I have the Batis and don't buy into the idea that "real pro" need the GM. Honestly none of your clients will ever notice a cats eye bokeh ball and complain that it should be more round. Only other photographers might notice that. But the main reason I prefer the Batis is the image stabilization that it has when using it on my A6300 which I use as my backup and for video.
How do you like the 85mm on the A6300 for portraits? I love the bokeh that comes out of the 85 but I don't have a full frame camera. I already have a Nikon 50mm that I use on the A6300 with an adapter, I'm considering to invest on an 85mm now. What do you think?
Another great review Mathieu. I have owned the Batis 85 for several months and extremely pleased with sharp portrait results and performance of this glass. It is also perfectly balanced on my a7rii and a7ii camera bodies. The substantial additional weight of the Sony 85mm along with quality issues related to AF motor noise would not offset the observed bokeh advantage for me, the added expense aside. The Batis 85 is simply a gorgeous portrait lens in all respects and worthy of any professional's consideration.
Best comparison between these two lenses I've seen yet. Balanced and covers almost everything. If you'd had more time it might have been worth mentioning the difference in focusing technology and how the aperture functions (stopped down vs open for focus). Overall great real world test.
Thanks. Yes I forgot to mention the focusing technology but personally it didn't bother me too much but I can understand it can be annoying in some situations.
Best comparison of the two lenses out there. Very unbiased & informative. For pure IQ, performance, & bokeh, I'd go with the G-Master but for overall practicality & affordability I'd rather go for the Batis. As an enthusiast, I choose the Batis due to it's already great IQ & bokeh for it's better size, weight, & price. If I were a professional (a paid photographer; doing photography for a living), I'd get the G-Master for the better end results. As an enthusiast though, photography is not just about the final image. It's the journey. Frankly, I just get less motivated to pick up a bigger & heavier cameras & lenses. I tend to bring my lighter gear when shooting random day trips. I enjoy IQ & bokeh but rather have it in a smaller package if possible.
nice video n findings. enjoyed watching it. I go with the GM though. because I like the slightly better separation and round bokeh balls. But the main reason that make me jump into the GM is the Aperture ring. I just love it. So yea..this 85 and the 35..are my must have..always in my bag.
This is the only review that I found showing the basis as sharper! Thank you! I love the look of the lens itself. The Sony is a bit beefy for me. Hope I’m happy with it! Like I mentioned earlier I perform a lot of video so stabilization matters!
Thanks for another great video. I think your conclusions were fair and made sense. If you are a pro who needs that extra performance from the GM, then go ahead and spend the extra $$.. otherwise, save $600 and get the Batis which seems to work almost as good.
Well done Mathieu, very impressive review! I've rented both lenses this month and it's hard for to decide which one is better. Yes, as you already mentioned, the Sony has better bokeh.
@MathieuGasquet Best comparison video of 85mm G vs 85mm Batis. I will be buying the 85 Batis because I too love the way it renders images better than the G master... Plus the weight is a huge difference :)
Is it just me or the Batis has more contrast and vibrant colours overall?! It also seems to have that 'blurred background embracing the focused subject' effect that can be found on much more expensive lens ( Leica Noctilux, Zeiss Otus). Regards
Yes the Batis has more contrast especially at the fastest apertures (1.8 and 2 mainly). And it has "character", perhaps not as precise as the GM lens but I really like the look I get with it.
Exactly same impressions. Zeiss is Zeiss, even made in Japan. Colors and "pop" is much better than Sony. Sony reminds me of all those boring Sigma/Nikon in its rendering.
Not really, in fact, I don't have any Zeiss lenses. I don't like their rendering (apart from Biotar design, which is no longer in production), but it is not as boring and flat as Canikon/Sony at least. And Zeiss at least has very good contrast and micro contrast.
Very good comparison showing the pros and cons of both lenses, and I agree with your conclusion. The GM is a must-have for portrait professionals. If you don't have the money for both these lenses I can recommend the Samyang 85mm 1.4 (or Rokinon). It's a manual focus lens but the results are very impressive for it's affordable price. Even at 1.4 it's pretty good and sharp enough for portraits in the center. With peaking and/or focus magnification enabled manual focus isn't that difficult either. It also has an aperture ring and the focus ring is buttery smooth.
I ended up going for the 85 GM.. mainly because that was actually in stock and the 85mm batis was never available haha. Works well at weddings and events. Maybe one day we'll see a sony 85/1.8 similar to the 50/1.8 FE they released.. that would make things interesting
Any word on the differences in weather sealing between the lenses? If I'm not mistaken, the batis has a weatherproof mount whereas the g master does not.
