The latest stylish Petzval lens joins the full-frame mirrorless family, offering new 6-step bokeh control
Lomography is back again with another stylish Petzval lens, specialising in producing portraits with distinctive background blur and vivid bokeh.
This latest Lomo lens is a 55mm prime with an f/1.7 maximum aperture, and is available for Sony E, Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts, delivering to these full-frame mirrorless systems the kind of stylish quality for which the range has become famous. It’s the first Petzval lens designed specifically and exclusively for mirrorless cameras
So what else is new with this Mk II version? One of the most interesting new features is the bokeh control ring, which allows you to modulate the intensity of Lomography’s distinctive Petzval bokeh, with seven different settings allowing you to get precisely the look you’re going for.
The bokeh controls on the brass version
The other noteworthy feature is the Dual Aperture System. As well as the eight-bladed diaphragm, the lens also has a waterhouse aperture system that allows you to use plates to tweak and control the shape of the bokeh, furthering the level of creative expression on offer. The plates come shipped with the lens and provide pre-made bokeh shapes such as stars, hearts and snowflakes.
Aperture plates
Somewhat surprisingly, Lomography is also making a pitch towards video users with this one, pointing out that it now offers the capacity to adjust focus points and aperture settings while the camera is recording. The brass versions have a knob that steplessly controls aperture, while the more contemporary-feeling aluminium version uses an aperture ring.
Since first reinventing the Petzval lens with a Kickstarter project all the way back in 2013, Lomography has built up an impressive catalogue of vintage-feel lenses for modern camera systems, set apart by their attention to distinctive bokeh. We’re interested to see how these lenses will perform on the new full-frame mirrorless systems for Canon and Nikon, so stay tuned for a more in-depth look at the new lens when we can get our hands on one for a full test.
Sample portraits taken using the new lens, showing off its distinctive effects
The new Lomography Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 MKII is available in black aluminium, brass and black brass, priced at £349, £399 and £449 respectively. Lomography expects them to be shipping by July to August 2019.
Get the Digital Camera World Newsletter
The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!
Jon spent years at IPC Media writing features, news, reviews and other photography content for publications such as Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera in both print and digital form. With his additional experience for outlets like Photomonitor, this makes Jon one of our go-to specialists when it comes to all aspects of photography, from cameras and action cameras to lenses and memory cards, flash diffusers and triggers, batteries and memory cards, selfie sticks and gimbals, and much more besides.
An NCTJ-qualified journalist, he has also contributed to Shortlist, The Skinny, ThreeWeeks Edinburgh, The Guardian, Trusted Reviews, CreativeBLOQ, and probably quite a few others I’ve forgotten.
