p.4 #1 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Dj R wrote:
earlier today
@Elijah@@ what do you think of the bokeh from the new 85 GMii f1.4?
be honest.
The gear heads in us would say the bokeh is the latter shots is not the best but I wouldn't say that for this particular set of shots it detracts from the photos at all. In fact the bite in the contrast feels gives a more contemporary and editorial look to things vs the often ethereal look of the MKI. This is what has me liking the idea of keeping both.
So in the end, it’s like a sigma lens
Which is why so many are bent (due the cost comparison)
I will check if I have efcs on or not, though.
I do like the color, contrast, AF, build, size/weight, features, sharpness. Price doesn't really matter to me, it pays for itself, and it’s the tool I want. I believe it’s the same price as the original was correct? - with today’s inflation - this seems crazy.
Why is the tool I want? I prefer using native glass. I shoot some indoor and outdoor sport and I want the best AF possible. I have the 135 GM which is crazy good for sport. But sometimes I don’t need that length. And although the 135 is AMAZING for portrait, I shoot couples and kids a lot. There are many times I hate that extra distance, bc they most of the time need a lot of direction. So 85 is my jam. The old 85 didn’t cut it for me, with regard to resolution on an RV and also AF. In the end, the Sony 35gm and new 85gm are on my money maker, dual wielding. It’s a great combo.
I really could use the 50 for portrait but I crave that extra bit of compression that 85 brings me. And the lack of distortion.
When I need the length, the 135 is there. And when I only want to walk around with one lens, the 50gm is there. Sony has done an amazing job with their lineup. They have a ton of options. I’m sure a painterly $2,799 85 1.2 beast will be announced on a year or so! But for the working photog, their 1.4gm lineup shall be commended.
p.4 #3 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Keunish wrote:
I think the strenght of this lens is not the bokeh but more the contrast and resolution making the subject POP, the rendering is very different than the 85mm GM 1. Both are very nice.
That’s exactly why I would love to see a comparison between the GMII and the Zeiss Batis 85.
I really hope someday we will comparison pictures
p.4 #5 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Dj R wrote:
I feel like a dumb ass
I have been shooting with electronic shutter on one my A7RV. At this point I don’t know if it’s the one I have had my 85 paired to or not.
Changing to mechanical shutter.
I’m also had EFCS on, on both. Turning that off.
Anti flicker and Var shutter OFF
But hey, fully electronic shutter isn't a problem, is it? It's the large aperture in combination with EFC that causes the cut off bokeh balls.
The second image where the focus is on the veil rather than the faces - a clever focusing trick! (EDIT: Thinking about it I think I would blur the lower part to look similar to the rest of the veil. End EDIT)
To me the bokeh seems nervous at certain distances and certain light situations while in other situations the lens works very well. I don't have the lens and can't do any own testing. I'm also not in the market for a 85, I just find it interesting.
p.4 #6 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Jonas B
I thought electronic shutter could impact bokeh. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps it’s simply just recommended for when you shoot sport. ??
I run the mechanical shutter 99.9% of the time. I only use my e shutter if I'm shooting a particularly quiet event. I remember now when I got this camera, I turned on electronic to see how quiet it can get.
By default IIRC it is in mechanical shutter with electronic first curtain ON.
p.4 #7 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Dj R wrote:
Jonas B
I thought electronic shutter could impact bokeh. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps it’s simply just recommended for when you shoot sport. ??
I run the mechanical shutter 99.9% of the time. I only use my e shutter if I'm shooting a particularly quiet event. I remember now when I got this camera, I turned on electronic to see how quiet it can get.
By default IIRC it is in mechanical shutter with electronic first curtain ON.
It's the combo of electronic and mechanical shutter used at one single image causing the clipped bokeh balls. The cause is that the electronic curtain is at zero distance from the sensor while the physical curtain has to be at a small distance from the sensor. Fully electronic is OK, fully mechanical is OK, the combo is not. Well, that's how I understand it and if I'm wrong I appreciate somebody jumping in correcting me.