The sony is dust and moisture resistant while the batis is sealed against spray water and dust. Technically the Batis should be more protected against water drops. Sony refers to moisture which is a little bit different but some light rain shouldn't harm the GM lens.
I'm wedding portrait photographer i had zeiss batis 85mm & my co photographers had Gm 85mm but when we compare results 10/10 times batis wins in fast photography situations. Its results r sharper more precision in tonal quality & perfect light exposers acquired each time. My co photographers always jealous when see batis 85 #zeiesscameralenses 😉
This was a great review the Batis has in my opinion plys it such a sewy lens lol. I have owned the GM yes its heavy chunky and somewhat Noisy for my liking i sold it and will now purchase tha Batis 85 for sure. Keep the consise video's coming.
Thank you for the detailed review! Well done. I was almost pulling the trigger on the sony. Can you tell me if the stabilization on the Zeus makes a difference when paired with a7riv (which has IBIS)? Video is what I’m worried about. I don’t use the aperture ring so stabilization matters more for me. Thanks again.
Hi Joe, I haven't tested the lens with the A7R IV. Overall, the Sony stabilisation works well for static shots but not much else. With the Batis, it will combine sensors and optical stabilisation, so there should be a decent performance.
Hi Mathieu, Thank you! I see I got auto-corrected earlier with the Zeiss. But glad you got it. :). Thanks again for the reply. I’m going with the Zeiss! Ive seen other comparisons and everyone mentions the round circles. I’m not one that cares about that too much. I do love the full body shot you got in the video. There is where I see the 1.4 shine.
Yes the GM is the better lens but I love to shot with the Batis lens much much more and the skin tones are so magic. The autofocus is in the direkt sunlight more effectively on the Batis
Thanks for this nice review! I had the 85 GM and returned it after a day. The problem for me with the gm is, and that never gets mentioned in any review, that the iris does not open up but stays at the selected aperture all the time (like an all manual or adapted lens does). If you are not all about bokeh all the time and you need to stop down for more depth of field you will get major problems as the af slows down to almost unusable once you are shooting above 5.6 especially in low light conditions like a dimly lit photostudio when using strobes. Your camera will increase the gain which results in a grainy laggy picture in the evf and try manual focussing at f8, you will never get the point of focus where you want it to be... So for me the gm is far away from a pro lens...
I heard about this issue. I guess it didn't bother me too much because I didn't try the lens in a studio with slow apertures. Out of curiosity, did you had the "Setting Effect Off" for the Live view display?
Yes I tried both Setting Effect Off modes and everything else I could think of. Also tried a second lens and a different body in the shop, same result. The dealer (sony pro dealer) was also pretty upset about that shortcoming and immediately called Sony, but guess what, nobody answered the phone :) Btw, my 55 and 90 lenses work properly as you would expect them to.
In 2023 if I was going for a 85mm Lens for Sony E-mount, I will get the Zeiss Batis Sonnar 85mm 1.8, yes it does not have either aperture ring or AF/MF button which I use a lot, but it is not too heavy (452g) and it has OSS, Optical Stabilizer, I do not need 1.4 aperture, 1.8 are more than enough. I also prefer the "bokeh" of the Zeiss, too "perfect" round "bokeh" can be too distracting !
Similar story between the Nikon 85 f/1.4 and Nikon 85mm f/1.8. The f/1.8 is a little bit sharper at wider apertures they have in common. Must be a general design issue regarding wider lenses. (The f/1.4 Nikon has arguably more attractive rendering)
Merci Mathieu, Je suis portraitiste et j'ai le Batis 85 qui avez été produit avant le Sony et je suis très heureux avec cette lentil, merci pour votre opinion ca me fait plus confiant avec mont achat, je vais procure le 70-200 ou le 135mm Sony. pardon mes errors, ca fais plissures annes que j’avait écrit en Français. Canada
The Sony shows only one eye in focus if the subjects is even slight off axis to the camera. The Batis produce a much more warm human cast on subject while the Sony produces cold whitish cast. It is more analytical in appearance while Batis captured natural colors.
The Bats is a good fit on the a6300 (and Sony APS-C cameras in general). You get approx. a 127mm equivalent field of view and the built-in stabilisation is a nice plus. The lens doesn't unbalance the camera either.
GM is sharper,yes batis has more contrast but it's not a same thing,if you go to dxomark you will see that Gm is sharper by far,and Batis bokeh is just so bad in front of GM
Come on Sony bring a lens out for the A7 users not everyone can afford A7Rmk2! These G-Master lenses are aimed at A7R2 users. Too expensive, heavy, no stabilization, too big. Batis a much better buy, lighter, cheaper, stabilization. They need to bring a cheaper 85mm f1.8 to compete with other makes.
