Fengniao (google translation here) posted the first full Sony 90mm G OSS macro lens review. The great looking full size image samples can be found here on page 6 and page 7.
– Super resolution straight from the max aperture
– Small vignetting at f/2.8
– Well controlled distortion
– very nice bokeh
– excellent optical stabilization
– the only real drawback is the big size of the lens
The Macro 90/2,8 OSS also got tested on digitalkamera.de. They write: image quality is outstanding, extraordinarily sharp from center to corner, “worth every cent”. (thx Florian for sending this).
The 90mm lens will ship from July 7 at those stores:
In USA at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
In Europe at Sony Germany, Sony UK, Sony FR, Sony IT, Sony ES, Sony NL, Sony BE, Sony AT, Sony CH, Sony SE, Sony FI, Sony NO, Sony PT.
In Asia at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
47 Responses
Is this lens good for portraits like the 85 1.8?
The lens is perfect for portraits!
aside from the 90 and 85 difference, and the 2.8 and 1.8, what other benefits do I have in getting the 85 over this lens? Just curious. I was planning to get the 85, but this one looks tempting too.
Two main things you may benefit from will be reduced size and faster autofocus. Macro lenses typically autofocus slowly. However, with cooperative subjects, this usually doesn’t matter much. That said, I wouldn’t undersell that f/1.8 max aperture. You can get full body portraits at 85/1.8 with good scene separation still. Harder to do with 90/2.8.
Ok you sold the 85 to me. I’ll just stick to that. Its what I’ve been waiting for anyways. Thanks!
It’s also much lighter and smaller.
for ma ârt i think i ‘ll for 25mm batis, keeep the sony zeiss 55 and try to get this macro lens, but used one in one year. Too expensive right now.
THe nikkor 105 vr macro was good in protrait, and the AF was damn fast!
If you think the Nikkor 105 Macro has fast AF you haven’t seen fast AF. Ever.
Gnagnaggnaaa kid !
A a rule, a focus limiter works wonders for af performance on macro.
Nah, as for this focal length people love the shallow dof, it has no chance against the batis, so it cant be perfect.
http://tamrontechstips.typepad.com/.a/6a010536bd25db970c017c36e079da970b-800wi
Tamron 90mm f/2.8. Looks perfect for me 🙂
wow nice picture.
There’s not details in the skin and hair! And I can’t decide whether the corners are out of focus or just mushy.
This is by no means a bad photograph, but there’s plenty that could have been improved.
The eyes are not in focus – the plane of focus seems to be behind the eyes, judging from dress and hair.
Angle at which the wrist is bent is quite distracting. Pillow is a bit distracting too and does not add to the photograph.
There’s no detail in the skin, all of it is lost due to focus or post-processing or both.
Highlight area on her dress is bit distracting as well. Burning it a notch in post would have been better.
Look at her hair, especially where the focus transitions!
It all depends how the Batis looks at f/2.8 on a head & shoulders. The FE Zeiss glass (to-date) has had a somewhat harsh look to the OOF blur for portraits.
Get macro if you need macro or mechanical focusing. In the rest the smaller Batis lens is a better choice.
I heard the focusing is still focus by wire, it’s just that it has hard stops at either end.
Thanks for the heads-up!
But it also has a distance scale. So this a whole different type of focus by wire than we are used to. It must be an absolute system that can read the exact position of the focus ring and focus accordingly. Not the traditional accelerated junk. I really would like to get my hands on this 90G and try it out IRL.
This is actually a true dealbreaker to me. If the 90mm macro’s focus ring has hard stops, then I would prefer it over the Batis.
I can’t stand the focus rings where you can turn them infinitely.
Here’s another earlier sample gallery with some portraits:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/markgaler/sets/72157651411628149/
Judge for yourself, if you like the results. I’ll clearly choose the 90/2.8 over the Batis.
Also: In medium format land, 120/4 macro lenses are very popular for portriats. The 90/2.8 is exactly that type of lens for 35mm format.
Any news about A7RII, A6100 and new RX cameras?
A6100 news coming soon.
Thank you for the info.
And the a7rii?
