Sony A7RII/ Batis 25mm , Batis 85mm and Sony 35mm 1.4 System Tests

[dchew]

Great info Guy and many thanks. Your 35mm images were of particular interest to me because I struggled between that and the Loxia. Eventually chose the Loxia (for me it was the size advantage and little need for autofocus). But I found similar issues on the right side. I too decided to keep it and just remember to shoot images with important corner details @ > f/5.6.

Thanks again for the effort that went into this.

Dave

 

[ShooterSteve]

After a second look I can't get over how impressive the quality of the images are. You did quite a bit of work for us Guy, and I thank you for sharing in such detail. You're also making me miss Arizona more and more. I used to travel there quite a bit and really long for that scenery and that light.

Thanks again, hoping to have mine for an upcoming shoot in a few weeks but my A7R still keeps me happy for now.

Steve Sanacore

 

[philip_pj]

fantastic work, and expert commentary as always, thanks Guy.

The Batis lenses will change everything, these images reinforce what the MTF was indicating, Zeiss really know how to make the trade offs. Suitably encouraged, they will now move on to give Sony users many more great lenses (at great prices too, let's not forget that). Crank up the production schedules! We should hear soon what comes next.

 

[Annna T]

A big thanks for all these time consuming tests. I appreciate.

Inspite of all the hype, I'm not going for the A7rII : I prefer the lighter A7r and smaller body; plus I don't need the speedier AF. I would appreciate IBIS and EFCS plus silent shutter, but I don't need more pixels either (36MB already requires a lot of storage). Given all those considerations and adding in the serious price rise between the mk1 and mk2, I choose to wait and see whether Sony won't issue other A7 models keeping the small form factor, but adding IBIS and EFCS.

I was already eyeing the Batis 25mm, but your test confirms that I will love it.

 

[Viramati]

Here's a very quick pass from Lightroom, with my usual settings, plus noise reduction. I went for slightly less detail and a little smoother noise. (settings shown below)

As you've already pointed out: remarkable results at this ISO.

View attachment 94426

View attachment 94425

What ISO is this image? Thanks

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I think Mike was working on the 6400.

 

[PeterA]

Loving the 25Batis the 85 looks ok ...35 looks meh...
I reckon I might pick one of these cameras up .

thanks for posting these shots Guy

 

[vjbelle]

Lots of work, Guy, thanks so much. I did make an observation regarding the 85mm. In your post #5 showing 100% pixels at f1.8 the building and light are obviously soft. However, the item on the pole behind it 'is' much more in focus and I would say really in focus compared to the building..... just an observation.

Victor

 

[Amin]

Thanks for all the great work, Guy! Can't wait to get my two Batis lenses!

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Lots of work, Guy, thanks so much. I did make an observation regarding the 85mm. In your post #5 showing 100% pixels at f1.8 the building and light are obviously soft. However, the item on the pole behind it 'is' much more in focus and I would say really in focus compared to the building..... just an observation.

Victor

I will check that out. I actually ran the 85 twice

 

[Guy Mancuso]

It looks like I was very slightly off center to wall (Maybe 6 inches) . One issue is that wall has no center point to go by and I may have twisted the camera ever so slightly to center it. Completely my mistake.

Here is another series , I actually shot 2 series and look at the right side and at 2.8 the gas pedal is starting to go down..

I have the raws right here

https://www.hightail.com/download/bXBhT215SWVENlNjZDhUQw

Thank you Victor for your keen eye on that one

 

[cmarker1]

Guy,
Thank you for the excellent information and unbiased write up. I apologize for a new person question. I am coming from a Canon 5D III. Instead of building up my Canon lens collection I want a fresh start with the Sony system. It would be great to own all three primes (and the Sony Zeiss 55mm 1.8). Of these lenses, which would you start off with?
-Batis 25mm 2
-Sony 35mm 1.4
-Sony 55mm 1.8
-Batis 85mm 1.8

I would like to start with the Batis 85 (for portraits) and a nice walk around lens (and maybe fill in the spaces later). Is it wise to go with the Batis 25 or the Sony 35 as my general walk around lens?