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I have the Batis and don't buy into the idea that "real pro" need the GM. Honestly none of your clients will ever notice a cats eye bokeh ball and complain that it should be more round. Only other photographers might notice that. But the main reason I prefer the Batis is the image stabilization that it has when using it on my A6300 which I use as my backup and for video.
I agree that only photographers will notice the bokeh difference :)
How do you like the 85mm on the A6300 for portraits? I love the bokeh that comes out of the 85 but I don't have a full frame camera. I already have a Nikon 50mm that I use on the A6300 with an adapter, I'm considering to invest on an 85mm now. What do you think?
im glad i bought the zeiss batis for my preordered dony a7iii
Great Review, Thanks! I have the Batis and LOVE the results I'm getting from it. Tried the Sony and found it too big and heavy for me.
Another great review Mathieu. I have owned the Batis 85 for several months and extremely pleased with sharp portrait results and performance of this glass. It is also perfectly balanced on my a7rii and a7ii camera bodies. The substantial additional weight of the Sony 85mm along with quality issues related to AF motor noise would not offset the observed bokeh advantage for me, the added expense aside. The Batis 85 is simply a gorgeous portrait lens in all respects and worthy of any professional's consideration.
Follow up to my post regarding weight, the Sony 85mm is over 70% heavier than the Batis 85mm.
I went with the GM. I dont like the swirley bokeh that i have seen in some batis shoots. Although both are great lenses.
Best comparison between these two lenses I've seen yet. Balanced and covers almost everything. If you'd had more time it might have been worth mentioning the difference in focusing technology and how the aperture functions (stopped down vs open for focus). Overall great real world test.
Thanks. Yes I forgot to mention the focusing technology but personally it didn't bother me too much but I can understand it can be annoying in some situations.
I don't think it really detracts from the review. I love that you compared the focus breathing though.
Best comparison of the two lenses out there. Very unbiased & informative. For pure IQ, performance, & bokeh, I'd go with the G-Master but for overall practicality & affordability I'd rather go for the Batis. As an enthusiast, I choose the Batis due to it's already great IQ & bokeh for it's better size, weight, & price. If I were a professional (a paid photographer; doing photography for a living), I'd get the G-Master for the better end results. As an enthusiast though, photography is not just about the final image. It's the journey. Frankly, I just get less motivated to pick up a bigger & heavier cameras & lenses. I tend to bring my lighter gear when shooting random day trips. I enjoy IQ & bokeh but rather have it in a smaller package if possible.
Keep making great videos! I have the Batis, and I am very happy with my choice. The IQ, weight and lower price point makes this a FE-mount winner.
Nice review. I have the 85 Batis and love it. The Sony price is pushing past my price point.
nice video n findings. enjoyed watching it.
I go with the GM though. because I like the slightly better separation and round bokeh balls. But the main reason that make me jump into the GM is the Aperture ring. I just love it.
So yea..this 85 and the 35..are my must have..always in my bag.
You definitely have two great lenses in your bag! The 35mm is a great lens too.
nice review. you start to take on of the best comparisons of all the youtubers. nicely done :)
Thanks. With all these mirrorless systems out there I think comparison are becoming more important than standalone reviews :)
This is the only review that I found showing the basis as sharper! Thank you! I love the look of the lens itself. The Sony is a bit beefy for me. Hope I’m happy with it! Like I mentioned earlier I perform a lot of video so stabilization matters!
This is one of the best comparison videos between these two lenses! 👍🏻 Merci!
Thanks for another great video. I think your conclusions were fair and made sense. If you are a pro who needs that extra performance from the GM, then go ahead and spend the extra $$.. otherwise, save $600 and get the Batis which seems to work almost as good.
Well done Mathieu, very impressive review! I've rented both lenses this month and it's hard for to decide which one is better. Yes, as you already mentioned, the Sony has better bokeh.
im glad i bought the zeiss batis 85 1.8 for my preordered sony a7iii.. thanks for the review , keep it up
Fantastic review ,easily the best I've seen for either lens.
@MathieuGasquet Best comparison video of 85mm G vs 85mm Batis. I will be buying the 85 Batis because I too love the way it renders images better than the G master... Plus the weight is a huge difference :)
Thanks for your comprehensive review. I am torn between these two but any one of them shall be super fine, I believe.
They're both great lenses. If you don't know which one to choose, then spare some money and go with the Batis.
Looked up many videos concerning this topic. Yours was the best.
