I noticed that there wasn’t a dedicated thread for this lens. I’m hoping we can start one because I am the proud owner of one as of last Thursday. I remember the conversations about this lens and I should’ve gone with it in the first place. But my formerly local camera store sales rep talked me into getting the Batis 85 f/1.8 because he said it was sharper and better. Well, yes and no. I find the 85 G Master to be fantastic and very sharp. I don’t care about the focus noise, not an issue with me. I do however love it’s rendering.
So, is it ok to start a thread on this lens? I haven’t taken any real portraits with it yet, but I’m so ready to do so. I can’t wait and this Sunday I’ll do some studio work using it. So share your photos, ideas, concerns, and complaints regarding the lens. I love searching Instagram for photos taken with this lens and the A7r III like I have. But they are just phots and no feedback and critique. But inspiration none the less.
I took the lens out in my front yard on my AstroTrac to test it on the stars and see how it performs. Wide open the stars are sharp across the frame except for the extreme edges and corners. The stars look good at f/2.8 all the way across so that was good to see. My sky conditions sucked though. But better skies are coming...
Amazing... I love the lighting on this. Open shade? Under a staircase?
I was testing my 85mm just by aiming it at the tops of some trees with white clouds behind them. Approximately 60% of the frame was the trees (semi dark, low details) and the camera over exposed by 1.5 stops at least. I was using multi metering at the time and I felt as if the camera was on center weight metering. That’s how it behaved anyway. When I switched to highlight metering, the shot was better, but not perfect. I saw your thread on highlight metering then you added +2 ev. Is this the mode you use all the time and does your 85mm cause the camera to meter that way?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Here is a portrait of my daughter Gia.
Todd wrote:
Amazing... I love the lighting on this. Open shade? Under a staircase?
I was testing my 85mm just by aiming it at the tops of some trees with white clouds behind them. Approximately 60% of the frame was the trees (semi dark, low details) and the camera over exposed by 1.5 stops at least. I was using multi metering at the time and I felt as if the camera was on center weight metering. That’s how it behaved anyway. When I switched to highlight metering, the shot was better, but not perfect. I saw your thread on highlight metering then you added +2 ev. Is this the mode you use all the time and does your 85mm cause the camera to meter that way?
...Show more →Fred Miranda wroteHere is a portrait of my daughter Gia.
Thank you.
I just opened the door of my house and placed her outside of the direct lighting.
So was this shot using the highlights metering mode, +1.3 ev?
Fred Miranda wrote: Todd wroteAmazing... I love the lighting on this. Open shade? Under a staircase?
I was testing my 85mm just by aiming it at the tops of some trees with white clouds behind them. Approximately 60% of the frame was the trees (semi dark, low details) and the camera over exposed by 1.5 stops at least. I was using multi metering at the time and I felt as if the camera was on center weight metering. That’s how it behaved anyway. When I switched to highlight metering, the shot was better, but not perfect. I saw your thread on highlight metering then you added +2 ev. Is this the mode you use all the time and does your 85mm cause the camera to meter that way?
Fred Miranda wroteHere is a portrait of my daughter Gia.Thank you.
I just opened the door of my house and placed her outside of the direct lighting.
Here are some stat tests, nothing fantastic because of lousy sky conditions...but I ca already tell this camera will do extremely well with the red colored H-alpha nebulosity because it picked up so much of it in this short 32 second exposure. I know this is a lame example, severe light pollution in the south, tons of water vapor in the air..etc. I can only imagine what a super clear night will do, come on cold fronts!
Overall the 85 GM did well at f/2.8.
Crop showing the swan and eagle nebulas
Extreme lower edge of the frame of the triffid nebula.
Todd wrote:
That’s great! Nice stance by the way..lol.
So was this shot using the highlights metering mode, +1.3 ev?
Fred Miranda wroteTodd wroteAmazing... I love the lighting on this. Open shade? Under a staircase?
I was testing my 85mm just by aiming it at the tops of some trees with white clouds behind them. Approximately 60% of the frame was the trees (semi dark, low details) and the camera over exposed by 1.5 stops at least. I was using multi metering at the time and I felt as if the camera was on center weight metering. That’s how it behaved anyway. When I switched to highlight metering, the shot was better, but not perfect. I saw your thread on highlight metering then you added +2 ev. Is this the mode you use all the time and does your 85mm cause the camera to meter that way?
Fred Miranda wroteHere is a portrait of my daughter Gia.Thank you.
I just opened the door of my house and placed her outside of the direct lighting.
On this one you can see me on her left eye.
Yes, I usually use Highlight metering with compensation between +1.3 and 2EV (depending on the scene contrast)
At infinity distance, that's the aperture the 85/1.4GM starts to shine. If it was not heavy and big I would use it for landscapes. Its resolution is amazing.
Those are great! I like the colored walls behind him.
I did the same thing as you, traded up from the Batis 1.8 to this awesome hunk of glass.
loganme wrote:
Finally bit the bullet and traded the 85mm f1.8 for the GM and am very glad I did. Sure, it's heavier, but it's very special 85mm lens, IMO.
The owner of Precision Camera in Austin told me he visited the with someone who makes these 85mm GM lenses and he told Jerry (PC owner) that the 85 was made to be useable or have enough resolution for a 100mp sensor. He now wonders if that’s Sony’s future goal.... hm.
So yeah, it is a superb lens.
Fred Miranda wrote: Todd wroteOverall the 85 GM did well at f/2.8.At infinity distance, that's the aperture the 85/1.4GM starts to shine. If it was not heavy and big I would use it for landscapes. Its resolution is amazing.
It's one of my favourites and I love to use it for anything. Of course, I have many portraits, but I don't share pictures of people over the public net. Therefore here different stuff to show the versatility. Some I posted already somewhere in another thread.