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Recently I had the opportunity to get the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 lens on loan from Sony to be able to take out and test in the field. When my followers found out I had the lens one of the first things they asked me to do was to compare the new lens against the sought after Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8. Below is a video of the shoot took place doing this very comparison:

The Zeiss Batis was the first Auto Focus 85mm lens available to Sony Mirrorless users and I fell in love with the lens about two years ago. I must have done at least 20-30 videos on Youtube using this lens that I just loved.

Then Sony released the 85mm G Master f/1.4 lens and that thing is a BEAST. It is definitely a pro level top of the line lens and while the Batis is amazing, it can't keep up with the G Master. BUT, the G Master also comes at a premium price and due to that many Sony users still consider going for the Zeiss Batis because it's about $600 less than the G Master.

Then earlier this month Sony announced their own FE (Full Frame E Mount) 85mm f/1.8 lens. What made this a game changer for many is the fact that it's $600 less than the Zeiss Batis and over a $1000 less than the G Master. Hence, that's why I received so many requests to compare it to the Zeiss Batis. Because if it's even CLOSE to the Zeiss Batis it's definitely a lot more affordable.

So we went out to Salvation Mountain in the California desert and I did a straight apples to apples comparison between the two lenses. Both lenses were shot on a tripod using the Sony A7Rii with the exact same settings and lighting. All images were developed using Lightroom only using the exact same settings via Batch Processing. So the results are identical.

As you'll see in the video and or the images you are viewing below, I was pretty stunned on just how the shots look identical. If I didn't know any better I would swear they are the same lenses in different shells lol. Take a look below for yourself:

Set 1- Sony FE lens- 85mm, f/1.8, 1/2500 sec, ISO 100

Set 1- Zeiss Batis- 85mm, f/1.8, 1/2500 sec, ISO 100

Set 2- Sony FE- 85mm, f/1.8, 1/2500 sec, ISO 100

Set 2- Zeiss Batis- 85mm, f/1.87, 1/2500 sec, ISO 100

Set 3- Sony FE- 85mm, f/1.8, 1/2000 sec, ISO 100

Set 3- Zeiss Batis- 85mm, f/1.8, 1/2000 sec, ISO 100

Set 4- Sony FE- 85mm, f/1.8, 1/1600 sec, ISO 100

Set 4- Zeiss Batis- 85mm, f/1.8, 1/1600 sec, ISO 100

**Links to Gear:

*Sony A7Rii-

*Sony FE 85mm f/1.8-

*Zeiss Batis 85mm-

*Lastolite 6x6 Diffuser-

*Westcott Rapid Box XL-

Thanks for coming by and checking out this post. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel and also this blog for future posts!!

Thanks,

Jason

17 Comments

So thanks to the kindness of Sony, I was able to borrow the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 lens prior to it being released to the public. So I asked my followers what they wanted me to do with the lens and one of the most frequent requests was that I slap that puppy on my A6500 and show the world what the images looked like.

So I booked my crew and a model and we headed out into the middle of nowhere....literally. We went out to Salvation Mountain which is somewhere between Mexico and Palm Springs out in Niland, California. It is a CRAZY place!!

We did a number of shoots earlier in the day and as the sun was getting close to setting I threw the lens on my A6500 and did a quick shoot. I wanted the shoot to be something similar to the time frame I'd have when shooting for 10-15 minutes at a wedding...like the couple shoot after the ceremony just to show people what can be done in a short amount of time.

Lighting wasn't necessarily optimal, but I wanted to show what could be done in less than ideal situations. I used the Flashpoint Xplor 600 monolight with the Westcott Rapid Box XXL as a modifier. Below are some of the shots from the shoot. All of the images taken were shot wide open at f/1.8.

We hope you enjoy the shoot. Please let us know what you think and what questions you have. We certainly have high hopes for this lens and the performance of it paired with this camera is quite a combination!!

**Links to Gear:

*Sony A6500-

*Sony 85mm f/1.8 lens-

Thanks!

Jason

7 Comments

Budget Batis- is the new Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 lens as good as the Zeiss Batis for half the price?

Salvation Mountain- My First Shoot with the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 on the Sony A6500