Is it just me or the Batis has more contrast and vibrant colours overall?! It also seems to have that 'blurred background embracing the focused subject' effect that can be found on much more expensive lens ( Leica Noctilux, Zeiss Otus). Regards
Yes the Batis has more contrast especially at the fastest apertures (1.8 and 2 mainly). And it has "character", perhaps not as precise as the GM lens but I really like the look I get with it.
Exactly same impressions. Zeiss is Zeiss, even made in Japan. Colors and "pop" is much better than Sony. Sony reminds me of all those boring Sigma/Nikon in its rendering.
+Pavel Fedosejev another Zeiss pop coolaid drinker I see....
Not really, in fact, I don't have any Zeiss lenses. I don't like their rendering (apart from Biotar design, which is no longer in production), but it is not as boring and flat as Canikon/Sony at least. And Zeiss at least has very good contrast and micro contrast.
I appreciate a review that is right to the point and covers all the appropriate details. Thanks!
Nice review. The painterly bokeh of the GM got me.
You did a excellent job on this review! Thank you for that comparison and conclusion.
Very good comparison showing the pros and cons of both lenses, and I agree with your conclusion. The GM is a must-have for portrait professionals. If you don't have the money for both these lenses I can recommend the Samyang 85mm 1.4 (or Rokinon). It's a manual focus lens but the results are very impressive for it's affordable price. Even at 1.4 it's pretty good and sharp enough for portraits in the center. With peaking and/or focus magnification enabled manual focus isn't that difficult either. It also has an aperture ring and the focus ring is buttery smooth.
I ended up going for the 85 GM.. mainly because that was actually in stock and the 85mm batis was never available haha.
Works well at weddings and events.
Maybe one day we'll see a sony 85/1.8 similar to the 50/1.8 FE they released.. that would make things interesting
Excellent concise and extremely useful review. Thanks very much.
Any word on the differences in weather sealing between the lenses? If I'm not mistaken, the batis has a weatherproof mount whereas the g master does not.
The sony is dust and moisture resistant while the batis is sealed against spray water and dust. Technically the Batis should be more protected against water drops. Sony refers to moisture which is a little bit different but some light rain shouldn't harm the GM lens.
I'm wedding portrait photographer i had zeiss batis 85mm & my co photographers had Gm 85mm but when we compare results 10/10 times batis wins in fast photography situations. Its results r sharper more precision in tonal quality & perfect light exposers acquired each time.
My co photographers always jealous when see batis 85 #zeiesscameralenses 😉
This was a great review the Batis has in my opinion plys it such a sewy lens lol. I have owned the GM yes its heavy chunky and somewhat Noisy for my liking i sold it and will now purchase tha Batis 85 for sure. Keep the consise video's coming.
Excellent travail Mathieu. Merci pour la comparaison. Je vais devoir vendre mon bras pour prendre la Batis. Bises.
Aurais-tu des résultats pour le A7R premiére génération stp ?
Oui, tu peux en trouver ici:
www.mirrorlessons.com/2015/07/21/zeiss-batis-85mm-f1-8-review/
Love your videos Mathieu! Keep up the great work!
Thank you for the detailed review! Well done. I was almost pulling the trigger on the sony. Can you tell me if the stabilization on the Zeus makes a difference when paired with a7riv (which has IBIS)? Video is what I’m worried about. I don’t use the aperture ring so stabilization matters more for me. Thanks again.
Hi Joe, I haven't tested the lens with the A7R IV. Overall, the Sony stabilisation works well for static shots but not much else. With the Batis, it will combine sensors and optical stabilisation, so there should be a decent performance.
Hi Mathieu, Thank you! I see I got auto-corrected earlier with the Zeiss. But glad you got it. :). Thanks again for the reply. I’m going with the Zeiss! Ive seen other comparisons and everyone mentions the round circles. I’m not one that cares about that too much. I do love the full body shot you got in the video. There is where I see the 1.4 shine.
Yes the GM is the better lens but I love to shot with the Batis lens much much more and the skin tones are so magic. The autofocus is in the direkt sunlight more effectively on the Batis
Very good, thanks a lot, you concentrated on the points that matters the most for me.
Another great video.
Glad I went with the Zeiss.
Shane Doyle Same here, the Batis is great!
What do you think of the 85GM vs the 135 Batis, which is better in portraiture and in general?
I never tried the Batis 135 so can't give you a direct feedback. I own the 135mm 1.8 GM and it's a marvel.
Thanks for the comprehensive comparison.
Thanks for this nice review!