 

[Guy Mancuso]

The problem is the Batis 25 and 85 are really hard to get at the moment but I would start with the 55 as folks just love that lens and it can be your shorter 85 if need be with crop mode.

The one question I always ask folks is which lens are you more likely to have has the lens cap lens. Always on and gets a great percentage of use. Most people its a 50 and for me its a 35. So once you know that than you can gap for each lens

Lets say its 35mm than 15, 25, 35, 85

If its was a 50 than a good gap is 21,28,50, 85/90 and than something longer on both

If your just getting into the system and want to keep costs down. Than the 28 F2 is really cheap and quite good and than the 55 and if your into Macro the 90 is very good. The good news you can buy all three today and not wait

If money is not the biggest issue and very high quality than yea the 25,35 and 85 are about some of the best you can buy in native glass along with the 55.

Now if you like manual only lenses but still native the Loxia 35 and 50 are very very nice and you can find them today in stock.

But you need to figure out that lens cap lens as that is the key to a complete system. I always say think system purchase not as individual pieces because than you wind up having to sell something later to get your gapping correctly

Zooms the 16-35 is very nice but from 16 to about 26mm than its starts to lose quality

BTW don't ever be afraid to ask those newbie questions. Please this is how you learn and most folks here love to help.


Oh and if you need a body . I think the folks at Newtonville in MA have one in stock. The A7rII, tell them I sent you

 

[TEAM KEN]

Awesome info.
Thanks for sharing your findings.
Ken

 

[davidstock]

Thanks for doing all this work, Guy. I have an 85mm Batis on order, so this is very useful to me.

One question: Since the A7RII always opens up the aperture to focus, unlike the other A7 models, I wonder if there are any issues with focus shift? I see some slight possibility of this in your Batis 85 aperture series', between f1.8 and f4.

--d

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I do not think so but I will check it tommorrow.

I'll shoot a newspaper at a angle or something like that

 

[Guy Mancuso]

No not at all. Just tried three diffrent lengths and nothing

 

[iiiNelson]

Gotta run to the store but I have some images like this to post for sure so please check in later

Batis 25mm. Folks BUY this lens

I hate to say I told you so and that I called it but as great as the 85 is (the 90 Macro perhaps stole a bit of its thunder too) the 25 is the real gem of the first two Batis lenses.

 

[iiiNelson]

Guy,
Thank you for the excellent information and unbiased write up. I apologize for a new person question. I am coming from a Canon 5D III. Instead of building up my Canon lens collection I want a fresh start with the Sony system. It would be great to own all three primes (and the Sony Zeiss 55mm 1.8). Of these lenses, which would you start off with?
-Batis 25mm 2
-Sony 35mm 1.4
-Sony 55mm 1.8
-Batis 85mm 1.8

I would like to start with the Batis 85 (for portraits) and a nice walk around lens (and maybe fill in the spaces later). Is it wise to go with the Batis 25 or the Sony 35 as my general walk around lens?

That's my exact kit (with a 135/1.8 added in for good measure.) It would depend on budget but Guy's advice is spot on. IMO those are the "best" native lenses in the FE mount but the Loxia's aren't far behind and the 28FE isn't too far behind them. Some like the 35/2.8FE but it's a lens that I quickly sold for something faster with more character. I'd choose the 28FE over it everyday and that's saying a lot if you knew how much I didn't care for 28 too much.

 

[uhoh7]

Very nice to see the images and I know from experience all the work that goes into a presentation like this.

But for me it's hard to tell alot from the tests because the test frame is not a true infinity and the details are also simple and relatively close. This is not where the Sonys really struggle.

Even so I do not see the Batis corners coming in, but I can't be sure. Not any deal breaker if the plain edges are available.

Again, for me, nothing beats a simple shot from a little hill overlooking a town, such that all the frame is at a true infiinty. Then the lens performance becomes very clear.

But I think you have an excellent lens set there, Guy Great color rendition. I think you are very happy with the body, and that's a good thing.