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Archive 2023 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

Latouf
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

Will be leaving soon to a trip in France. Will be visiting Paris cityscape and museum and will also be going to Normandy.

I don’t feel like bringing the long lense (70-200) to some on some weight. I plan on bringing the 20mm1.8, 35mm1.4 and a sigma 24-70. I would want a slightly longer prime to complete and I hesitate between the Sony 85MM 1.8 and sigma 90 2.8.

Sigma is smaller, lighter but has a slower max aperture. It also has a aperture dial which I enjoy more and more using.

Sony has wider aperture, and is capable of faster FPS on sony as it is native. It also shares the same diameter as my other prime which simplifies filters.

I can get the sigma for 100 less than the sony.

I will take 2 each day depending on the days plan.

Any advise, comparaison?

Edited on Jul 01, 2023 at 04:06 PM · View previous versions

Jul 01, 2023 at 02:49 PM

lensfan
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

That's a lot of lenses. If you carry several lenses weight/size difference between these 85/90 should not be a factor.
Sony 85 has larger apperture and is small so I'd go with it.

Jul 01, 2023 at 03:12 PM

Latouf
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

lensfan wrote:
That's a lot of lenses. If you carry several lenses weight/size difference between these 85/90 should not be a factor.
Sony 85 has larger apperture and is small so I'd go with it.

I will be choosing lens based on the day plan. I will be taking 2 lens every day.

Jul 01, 2023 at 03:23 PM

rob_ww
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

f2.8 is fine at 90mm IMHO. my own choice in a similar dilemma was the Batis 85 -- worth a look unless you really must have an aperture ring.

Jul 01, 2023 at 03:43 PM

chez
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

If I had a choice, I'd go with the faster lens...especially if it's not overly heavy. I like Rob would recommend looking at the Batis 85 as well.

Jul 01, 2023 at 04:45 PM

offtraildog
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

I owned both and kept the 85/1.8. While I prefer an aperture ring, I also liked sharing my 67MM filters across all my primes. Also liked the sharpness, IQ, wider aperture and handling. The 85/1.8 has been around for awhile but still a fantastic prime

BTW - at one point, my 3 prime travel kit was 20/1.8, 35/1.4 and 85/1.8

Jul 01, 2023 at 04:53 PM

Latouf
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

I’ve looked at the batis but this is quite a price difference. I’m sure it is nice but for a lens that, at least for now, will not be use super frequently, I would rather like to keep it to a lower expense.

Jul 01, 2023 at 04:55 PM

AGeoJO
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

I would choose the Batis 85mm as well. Simply, because I have it in my lineup

. The Batis has a built-in OSS but frankly, I am not sure how much that would play a role in the myriad of bodies with IBIS. Does it have an advantage, even a slight advantage, over lenses without, in real life operation, I mean? On the flip side, the Batis is more expensive and has a slightly larger footprint than the FE 85mm f/1.8. Image quality-wise, you cannot tell the difference between the two, at least in real-life conditions where they count.

Jul 01, 2023 at 05:01 PM

QuietOC
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

I bought a second copy of the Sony to try it again, and it still disappoints. AF is unreliable. It purple fringes, the backgrounds are busy. I don't get it, but I assume many are genuinely happy with it.

The Sigma makes lovely images. If F2.8 is ok, there is no reason to consider anything else. I am thinking I should sell my Minolta AF 100mm F2 and other primes in this range.

Jul 01, 2023 at 05:28 PM

patotts
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

I don't think you'll need to bring an 85 prime. The three lenses you have should do fine IMO.

Jul 01, 2023 at 07:35 PM

SpecFoto
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

Mark Galer, a Sony Ambassador, has a very good review video out on the Sigma 90 f2.8 and he owns the Sony f1.8. He talks about how the f2.8 is just fine for portraits, landscapes and travel and gives numerous examples as he took it on 2 overseas trips. Take a look below.

I owned the Sony f1.8, using it for portraits back in 2019. But after a year I upgraded to the Batis 85, as it has OIS, better rendering and handles highlights in the background better. Really like the Batis, but recently I added the Sigma 90 just because of the size and weight savings, as I wanted a smaller 85/90mm lens for travel. It's the tele prime I am taking on my upcoming 2 month trip to Thailand later this month.

Jul 02, 2023 at 01:12 AM

Peire
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

I chose Sigma 90/2.8 and let 85/1.8 Sony go.Why? Sigma is sharper,has manual aperture ring,has closer mfd thus allowing close ups with higher RR,is smaller and lighter.Also the difference between f1.8 and f2.8 is not that significant for travel applications.Sony has better colours and no barrel distortion presented by Sigma.

Of course,my Batis 85/1.8 or Sony GM 85/1.4 or Loxia 85/2.4 are better lenses overall,but more expensive and belong to different league.

PS: In Paris and in France in general you may also need something longer than 85mm.135mm at least and/or 180-200mm.A lot of interesting artchitectural details,landscapes and distant street topics there.

