p.6 #1 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Nifty Fifty wrote:
It's crazy. I just looked at the pictures and only one of them stuck out to me and that was the one taken with the Samyang. I really didn't expect that.
p.6 #2 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Until last year I almost exclusively shot 6x6 with Rolleiflex and Hasselblad. You didn't have to worry about third-party manufacturers, there was Zeiss, they were great and that was it. When I bought a Sony, I got a Voigtländer because I knew Cosina from the Bessa models and therefore had confidence in the quality. I have to admit that I definitely don't have that confidence in Sigma, Samyang, Viltrox and all the many new Chinese manufacturers. I'm probably just too old-fashioned and still have to learn that the world keeps turning. On the other hand, maybe I don't have to, because my 50mm lenses are actually enough for me. Nevertheless, I keep thinking about 35mm and 85mm. But none of that belongs here. So I'm happy to leave the field to the 85 GMii photos again.
p.6 #3 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Well, Sigma is a Japanese company manufacturing lenses in Japan (like Cosina, if that matters)....and at the minimum Leica is using their optical designs in some of their L mount lenses. I'm not sure why you would think of them in such different light than Cosina. Having a bunch of Voigtlander, Zeiss and Sigma lenses, I don't see them as some untrustworthy brand.
Nifty Fifty wrote:
Until last year I almost exclusively shot 6x6 with Rolleiflex and Hasselblad. You didn't have to worry about third-party manufacturers, there was Zeiss, they were great and that was it. When I bought a Sony, I got a Voigtländer because I knew Cosina from the Bessa models and therefore had confidence in the quality. I have to admit that I definitely don't have that confidence in Sigma, Samyang, Viltrox and all the many new Chinese manufacturers. I'm probably just too old-fashioned and still have to learn that the world keeps turning. On the other hand, maybe I don't have to, because my 50mm lenses are actually enough for me. Nevertheless, I keep thinking about 35mm and 85mm. But none of that belongs here. So I'm happy to leave the field to the 85 GMii photos again....Show more →
p.6 #4 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
I'm not saying it's dubious. As for SIGMA, I know that they also produce for Leica, but I still associate this brand with the zooms they made in the 90s, which weren't exactly the benchmark back then. But whatever. That's my personal problem. Let's just leave it at that.
p.6 #5 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Nifty Fifty wrote:
I'm not saying it's dubious. As for SIGMA, I know that they also produce for Leica, but I still associate this brand with the zooms they made in the 90s, which weren't exactly the benchmark back then. But whatever. That's my personal problem. Let's just leave it at that.
Yeah, that zen finish for example is hard to forget. They have come a long way in the past 20 years or so.
p.6 #6 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Nifty Fifty wrote:
It seems to me that the 1.2 50 GM is actually an exception - near perfection and still character in one package.
Username checks out lol.
I sent the 85 GM back. I think there is a lot going for the 85GMII with regards to the AF in particular but, my trusty MKI is more than adequate for posed portraits. I also prefer the rendering of the MKI.
The 50 1.2GM has piqued my interest for sure and I entertained thoughts on getting one because one because I dont have a 50 and apparently the 1.2GM renders like the 85GMI and has solid AF to boot.
I'm tapped out budget wise though because as soon as I got my refund I turned around got this guy: DSC09364-Edit by Carlo Alcala, on Flickr
p.6 #7 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Mystik wrote:
I sent the 85 GM back. I think there is a lot going for the 85GMII with regards to the AF in particular but, my trusty MKI is more than adequate for posed portraits. I also prefer the rendering of the MKI.
Unfortunately, I did as well
While the sharpness and AF are top notch. The bokeh of this lens just didn’t do it for me.
In urban environments, the bokeh looks pretty good. But when there’s foliage in the back ground, there’s a tendency for the bokeh to look busy to my eyes.
Not all the time. Half body portraits and tighter look fine. But for three quarter and full body shots, you need to be mindful of the background.
On the positive side, transitions to out of focus areas are very smooth. As the transition from in focused to defocused is gradual. Unfortunately, that’s done by sacrificing the ultimate level of background blur. Sometimes looking more like a 1.6 lens than a 1.4 in terms of blur
Kinda of glad I didn’t sell my mk1. I’ll be sticking with it for a while longer. I’m still hoping Sony makes a 85 1.2
I’m guessing they’re already have one designed. I think I recall hearing somewhere that the decision to go for a 1.4 was done partially because of size. But mostly because the 50 1.4 outsells the 50 1.2 by a considerable margin. So they thought the same would be true for the 85mm
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending how you look at it, the sales of this 85 mark II seems to be lukewarm. Which makes me hold on to the hope that they’ll actually release a 1.2
p.6 #8 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
robert614 wrote:
But mostly because the 50 1.4 outsells the 50 1.2 by a considerable margin.
I would also say that more people choose the 1.4 than the 1.2. In a German forum, someone claimed the opposite, but when I asked, he couldn't provide a reliable source for this statement. Would you please give me a source? I would be really interested.
p.6 #9 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Nifty Fifty wrote:
I would also say that more people choose the 1.4 than the 1.2. In a German forum, someone claimed the opposite, but when I asked, he couldn't provide a reliable source for this statement. Would you please give me a source? I would be really interested.
Manny Ortiz said this in his YouTube video for the Sony 85mm 1.4 II around the 5:30 minute mark
He said this is what the Sony rep said. Whether this is true or not? Who knows
p.6 #10 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Mystik wrote:
Username checks out lol.
