Archive 2015 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
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p.26 #1 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
alundeb wrote:
I count 12 elements in 7 groups in the Tamron patent. SAR has a recent track record of creating wild, unfounded speculations on their own account.
That depends on how you interpret the diagram. I thought what was labelled CG was the mount and not an element, but it is ambiguous, and on the other end, if we start numbering from the left are the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th elements one group or are the 2nd and 3rd one group and the 4th a single element group. I interpreted it as two groups, but again it is pretty ambiguous.
p.26 #2 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
I count eleven elements in eight groups. It would not be the first time that a patent is sold. It has bern speculated that Olympus bought the patent for the Olympus 75/1.8 for the micro 43 system from Sigma, and that lens is truly spectacular.
p.26 #4 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
Zeiss is a marketing firm with very little lens making abilities (specialized in Germany), everything else is a collaboration with makers and designers with different levels of Zeiss input. Sony puts the blue sticker on lenses to raise the price to nosebleed levels. These new Batis lenses are actually quite reasonable for modern prices (maybe we consumers will get lucky and Tamron will release these without "T" coating for 2/3 the price).
p.26 #5 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
mogul wrote:
Zeiss is a marketing firm with very little lens making abilities (specialized in Germany), everything else is a collaboration with makers and designers with different levels of Zeiss input. Sony puts the blue sticker on lenses to raise the price to nosebleed levels. These new Batis lenses are actually quite reasonable for modern prices (maybe we consumers will get lucky and Tamron will release these without "T" coating for 2/3 the price).
I think the vast majority of zeiss lenses are designed in house. The only exceptions I can think of are the cheap contax N 28-70 and the 70-200 AF lenses that were done by Sigma. Of course Sony zeiss are designed by Sony for the most part and I wouldn't be surprised if the 85 was designed by Tamron. It will benefit even more from Zeiss T* coatings and top manufacturing quality.
p.26 #7 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
The only thing with a Zeiss sticker on that I haven't been entirely satisfied with is the Sony Zeiss 16-70/4 for APS-C. The Touits have bern fine and so have my Sony Zeiss prime lenses. I wouldm't worry too much, if the Batis 85 is indeed a Tamron design. I think Zeiss ensures that there is a common design philosophy or signature for their lenses, even if design work and/or production is outsourced.
p.26 #10 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
Jman13 wrote:
And yet the Sony Zeiss 35/1.4 and 55/1.8 are among the best lenses of their type ever made.
The designer of the 55/1.8 has himself admitted that his inspiration in designing this lens was the Zeiss rendering. He wanted it to be as Zeissy as possible and I believe he might have overdone it slightly
The same cannot be said about the 35/1.4. From the samples I've seen so far, it is quite soft wide open and has this buttery smooth bokeh that is not at all Zeissy. Compare the rendering to the ZM 35/1.4 and the difference in design philosophy would be clear.
p.26 #14 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
Jman13 wrote:
The 35/1.4 is not soft wide open at ALL.
actually, i've been reviewing as many images from the 35/1.4 as possible as i am going to either get it or the Batis 25 - and my personal view is that i'd probably never shoot it at f/1.4 because
(a) the DoF is razor thin and its not my style and
(b) it seems to sharpen up considerably by f/2
LC notes that at f/1.4 there is considerably less of micro contrast compared to f/2 most likely due to LOCA - and that may be what people are noticing wide open - or it may be that DoF is so shallow that focus may be slightly off and that is what is sometimes being seen.
while i started out thinking of getting either the 35/1.4 or the 25/2 - they're so different, i may end up with both. the 35 has more than a bit of field curvature and its not equally sharp from corner to corner. but for central subjects and near to medium distances, its rendering is quite pleasing, IMHO. meanwhile, the 25/2 seems like its goal was corner to corner sharp and minimal field curvature. haven't seen enough to evaluate its rendering and bokeh, although i'm not expecting anything close to the 35/1.4
even though i'd prefer greater spacing between lenses, it's feeling like the 25/2 and 55/1.8 are going to be my landscape/streetscape lenses for flat field and edge to edge sharpenss but with perhaps second in class bokeh whereas the 35/1.4 and 85/1.8 are going to have beautiful rendering and bokeh, but perhaps more useful with central subjects.
these are all great lenses, so please don't mistake my emphasis on their strengths as a criticism of their weakness because in all 4 of these, their 'weaknesses' really don't seem that weak. in this class, it's really splitting hairs.
p.26 #15 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
adamdewilde wrote:
I have the 35/1.4 FE, it's pretty boring.. Really that's all I can say about it. Reminds me of my 35ART (ok I guess two things I can say about it).
I was going to say the bokeh is very much sigma style Not criticizing the lens, it is by all means excellent. Just saying it is not Zeissy in rendering, even though it carries the Zeiss badge.
p.26 #16 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
edwardkaraa wrote:
The designer of the 55/1.8 has himself admitted that his inspiration in designing this lens was the Zeiss rendering. He wanted it to be as Zeissy as possible and I believe he might have overdone it slightly
+1 for some rendering characteristics, specially vignetting is overdone, the extreme corners will cause vignetting even at f/8.
Also designer forgot one of the "most Zeiss"-rendering characteristics; on most Zeiss designed lenses boke has less contrast than the focus plane. Due to this rendering characteristic Zeiss boke can be same time little rough but not disturbing - e.g. C/Y 1.4/35. FE55 on other hand has really huge contrast in boke, and in my opinion pretty rough boke for normal lens (of course "flower boke" is nice, but talking here boke on scenes where there is details/patterns in boke close by focus plane).
p.26 #19 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
Using one of Guy's terms the FE 35/1.4 is a 'look' lens and a very fine one at that. You can look up the children shots comparo against a ZM 35/1.4 here at FM for more. Sony are turning out lenses that are less easily 'analyzed' by aberration checklists, a good move IMO, the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. It's a romantic look almost, best suited to human subjects.
It's also high time vignetting was struck from the list for such purposes, for example. The FE55 designer's fave lens is the 135STF, and he admits to moving away from a clinical quasi-perfect look, to get more of the CZ/Leica look.
Zeiss - the gold standard - cannot be compared to anyone in the business, such is their design prowess and reach across niches fron cine to phones. When will Tamron be used by Hollywood to shoot Oscar winners? CZ may have to make a new age 50/100MP style set in Batis to show the community they've still got 'it' for certain subject matter needs. ;-)
p.26 #20 · Zeiss "Batis" AF lens line to be released for FF E-mount
I posted this over my place. Though worth repeating along with the 2 Batis what a kit this is.
Big mistake. I'm in NY and stopped in the Sony store. They had the 1.4 on display and of course I made them let me play with it. First it's not heavy and it's not big. What a myth that is. It's a 35 1.4 lens like anyone else that has a 1.4 lens. It's a freaking beauty that's what it is. Pretty simple
I'll wait till after getting my Batis glass and A7r but it's really nice. I'm happy with my Loxia right now and shot it quite a bit this trip. I have both Loxia lenses with me and the 16-35 which I have not even shot yet.
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