I have chosen the Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanthar 65mm 2.0 and the Sony 135mm 1.8 GM, I love macro and close-up photography and Landscape photography, so both the 65mm and the 135mm are great for that as many other types of photography, these two Lenses are very sharp with a very high resolution which you need for images in large poster size, so the 65 and 135mm Lenses are perfect for my Sony A7RIV. If I had a full frame camera with less resolution I would choose the Sony 85mm 1.8 or the Rokinon/Samyang 75mm 1.8 which are small and light at only $299.
I have a few 85's that I don't want or need. My adapted Tamron SP 85 has better image quality, but it is large, heavy, and slow. The native Sony might be worth keeping for its size and focusing speed, but I am not a fan of its axial CA and busy backgrounds. The Samyang 85 is large and slow with similar optical problems as the Sony. The Samyang 75 has very little axial CA but has even busier backgrounds. The Sigma 65 is great, but that's quite a different focal length.
Nice video James. I've tested every 85mm for Sony E-mount over on my channel, and honestly, I don't know why more people aren't talking about the Tokina. It's around $100 cheaper and from my tests I found that the bokeh balls and general bokeh quality it creates are better than the Sony. Optically, I found it to be much sharper edge to edge than the Sony, even when wide open, and it doesn't have the Sony's infamous blue fringing problem, which can really ruin your images when shooting in to strong back light. But that said, you're absolutely right, if weather sealing and having a lightweight lens are big concerns to you, this is where the Sony beats out the Tokina. Either way, it's pretty awesome us Sony shooters have so many great options to pick from!
I have and love the Sony 85 f/1.8. I got it used for $350 and don't see any need for "upgrading" to an f/1.4 85mm. However, I am thinking about adding the Samyang 135mm f/1,8 lens to my collection.
I Was Tipsy The Other Night And Purchased Both The Sony A7 Riv, Plus This Lens.. ($4,100 Later And A Hang Over) I Can’t Be Happier With This Drunken Leap Of Faith While Slaping 5s With The Wild Side. It Has Been A Beautiful Disappointment To My Better Judgment.. But Here We Are. Love It!
@adityaputra6747 yes it was absolutely worth it. The auto focus is magnificent and the final image looks very nice. After 10 months I'm still using it as it's easy to carry and mount on. I also have a Tamron 35-150mm but sometimes I've chosen to bring the Sony 85mm because it's compact and lightweight:)
Thanks for the review. I actually bought the Sony 85mm 1.8 today and plan to use it for some red carpet event photography. Your assessment has given me some assurance that it will become a staple in my camera gear arsenal. (Pending my personal experience of course). But I look forward to your future reviews of other affordable Sony lenses to be paired with the a7r3, a73 and a79 series. Thanks again.
Awesome Andre. I have absolute confidence this is a great lens for red carpet and you will be v happy with it. Let me know what you think when you get it. And I will definitely be doing more reviews of affordable lenses for Sony!
James you are a God send I do sports and I keep hearing about getting the 1.8 for close up and sideline for warmups and you explained this lens perfectly. I can’t get the 1.4 G master yet it’s so expensive I’m definitely sold thank you.
Oooh, what a channel, what a find👍👍👍👍Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was choosing between Canon r6m2 and Sony A7m4, I will take the sony.... Please suggest the top portrait lens (budget is unlimited) with the most gorgeous blurred background. And the second lens for shooting 4k travel video with the maximum possible quality and the minimum possible weight, that would for a day of walking around new cities shoulder and back said thank you)))
I got the lens on Friday and honestly ... I love it !! I have the Sony 50mm 1.8 and now this Sony 85mm 1.8, Now I'm looking on buying the next lens or 2 lenses :)
Totally agree about this lens. I had it, only sold it when I bought a Sigma 85 dg dn ART and sometimes I ask myself why? the f1.4? I guess. Such a great cheapo lens this sony 85 is.
