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 p.7 #6 · p.7 #6 · 'a Batis story...' - a photographic sketchbook for the summer 2022 | |
Kalainen wrote:
Hi there and sorry for the late reply. I noticed the thread earlier, but I’ve been really busy (and tired lately), so I needed to find a time to write a proper answer.
So, am I still using the Batis lenses and if I am, which one I use? I can happily say that I’m still using all the Batis lenses – I’ve even used the Batis 2.8/18, Batis 2/25 & Batis 2/40 CF today. In fact, when I started the Batis blog I already had the Batis 2/25, Batis 2/40 CF and Batis 1.8/85. With the agreement with ZEISS I created a blog and bought the Batis 2.8/18 and Batis 2.8/135 with some price reduction. It was really a perfect match for me: (1) I got to create a photo blog for the summer (which did active my photography a lot), (2) I got myself those last missing Batis lenses.
As I’ve already mentioned in the blog, the Batis lens family is very important to me as I’ve built (part of) my aesthetics on it. It’s the ZEISS contrast & colors which are a kind of ‘hardwired’ to my post processing giving me a very nuanced process which will always ‘land on the same target’. Change the lens to something else and I would (sort of) struggling with the outcome. I don’t want to do that since I’m super happy the contrast & colors. As I’ve tested the other lenses, there’s no real alternative, excepts maybe the Sony GMs. But even with the GMs the contrast isn’t always as good (but it’s pretty darn close) and while the colors are good (they really are), they just aren’t the ZEISS colors. So even with the super fast primes like the GM 50/1.2, I just don’t see enough the positives to break my setup.
I’m also very happy with the focal length gapping of the Batis lens family. I’ve got the basic setup ‘wide-normal-tele’ and the super-wide and medium-tele to go with it. If I would change, for example, the Batis 2/40 CF for Sony GM 50/1.2 lens I would have ask myself that what I would do with the Batis 2/40 CF then? The gapping would be different (learn the visualize it again), colors would be different (readjust the post processing routines for just one lens). Of course I would gain more speed, but I don’t really see the appeal of super fast 50mm in other shooting scenarios other than when the subject is far enough and one can still blur the background a bit – however even in these scenarios one still doesn’t reach ‘the large format look’ (I’ve tested it). Closer than that, it’s a wash. Further than that, it doesn’t matter. And I can make similar kind stuff with the Batis 85. So, even if the Sony GM 50/1.2 was interesting (it’s really the only Sony lens that I’ve been interested about), it just doesn’t bring enough to the table. The Batis lenses are already very very close the to their GM counterparts, especially in image quality, the other tech is different of course (like AF etc.). And in the end I believe having a consistent rendering over the whole lens setup – which the Batis lens family will give me.
Some short remarks:
Batis 2.8/18 – very competent image quality, perfect for creative shots
Batis 2/25 – beautiful rendering even though at f/2 suffers from some loca
Batis 2/40 CF – workhorse lens which has just a perfect focal length
Batis 1.8/85 – interestingly doesn’t get as much use as before, but technically a very competent lens
Batis 2.8/135 – such a beautiful lens, optically best of the bunch, but the focal length is challenging
But here’s the thing. I don’t think it’s useful to chase ‘the perfect kit’ because it can have so much negative effects on one’s photography. Worst of them all, it leads to this technically oriented way of approaching photography (instead of being subject/content orientated). There will always be the next ‘best thing’ (noticed how the new Sony GMs are already described as ‘perfect and boring’?) and it can lead one to never ending cycle where people are ‘preparing for their perfect kit’ for years. It’s a dumb thing to do because then one usually neglects what it important photography wise (ever noticed how some can perfectly describe the effects of 2nd order of aberrations but fail the describe what ‘context’ means in photography and how it can be used). Instead it’s much wiser to go with the one kit you already have (for example wide-normal-tele) and to concentrate on creating as meaningful photographs as one can.
When I finally got the all-Batis-kit (my personal ‘perfect kit’) I found myself asking if it was ‘too late’ for me. Maybe I had already lived past my own personal ‘golden age’ as a photographer and the most meaningful shots of my life were already taken. I kid you not, I had a bit of an empty moment there just to realize that ‘the perfect kit’ it just a mirage of some sort. What’s the use of the perfect kit if there’s no real meaning/reason for it? This can happen if one is always just chasing the perfect kit - the life doesn’t wait. Luckily for me I found that I still have important work to do (even had the third kid born into our family six months ago), so the Batis kit will see some real use. So, at this point, would I want to change or ‘upgrade’ something? Hell no. I want to create pictures and I’ve got a pretty amazing kit to just do that. So I’m working on with some pictures and not thinking about the gear. The last thing I bought for my photography was a small notebook. I use it every day to write what really spoke to my heart at particular day, what is meaningful, and I already know it will change my photography as I’m starting to see my subject (the life) in a more focused way.
There’s a saying that I heard some time ago: ‘(in photography) only amateurs change camera bodies and lenses’. The others, I guess, concentrate on making pictures.
I could probably share some recent shots/thoughts with my all-Batis-kit, but I cannot do it today. I would need to figure out how to share them and with everything else going on, it will probably take a few days, but I’ll see if can find the way....Show more →
That is not an answer, Toni - that is a beautiful and insightful essay. Bravo!
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