MJKoski wrote:
Right. So possible user error. Any of you actual owners tried to use the lens without 3.1?
i updated the firmware before mounting the lens for the first time.
but i can tell you having taken about 400 shots with the lens this week (and about the same with the Batis 85) - the AF of both lenses is tack sharp, i had very few AF misses (as in very very very few). the batis is a bit faster and silent. but both nail it. the a7r2 gets a lot of the credit but neither lens gets in the way at all.
Have to agree I shot every brand of either the 180 F2, 200 2 combinations out there and about the only lens that would match it but they are hard to work with, sometimes too long and way more expensive. Did I mention heavier than carrying your grandma on your shoulders. Lol
Interesting note form Diglloyd (didn't sound as if others here had a similar problem?): "Right away with the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM, I noticed a disturbing tendency for Sony A7R II autofocus to be off enough to seriously degrade results at f/1.4, enough to call it a “2 stop error” in some cases, meaning at least f/2.8 would be needed to obtain the quality that ought to have been captured wide open at f/1.4. Or put another way, an error that turns a 42 megapixel camera into a ~12 megapixel camera. Or something akin to that. I am *so* glad I noticed this right away. I will have to do all my evaluation using manual focus, or at least confirm all AF results with full magnification Live View before exposing.
A local friend reports similar issues."
What a crock of shit. We all been doing it without even the slightest bit of problem. This whole thread is loaded with 1.4 AF shots. I can't even read his site, what does that tell you.
GMPhotography wrote:
What a crock of shit. We all been doing it without even the slightest bit of problem. This whole thread is loaded with 1.4 AF shots. I can't even read his site, what does that tell you.
Yes, weird.
Added:
He considered the optical quality as extremely good, matched by only a few lenses (e.g. Otus, Milvus, Zeiss APO).
Holger wrote:
Interesting note form Diglloyd (didn't sound as if others here had a similar problem?): "Right away with the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM, I noticed a disturbing tendency for Sony A7R II autofocus to be off enough to seriously degrade results at f/1.4, enough to call it a “2 stop error” in some cases, meaning at least f/2.8 would be needed to obtain the quality that ought to have been captured wide open at f/1.4. Or put another way, an error that turns a 42 megapixel camera into a ~12 megapixel camera. Or something akin to that. I am *so* glad I noticed this right away. I will have to do all my evaluation using manual focus, or at least confirm all AF results with full magnification Live View before exposing.
A local friend reports similar issues."...Show more →
Why the heck didn't you quote this part at the top of part you quoted?!
UPDATE: it seems that Sony A7R II firmware 3.0 is not advised, and version 3.1 should be used. Why doesn’t Sony put a bright red note in the box? (There is a “for optimal use keep firmware updated” innocuous sheet with the other useless printed stuff). Maybe it will fix things, maybe not. I’ll update and see.
Now I'm about to go mental and that doesn't happen often.
Not everything is free. The good stuff just happens to be behind the paywall. So far all the test results I have read in the past have been true and proven with own equipment. The blog just happens to be there for making a lot of noise.
MJKoski wrote:
Not everything is free. The good stuff just happens to be behind the paywall. So far all the test results I have read in the past have been true and proven with own equipment. The blog just happens to be there for making a lot of noise.
DLloyd is a total *** (as far as attitude and personality) but he is exhaustive & methodical in his testing, at least within his wheelhouse. I think he's slightly less immune to bias now that he clearly has some relationship with Zeiss (they flew him to Germany last year for something and they gave him an advance copy of the B18).
GMPhotography wrote:
Not sure how you can say it sucks I can't get focus than add that to the bottom of the comment. Make zero sense
? I didn't say it sucks, did you miss the "he"? It is Diglloyds comment I cited not mine (therefore the "", I just missed his update comment on firmware 3.1). Additionally, he was talking about AF not optical quality. You, similarly to me before, should have read better.
I think Ecarlino is being a little harsh in his language regarding Lloyd (not sure why he feels he has to resort to that kind of language and name calling, but to each his own). Lloyd does very thorough testing, but often seems to encounter problems with things that others don't have difficulty with. I attribute this to his hopping from one system to another and not really being dialed in on any one system. This latest thing with not updating his firmware and assuming his AF problems were the fault of the lens is a good example. Most of us who use Sony cameras know that there are often firmware updates for new lenses. There is a lot of good info on Lloyd's blog, but it's certainly not worth the cost for those of us that get just as good or better info on FM forums.
Jeff Kott wrote:
I think Ecarlino is being a little harsh in his language regarding Lloyd (not sure why he feels he has to resort to that kind of language and name calling, but to each his own). Lloyd does very thorough testing, but often seems to encounter problems with things that others don't have difficulty with. I attribute this to his hopping from one system to another and not really being dialed in on any one system. This latest thing with not updating his firmware and assuming his AF problems were the fault of the lens is a good example. Most of us who use Sony cameras know that there are often firmware updates for new lenses. There is a lot of good info on Lloyd's blog, but it's certainly not worth the cost for those of us that get just as good or better info on FM forums....Show more →
w/o details, i'll leave it as few personal communiques i've had with LLoyd along with his frequently including the phrase "your author" whenever he writes things. and the fact that i find it somewhat laughable that someone that pompous can forget to change the IBIS settings and then write several pages of reviews based on those messed up images or even crazier rip a great lens for poor AF when he didn't even update his own firmware and then leave those pages live as if the AF were a legit problem.
i will note that his personality aside, i have been complimentary of his skills and reviews, aside from the few noted exceptions.
i do apologize however b/c the FM forums are not the place for that language and i should know better b/c it's more about respecting this audience than Lloyd.
Holger wrote:
? I didn't say it sucks, did you miss the "he"? It is Diglloyds comment I cited not mine (therefore the "", I just missed his update comment on firmware 3.1). Additionally, he was talking about AF not optical quality. You, similarly to me before, should have read better.
I have cross-posted in image thread so I do apologize to those who have seen the post
Thanks to this thread I checked with DigiDirect this morning in Brisbane and they had a GM85/1.4 in stock There was one of the staff that had been waiting for the Batis 85 so we made a direct trade this morning. I have the GM 85 and he has my Batis 85 plus a few dollars.
In light of the thread, I checked my GM 85 regarding noise in AF and MF mode and there is virtually none! The AF is normal with no issues so I am fortunate in this respect.
Some of test photos in the camera store and outside to make sure there were no issues with noisy AF/MF.