Jul 02, 2023 at 02:44 AM

Latouf
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

Thanks for the post. I was debating bringing the 70-200, but decided against for trying to keep weight down. Given I will do a lot of museum, would also be less useful there.

The 90 in apsc mode is 135 and could do nicely in that respect.

Peire wrote:
I chose Sigma 90/2.8 and let 85/1.8 Sony go.Why? Sigma is sharper,has manual aperture ring,has closer mfd thus allowing close ups with higher RR,is smaller and lighter.Also the difference between f1.8 and f2.8 is not that significant for travel applications.Sony has better colours and no barrel distortion presented by Sigma.

Of course,my Batis 85/1.8 or Sony GM 85/1.4 or Loxia 85/2.4 are better lenses overall,but more expensive and belong to different league.

PS: In Paris and in France in general you may also need something longer than 85mm.135mm at least and/or 180-200mm.A lot of interesting artchitectural details,landscapes and distant street topics there.

Jul 02, 2023 at 06:12 AM

KarmaKramer
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

I dont think you need the 24-70 and an 85, pick one to go with the 20 and just take those 2.

Jul 02, 2023 at 07:31 AM

Newenglandrocks
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

QuietOC wrote:
I bought a second copy of the Sony to try it again, and it still disappoints. AF is unreliable. It purple fringes, the backgrounds are busy. I don't get it, but I assume many are genuinely happy with it.

The Sigma makes lovely images. If F2.8 is ok, there is no reason to consider anything else. I am thinking I should sell my Minolta AF 100mm F2 and other primes in this range.

Interesting about the AF. I have never had issues with AF - it is absolutely cracking on the A9. Below is from a sequence when I was down low and had a fraction of a second to acquire AF.

As for the OP - I would personally modify the kit and bring the Tamron 28-200 for the reach. It is significantly lighter than the 24-70 DG DN, and for shooting in a city, I will usually have the Tamron and one or two primes. I personally don't even bring the FE85 when traveling, as I have found the Tamron gets me the reach I need. But I do use it lots during the winter, as I love shooting 85mm for alpine scenery and action shots at the resort.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52784769552_dadb248874_k.jpg

Edited on Jul 02, 2023 at 01:12 PM · View previous versions

Jul 02, 2023 at 07:44 AM

keepcoding
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

Latouf wrote:
Will be leaving soon to a trip in France. Will be visiting Paris cityscape and museum and will also be going to Normandy.

I don’t feel like bringing the long lense (70-200) to some on some weight. I plan on bringing the 20mm1.8, 35mm1.4 and a sigma 24-70. I would want a slightly longer prime to complete and I hesitate between the Sony 85MM 1.8 and sigma 90 2.8.

Sigma is smaller, lighter but has a slower max aperture. It also has a aperture dial which I enjoy more and more using.

Sony has wider aperture, and is capable of...Show more →

Interesting, around here the Sony is ~150$ cheaper than the Sigma.

Despite the price difference, I decided to ditch the Sony in favor of the Sigma. Mainly because of the smaller size, better build, and lower LoCA. But both are great lenses, I think it really is just a matter of personal preference.

Jul 02, 2023 at 11:16 AM

rob_ww
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

I had a preference for lenses with visible controls such as aperture. But as I started to experience the lenses for the Sony system I found the Zeiss lenses needed a lot less software correction (does it matter?) and rendered more atrractively to my eye. So I let go of the desire for a visible aperture control, after 40 years of always using it. To me, it was more important that all my lenses perform in the same way, so I can pay attention to the picture and not the gear. I want it to be instinctive. So once I had lenses I liked that did not have visible aperture control, I wanted all of them to work in the same way.

That's just me. All the Batis lenses are available second-hand in excellent condition at attractive prices, maybe because fashion has moved on. I did own the Sigma 85/1.4 and it is very impressive indeed. But the Batis 85 is smaller and lighter again and more useful for travel.

Jul 02, 2023 at 11:54 AM

j4nu
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

Not sure what's your weight limit, but considering you already have [email protected], I'd go for something faster to make it more meaningful. Samyang/Rokinon 85/1.4 AF II is rather compact and light (~500g) for a fast 85mm...

Jul 02, 2023 at 12:24 PM

Latouf
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

Might have solved the question. Found a 85mm used for a fair price 150 (than what I can find a sigma 90). Given, Im leaving in 7 days, wont have a lot of time to find used a used Batis.

I like the idea of the 28-200, but it would be more expensive, heavier and not as fast aperture. Will look into this further for another potential purchase. :-)

Jul 02, 2023 at 01:50 PM

Charlie N
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Completing a travel kit Sony 85mm 1.8 vs Sigma 90 2.8

I was faced with this decision a few years back, picked the sigma, no regrets..... that said, even the sigma would be considered "large" for my current gear. It's a bit too heavy for my liking, granted it is noticeably smaller than the 85 f1.8 and the quality is great.

Jul 02, 2023 at 04:40 PM

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