Introduction/Lens buying decision

[we arre one]

Hey Folks!

First time ever in forum so i hope i'm gonna do this right. My name's Michel, i'm from Switzerland and i woul'ld describe myself as an advanced hobby photographer.

Unfortunately i don't know many people with the sony alpha system, so i hope i can get some help from you for my next lens purchase.

My current lens lineup:

-Zeiss Batis 18mm

-Sony FE 28mm 2.0

-Sony Zeiss 55mm 1.8

-Sony 85mm 1.4 GM

My fields of photography are: Astro, Automotive and some portraits 

So the story is: I'm gonna trip a few weeks trough australia with my s/o and as much as i love my primes, i wanted a little more versatile lens, because i don't think  i can take them all with me. So basically i had the 16-35mm GM in my mind and sell my batis. What do you think, is the versatility worth the trade? On the other hand, in the near future i woul'd like a 24mm/35mm/50mm (a 1.4) because i like shooting portraits with shallow depth of field...

Do you have any recommondations? Thank you for your help in advance!

 

 

[we arre one]

The other option woul‘d be, keep the batis and get a 24-70mm 2.8...

[crysmeth]

Depends on your preferred length. If you’re a 35 kinda guy and likes to go wider at times, then 1635. If you’re a 50 kinda guy, then the 2470. 

Also, how many lenses you intend to bring for travels. If it’s 2, then you should already decide 1 prime and cover that with a zoom to cover the GAP. Which prime do you like ?  

If it’s my choice, I’ll bring the 85GM and cover it with 2470GM, but that’s because I don’t usually shoot wider than 24 and I love the rendering of the 85GM compared to the other lenses. 

Hope it helps  

 

[steve of stonehenge]

For travel photography I don't think you can do better than the Sony 16-35 f2.8 GM.  I owned the f4 version but traded up to the GM about a year ago and love it.  Two disadvantages however: 1) cost...about 50% higher than f4, and 2) weight...also about 50% heavier.  But you always compromise with lens selection.  A high quality lens will always cost more, and a wider f-stop is heavier.  Cameras will come a go as technology improves.  But good glass lasts a lifetime.  This image was taken a couple months ago at Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, USA with Sony A7Rm3 and 16-35 GM lens.  It is a portion of a 5 image pano that was huge.  I plan to purchase the Sony 24-105 f4 soon. The experts seem to favor the 24-105 over the 70-200 f4. I would rule out the 24-70 f2.8 Gm due to weight.  My new travel kit will be the 16-35 f2.8 GM and the 24-105 with the A7rm3 body.  

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[we arre one]

 

3 hours ago, crysmeth said:

Depends on your preferred length. If you’re a 35 kinda guy and likes to go wider at times, then 1635. If you’re a 50 kinda guy, then the 2470. 

Also, how many lenses you intend to bring for travels. If it’s 2, then you should already decide 1 prime and cover that with a zoom to cover the GAP. Which prime do you like ?  

If it’s my choice, I’ll bring the 85GM and cover it with 2470GM, but that’s because I don’t usually shoot wider than 24 and I love the rendering of the 85GM compared to the other lenses. 

Hope it helps  

 

Thanks for your reply! I woul'd say i'm a 50mm guy but just because i got used to it. To be honest, i'm a little scared to spend so much money on a zoom lens because i never owned one, i always shot with primes, and it's easy to buy a prime for a specific use. 

[we arre one]

2 hours ago, steve of stonehenge said:

For travel photography I don't think you can do better than the Sony 16-35 f2.8 GM.  I owned the f4 version but traded up to the GM about a year ago and love it.  Two disadvantages however: 1) cost...about 50% higher than f4, and 2) weight...also about 50% heavier.  But you always compromise with lens selection.  A high quality lens will always cost more, and a wider f-stop is heavier.  Cameras will come a go as technology improves.  But good glass lasts a lifetime.  This image was taken a couple months ago at Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, USA with Sony A7Rm3 and 16-35 GM lens.  It is a portion of a 5 image pano that was huge.  I plan to purchase the Sony 24-105 f4 soon. The experts seem to favor the 24-105 over the 70-200 f4. I would rule out the 24-70 f2.8 Gm due to weight.  My new travel kit will be the 16-35 f2.8 GM and the 24-105 with the A7rm3 body.  

Thanks for your explanation. In terms of weight i'm not worried, because i kinda like heavy lenses and and for the price you're right, good glass costs money. Did you shoot astro with the 16-35 GM too? And is it on the 35mm end for like wide portrait shots as good as the wide end?

