Ever since full-frame mirrorless became the dominant format for high-end cameras, there’s been an arms race between manufacturers to produce exotic large-aperture lenses that wouldn’t previously have been possible. The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM is a standard zoom that’s designed for photographers who shoot such things as weddings and events, and who want to use a larger aperture than f/2.8 without giving up the flexibility of a zoom.  As part of the premium G Master range, it promises top-quality optics and pro-level handling, meaning it should be one of Sony’s very best lenses.

Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM at a glance:

• $2699 / £3049
• Sony E-mount (full-frame)
• 86mm filter thread
• 38cm minimum focus
• 92.9mm x 139.8mm length; 918g

With a hefty price tag of $2900 / £3049, though, the FE 28-70mm F2 GM is anything but a casual purchase. It costs considerably more than the superb Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II, which until now was the firm’s benchmark standard zoom. And that ultra-large aperture comes with some real penalties, most notably a shorter wideangle end and significant extra bulk.   

While this the largest aperture zoom Sony has ever made, it’s not the first of its type. Canon kicked things off with its RF 28-70mm F2 L USM back in 2018, while Sigma has gone faster still, with its 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art being the largest-aperture full-frame zoom ever made. Meanwhile for those who don’t mind a variable aperture, the Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD and Samyang AF 35-150mm F2-2.8 FE offer an intriguing combination of brightness and extended zoom range.

While all these lenses offer interesting creative possibilities, they’re inevitably large and unwieldy, with focal-length ranges that don’t necessarily sit well within the conventional trio of wide, standard, and telephoto zooms. But the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM might just be different, with a relatively familiar-looking range and reasonable size. So is this the kind of halo product that mainly exists to make the overall system look good, or is it a genuinely practical lens?

Features

Optically, the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM employs a complex optical formula with 20 elements in 14 groups, including 3 Super ED, 1 ED, 3 Aspherical, and 3 XA (eXtreme Aspherical) elements. Together, these aim to suppress aberrations and give sharp images with no colour fringing, along with attractive bokeh. Nano AR II coating is on board to suppress flare and ghosting.

Four XD linear motors are required to move the lens’s large, heavy focus groups. Even so, the lens is designed to keep up with continuous autofocus while shooting stills or video at 120 frames per second. A floating focus system promises high close-up performance.

The minimum focus distance is 38cm over the entire zoom range, with a maximum magnification of 0.23x at the 70mm position. Focus breathing is suppressed optically, and the lens is also compatible with in-camera breathing suppression. Linear response MF is included for manual focusing.

Despite its ultra-large aperture, the lens accepts 86mm filters. It comes with a petal-type hood that features a locking button, and which reverses snugly when it’s not in use. The hood also has a neat sliding, captive door that allows polarisers to be rotated relatively easily.

Build and handling

Sony says that restricting the wide end to 28mm has helped keep the lens’s size manageable, at 93mm in diameter, 140mm in length, and 918g in weight. While that’s 223g heavier than the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II, remarkably it’s more than 500g lighter than Canon’s equivalent design. In context, plenty of 24-70mm f/2.8 zooms for DSLRs were larger and heavier than this.

There’s no getting around the fact that this is still a fairly hefty lens, but I was pleasantly surprised by how manageable I found it in reality. I mainly shot it on Sony’s Alpha 1 II and Alpha 7R V bodies, both of which have decently large handgrips, and found those combinations worked very well.

However, I also tried it on my old A7 II, which has a much smaller grip, and on which it felt distinctly front-heavy and unwieldy. Chances are it will feel equally unbalanced on Sony’s small A7C-series cameras, which employ a very similar grip.

As usual for the GM line, the barrel boasts dust and water-resistant construction, and there’s a fluorine coating on the front element to repel grease and water. The front extends on zooming, but not very far (about 15mm). This means the balance shouldn’t shift significantly for videographers using a gimbal.

In terms of controls, the lens includes everything we’ve come to expect on Sony’s latest designs. The broad zoom ring falls naturally to hand, and has two torque settings, which are set via a switch labelled Smooth and Tight. These settings turn out to be somewhat oddly named: ‘tight’ enables smooth, controlled zooming during video recording, while ‘smooth’ is ideal for quick and accurate composition for stills photography.

Closer to the camera, the aperture ring is marked in one-third stop steps from f/2 to f/22, with a further A position that transfers control to a dial on the camera. It can be switched between clicked operation for photography, and continuous adjustment for video.