Got some stores saying it’s coming. But still no specs. Althaugh I don’t believe it has 59MP 🙂
Hey there thanks for your job. But i’d rather like to know more about a new shutter, could be really silent? That’s worth more money than bloody millions pix, which we already have!
Look forward to get this Sony 90 lens for Macroworks and equally as much forward to get the Batis for portraits. Both lenses have their mission. 🙂
I think it’s an important step that we now are beginning to see and get more choices in the native FF E-mount lens lineup.
Recently received and tried the Distagon 35 1.4 and it’s super. Also much faster and better on the autofocus then I expected. Normally I mostly use manual focus, but this AF actually is quite precise and good. That makes hopes also for the 90 macro autofocus rendering, even if the AF probably will be a little bit slower, which again isn’t so important for me as maybe for others..
But I can get a Zeiss Batis 85mm f1.8 for less cents! Zeiss cheaper than Sony-G?!?! Ok, the Sony is macro, but I’m still confused why this is so ‘spensive. Oh, and the a-mount 100mm macro is almost half the price too.
Sony’s most expensive lenses are branded G.
To be fair, the 100mm doesn’t have OSS or IF and is based on a 20+ year old Minolta design… It’s disappointing that none of the third party manufacturers have released anything though.
Yes, it’s old but…
– It still works!
– You don’t need OSS on the new generation of e-mount
– It does IF in the strict sense that the barrel length does not change (critical for macro) – Or do you mean it’s screw-drive rather than SSM?
It’s an oldie but a goodie. I concur, though, that the a-mount 100mm probably isn’t designed to resolve 36+ MP.
So…. Buy the new 100mm macro if you need macro and if you need OSS and if you need 36MP. Otherwise, better options are there for less money. Nice to have a choice!
Tamron 90mm macro f2.8 vc is really good.
This new 90 macro has the latest desighn and would definitely be the lens to get for FE mount but for any other mount I would be inclined to go with the Tamron.
I’m definitely going to grit my teeth and buy one (hopefully that’ll be the last few lens I buy unless they release a budget telezoom)
The new macro is modern design, with inner focusing and stabilization. Compared to competition it really is not more expensive, because those have been around for a while and have received prices drops and currently there are rebates.
You also have to adjust for global inflation – what in 2005 was $1000 has a buying power of $1200 today. This and general shrinking of camera market is the reason why most latest high end lens releases from all manufacturers have seen the price increases.
Buy the lens you want to pay for. No one is forcing you to buy this macro. From all reports, it is a superb lens, but if you don’t need it or want it enough, there are alternatives. Get an adapter and buy macro lenses from other manufacturers. People who want/need this lens will find use for it. It’s your choice. Sony has a great lens here. In native E mount. It’s a modern design. It’s got OSS. In the end, you have to balance your wants/needs with what you are willing to pay. An individual choice.
Zeiss Batis 85mm is $100 more expensive than this 90mm macro.
I saw it at the WPA exhibition (in a case – didn’t have a chance to play with it). It’s big for an e-mount lens, but size looks pretty average compared to to the Tamron 90/2.8. I just wish it was cheaper – there’s no way I’m buying this at full price…
I have preordered this lens just to maintain a place in line…Iwill not actually buy it unless I decide to buy an E mount camera, and will only happen if I really like the new a7rii.
Otherwise I will get a Tamron 90mm macro vs for my Nikon camera.
So you keep telling us, ad nauseam.
I assume you think Sony are somehow interested as to whether all-important Barry is going to invest in E-mount. If Barry is interested, then Sony must be making the right decisions, yes?
Of course when the A7RII isn’t to your liking (we know it will not), you will continue on your crusade of how badly Sony treats its customers.
Nobody cares.
You accidentally posted this on here, instead of your blog?
The barrel length on my copy almost doubled at 1:1. I don’t know if they’ve updated it since then though… You’ve also got to factor in an LA-EA4 if you want to have the option of AF, which comes at 1/3 – 1/2 stop cost. If you’re buying direct from Sony, you’re looking at at £958 for a 100/2.8 and an la-ea4, or £1049 for the 90/2.8, so the difference isn’t huge…
Fancy
The reviewer didn’t mention a word about the feel of how fast or slowness of the lens.
Especially, the first of its kind DDSSM drive on a macro lens.