 

[thefsb]

25 minutes ago, we arre one said:

Thanks for your reply! I woul'd say i'm a 50mm guy but just because i got used to it. To be honest, i'm a little scared to spend so much money on a zoom lens because i never owned one, i always shot with primes, and it's easy to buy a prime for a specific use. 

Then take just the 55 and make do. You'll still be able to take lots of wonderful pics and it will be nice to have a light, compact unit.

Or... get an RX100M6 and leave all that stuff behind.

[crysmeth]

5 hours ago, we arre one said:

 

Thanks for your reply! I woul'd say i'm a 50mm guy but just because i got used to it. To be honest, i'm a little scared to spend so much money on a zoom lens because i never owned one, i always shot with primes, and it's easy to buy a prime for a specific use. 

Hi. The you should use the lenses you already have. In all honesty, you have a stellar collection already.  

Decide on what kind of shots you’d take during the trip, do a list and indicate  the priority and  just bring those lenses according to the highest priority and forgoing those lower ones.   You just got to change your mindset.  Instead of wishing you got this lens to cover this shot, you should then question how to achieve this shot with the lens you have now.  

Hope it helps...

 

[we arre one]

8 hours ago, crysmeth said:

Hi. The you should use the lenses you already have. In all honesty, you have a stellar collection already.  

Decide on what kind of shots you’d take during the trip, do a list and indicate  the priority and  just bring those lenses according to the highest priority and forgoing those lower ones.   You just got to change your mindset.  Instead of wishing you got this lens to cover this shot, you should then question how to achieve this shot with the lens you have now.  

Hope it helps...

 

Thank you very much, that's probably the best thing i coul'd hear! I'm shoul'd be more reasonable anyway. Or it justifies the purchase ofeven more prime lenses? *cries in shame of my GAS* :)

[we arre one]

13 hours ago, thefsb said:

Then take just the 55 and make do. You'll still be able to take lots of wonderful pics and it will be nice to have a light, compact unit.

Or... get an RX100M6 and leave all that stuff behind.

That's a great advice! Actually i just bought my s/o the rx100 Mk 3 for the time she's alone down under. So i think i go with the batis, and the 55mm.

[felipe]

Hola,si si ese 55 es de lo mejorcito asi que adelante y ya nos diras que tal fue el viaje,salu2 de Felipe 

[steve of stonehenge]

On 11/12/2018 at 11:37 AM, we arre one said:

 

I do not shoot astro much but I feel f2.8 may not be fast enough.  I have a f2 24mm Zeiss Batis I would probably use for astro.  As for the 35mm end of the 16-35 G Master, it would work although I would use a longer lens like 50mm or 85mm.  I pretty much use the 16-35 for landscapes, although you could use it for street photography too.

[crysmeth]

17 hours ago, we arre one said:

Thank you very much, that's probably the best thing i coul'd hear! I'm shoul'd be more reasonable anyway. Or it justifies the purchase ofeven more prime lenses? *cries in shame of my GAS* :)

No Shame :) .. GAS happens to everyone. 

I've owned before the lenses below

• 1635GM,
• 2470GM,
• 70200GM,
• 14 Rokinon f2.8,
• 15 Laowa f2,
• 28 f2,
• 50 f1.4 Sigma,
• 55 f1.8,
• 85 f1.8,
• 135 Rokinon,
• and a bunch of Voigtlander lenses... 

Of course, I don't own them all at the same time.. but it's through the constant buying and selling and exploring...  I'm putting them here not for ego purpose, but to indicate that everyone goes through GAS :) ...  We won't know which lenses we like until we try it.  We can rent them, borrow them, buy them ... I now know which focal I like, which type of Bokeh, which weight preferred, which brand, AF / MF, etc...  and still we're constantly exploring :) ...

Now, I'm completely satisfied with my 24GM, 50 f1.4 Zeiss, and 105 f1.4 Sigma ART. 

Completely satisfied until the next new lens out that is... hehe..  

[we arre one]

On 11/13/2018 at 11:16 PM, steve of stonehenge said:

I do not shoot astro much but I feel f2.8 may not be fast enough.  I have a f2 24mm Zeiss Batis I would probably use for astro.  As for the 35mm end of the 16-35 G Master, it would work although I would use a longer lens like 50mm or 85mm.  I pretty much use the 16-35 for landscapes, although you could use it for street photography too.

 

thanks! i was thinking about a 24mm like lens but then i woul'd suggest the new 1.4 gm. but i think for my hobby purpose the batis is fine with its 2.8 aperture. 

 

Shot below was 25s and ISO 6400.

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