Re: Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II Announced—Pre-Orders Now Open!
j4nu wrote: Steve Spencer wrote:
j4nu wrote: Steve Spencer wrote: Justin Stone wrote:
If they could engineer the under corrected SA smooth transition dynamics at f1.2 that “flip” to a more clinical rendering by 1.8 or 2.0 I think that they’d have made the holy grail.
That’s a lot of waiting for a lens that probably won’t come though.
Still I think, as it stands, the rendering of this new lens is quite nice and the trade off for sharpness across the field (look at that center) is well worth it. The AF is a bonus.
Steve Spencer wrote: Sundial wrote:
A quick look at samples shows that the lens is exceptionally sharp, but also reveals that it has less smooth bokeh than its predecessor.
I think Sony made an understandable trade-off here. It's possible they're saving the smoother and more bokehlicious rendering for an upcoming 85 1.2.
85 f/1.2 GM:
- Same size, volume and weight as the original 85 GM
- 77mm filter size
- 4 XD motors for blazingly fast AF
- Excellent sharpness wide open
- Magical smooth rendering
- $2,800 MSRP
This would be the new 85 f/1.4 II but just more extreme. Take everything it does and turn it up to 11. In my view, that doesn't make sense, but it might be what they do. Who knows? I would prefer they take a different approach and at this focal length emphasize portraiture. I think that would be:
Perhaps even a bit bigger than current 85 f/1.4 but still under 900g/2 lbs.
82mm filter size at least and maybe even 86mm
4 XD motors is fine especially if they have to move big elements, but maybe they can get away with 2 XD motors
Not emphasizing sharpness wide open and allow some spherical aberrations, but still fairly sharp (MTFs at 90/80/60 percent contrast for 10, 20, & 40 lp/mm).
Lots of ED/anomolous partial dispersion glass to reduce axial CA
A fairly flat field (at least at portrait distances) out to at least 15mm from the center
A floating element design so that there is little loss in sharpness even approaching MFD for closer portraits
$2,400 price tag
As for me, I will be pretty happy with the 85 f/1.4 GM version I for portraits. I have had the lens and really liked the output. I also have the Sony/Zeiss A mount 135 f/1.8 that I use on an LAEA-5 adapter instead of the 135 f/1.8 GM, and I am thinking about getting the Sigma 35 f/1.2 DG DN rather than the 35 f/1.4 GM. In all three cases I am making a similar decision and that would be fine with me. I do wish all three lenses had less axial CA and better AF, but otherwise they are very much what I am looking for.
No to wander too far off topic, but I don't think LoCA is visibly better on the 35GM, nor is the AF faster...
Better than what? I am comparing it to the Sigma 35 f/1.2 and I think the AF is clearly better on the GM and the GM can even do more fps and to my eyes the GM wide open has a bit less axial CA than the Sigma wide open but that isn’t totally fair as the Sigma has a wider aperture. I agree at the same aperture they aren’t that different. Despite those advantages for the GM I think I am going to go with the Sigma for its strengths that is what I am saying.
I think I will pick the 85 GM I over the II as well mostly because I see a similar pattern of strengths and weaknesses.
Yes, I mean 35GM vs 35/1.2DN - the AF is not "clearly better on the GM" . You can get higher fps sure, but in everyday usage usage they are very similar... Regarding LoCA, it's difficult to compare because Sigma seems to have faster sharpness fall-off so LoCA becomes more visible earlier, to my eyes at least...
This thread is about those two lenses, but I don't think we disagree. Axial CA becomes more visible to my eyes too and that is what I meant by more axial CA. What I care about is axial CA becoming visible earlier. With regard to AF focus, the 35 GM is fantastic and totally suitable even for very fast moving subjects like skateboarders or basketball and for those things I would appreciate the higher fps while still maintaining great AF and the GM can do that and the Sigma cannot, but that is not what I am interested win shooting any more and the Sigma would be more than good enough for what I want to shoot.
And I find a similar situation with the 85 GM I and II. The 85 GM I has a bit of trouble with its AF keeping up with fast action. It has limited fps as well, but its AF is more than good enough for my purposes and although early reports are that the 85 GM II has less axial CA than the 85 GM I, to my eyes anyway I prefer the bokeh of the GM I enough that I think I will put up with the bit of extra axial CA. That is my perspective anyway, YMMV.
Aug 29, 2024 at 12:10 PM
Previous versions of Steve Spencer's message #16629056 « Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II Announced—Pre-Orders Now Open! »
. You can get higher fps sure, but in everyday usage usage they are very similar... Regarding LoCA, it's difficult to compare because Sigma seems to have faster sharpness fall-off so LoCA becomes more visible earlier, to my eyes at least...