Manny Ortiz tested the new 85mm f/1.8 FE lens and he believes it’s nearly a match of the much more expensive 85mm GM lens (watch video on top). And Jason Vong made that
Sony FE 85mm 1.8 vs G Master 85mm 1.4 video:
Newsshooter posted their Aputure DEC Vari ND Hands On Review:
And Mathieu Stern made an E-mount lens out of garbage named “Crapinon”:
Image samples and previews: Official Batis 135mm page at Zeiss. Images on Flickr.
Full resolution RAW images to link at mattgranger.com/135batis.
In the Field with the Just Announced Zeiss Batis 135mm (Explora).
Full review by Amateur Photographer (says “it sets an exceptionally high bar that won’t be easy to match“)
Preview with images by Irwin Wong, Topher DeLancy and Greg Watermann on Lenspire.
Full reivew at ThePhoBlographer (says “It’s fantastic in so many ways“).
Zeiss Batis APO Sonnar 135mm f/2.8 Lens Review (VeryBigLobo).
Hands-on by Adorama.
First Look by Brian Smith.
German test by FotoMagazin.
RAw image samples at lbag (zip file). Artcile at lbag.
Videos:
Introducing the new ZEISS Batis 2.8/135
Video by Matt Granger
Topher DeLancy about the new ZEISS Batis 2.8/135
Press text:
The advanced correction of the Apo Sonnar lens design ensures extremely realistic portrayal of your subject. To avoid shaking, an optical image stabilizer has also been integrated in the design. The fast and precise autofocus is your guarantee of sharply defined images – even in difficult light. The shallow depth of field at maximum aperture allows the creative combination of focus and blur, allowing you to direct the viewer’s attention to the main subject of your photo.
The ZEISS Batis autofocus lenses were specially developed for mirrorless, full-frame system cameras from Sony. The lenses are fully compatible with all E-mount cameras and offer protection against dust and weather in addition to fast and quiet autofocus. For creative photography, the innovative OLED display shows the distance and depth of field to ensure that the focusing range can always be perfectly set. The result: images that will amaze you. The completely new design of the high-speed ZEISS Batis family offers perfect image quality.
It’sa going ot be a busy time now on SAR! Today Zeiss will announce the new Batis 135mm f/2.8 lens at 11:00 Berlin time. And hopefully Sony will announce new E-mount stuff on April 23.
Sony manager Yasuyuki Nagata got interviewed at Dpreview. Here are some key info:
About Tele FE lenses:
“If a lot of professional photographers [want those lenses] we will have to create them. But for now, our main professional user base is portraits and landscape photographers.” …..That’s for our readers animalsbybarry ;)
Aiming Sports Photographers:
“Maybe. Of course it’s not just the lens, it’s the body as well.“
1 inch compact camera market:
“we enjoy 60-70% market share in most regions“
Earthquake impact:
The Kumamoto impact was more profound on full-frame sensors than one-inch.
Is the PRO market growing?
“I believe so. Which is why pro support is getting more important for us.“
About the A-mount future: “There is a huge number of lenses for A mount, from Sony and Minolta, and we want to maintain a good relationship with those customers by providing great A mount bodies with no compromises compared to the E mount system. But we can start capturing new customers with the E mount. We we need both.”
To sum up:
Sony was hiding their cards. As far as we know the next high End E-mount camera body will be the first that could satisfy Sports Photographers. And a new 100-400mm FE lens is rumored to be on the roadmap too.
Sony is aware they need to improve battery life and that they need to improve and extend their PRO support. Those are also two of the main complaints of many SAR readers.
Sony confirmed their commitment to A-mount but more on the body than on the lens side: “We have to prioritize. It’s not easy developing new lenses.“
Here are the first real full size images of the new Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 FE lens! The lens will be announced tomorrow (April 5) at 11:00 Berlin time. The lens specs are exactly those we rumored starting back in August 2016 (Thanks to our sources!). This is the first Zeiss FF E-mount lens with APO design for minimal chromatic aberrations.