I sent the 85 GM back. I think there is a lot going for the 85GMII with regards to the AF in particular but, my trusty MKI is more than adequate for posed portraits. I also prefer the rendering of the MKI.
The 50 1.2GM has piqued my interest for sure and I entertained thoughts on getting one because one because I dont have a 50 and apparently the 1.2GM renders like the 85GMI and has solid AF to boot.
p.6 #11 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
I may be different, I like the pictures of the GMII more so far. But it seems that I like sharpness I’m well aware of the fact hat in Portraits this is not priority no 1. However, from what I saw, it’s impressive. Maybe it fits my style of shooting. And of course, I like the smaller dimensions of the MK2 version.
BTW. I’m still interested in a comparison between the GM85 MKII and the Batis 85 1.8 So if someone happens to have both lenses, some comparison shots would be highly welcome
p.6 #12 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
robert614 wrote:
Unfortunately, I did as well
While the sharpness and AF are top notch. The bokeh of this lens just didn’t do it for me.
In urban environments, the bokeh looks pretty good. But when there’s foliage in the back ground, there’s a tendency for the bokeh to look busy to my eyes.
Not all the time. Half body portraits and tighter look fine. But for three quarter and full body shots, you need to be mindful of the background.
On the positive side, transitions to out of focus areas are very smooth. As the transition from in focused to defocused is gradual. Unfortunately, that’s done by sacrificing the ultimate level of background blur. Sometimes looking more like a 1.6 lens than a 1.4 in terms of blur
Kinda of glad I didn’t sell my mk1. I’ll be sticking with it for a while longer. I’m still hoping Sony makes a 85 1.2
I’m guessing they’re already have one designed. I think I recall hearing somewhere that the decision to go for a 1.4 was done partially because of size. But mostly because the 50 1.4 outsells the 50 1.2 by a considerable margin. So they thought the same would be true for the 85mm
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending how you look at it, the sales of this 85 mark II seems to be lukewarm. Which makes me hold on to the hope that they’ll actually release a 1.2 ...Show more →
Yeah because it's a medium telephoto, the compression of the focal length makes the business of the bokeh a non issue when you frame tightly. But when you frame loosely, the bokeh reveals itself. I found this is true in urban environments too but for those types of shots I'm less critical of the bokeh and I would say more structured details in the background actually kind of work. But my main priority is outdoor portraits with golden hour light and that's where the GMII is not at all bad, but not as good as the MKI.
Most GM primes are sold out for months after they hit the market. The 85GMII was in stock everywhere on launch day. It doesn't seem to have sold well. I do think an 85 1.2 is a possibility though. It will be expensive and may not sell well either but if it renders more like the MKI, I'd pay canikon money for it personally since 85 is a key focal length for me.
p.6 #13 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
j4nu wrote:
Hmm, I'm afraid it's lacking those uncorrected SAs to be like 85GM I. I'd say 50/1.2GM's smoothness is more akin to something like 35/1.2DN .
Man you know by now bigma 35 1.2 is my jam. Dont tempt me lol. I've never been a 50 guy though
p.6 #14 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Most stores here in France no longer have the lens sold out. I decided to go with the Sigma 85f1.4 DG DN instead, since the GM II wasn't available, and I wasn't that convinced in the end that the differences would be noticeable with my A7III, but I think the GM II is selling well on the contrary.
I'll wait a bit, the Sigma was €850 brand new, so I guess if I change my mind when the GM II is available again, I won't have lost that much.
p.6 #15 · Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II image thread (photo images photos)
Dj R wrote:
@Elijah@
we went to sony for the best technology in combination with the best mirrorless glass offering
the sony 50 1.2GM is good enough to move people for that alone. 4.3" and 778grams. 4 motors, AF is incredible.
sony may not be for you. perhaps you look for more soul. which is a thing, I get it.
And the AF-C from nikon and canon has finally "pretty much caught up", but only with certain bodies.
the Nikon Z8 for one, is nice.
canon still doesn't have the DR that sony offers, and nikon (who is using sony sensors still).
canon also hasn't allowed us to "assign metering to the AF point". unacceptable lol!
both nikon and canon 1.2 glass is so much larger and heavier than their mirrored glass was.
I really can't comprehend it. they went backwards.
Five years ago I would debate. I would care. I would discuss!
Today I'll just say that I agree with you, even if I have no idea what you're talking about cuz I haven't been following on the latest and greatest in the last few years...
---------------------------------------------
Nifty Fifty wrote:
It's crazy. I just looked at the pictures and only one of them stuck out to me and that was the one taken with the Samyang. I really didn't expect that.
Interesting, eh? The older I get, the more I realize that when comparing apples to apples, it all boils down to the photographer.
I used to compare the slightest details... Lens weight, design, colors, AF, sharpness, bokeh... Bla bla Bla.
But then you see world's best photographs were taken by far worse gear than what we currently have.
How about one more Samyang photo before I get kicked out of this thread, eh?
Canon EOS R6SAMYANG RF 85mm F1.4 lens85mmf/1.41/250s2500 ISO0.0 EV
.
I’m well aware of the fact hat in Portraits this is not priority no 1. However, from what I saw, it’s impressive. Maybe it fits my style of shooting. And of course, I like the smaller dimensions of the MK2 version.