We love our Sony 1.8 James! Would only consider 85mm GM when they do a mk ii, as it’s showing it’s age in our view. That’s why we went the 1.8 instead for the spend 😁
Exactly! I have owned the GM and decided it just wasn't worth the cost over this lens, personally, for my type of work. If I were doing serious beauty photos, that may be a different matter, but I am not, so...
This is a beautiful quality lens for the price. I'va had one for the past 4 years and it has been really great. However, recently I noticed that the focus ring (only when turned in one drirection) makes some unsubstantial noise, while turning the other direction the ring is completely silent and smooth. Anything familiar?
Hi, this is a very nice video, I have this lens and I have a big problem usual I get pictures not sharp, I tried everything and I can’t solve the problem, please can you tell me how I solve this problem.
I bought the Tokina 85mm in China for 200€ but I’m not sure it’s fully compatible with my Sony A7R II. Eye AF it’s not working very well, tho I have no comparison since it’s the only lens I own
Hi James I'm looking to grab that Sony 85mm 1.8 len, but I dont know whether it would work well for night shot or not. Would you mind sharing some info. Thanks.
Hey James. I’m located in Las Vegas to. Do you think we could sit down over lunch and talk about how the 85mm lens could help with my use of it in the barbershop instead of my 50mm lens. I’ll give you a free haircut.
Just entered the Sony environment with the A7C. I do street photography and Professor Hines recommended this lens. In addition, I’m looking for small and lightweight for this body. I pain a little under $500 used. This lens should be good enough. I haven’t taken it out for a walk yet. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
Huh. That’s odd. Maybe the way the video was compressed by YT and the browser gamma readings? Thanks for the heads up. What computer and monitor and browser are you using??
@@JamesLavish ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q and with Firefox. Since you asked though I checked it on my second monitor which is a Dell model I can't recall and in Chrome and it still looks the same. Both of those monitors are IPS. I also checked it on my Samsung OLED. It looks to me as if the white balance was ever so slightly further towards the green tint. Like I said though that could just be my own perception. It's only in the segments where you've filmed yourself and mainly your skin tone that I thought I noticed. I worry that it's all in my head and made you worry over nothing!
Haha! Interesting. I think you have outed me. I'm really an alien😂 In all seriousness though, the color grading between FCPX and anything other than Safari as a browser makes the videos more saturated for some reason--it has to do with the browser's reading of the gamma. I usually oversaturate in FCXP as a test to see what it will look like when not played in Safari, but maybe I missed that. I think even my hair is slightly green. Or maybe it is now all in my head too 😂😂
Have, want, need an 85mm for Sony Alpha? Which one have you chosen and why???
I have chosen the Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanthar 65mm 2.0 and the Sony 135mm 1.8 GM, I love macro and close-up photography and Landscape photography, so both the 65mm and the 135mm are great for that as many other types of photography, these two Lenses are very sharp with a very high resolution which you need for images in large poster size, so the 65 and 135mm Lenses are perfect for my Sony A7RIV. If I had a full frame camera with less resolution I would choose the Sony 85mm 1.8 or the Rokinon/Samyang 75mm 1.8 which are small and light at only $299.
How about Samyang 85mm f1.4.
I have a few 85's that I don't want or need. My adapted Tamron SP 85 has better image quality, but it is large, heavy, and slow. The native Sony might be worth keeping for its size and focusing speed, but I am not a fan of its axial CA and busy backgrounds. The Samyang 85 is large and slow with similar optical problems as the Sony. The Samyang 75 has very little axial CA but has even busier backgrounds. The Sigma 65 is great, but that's quite a different focal length.
There is clearly no rubber o-ring! Please correct that.
3 years later! what's a good lens for the Sony a7 iii to shoot music video's? thanks!
I loved how quick and clear you were James, it gets a lot watching 10-15 min videos about lenses, I appreciated this length!
The stop motion sequence is awesome! Nice work
Never had second thought when I bought this. Cheers mate! Stay safe.
