The 85 is way easier to use yes. I usually have a 50 on me so I can work with the space with that, if I want more 105 gets too close sometimes. Studio yes. Some of the makeshift garbage rooms I get thrown in no. Especially if there are tables. It's almost an instant hell no if I'm using a DSLR because of the central AF point cluster. Same can also be said for events when I'm having people walking towards me. It's manageable with 85, 105 limbs start getting cut off a lot quicker. I actually got the 85 because this was happening to me during a medical school event. People were walking towards me to go to the podium and I'd get the shot, but like everything after like 2 images is just chopped off hands and such. Some of the stuff is situational yes and I actually just checked that event album and I made it work, but it's something I do remember having in the back of my head. wjmeyer wrote:
That is exactly what I'm thinking, indoor dance, wedding reception, etc. So it sounds like you have not noticed any limitations with the 105E on the Z9 even in these situations AF wise, so the biggest limitation may be the 105 vs. the 85mm experience with 85 offering a little more flexibility.
JadedWriter wrote:
The 85 is way easier to use yes. I usually have a 50 on me so I can work with the space with that, if I want more 105 gets too close sometimes. Studio yes. Some of the makeshift garbage rooms I get thrown in no. Especially if there are tables. It's almost an instant hell no if I'm using a DSLR because of the central AF point cluster. Same can also be said for events when I'm having people walking towards me. It's manageable with 85, 105 limbs start getting cut off a lot quicker. I actually got the 85 because this was happening to me during a medical school event. People were walking towards me to go to the podium and I'd get the shot, but like everything after like 2 images is just chopped off hands and such. Some of the stuff is situational yes and I actually just checked that event album and I made it work, but it's something I do remember having in the back of my head.
This by no way means the 105 is bad though. I have some winners in my portfolio with that thing. I just really have to find the time to use the 85 as much as I used that thing though. Should probably go through my college graduation archives and upload some of those. I also have some student portraits off the 85 that are excellent. Both are workhorses. wjmeyer wrote:
Greatly appreciated, this helps a lot.
suteetat wrote:
85/1.2S focus speed is much much faster. If you look at earlier page, I even managed to track bif with it (granted one of the bigger slower birds). The sumo shots I did was in an indoor shot and 85/1.2S really did not have any problem following the action.
In my experience, 105/1.4e probably has cateye bokeh all over the frame except for may be the very center whereas 85/1.2S shows cateye bokey only in the periphery. For me, I was using 105/1.4e a lot but since I got 85/1.2S, I have not touch 105/1.4 much.
I just got my 85mm f/1.2 S and have been playing a little, even though I read specs and saw reviews nothing prepared me for just how chunky this lens is It almost feels like I'm using a 200mm f/2 not an 85mm lens But IQ appears out of this world, need to do some more testing before I decide which stays (105 1.4E or 85 1.2S) and which goes. I do have a question for other 1.2 users, does your lens make a noise when focusing? My other S lenses are utterly silent but the 85 1.2S makes a motor noise when focusing, I haven't seen any other reviews mention this so wondering is it just my lens or do you all hear the motor whine during focusing? It's not loud by any stretch and only heard in quiet environments, but heard nonetheless.
