Image courtesy: DSLRmagazine
The very first batch of the new Batis FE lenses shipped yesterday in Hong Kong! You can see first user image samples from Samlee at SonyAlphaForum (Click here). He writes:
I got the Zeiss Batis 85mm F1.8 Yesterday at Hong Kong. The price around 0.9 x1199 USD with Free B+W filter. Light, Very Very Fast AF, Sharp Sharp Sharp, nice Broken
Also the spanish site DSLRmagazine (google transltion) posted the Batis hands-on review:
This new Zeiss Batis series meets all expectations. The Batis optics are specially designed for those who want to exploit every ounce of your sensor without sacrificing good design and a completely intuitive.
Zeiss Batis store links:
Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 lens in US at Adorama, Bhphoto. In Eu at Amazon DE, WexUK. In Asia at Digitalrev.
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2.0 lens at Adorama, Bhphoto. In EU at Amazon DE, WexUK. In Asia at Digitalrev.
36 Responses
typo: nice Bokeh!
Is it me or does the bokeh look too swirly? It’s not butter smooth is it?
So with Zeiss-ish FE 25/2, 35/1.4, 55/1.8 and 85/1.8 the autofocus prime range is perfectly complete for me. Perhaps we can see a 135mm in the future as a cherry on the cake.
On the other hand I do prefer the manual focus Loxia lenses. Would be nice if Zeiss could come up with a wide angle and tele Loxia in the next year to complete the range there as well.
Add 2/35 and 2/50 from the Loxia range also 2/28 and 2.8/35 from the Sony range.
2/100 will be my wish for the next prime lens for FE mount – smaller than 2/135 and yet quite nice for portraits. Also 1.4/85 would be nice or may be 1.2?
I’ve been sold on a 100mm f2 for ages, think that will be a perfect lens for FE when I want to leave the 85mm f1.4 and 135mm f1.8 at home and go light, goes ever so nicely with FE55 and FE28.
A 100/2 would be great.
Still needs a lens wider than the 25 to be complete
For some but not for me. I rarely shoot wider than 35mm, and for those occasions the 25mm is just fine.
Do you know about the 21mm converter lens?
Yeah, I was talking about a native lens.
Technically it is since you’re using the 28mm FE, lol.
35 mm 2.0 smaller size with AF than the 35 mm 1.4 , I need AF for my fashion photography moving shots.
What does this have to do with the Batis post?
There is already 35 1.4 and the 2.8 one is small enough.
A Batis 35 mm 2:0 AF small with AF great compromisse in size and DOF, 1.4 is a brick and the 2.8 I could use a zoom instead and dont like the DOF. From Batis this could be like a leica summicron 35 mm but with AF, otherwise I could use the LOXIA. And the Batis series is for AF isnt it.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kirilk/19733534511/
I got to try the Batis and Loxia lenses yesterday. Above is link to one of my pictures full size.
I have some RAW files if you want to play http://www.karaatanasov.info/batis/
The only gripe with the 85mm seems to be the AF. It simply does not work in low light – hunts indefinitely. However MF works well as it zooms directly when you rotate the ring. The ring is weirdly placed in the rear of the lens and takes some time to get used to. Other than this the ring is very nice to use. The lens is all plastic and is very very light relative to its size but still feels solid.
AF is the reason I still use my DSLRs a lot. But usually we can expect constant improvement from body to body.
I think the Sony lenses like 1,8/55 perform well now on A7m2 even in not so good light. I believe there may be some FW issue that was still plaguing the Batis sample I tried. Sony did update the 1,8/55 FW one or two times.
Let’s hope so. I am waiting for the Batis 85 now every day.
I surely hope that the lens is not made of plastic. At least B&H and Lensrentals state that it’s made of metal.
By the way, the image is very sharp at f/1.8.
It is plastic on the outside. Nothing like the Sony Zeiss lenses. However it does feel sturdy and solid. Nowadays many lenses are plastic on the outside – Nikon, Sigma etc. I really do not think anyone but Sony makes metal lenses…may be Fuji do? There may be metal frame of sorts underneath.
Lovely shot. AF is my biggest concern and the only reason I haven’t ordered yet. The Touit 32 I tried wasn’t as good AF-wise as the SEL 35. I love the Batis 85 rendering.
I have a A7rII on order and I’m wondering if the Canon 85/1.8 will come close in terms of AF speed on the Metabones. The Canon is really cheap used and a nice lens.
The AF is not bad in terms of speed on the Batis it will beat by a lot the Canon. In fact it is quite snappy when there is enough light. Problem is if light is not enough it hunts and light was not enough even outside an hour before sunset in shade of a building…..
The A7R hunts compared to the A7S with the FE 1.8/55 in low light, the A7Rll & Batis 85 *should* be an order of magnitude better than both.
Thanks for the additional detail. I’m 98% sure I’m going to buy because I’d like something faster than the 70-200/4, the samples look fantastic and it would compliment the 35/1.4 nicely. AF is my worry.
Kiril. Stunning shot (those eyes, wow, and everything just melts away). Curious, how far was she, approximately from the background?
It is a wall about a meter and a half away. Not much really.
This is not the 1.8/135 but still a nice lens and feels at least couple of times lighter
Slow down their chief. Wooo…put on the brakes. What’s this “all plastic” biz you’re talking about? I heard the outer Batis shell was aluminum. SAY IT ISN’T SO! Please for the love of God do not be plastic.
Unless it is extremely thick paint it felt like quality hard plastic like a Nikon 85G just nicer. It tactile feel was nothing like 1,8/55 or 16-35 or older 1.4/85 A mount Zeiss
Sad to here. For a lot of folks it won’t matter. For me however, it’s forcing me further down the A mount rabbit hole. Now with that said, I’m having fun at the same time on the cheap. However, I was really holding out for some fast A mount glass in E mount- same build…well…same everything minus the screw drive. Oh well, can’t have everything.
There will likely soon be Sony made portrait lens. That should be all metal like other Sony lenses.
Thus said the Zeiss is solid despite having plastic shell . It may even be mechanically better than the aluminum alloy lenses
nothing like great broken to give one’s photos that extra something
Still waiting for mine 🙁
I have one coming in the morning. U.S. Purchase so they are coming in. I grabbed the 85 for now. Local brick and mortar
The OLED turns me off. But they do look good on that camera. I think they look even better on the A7II. Finally, we have something worth looking at.
It is nice think the Led display. Shows you focus distance and DoF quite nicely. It is back lit but is not annoyingly bright
The two quotes are delightful.