It's always interesting to see how two lenses compare side-by-side, under the exact same conditions. Ute Reckhorn, a German photographer who currently lives in California, goes into detail using this series of photos to Twist 60 with Burnside 35. According to Ute, each lens has a lot to offer and deciding which to choose depends on the story you want to tell.
In this first set of comparison images, you'll see the differences between photos that were taken with Twist 60 and Burnside 35 with the effect slider fully open and fully closed. Beyond that, you'll see the difference between each of these options at f2.8 and f5.6.
While the pictures taken with the Twist 60 are all about the details in the girl’s hair, the Burnside 35 photos are all about storytelling. With the use of the built-in vignette on the Burnside 35, the picture becomes a lot more focused and moody. The wider open the lens, the more visible the swirl effect.
Landscapes with Twirl 60 and Burnside 35
Next, I tested both lenses for landscapes and close-ups. First, I have two pictures taken with Burnside 35, one with the effect slider fully open and the next with the vignette slider fully closed.
Below you'll see the same scene, this time taken with Twist 60. Here you'll see some nice compression and you'll notice that a smaller part of the scene is visible.
In the images below, you'll see another scene comparing Twist 60 with Burnside 35.
The next two pictures show how Burnside 35 allows the photographer to get much closer to the subject compared with Twist 60, a lens that asks for a lot more distance.
Depending on what you're going for, each lens has its function. I personally like to shoot very tight pictures and love the fact that I can get close-ups with Burnside 35.
Landscapes with Burnside 35 - with and without vignette
The vignette slider on this lens is a very useful feature. As you can see in the photos below, depending on whether you use it or not, the mood of the scene changes completely.
From the light and airy photo above to more moody, colorful image below, I can create any kind of atmosphere in my pictures. I personally like to play with both settings while shooting, checking while I work to find the look I want to achieve.
Playing with the Burnside 35 - how swirly can you go?
When shooting with Burnside 35, how swirly can you go? The answer is - try it yourself! I guess it is pretty visible how much fun I was having trying to use a wide open aperture to add playfulness to my photos. Both of the photos above are uncropped. In both cases, I was really close to my subject, and I worked the brighter light in the background to my advantage.
Playing around with the Twist 60
So, last but not least, let me show you how the same idea looks with Twist 60. Both lenses have an amazing bokeh, but the Twist 60 shows a little more compression and, again, less background. When using an aperture of f2.8, the swirl is a little more detailed on the Burnside 35. My advice is to think about how much background you want to include in your photo and make your decision from there.
In my opinion, both lenses are must-haves for the creative photographer, depending on the story you want to tell. Both lenses are equally useful. The Twist 60 for a more condensed story, while Burnside 35 gives the viewer more details and less compression. All the pictures in this post were taken handheld, and I had no problem getting sharp focus on the details that I chose to show.
Follow these links to find out more about Burnside 35 and Twist 60. To see more of Ute Recokhorn's work, visit her website.