is focused in infinity; perfect for my resting thumb. The focus action is smooth, with a three-quarter turn of the barrel taking you from infinity to its 34cm minimum focusing distance. Metric and imperial focusing distances are engraved on the barrel together with the magnification ratio. Focusing is also internal so there is no change in the lens’s physical size as you move in closer. It means there’s no issue with the lens’s shadow getting in the way with close-up subjects. At the far end of the lens is a locking ring so once you have focus achieved the barrel can be locked in position. This is handy but you need to make sure the focus barrel does not shift while you engage the lock. I had a Nikon-fit sample and used it on a D850 body. The pair makes for a substantial but nicely balanced outfit with the centre of gravity towards the body. The lens is fitted with a removable tripod ring with an Arca foot. Use this and the body is the senior partner when it comes to balance so you need a firm locking ball head to take the strain. There are no click-stops on the tripod foot and its rotating action is a tad coarse but it does its job. I tested the lens with distant and close-up scenes with the D850 with the pair fixed onto aGitzo Systematic lenses are designed
Test
Prices
£569 What’s in the box Deep bayonet lens hood, solid lens case, lens collar, two caps Format 35mm full-frame Mount Canon EF, Nikon F Autofocus No Construction 12 elements in nine groups Special lens elements Three extra low dispersion, four high refractive elements Coatings Neutrino coating Filter size 77mm Aperture range F/2.8-32 Diaphragm 11 rounded blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes, with lock function Minimum focus 34.5cm Focus limiter No Maximummagnification 1:1 Distance scale Feet and metres, IR index Depth-of-field scale No Image stabilizer No Tripod collar Yes, with Arca compatible foot Lens hood Supplied Weather-sealed Five seals to prevent dust and water Dimensions (dxl) 87x128mm Weight 840g Contact swains.co.uk
F/2.8
F/4
F/5.6
F/8
4 tripod with an Arca Swiss ball head. I also shot handheld close-ups. In an ideal world, the lens would have an image stabilizer, but there isn’t one so you need a camera support, fast shutter speeds and steady hands (or all three) to get the most from this lens. I did handholding tests down to 1/30sec. I got the odd sharp shot at 1/30sec and 1/60sec and had a little more success at 1/125sec, which I’d consider the safest slow shutter speed for sharp shots. Focusing is a challenge because 150mm gives little depth-of-field even at small apertures so you need to be extra critical when you’re close up. The camera’s in focus confirmation LED helps or use live view on a tripod. Optically, when everything falls right this lens proved to be a very capable performer at close quarters aswell as normal shootingdistances. Detail was crisply resolved and sharpness was consistently good across the 35mm frame. A capable optical performance was seen at f/2.8, with a strong centre and slightly soft edges which got better at f/4. It was at f/5.6 when image quality across the frame really perked up giving high-quality results. If ultimate quality is what you want, shoot at f/8 or better still at f/11, which gives images with impressive detail across the frame. Diffraction starts to have an impact at f/16 and at f/22, image softens slightly and f/32 is probably best avoided if you want critical results. There was some vignetting at f/2.8 which eased at f/4 and went from f/5.6 onwards. Flare was well under control too and there was no evidence of any serious ghosting or low contrast issues when shooting towards the sun. WC
F/11
There is no denying the lens’s fine build and cosmetics
F/16
F/22
Below With the Irix lens giving a subjectmagnification of 1:2. The exposurewas 1/125sec at f/16
F/32
Verdict
Buy the Irix 150mm f/2.8 and you’ll need to hone your shooting technique to get the most from it. There is no image stabilizer and even at relatively high shutter speeds (1/60sec, 1/125sec), camera shake is a risk, and you need to be critical with focusing when you are close up because there is so little depth-of-field. That said, this Irix lens delivers
a fine optical performance and with the potential of 1:1
magnification the Irix 150mm f/2.8 selling at £569 is nicely priced and certainly worthy of a serious look.
Pros Lifesize 1:1 magnification, Arca tripod foot, internal focusing Cons No image stabilizer
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