I wouldn't recommend electronic shutter when shooting sport: the time to read the full sensor area might be around 1/10 of a second or so. So even if every single pixel is exposed for say 1/4000 sec you'll get artifacts when shooting moving bodies, cars, balls and so on.
It's sometimes hard to understand the idea behind default values in the menu/settings.
p.4 #9 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
EFCS above 1/800 or 1/1000 is what you want to avoid. Also avoid electronic shutter on the a7R V if there is fast moving stuff, the sensor readout is too slow, in those cases, use fully mechanical.
Dj R wrote:
I feel like a dumb ass
I have been shooting with electronic shutter on one my A7RV. At this point I don’t know if it’s the one I have had my 85 paired to or not.
p.4 #10 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Thx.
I remember you diving into this way back.
tsdevine wrote:
EFCS above 1/800 or 1/1000 is what you want to avoid. Also avoid electronic shutter on the a7R V if there is fast moving stuff, the sensor readout is too slow, in those cases, use fully mechanical.
p.4 #11 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
I don't think anyone should feel bad about using EFCS off. It's completely on Sony it works this way. You can see everyone forget about it on some occasion, be it reviewers, youtubers or even FM posters . I tried to be extremely conscious about it, but even then it was enough for a cloud move a bit to reveal the sun and SS would jump into dangerous regions right away.
In the end I gave up and moved to A1 ...
Anyways, I think those shots are very nice (bokeh notwithstanding) and memorable, which I think is what is important in these kind of shots ..
So in the end, it’s like a sigma lens
Which is why so many are bent (due the cost comparison)
I will check if I have efcs on or not, though.
I do like the color, contrast, AF, build, size/weight, features, sharpness. Price doesn't really matter to me, it pays for itself, and it’s the tool I want. I believe it’s the same price as the original was correct? - with today’s inflation - this seems crazy.
Why is the tool I want? I prefer using native glass. I shoot some indoor and outdoor sport and I want the best AF possible. I have the 135 GM which is crazy good for sport. But sometimes I don’t need that length. And although the 135 is AMAZING for portrait, I shoot couples and kids a lot. There are many times I hate that extra distance, bc they most of the time need a lot of direction. So 85 is my jam. The old 85 didn’t cut it for me, with regard to resolution on an RV and also AF. In the end, the Sony 35gm and new 85gm are on my money maker, dual wielding. It’s a great combo.
I really could use the 50 for portrait but I crave that extra bit of compression that 85 brings me. And the lack of distortion.
When I need the length, the 135 is there. And when I only want to walk around with one lens, the 50gm is there. Sony has done an amazing job with their lineup. They have a ton of options. I’m sure a painterly $2,799 85 1.2 beast will be announced on a year or so! But for the working photog, their 1.4gm lineup shall be commended.
I don't really shoot weddings anymore but the Sigma 35 1.2 was my go to for many of them past couple of years and the AF was fine and I personally prefer it over the 35GM. That said, the DOF is much more narrow at 85mm than 35mm and critical AF is more important, so I do feel the native 85GMII is the one to use for wedding work if the Sigma doesn't really being anything to the table in terms of IQ and rendering. It would be a no brainer for me if I still shot weddings. The only paid gigs I do are from older clients I've had for years when they ask...many of them old wedding clients...but it's mostly outdoor posed stuff where the 85GMI AF is fine. I do have my seasonal of fall photos coming and will probably keep the GMII because I like the lens and want see how it works out when really put to work for outdoor portraits at least for the season.
I've never been a 50mm person. I think it's a more practical focal length for walk around casual shooting...but for paid work where you'll be given the space to work, 85mm had a much more interesting look due to the compression.
p.4 #14 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Dj R wrote:
earlier today
@Elijah@ what do you think of the bokeh from the new 85 GMii f1.4?
be honest.