I had the 85 GM and returned it after a day. The problem for me with the gm is, and that never gets mentioned in any review, that the iris does not open up but stays at the selected aperture all the time (like an all manual or adapted lens does). If you are not all about bokeh all the time and you need to stop down for more depth of field you will get major problems as the af slows down to almost unusable once you are shooting above 5.6 especially in low light conditions like a dimly lit photostudio when using strobes. Your camera will increase the gain which results in a grainy laggy picture in the evf and try manual focussing at f8, you will never get the point of focus where you want it to be... So for me the gm is far away from a pro lens...
I heard about this issue. I guess it didn't bother me too much because I didn't try the lens in a studio with slow apertures. Out of curiosity, did you had the "Setting Effect Off" for the Live view display?
Yes I tried both Setting Effect Off modes and everything else I could think of. Also tried a second lens and a different body in the shop, same result. The dealer (sony pro dealer) was also pretty upset about that shortcoming and immediately called Sony, but guess what, nobody answered the phone :) Btw, my 55 and 90 lenses work properly as you would expect them to.
It sounds like something that could be fixed via firmware.
awesome review, very objective! keep it up.
ill save for the batis
Well done! Comprehensive and fair.
In 2023 if I was going for a 85mm Lens for Sony E-mount, I will get the Zeiss Batis Sonnar 85mm 1.8, yes it does not have either aperture ring or AF/MF button which I use a lot, but it is not too heavy (452g) and it has OSS, Optical Stabilizer, I do not need 1.4 aperture, 1.8 are more than enough. I also prefer the "bokeh" of the Zeiss, too "perfect" round "bokeh" can be too distracting !
best comparison here on youtube Thank you!
Good review as always.
Min 3:25 says everything. If the G-Master was in Fokus the result is devastating.
In my view the Batis (at 1:8) is better.
The G-master is in focus but the Batis is sharper.
Similar story between the Nikon 85 f/1.4 and Nikon 85mm f/1.8. The f/1.8 is a little bit sharper at wider apertures they have in common. Must be a general design issue regarding wider lenses. (The f/1.4 Nikon has arguably more attractive rendering)
Another excellent comparison!
Excellent review! Thanks
Thanks 🙏 for the nice review
Merci Mathieu, Je suis portraitiste et j'ai le Batis 85 qui avez été produit avant le Sony et je suis très heureux avec cette lentil, merci pour votre opinion ca me fait plus confiant avec mont achat, je vais procure le 70-200 ou le 135mm Sony. pardon mes errors, ca fais plissures annes que j’avait écrit en Français. Canada
Is it just me or is your camera focused on your wall instead of your face
Yes it is.
It is sometimes claimed that IBIS plus OSS is more effective than just IBIS alone. Does anyone know if that is true?
it depends on the system, for Sony I don't find it to make a big difference. With Olympus or Panasonic, there is a more substantial advantage.
The Sony shows only one eye in focus if the subjects is even slight off axis to the camera. The Batis produce a much more warm human cast on subject while the Sony produces cold whitish cast. It is more analytical in appearance while Batis captured natural colors.
Any idea of Batis performance on a6300?
The Bats is a good fit on the a6300 (and Sony APS-C cameras in general). You get approx. a 127mm equivalent field of view and the built-in stabilisation is a nice plus. The lens doesn't unbalance the camera either.
Yes, Zeiss Batis.
hello ... the batis is updated? ...
what do you mean by updated?
Superb review
thanks!
very good information...
Great review
Best review! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I think that Zeiss has cooler bokeh. Sadly its not 1.4.
GM is sharper,yes batis has more contrast but it's not a same thing,if you go to dxomark you will see that Gm is sharper by far,and Batis bokeh is just so bad in front of GM
The woman in this video is very pleasant to look at. You took some very nice photos of her.
Thank you
Zeiss Batis r best optical lenses
Come on Sony bring a lens out for the A7 users not everyone can afford A7Rmk2! These G-Master lenses are aimed at A7R2 users. Too expensive, heavy, no stabilization, too big. Batis a much better buy, lighter, cheaper, stabilization. They need to bring a cheaper 85mm f1.8 to compete with other makes.
BS.. the Batis is NOT sharper at 1.8. I tested both plus a Tamron 85mm 1.8 and a Samyang 135mm F2.
I took lots of different side by side shots to double check and that's what I found.
He said the Batis is sharper @ f1.8 vs the GM @ f1.4.
Nikkor probably better than both of FE lenses.
Check out Jim Kasson's tests and the MTF results on the Lens Rentals blog. The Nikon 85's are great but the two Sony lenses more than hold their own.
Sharper better batis
Чехол на камере кожанный мне нравиться где купили?)
Bravo tu n'as presque pas d'accent !
Des années et des années d'entraînement! :-D
The Batis lens produced IMO the unattractive football (cat eyes) background and bokeh. That alone makes the Batis unacceptable.