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Zeiss Batis 25/2 and 85/1.8 Coming

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Yea I noticed it too. Have money in hand and ready to pounce on the 85mm. I get into NY on the 14th driving across country in a truck. ( long story) Lol. I start big shooting gig on 19th so maybe get lucky. But I rented a FE 70-200 F4 for the job.

I made some lens movements. Bought a VC 15mm Version III, will get the 25 f2 late August unless I can't grab the 85 right away. But end of day my plan is VC15, 25 Batis, have 35 1.4, have Loxia 50, Batis 85, than I will see about longer once I get my A7rII. Maybe a 135 F2 or something. I need fast, long and all AF points on this end.
***Cough*** I might be selling the 135/1.8 to fund my A7RII and a wedding ***Cough***
 

miska

Member
A quick googling didn't get me any comparison 25mm f/2 Distagon (on Canon or Nikon) vs the Batis.
It is an interesting question for me: Canon ZE 25mm vs Batis 25mm, both on an A7R...
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Are you serious? one lens can fund both???
No but it offsets dipping deeper into the budget. I have other Leica crap to sell though. The wedding money is already allocated. The A7RII money is not but as soon as I sell some excess it will be.
 

philip_pj

New member
Some of us have looked at the MTF for the two CZ 25s - Batis and ZEF. Very different lenses obviously in physical dimensions, and it seems Zeiss has traded a little center performance for high image quality across the whole frame, which we can understand given the likely buyers of the Batis 25. Both are very good of course, but the Batis looks more versatile maybe, Zeiss are promoting this aspect. At f2 on a 600 gram body it will see plenty of street/off the cuff/creative work where bokeh is important. It looks more like a short telephoto in its signature. TBH, more portrait lenses should look like its chart wide open, I bet it's great for enviro portraits.

The Batis 85 fits in well with the other high end Zeiss lenses of recent years, loses a little in corners compared to lenses that are far better re distortion and old school design acceptability, thinking of say 135/2 APO and 100MP. But the MTF look the business, and no one will complain of lack of sharpness, as it is in that league for sure. I agree with Matt Granger that it is a good buy at the asking money.

And a note (if not made elsewhere on GDPI) that the Batis MTF and other info described in the data charts are now available at the Zeiss download center here:

http://www.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_de/service/download_center/batis_lenses.html

I'd say these MTF charts reflect s/w profile adjustments, they are a little lower and less 'woolly' than the ones Lloyd published, and distortion data is clearly post s/w.

The charts also provide lens construction, and yes, the B85 config is near identical to the Tamron design patented recently. Even if so, Zeiss are doing the glass selection, and Zeiss QC staff oversee the assembly, tolerance handling and final QA/certification process, and of course coatings, and material selection and ancillaries like OLED. Just a few weeks now.

I hope they keep up with demand in the initial flurry. Unlike the FE 35/1.4 where price and other choices dampen the demand for what is clearly a great lens, this B85 is going to appeal to a very important user group - portrait (formal/studio and street/family/general) and event shooters especially, and there is nothing else that matches it in the FE lineup, no real legacy competitor, it's a new Zeiss, it's a new design, it has new AF/OIS, new OLED..and if images look as gorgeous as some pre-release ones it will be very popular.

Looks like another reason to join the FE brigade.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I'm offering anyone a 50 dollar reward for the capture of a BATIS 85. In stock ready to buy ASAP. Reward given once acquired. I'm not joking here.
 

The Ute

Well-known member
Some of us have looked at the MTF for the two CZ 25s - Batis and ZEF. Very different lenses obviously in physical dimensions, and it seems Zeiss has traded a little center performance for high image quality across the whole frame, which we can understand given the likely buyers of the Batis 25. Both are very good of course, but the Batis looks more versatile maybe, Zeiss are promoting this aspect. At f2 on a 600 gram body it will see plenty of street/off the cuff/creative work where bokeh is important. It looks more like a short telephoto in its signature. TBH, more portrait lenses should look like its chart wide open, I bet it's great for enviro portraits.

The Batis 85 fits in well with the other high end Zeiss lenses of recent years, loses a little in corners compared to lenses that are far better re distortion and old school design acceptability, thinking of say 135/2 APO and 100MP. But the MTF look the business, and no one will complain of lack of sharpness, as it is in that league for sure. I agree with Matt Granger that it is a good buy at the asking money.

And a note (if not made elsewhere on GDPI) that the Batis MTF and other info described in the data charts are now available at the Zeiss download center here:

http://www.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_de/service/download_center/batis_lenses.html

I'd say these MTF charts reflect s/w profile adjustments, they are a little lower and less 'woolly' than the ones Lloyd published, and distortion data is clearly post s/w.

The charts also provide lens construction, and yes, the B85 config is near identical to the Tamron design patented recently. Even if so, Zeiss are doing the glass selection, and Zeiss QC staff oversee the assembly, tolerance handling and final QA/certification process, and of course coatings, and material selection and ancillaries like OLED. Just a few weeks now.

I hope they keep up with demand in the initial flurry. Unlike the FE 35/1.4 where price and other choices dampen the demand for what is clearly a great lens, this B85 is going to appeal to a very important user group - portrait (formal/studio and street/family/general) and event shooters especially, and there is nothing else that matches it in the FE lineup, no real legacy competitor, it's a new Zeiss, it's a new design, it has new AF/OIS, new OLED..and if images look as gorgeous as some pre-release ones it will be very popular.

Looks like another reason to join the FE brigade.
"I hope they keep up with demand in the initial flurry."

With all the time they've taken getting these lenses into users hands I sure hope so.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
I'd assume so. My local shop isn't a particularly large one (although it is one of the two "pro level" shops in town) and they are allocated 6 of each lens on initial shipment when they usually only get one or two of a lens/camera body for Sony.
 

davidstock

New member
I'd say these MTF charts reflect s/w profile adjustments, they are a little lower and less 'woolly' than the ones Lloyd published, and distortion data is clearly post s/w.

Good catch!

At MTF 40, at f4, at the extreme corner, this chart shows a 10-20% reduction in resolution compared to the digilloyd chart. (Depending on whether you consider sagittal or tangential.)

The lens still looks quite sharp, even in the corners. Maybe not Otus sharp or as sharp as the Sony/Zeiss 55/1.8....

--d
 
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