Hmmm very very interesting bokah, assuming these are at 1.4? Nice shots though!! It's a personal taste... Personal preference.
I'm neutral on it tbh. I like it but I still prefer oval "cleaner" bokah. This one looks on the mushier side, which is not a bad thing.
p.4 #15 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Elijah wrote:
Hmmm very very interesting bokah, assuming these are at 1.4? Nice shots though!! It's a personal taste... Personal preference.
I'm neutral on it tbh. I like it but I still prefer oval "cleaner" bokah. This one looks on the mushier side, which is not a bad thing.
The lens only shoots at 1.4, didn't you know?
I hear you. You don't like it. Love you man.
Here's another. She's actually running very quickly towards me here.
if you're on a computer, you want to click on the image and then it cleans up.
LR had an update come out recently, and it doesn't have a new profile for our new lens.
ILCE-7RM5FE 85mm F1.4 GM II lens85mmf/1.41/1600s125 ISO0.0 EV
p.4 #18 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
I just stumbled upon this conversation regarding bokeh rendering of the 85 GMII. I'm brand new to this lens, have never owned the original GM, and have only used this GMII intermittently at a local marathon this past weekend. In some of my very first shots, I immediately noticed the bokeh was not similar to the past 85 primes I've used (EF and RF 85 1.2's). I admit, I was sightly disappointed at first glance on the LCD.
However, when I got things onto a monitor, I started noticing the bokeh seemed to take on a diffuse glittering/sparkling effect in a few of the images. Not sparkling with small points of light, but more like larger sparkling bubbles. It's difficult to describe. I've also noticed this in OOF areas in some video clips. It's not what I would call creamy or dreamy, but certainly not nervous. It seems like the colors and tones of the bokeh are more defined rather than being muted into pastels. I'm at work and don't have access to all of my images, but here's one example:
Obviously, this lens produces the same "quantity" of blur as any other 85 1.4, but I think it brings more attention to the bokeh as a subject rather than a background. It's a pleasing look, but for different reasons. The obliterated smooth backgrounds have been getting old in my book, and I've seen comments from others that feel the same, so maybe this lens is slightly ahead of it's time. There's always a 135mm that can make the background disappear, but I suspect the best images coming from this lens will have been composed with the background in mind.
Dj R wrote:
earlier today @Elijah@ what do you think of the bokeh from the new 85 GMii f1.4? be honest.
Dj R wrote:
HS Seniors
I know there was something going on with the EFCS in the earlier pics, but I think the images in these posts also highlight the "sparkling bubbles" description. The bokeh is vibrant and becomes part of the image, perhaps as a secondary subject. It's not that it looks "bad", but it's a noticeable component of the photo versus the usual background that looks like it was painted with watercolors.
p.4 #19 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
It's fit for purpose (event pro/portrait lens), being what clients want - probably. They all carry phones and watch giant TVs, which are their reference point of imagery. But for some, it may represent a rare misstep for Sony in GM - an overly aspherical, 'bokeh first, subject second' image producer of measurably great sharpness.
The very fact it's being seen and discussed is not a good sign for people who think progress always goes forward, and never backwards. Their task is to flood the field with similar lenses, so you get accustomed to the look. And they are busy working at it in other ranges and brands.
But - now that all lenses are excellent enough, image quality is essentially an artistic judgment - a perceptual quality, not a metric. Even if there are those who wish to convince you otherwise. Only the best lenses go on to become classics. Nearly all of them are 'imperfect'.
p.4 #20 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
philip_pj wrote:
But - now that all lenses are excellent enough, image quality is essentially an artistic judgment - a perceptual quality, not a metric. Even if there are those who wish to convince you otherwise. Only the best lenses go on to become classics. Nearly all of them are 'imperfect'.
Weirdly I always thought the art is in subject, story, light & composition, not in lens imperfections.
. I tried to be extremely conscious about it, but even then it was enough for a cloud move a bit to reveal the sun and SS would jump into dangerous regions right away.