Thanks so much and great to hear! Cheers and same to you!
Love my 85mm f1.8 it's stunning.
Nice video James. I've tested every 85mm for Sony E-mount over on my channel, and honestly, I don't know why more people aren't talking about the Tokina. It's around $100 cheaper and from my tests I found that the bokeh balls and general bokeh quality it creates are better than the Sony. Optically, I found it to be much sharper edge to edge than the Sony, even when wide open, and it doesn't have the Sony's infamous blue fringing problem, which can really ruin your images when shooting in to strong back light. But that said, you're absolutely right, if weather sealing and having a lightweight lens are big concerns to you, this is where the Sony beats out the Tokina.
Either way, it's pretty awesome us Sony shooters have so many great options to pick from!
If the Tokina just added a lens mount gasket it would be a real winner for me.
Tokina rocks...i know the lens,i might buy one.
The best choice you can make for this focal length...for 320 euros brand new, is the best deal I can make.Thank you so much,James!
I have it since 2018! It still works great for photo and video. Amazing purchase ❤
That was a great comparison, thank you!
I have and love the Sony 85 f/1.8. I got it used for $350 and don't see any need for "upgrading" to an f/1.4 85mm. However, I am thinking about adding the Samyang 135mm f/1,8 lens to my collection.
I got this one as a pair with my 35gm. Can’t go wrong with that honestly
I Was Tipsy The Other Night And Purchased Both The Sony A7 Riv, Plus This Lens.. ($4,100 Later And A Hang Over) I Can’t Be Happier With This Drunken Leap Of Faith While Slaping 5s With The Wild Side.
It Has Been A Beautiful Disappointment To My Better Judgment.. But Here We Are. Love It!
Just got my Sony 85 1.8, 4-19-21, will be using it this weekend!
Let me know what you think of it!
how is it?
Just bought one, looking forward to receiving it and using it as it's my first 85mm prime lens and I love this focal lenght!
So how is it? Worth to buy?
@adityaputra6747 yes it was absolutely worth it. The auto focus is magnificent and the final image looks very nice. After 10 months I'm still using it as it's easy to carry and mount on. I also have a Tamron 35-150mm but sometimes I've chosen to bring the Sony 85mm because it's compact and lightweight:)
The macro guy loves photography!
Beautiful!!!
I have the 85 mm 1.8 viltrox and LOVE IT!!!!
Thanks for the review. I actually bought the Sony 85mm 1.8 today and plan to use it for some red carpet event photography. Your assessment has given me some assurance that it will become a staple in my camera gear arsenal. (Pending my personal experience of course). But I look forward to your future reviews of other affordable Sony lenses to be paired with the a7r3, a73 and a79 series. Thanks again.
Awesome Andre. I have absolute confidence this is a great lens for red carpet and you will be v happy with it. Let me know what you think when you get it. And I will definitely be doing more reviews of affordable lenses for Sony!
Nice review! I love how methodical you are in your approach to analyzing the lenses. Cheers!
Thanks so much, I really appreciate it brother!!
Bought the 85MM f1.8 and I agree that it is wonderful.
Crazy good intro!! Love the work you put into that!
Awww. Thanks so much, Anastasia! Yes, lots of images but super fun! Looking forward to new vids from you soon! 😉
James you are a God send I do sports and I keep hearing about getting the 1.8 for close up and sideline for warmups and you explained this lens perfectly. I can’t get the 1.4 G master yet it’s so expensive I’m definitely sold thank you.
This 85/1.8 has been my favorite lens. F1.4 is a stop too far; the added size, cost and weight isn't worth the extra half stop.
I just discover your channel. Great video and great review!!
Every video gets a like from me automatically 👍 You make really great videos and have earned significantly more subscribers
Thank you Garcia! I really appreciate your support, a huge help! 🙏✌
Amazing video! Thank you for the information.
