p.1 #1 · Anyone tried Zeiss Batis (esp 85/1.8) on Nikon Z camera?
I got lost on the internet trying to find an answer to this but came up short. I know FM is a small community, but I am curious if anyone has tried using Batis lenses, especially the 85mm f/1.8, on a modern Z camera?
I know this is very niche, and surely the Nikkor Z 85/1.8 has better focus speed, accuracy, close focus performance, etc, but for some reason I am curious about the topic. I shoot Sony these days, and I have a minty Batis 85/1.8 on the way as I didn't love the Sony FE 85/1.8 (and I don't want to spend 85/1.4GMII money).
I did try the Sirui 85/1.4 as well, but my copy seemed to be a lemon one so it went back.
Anyone using adapted Batis lenses on their Nikons or know of some reviews/readings I might have missed?
I know I'll go back to Nikon when I get old and grumpy(ier) so I just want to prepare ;-)
p.1 #3 · Anyone tried Zeiss Batis (esp 85/1.8) on Nikon Z camera?
Great news! Does it work well in AF-C with eye-tracking, etc? Or do you use it more for a single focus point? Any issues with focus at close distances?
p.1 #4 · Anyone tried Zeiss Batis (esp 85/1.8) on Nikon Z camera?
It works great with the Viltrox adapter. I had both it and the Nikon 85 at the same time, the Nikon 85F1.8S is sharper with better color, but it's also much bigger.
p.1 #5 · Anyone tried Zeiss Batis (esp 85/1.8) on Nikon Z camera?
Again, good to hear. I am not surprised that the 85/1.8 S is sharper, but how do you mean "better color"? We all know color is subjective, but I would love to hear you elaborate a bit. Cheers!
p.1 #7 · Anyone tried Zeiss Batis (esp 85/1.8) on Nikon Z camera?
I found the colors more contrasty, and less flat than the Batis. I mean it was really close. you had to be at 300% to see the sharpness difference, but it was there.
This is somewhat misleading. A Wikipedia source states that the lens designer is Takahiko Sakai, who also works for Tamron. That doesn't mean that it is a Tamron lens. It might very well be they liked the lens design so much they licensed it from Tamron, it might have been a collaboration. Who knows? We are all just guessing on the internet. Collaboration and licensing between lens manufacturers and subcontractors are not uncommon in this industry. I'd assume Zeiss specified the optical formula, used a quality of glass and polishing up to their standards, their coatings, and mechanical designs, as well as quality control, etc. I don't think we can even know for sure if Zeiss makes the Batis lens line-up themselves, we only know that it is Made in Japan, it might be in part or eve outsourced to sub-contractors in Japan. But I wouldn't call a Zeiss Batis lens a Tamron lens (not that there is anything wrong with Tamron lenses).
p.1 #9 · Anyone tried Zeiss Batis (esp 85/1.8) on Nikon Z camera?
3catsinky wrote:
I found the colors more contrasty, and less flat than the Batis. I mean it was really close. you had to be at 300% to see the sharpness difference, but it was there.
p.1 #10 · Anyone tried Zeiss Batis (esp 85/1.8) on Nikon Z camera?
patotts wrote:
This is somewhat misleading. A Wikipedia source states that the lens designer is Takahiko Sakai, who also works for Tamron. That doesn't mean that it is a Tamron lens. It might very well be they liked the lens design so much they licensed it from Tamron, it might have been a collaboration. Who knows? We are all just guessing on the internet. Collaboration and licensing between lens manufacturers and subcontractors are not uncommon in this industry. I'd assume Zeiss specified the optical formula, used a quality of glass and polishing up to their standards, their coatings, and mechanical designs, as well as quality control, etc. I don't think we can even know for sure if Zeiss makes the Batis lens line-up themselves, we only know that it is Made in Japan, it might be in part or eve outsourced to sub-contractors in Japan. But I wouldn't call a Zeiss Batis lens a Tamron lens (not that there is anything wrong with Tamron lenses). ...Show more →
In fact, I wrote "probably". For a reason.
Anyway, here is the Tamron patent (inventors: Tabata Hirofumi & Obikane Yasuhiko): https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/p0200
And the existence of that patent (Patent no. JP 2015-096915) is a fact, no guess.
p.1 #11 · Anyone tried Zeiss Batis (esp 85/1.8) on Nikon Z camera?
From what I could dig up, Tamron doesn't produce a lens with the same optical formula (I even asked ChatGPT :-)). However, a patent licensed from another company doesn't make it a Tamron lens, as numerous other factors come into play. Nevertheless, the patent is indeed owned by Tamron.
p.1 #12 · Anyone tried Zeiss Batis (esp 85/1.8) on Nikon Z camera?
Yes you're right but I wish to stress the following.
Zeiss lenses are famous thanks to their designers (Dr Nasse published many articles about Tessar, Planar, Distagon, Sonnar, etc). Now, since lens design is the art of compromise (cost vs performance, sharpness vs character, and so on), the spontaneous question is: how much "Zeiss" is a lens designed by Tamron? I.e., is the Zeiss label just a marketing operation? It's like selling Italian Parmesan cheese made in China ... or French Champagne made with Italian grapes. Certainly, our finest sparkling wines are even better than Champagne Similarly, a lens designed by Tamron could be even better than a lens designed in Germany.
Similarly, a lens designed by Tamron could be even better than a lens designed in Germany.