Fast 85mm recommendation for A7

[steve of stonehenge]

I am needing a 85mm f2 or better lens for my A7 Mk ii.  The Sony Zeiss 85mm f1.4 (A mount) looks good but kinda expensive.  Has anyone used it on A7?  I know the Sony FE 85mm f1.8 Batis is due out soon but not sure about the build quality.  Thoughts?

[favol84]

You should look for a Minolta 85mm G af (A mount). Is an excellent lens, on par with the Zeiss but less expensive.

[Chad Wadsworth]

Check this out Steve... http://chadwadsworth.com/2015/05/29/batis-25mm-and-85mm-hands-on-and-comparison-with-the-fe-28mm-f2/

 

I owned the ZA 85mm and it is a legendary lens for sure but I would wait for the Batis and get the native AF. The build quality of the Batis was very impressive to me. 

[steve of stonehenge]

Thanks everyone for the advice.  I am leaning towards the native 85mm Batis.  I have found that I'm not using some of the great A7 features without native lenses.  Sure I can get some tack sharp photos with my Canon L lenses and Metabones IV adapter.  But I want access to all the A7 features for native lenses.

[Golem]

Roughly speaking ... verrry roughly ...

the Sony A-to-FE adapters offer 90%

"native-ness", while the Metabones

EF-to-FE adapters are more like 50%.

  

Y%MV.  

  

`

[foto-fanatic]

There is the mitakon speedmaster 85 1.2 fe mount?

[Cheatah]

There is the mitakon speedmaster 85 1.2 fe mount?

 

For a bit more money, you will get an top-up-to-date, modern lightweight ZEISS Batis T* 1,8/85mm super glass!  If the optical quality at f/1,2 of the Chinese lens would match to the f/1,8 of the Zeiss glass, I would recommend it!   Forget the ZONGYI lens!

[foto-fanatic]

Yeah well i can't recommend it, however, i will wait for reviews to gauge more, if i had the spondoolios i would go zeiss any day of the week, but it is good to have options, im waiting to hear about the 100 2.8 macro from mitakons.

[storyteller]

I just wish Mitakon et al. took a page from the Loxia playbook and added eXIF data and automatic focus magnification. 

[hjns]

Hi all, I'm new here, so forgive me if not aware of certain forum protocol. However, I couldn't help noticing OP's question and just wanted to mention if OP considered legacy glass. There are quite some beautuful lenses out there in the 80-90mm range, including Leica 80 1.4, Leica 90 2.0, Minolta 85 1.7, just to mention a few. With the lens comp app at least the A7ii can capture some details in the exif data as well. What great features would you want other than ibis and ovf magnification?

Just my two cents...

 

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[panzerbjorne]

I'm getting a metabones but only because I also need it for the 135/2 L lens. So could use it with my Canon mount Sigma 85 (beautiful lens!).

 

But likely I will upgrade to Batis when the initial euphoria has died down and I can find deals for $1000

 

 

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[weinhous]

Speaking of "legacy" lenses...

 

I'm soon to start "playing" with my1997 Canon FD35mm f/1:3.5 S.C. (III); my 1973 Canon FD50mm f/1.4 S.S.C. (II); and my 1974 Canon FD85mm f/1.8 S.S.C. lens each taking turns on a NEX/CAN Novoflex adapter on my a7R. Doing it to get less depth of field and more subject "pop."

 

Have already been having successes with my 1979 Canon New Macro FD50mm f/3.5 and my similarly-aged Sigma APO FD 400 f/5.6. (But am eagerly awaiting the Sony 90mm Macro and long telephoto.)

 

Is fun :-)

[DBer321]

I found on ebay a Canon FDn 85mm f/1.2L.

 

You can get one of these for about $700 right now.

 

I cannot tell you how amazing this lens is. It is the BEST I have ever used. SO sharp, even at f/1.2. Bokeh is heavenly! 

 

Just do it!!

 

Samples:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dber321/16612579468/in/album-72157640238895315/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dber321/16443487303/in/album-72157640238895315/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dber321/16222614737/in/album-72157640238895315/

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dazedproductions]

Do you need AF? If you do just bear in mind that the Minolta and Sony zeiss 1.4 won't let as much light in as any other 1.4 due to the mirror in the Le-ea4. Optically it will look like a 1.4 but not light gathering wise. If you can handle MF then there are lots of options. I went for the leica 90mm f2 sumicron as it's relatively small. On the AF I might be tempted by a batis but conflicting reports/images on it so far.

 

 

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