Absolute beauty lens this
Mostly looking at a lowlight lens to get good portrait style photos in church! Planning to snag this one for the cost!
Mine comes tomorrow, I'm pumped! It's the final lens to my bag. Unless I sell a kidney for a 600mm 🤣
Haha! You will love this lens...awesome for the price and I love mine!
Is photography your job, may I ask? Steele.
Sell your liver, you can sell like 80 percent, and by doing the right things you can regenerate it 🗿🍷
Had no idea you were based in Vegas! I am as well. Thank you for this! I just picked this lens up a few days ago.
The intro must have taken a lot of effort, great job!
Do you still recommend this lens for 2024? Plan to use it for portraits mainly.
Is the 85mm a good full body portrait lens for the Sony A6400?
Really nice lens for portraits but what I do realized autofocus can be really slow at times especially with close ups.
Great video, simple and straight to the point review. Please review the Sony FE 35mm F1.8 next. Thanks
Thanks so much, Exequiel! Definitely plan to do that one soon, too!
Is there really a rubber gasket for weather sealing ? other reviewers mentioned there's none.
There isn't. At least my copy doesn't have it.
You can look at the shot when he mentions it and see there is clearly no rubber o-ring.
New to photography , this was the lens i brought to replace the kit lens and damb am i happy with the lens
that stop motion intro👏
I chose this because it's faster at focusing than the GM I'll swap it for the GM II if they ever refresh that lens.
Oooh, what a channel, what a find👍👍👍👍Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was choosing between Canon r6m2 and Sony A7m4, I will take the sony.... Please suggest the top portrait lens (budget is unlimited) with the most gorgeous blurred background. And the second lens for shooting 4k travel video with the maximum possible quality and the minimum possible weight, that would for a day of walking around new cities shoulder and back said thank you)))
I got the lens on Friday and honestly ... I love it !! I have the Sony 50mm 1.8 and now this Sony 85mm 1.8, Now I'm looking on buying the next lens or 2 lenses :)
Have you looked at the 35mm 1.4 GM? Review on that coming soon!
Totally agree about this lens. I had it, only sold it when I bought a Sigma 85 dg dn ART and sometimes I ask myself why? the f1.4? I guess. Such a great cheapo lens this sony 85 is.
Wonderful review. Would you go for 70mm or 85mm for shots within 50 ft? I am looking to do travel videos of my and my girl friend.
We love our Sony 1.8 James! Would only consider 85mm GM when they do a mk ii, as it’s showing it’s age in our view. That’s why we went the 1.8 instead for the spend 😁
Exactly! I have owned the GM and decided it just wasn't worth the cost over this lens, personally, for my type of work. If I were doing serious beauty photos, that may be a different matter, but I am not, so...
Can you tell me what lens you’re using in this video and lighting?
I just sold the Sony FE 50mm 1.8 so I can upgrade to the 85mm, will have a blast with it!
Would this lens be good for indoor sport? I would be very close to action and the sport is not fast paced. Thank you
Beautiful content very helpful
Would you compare the 85mm vs 90mm macro lens for portrait photography please.
I gave up my gmaster because it was super slow. Im gonna give this a try until the hopefully 85mm1.2 comes out soon!
Can you recommend between tamron 17-28 f/2.8 & sigma 16-28 f/2
.8 for landscape photography?
It appears that when this lens is off the motor slides and makes a noise does that sound correct?
Hi I am looking to fit this lens to my Canon 750D is this compatible? if not, do I need an adaptor, and which one? Thank You
mostly interested in weight, sounds like this is lightweight but still sharp. Do bicycle around Las Vegas, I do
100% agree!!! Hope all is well!
Dan!!! Great to see you here! How’s life, my man?
@@JamesLavish life’s good!!! Just bought a van, and we’re starting the conversion process 😳😳😳
What’s new on your end?
@@danzbeard Yeah, man. That sounds like an adventure! All good here. Healthy and ready to get out and explore again, ourselves!