The aperture ring can also be locked either into, or out of the A position using an Iris Lock switch. But the ring requires distinctly more force to go between f/22 and A anyway, so this isn’t even that necessary. 

You get a pair of focus hold buttons, positioned for easy operation by your left thumb during horizontal and vertical shooting. Their function can be customised via the camera body, but not individually – they always do the same thing. A conventional AF/MF switch rounds off the control set.

Autofocus

You could be forgiven for assuming that autofocus speed might be an inevitable compromise with such a large-aperture zoom. But that’s not really the case here. Instead, autofocus is startlingly quick and essentially silent. Naturally, that generous opening means it continues to focus extremely well in low light. Videographers will be pleased to learn that breathing is minimal at all focal lengths.

ILCE-1M2 · f/8 · 1/200s · 35mm · ISO200

In situations where you might prefer to use manual focus, this works extremely well too. As usual it’s electronically controlled, with the manual focus ring driving the focus motors, and rotating smoothly with no end stops. A basic focus scale in the viewfinder shows roughly where you are within the focus distance range, and Sony’s linear response MF provides a very intuitive feel for making precise adjustments.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/2 · 1/80s · 70mm · ISO200

Coupled with tools such as peaking and live-view magnification, this makes it easy to nail perfect focus. This can be really handy when you need perfect focus for close-ups, for example.

Performance

Ultimately, any exotic lens like the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM will stand or fall based on its optical performance. Nobody in their right mind is going to spend so much money if it doesn’t deliver top-notch results. Thankfully, though, buyers shouldn’t be be disappointed, as the image quality it delivers is extraordinary.

ILCE-1M2 · f/2 · 1/250s · 70mm · ISO200

When it comes to detail resolution, the lens is incredibly sharp in the centre of the frame, even at f/2. This detail rendition is maintained well over a large proportion of the frame, right out to the edges.

The extreme corners are just fractionally – and I mean fractionally – softer when examined close-up onscreen, but that’s pretty much irrelevant, as shallow depth-of-field effects will usually far outweigh this. Naturally the corners sharpen right up on stopping down, and by f/5.6, images are bitingly sharp across the entire frame.

Diffraction starts to take the edge off pixel-level sharpness beyond f/11, but you’ll only really see this if you stare at your files closely on a computer. Often, the extra depth-of-field from closing the aperture right down will be far more important pictorially than any such softening, even at the smallest aperture of f/22.

This fantastic level of resolution means that, when used on cameras like the Sony A1 II or A7R V, you can crop in heavily and still get lots of detail. This makes it more versatile than you might at first think. The image below is a 6MP crop from a 50MP A1 II file, which gives a 200mm equivalent view.

ILCE-1M2 · f/4 · 1/100s · 70mm · ISO400

As usual, Sony makes use of software compensation to remove distortion, colour fringing and corner darkening. But the lens is, in fact, extremely well-corrected optically, so this is essentially just a tidying-up process.

Turn off lens corrections and you’ll find there’s some curvilinear distortion, which starts off as barrel distortion at 28mm, goes through a neutral point somewhere around 45mm, and turns to pincushion distortion at 70mm. But it’s never very strong. It’s also easy to fix when necessary, even without using profiled corrections.

ILCE-1M2 · f/4 · 1/1000s · 52mm · ISO100

Chromatic aberration is notable by its almost complete absence. With this kind of lens, I’d usually expect to see some colour fringing in out-of-focus regions are large apertures. But in this case, I only even saw a hint when shooting extreme close-ups. Generally, it’s no problem at all.

Unsurprisingly, though, fairly strong corner darkening is visible at f/2 if you choose to disable shading compensation. But it diminishes on stopping down and pretty much goes away by f/4. Leave compensation turned on, and you don’t have to worry about it in either JPEG or raw files.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/2 · 1/400s · 67mm · ISO100

Of course, one of the main reasons to buy this lens is for shallow depth-of-field and subject-isolation effects. With its f/2 aperture, it’s capable of dissolving away backgrounds just that bit more than conventional f/2.8 zooms. Bokeh is generally very pleasant, too, even with relatively messy backgrounds that some lenses can struggle with.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/2 · 1/20s · 70mm · ISO800

If I’m being super-picky, occasionally a little structure can be visible in out-of-focus highlights. But it’s not something I’d personally worry about.

Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM: Our Verdict

With the FE 28-70mm F2 GM, Sony has once again defied our assumptions about what’s possible in terms of lens design. A decade ago, we probably wouldn’t have believed that such a thing could even be made. When Canon’s arrived, we accepted that it would inevitably be huge and heavy. Now Sony has produced one that’s much smaller – and it’s brilliant.

