Batis 85 Sharpness?

[Wanderer]

I thought the sharpness of the Batis 85 was considered to be excellent but I saw a comment somewhere (I'm sorry I can't remember where now) about a new Sony lens being "sharper than the Batis 85". Is the Batis not quite as sharp as some others of it's ilk? I've been planning to get one. 

[KMG]

I've seen the same comment in a number of places.

 

Is the Batis 85 sharp? For me yes, maybe not for you. Will you be shooting test shots with it in a lab or using it to take pictures in the real world?

Thing is, everyone has their own perception. That compounded by the fact that there are always variations in individual lens quality off the assembly line. In reviews I'd focus more on whether distortion and CA are managable in out of camera and post.

 

My advise would be got to a shop (if you have one locally), shoot some pictures with it for yourself, go home to evaluate the images on your computer and then decide if it's sharp for you. If it's not available locally, order it from a vendor with a "good" return policy.

 

Best of  luck,

 

KMG

 

ps. I picked up one a year ago or so and shot with it for the weekend. I returned it on Monday. It was plenty sharp "for me" but while every reviewer was also raving about the Zeiss colors and bokeh, neither impressed "me" enough to keep it.

[Wanderer]

Very helpful reply thanks very much.

[tinplater]

It is a tough area...you can choose between the 85mm Batis, 90mm 2.8 Macro, and the 85mm 1.4 G master.  All have pros and compromises...the 1.4 is heavy and very expensive, the 90mm macro is a macro of course, and about half the cost of the G master.  I have briefly owned all three and for my use the best lens, sharpest and most versatile was the macro.  But you can't expect the wonderful rendering that you would see with the 1.4.  If absolute sharpness is your main requirement, I would enthusiastically endorse the 90mm Macro.

[KMG]

Wanderer,

 

Best of luck with your Batis testing, I hope you find what you need.

 

tinplater,

 

At the time I tried out the Batis there wasn't very much of an option in  the native 85mm range. After returning the Batis I immediately picked up the 90mm using the refund. I haven't regretted my decision since.

I've used it for macro shots of course and as a stand in portrait lens. It performs well but the thing is, being a macro, it's a bit slow focusing. Also, unless you're shooting portraits of subjects with perfect skin (ie. young people) the lens' sharpness/detail means you'll be spending a lot more time touching things up in post. Man, it renders every little thing very crisply! For these reasons I've been looking for a more traditional "portrait" lens.

 

I had an opportunity to shoot with the 85mm GM for a few hours a while back and it was a real dream 85mm. Unfortunately I couldn't justify the cost as I'm not a pro and don't regular make money shooting portraits.

 

I read some positive stuff about the new 85mm 1.8 but will reserve judging whether it fits the bill for "me" when I get a chance to take it for a test drive.

 

My impressions / opinions only FWIW,

 

KMG

[Wanderer]

Thank you. I have come to find that results from the Sony 85 1.8 are nearly identical and it is lighter, cheaper and smaller. 

[KMG]

Good to hear you found something you're happy with.

 

The 85mm 1.8 isn't available in local shops in my area yet but I'm anxious to get my hands on it to try it out. Soon I hope.

 

Best of luck with your new lens,

 

KMG

[Username]

Real world, real subjects, testing is important. 

"Lab Test" ratings can be heavily weighted on

resolution of a lens. Resolution alone doesn't 

always produce a sharp looking image. 

   

Resolution and sharpness are different things. 

The former is fairly objective and quantitative.

The latter is perceptual, and therefor has more 

influence on whether the image "looks real" to 

the viewer. This is not to say that sharpness is

achievable without a reasonable modicum of

resolution. Sharpness promotes a sensation

of clarity. Resolution can be quantitatively very 

high yet fail to produce any sensation of clarity. 

OTOH, clarity can be perceived from an image 

of merely average resolution. 

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

A good way to research a lens is to search on a lens and camera combo on flickr.com. It is in fact an enourmous photo database.

 

Be mindful that you will get some results that are poor OOC jpegs, or were badly shot or clumsily processed. Disregard those and look at shots from knowledgeable users.