Weather sealing??? Rubber gasket??? Is your copy a special edition?
This is a beautiful quality lens for the price. I'va had one for the past 4 years and it has been really great. However, recently I noticed that the focus ring (only when turned in one drirection) makes some unsubstantial noise, while turning the other direction the ring is completely silent and smooth. Anything familiar?
So when you say I set the button to eye auto focus. So do you set it to turn on and off the eye auto focus feature???
Hey James, what function do you use in the custom button of the lense?
Glad I found you
Thanks! Thats what I´m looking for .. not to expensive but still very good, I think I´ll buy this one :)
I'm surprised you didn't mention the Samyang 85mm F1.4. Have you tried it out?
Hi, this is a very nice video, I have this lens and I have a big problem usual I get pictures not sharp, I tried everything and I can’t solve the problem, please can you tell me how I solve this problem.
I bought the Tokina 85mm in China for 200€ but I’m not sure it’s fully compatible with my Sony A7R II. Eye AF it’s not working very well, tho I have no comparison since it’s the only lens I own
I got mine new in Tokyo last October at US$375 (tax exempt). Great deal got even better.
Awesome its really helpful I have subscribed
Nice and Short and honest review! For me, the Samyang 85mm is the best one, because of better weather sealing and a nicer Bokeh 😎
F1.4 means more blur, but I can't say it is much nicer looking.
Hi James
I'm looking to grab that Sony 85mm 1.8 len, but I dont know whether it would work well for night shot or not.
Would you mind sharing some info.
Thanks.
Hey there. Quick reply here, but with a 1.8 aperture, this would absolutely be good for night photos and video!
Thank you!!!Very interesting!!!
Hey James. I’m located in Las Vegas to. Do you think we could sit down over lunch and talk about how the 85mm lens could help with my use of it in the barbershop instead of my 50mm lens. I’ll give you a free haircut.
Best lens for the money is the Sigma Art DGDN and it’s not particularly close
Just entered the Sony environment with the A7C. I do street photography and Professor Hines recommended this lens. In addition, I’m looking for small and lightweight for this body. I pain a little under $500 used. This lens should be good enough. I haven’t taken it out for a walk yet.
Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
Just got a new one for $480 including next day shipping 🎉
What a beautiful model! This lens has really piqued my interest..........
Haha! She was great yes. And thank you Gigi! 😉
Your video looks excellent except... is it just me or is there a green tint to everything?
To the photos or my video?
@@JamesLavish The portions of video where you're speaking. The photos look totally fine.
Huh. That’s odd. Maybe the way the video was compressed by YT and the browser gamma readings? Thanks for the heads up.
What computer and monitor and browser are you using??
@@JamesLavish ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q and with Firefox. Since you asked though I checked it on my second monitor which is a Dell model I can't recall and in Chrome and it still looks the same. Both of those monitors are IPS. I also checked it on my Samsung OLED. It looks to me as if the white balance was ever so slightly further towards the green tint. Like I said though that could just be my own perception. It's only in the segments where you've filmed yourself and mainly your skin tone that I thought I noticed. I worry that it's all in my head and made you worry over nothing!
Haha! Interesting. I think you have outed me. I'm really an alien😂
In all seriousness though, the color grading between FCPX and anything other than Safari as a browser makes the videos more saturated for some reason--it has to do with the browser's reading of the gamma. I usually oversaturate in FCXP as a test to see what it will look like when not played in Safari, but maybe I missed that. I think even my hair is slightly green. Or maybe it is now all in my head too 😂😂
Are you James bonds double
Meike 85mm 1.4...
i did buy used 85mm f1.8 Sony excellent condition owner already brought 24 70 2.8 and need money to fix his car heheheh
Super
Thanks so much!
@@JamesLavish 🙏👍😉
You can have a cheaper, smaller and lighter with the Rokinon/Samyang 75mm 1.8 $299