This is a continuation of a test of the following lenses on the Sony a7RII:
- Zeiss 85mm f/1.8 Batis.
- Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Otus.
- Leica 90mm f/2 Apo Summicron-M ASPH.
- AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 G.
- Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE Macro.
The test starts here.
I’d present the f/5.6 results, but I think you get the general idea. The differences are along the lines of the differences at f/4, but more subtle, and less consequential.
I’ll close the test with a few words about handling and usage, then I’ll give you my take-home.
The two lenses that seem made for handholding on the a7x cameras are the Summicron and the Batis. They don’t stick out that far, they’re not that heavy — though the ‘cron is heavier than it looks — and they’re a pleasure to use on the body. The 85 Nikkor is a big pain to use on the a7x, because it’s a G lens and setting aperture is imprecise at best. The Sony macro works fine in spite of its length. The Otus is too much lens to comfortably hand hold for any length of time.
The lens that’s the hardest to focus is the Summicron, because it’s got that short rangefinder throw and making small focus changes is a fiddly operation. The Otus is a joy to focus, but, tactile pleasure aside, the two focus-by-wire lenses, the Sony and the Batis, are even easier to use to dial in that last little tweak to the focus thanks to the firmware going into a mode where it takes more than a little ring turning to make a modest change in focus.
A shout-out to Leica for including a slip out lens hood. It’s not as effective as the reversible ones, but it’s a lot more convenient, with the added bonus that you’re less likely to drop your lens than handling one with a reversed hood attached.
All five lenses are excellent. The Sony is sharp enough at infinity, which is usually the toughest distance for a macro lens. The Nikon is not so hot wide open, but then again, the only other f/1.4 lens in this test is the Otus, which is in a different league from a pricing, size, and weight perspective. The Summilcron has a beautiful rendering, but to my way of thinking, is not worth the money. The Batis is a lovely lens, especially considering its price.
We photographers are lucky to have tools like these.
Ron says
Er, Summicron, not Summilux. 🙂 (Check all posts back to the f/2 series)
Jim says
Oh, my. Thanks. I’ll fix it in the morning.
Jim
DL Manning says
Hi Jim,
Really enjoy following your blog. A bit off topic… I’m using the Sony 55/1.8 on a A6000. Awaiting shipment of a Loxia 21/2.8 after considering the Batis 25/2. I really like the 55/1.8, except the fly-by-wire manual focus. If the response was linear all would be good but it’s really frustrating to have the throw change depending on the speed one turns the ring.
I’m curious about the same issue on the Batis series. Is it linear, or do you have a technique for those “final tweaks”?
Jim says
I may be biased, but I really like the way teh Zony 55 and Batis 85 focus-by-wire works when the camera is on a tripod. Sure, it is nowhere near as tactily satisfying as a good helicoid, but I bow to function. Off the tripod, it’s more problematic, but on those lenses I tend to use AF when I’m handholding.
I suspect that one of the reasons I’m so satisfied is that I suffered through the terrible focus by wire on the early NEX cameras.
Mark Raugas says
I am currently using the Leica 90mm Summicron M pre ASPH on the A7Rii and really enjoy it. Recently my Mamiya body broke and I have been using the Mamiya 80mm 2.8 Sekor D wide open on the Sony while it is in for repair; it is quite pleasant as a portrait lens in that capacity and light compared to the Leica. I was worried shooting wide open with no aperature control but since the FF sensor is only using part of the image circle of the MF lens I am not having any problems.
francesco says
Hi Jim,
Really enjoy following your blog.
I noticed a strange behavior while comparing the batis center crops. The f 2.0 stop is better (sharpness wise) than the f2.8 and f4.0 stops. I think the Batis at f2.0 is better than the Nikkor by quite a margin, but at f4.0 is the other way around.
Maybe lightroom is sharpening the Batis at f2.0…or something else is going on, any thoughts?
Jim says
I’m using DCRAW now and still seeing something similar, so Lr sharpening is not in the mix. I think what we are seeing is the effect of focus shift with aperture in the Batis. I am currently conducting a test of that.