This is where this lens excels, love these, but especially love the shot through the steel tubes (#4) and #3 offers a great perspective as well, I love how the city fades into beautiful softness
wjmeyer wrote:
I just got my 85mm f/1.2 S and have been playing a little, even though I read specs and saw reviews nothing prepared me for just how chunky this lens is It almost feels like I'm using a 200mm f/2 not an 85mm lens But IQ appears out of this world, need to do some more testing before I decide which stays (105 1.4E or 85 1.2S) and which goes. I do have a question for other 1.2 users, does your lens make a noise when focusing? My other S lenses are utterly silent but the 85 1.2S makes a motor noise when focusing, I haven't seen any other reviews mention this so wondering is it just my lens or do you all hear the motor whine during focusing? It's not loud by any stretch and only heard in quiet environments, but heard nonetheless. ...Show more →
I dont think I ever noticed much noise from the motor. Not any more than my other Z lenses anyhow. However, I am traveling and dont have 85/1.2s with me to try. It is a very chunky lens but still far from 200/2 vr I think
wjmeyer wrote:
I just got my 85mm f/1.2 S and have been playing a little, even though I read specs and saw reviews nothing prepared me for just how chunky this lens is It almost feels like I'm using a 200mm f/2 not an 85mm lens But IQ appears out of this world, need to do some more testing before I decide which stays (105 1.4E or 85 1.2S) and which goes. I do have a question for other 1.2 users, does your lens make a noise when focusing? My other S lenses are utterly silent but the 85 1.2S makes a motor noise when focusing, I haven't seen any other reviews mention this so wondering is it just my lens or do you all hear the motor whine during focusing? It's not loud by any stretch and only heard in quiet environments, but heard nonetheless. ...Show more →
No whine. Just a small electronic noise which is the two motors, and you only hear it if your face is pressed into the viewfinder in a completely silent room. It makes about the same noise as the Sigma 105mm 1.4.
suteetat wrote:
I dont think I ever noticed much noise from the motor. Not any more than my other Z lenses anyhow. However, I am traveling and dont have 85/1.2s with me to try. It is a very chunky lens but still far from 200/2 vr I think
For an 85mm, it's pretty ridiculous.
I actually feel more subconscious about this 85mm f/1.2 than I do about having my 200mm f2 mounted.
If I owned the 50mm f/1.2 I would feel like a clown.
OhSnap wrote:
No whine. Just a small electronic noise which is the two motors, and you only hear it if your face is pressed into the viewfinder in a completely silent room. It makes about the same noise as the Sigma 105mm 1.4.
Thanks snap, like I mentioned my other S lenses (24-70, 24-120, 70-200 and 85 1.8) are completely silent in the same quiet room, but when the 85 1.2 focuses there is a distinct whir of the AF motor. Just tying to figure out if this is normal for the 85 or if mine for some reason has extra noise. I do not intend to use it for video and not a big deal for stills but just curious if others have noticed similar
wjmeyer wrote:
Thanks snap, like I mentioned my other S lenses (24-70, 24-120, 70-200 and 85 1.8) are completely silent in the same quiet room, but when the 85 1.2 focuses there is a distinct whir of the AF motor. Just tying to figure out if this is normal for the 85 or if mine for some reason has extra noise. I do not intend to use it for video and not a big deal for stills but just curious if others have noticed similar
If you make a video of yours and it up somewhere I'll listen to it and tell you if it's the same as mine.
Those are some of my favorites as well. Thank you!
quote]wjmeyer wrote:
This is where this lens excels, love these, but especially love the shot through the steel tubes (#4) and #3 offers a great perspective as well, I love how the city fades into beautiful softness
It's def my favorite lens and then comes to 50 1.2 S
Probably background compression reasons. I used both on a shoot at F2 on both and for full bodies and half bodies and such I preferred what I was getting out of the 85. wjmeyer wrote:
In what way do you love it more than the 50?
I had to put my hand in front of the lens to get it to hunt, but if you listen closely you can hear the AF motors whirring when changing focus, this is the same noise heard when trying to focus at different distances. Again, in comparison, my other S lenses when given the same situation are absolutely silent, there is no noise when they focus on something either near or far.
JadedWriter wrote:
Probably background compression reasons. I used both on a shoot at F2 on both and for full bodies and half bodies and such I preferred what I was getting out of the 85.
For portrait type shots I definitely prefer the 85 as well and am not sure between the 85 and the 105 at this point, I am still on the fence between these two lenses.
It almost feels like I'm using a 200mm f/2 not an 85mm lens 
But IQ appears out of this world, need to do some more testing before I decide which stays (105 1.4E or 85 1.2S) and which goes. I do have a question for other 1.2 users, does your lens make a noise when focusing? My other S lenses are utterly silent but the 85 1.2S makes a motor noise when focusing, I haven't seen any other reviews mention this so wondering is it just my lens or do you all hear the motor whine during focusing? It's not loud by any stretch and only heard in quiet environments, but heard nonetheless.