In fact, I’m struggling to think of anything to criticise. The optics are exceptional, and size-wise it’s entirely practical on cameras like the A1 II and A7R V. Impressively, there’s no real penalty for the ultra-large aperture in terms of autofocus speed or accuracy. Sony has become such an accomplished lens maker that we almost expect it to deliver the extraordinary as a matter of course, but let’s be clear: this is a real achievement. 

ILCE-7RM5 · f/2 · 1/160s · 70mm · ISO1600

Of course, I’m not going to suggest this lens is for everyone – the price alone precludes that. Chances are that most photographers will stick with their 24-70mm f/2.8s instead. But for those who can afford it and are prepared to carry it around, it offers something just a little bit different and special.

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Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM full specifications

The post Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM review: setting a new standard appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Imagine then the level of stomach-twisting terror facing any suitor of the Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E, a lens priced at $5929 / £5699. Or perhaps not, because presumably anyone shopping in the Hasselblad aisle has already put to bed monetary concerns in favour of sunlit uplands of premium build and image quality. But can this lens convince the rest of us? 

Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E – Features

Surely even to Hasselblad owners, a £5.5k lens still has to impress and the company begins its petition to your wallet by putting an ‘E’ after the name. This ‘E’ stands not for excessive or expensive, but for ‘Exclusive’ and for its target users, the lens is certainly one of a kind in terms of features. I tested it on an X2D 100C body, and for users of that or an X1D II 50C, 907X & CFV 100C/CFV II 50C, this is not just the only ultra-wideangle zoom available, but also offers the fastest aperture at the widest focal length in the current line-up. 

The ‘E’ also promises unparalleled edge-to-edge optical quality throughout the focal range, via 16 elements in 12 groups, three of which are aspherical elements. Obviously, any flaws will show up clearly on the format’s 100-megapixel sensors. 

Who’s it for, apart from oligarchs? Hasselblad pitches the lens at those shooting landscapes, cityscapes, interiors and even environmental portraits, where the 16-27mm equivalent focal range is a good fit. It’s worth noting that, at 1.75x, the zoom range isn’t particularly extensive and there are several contemporary primes that sit within it.

Low-light potential is certainly opened up by the wide maximum apertures, which equate to about f/2.5-3.5 in 35mm terms. It would be nice if the zoom had been a ‘proper’ fast lens, but that would have made it a lot bigger and heavier. As it stands, you can use f/3.2 from 20-24mm, and the lens measures a pretty portable 117x81mm and weighs 805g.

The lens has no image stabilisation, but that’s not uncommon in wide-angle zooms. But thanks to the X2D 100C’s sensor-shift system and the fact that these lenses’ leaf shutters are less prone to vibration, hand-held shooting in gloomy light is still a real possibility, even at such an unforgiving resolution. Its focusing module comprises a stepping motor and what Hasselblad says is a lighter, smaller focusing lens group for increased speed and accuracy. 

Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E – Build and handling

There is no doubt that this lens feels the part and it balances very nicely on the X2D 100C body. It’s a little front-heavy, but not so much that it required a separate tripod foot.

The lens’s metal barrel features zoom and focus rings and nothing else. The zoom ring sits closest to the camera and is the wider of the two, at around 20mm compared to 15mm. Both are grippy enough, using an engraved ‘H’ pattern, but they’re not easily discernible by touch so I occasionally mixed them up at first. The zoom ring has enough firmness to turn only when required, which is good. On a more idiosyncratic note, it zooms in by turning left and out by turning right, which always feels like the wrong way around to me. Yes, I’m well aware this is Nikon bias… 

The zoom is internal, in that the lens doesn’t extend when operated. But the front element does move forward and back within the overall length and could therefore perhaps be prone to ingress of dirt, water, dust, twigs, husky fluff and so on. The lens does claim weather sealing though, and it seemed to get on fine in a few light showers. 

Is a 1.75x zoom enough to give real versatility on a landscape shoot? I’d say it’s a cautious yes. I’ve gotten used to the extra range of 24-70mm and 24-120mm lenses, but I enjoyed the extreme field of view at the wide end, and zooming in gives just enough of a different perspective. You could get very similar framings with the 4/21 and 3.5/30 primes, but of course there is convenience in having it all there at a twist. 

There are no switches and no customisable control ring as found on some of Hasselblad’s V series primes, so all focusing actions defer to the menu. As is usual these days, the manual focus ring isn’t physically linked to anything, but aside from a little motor-grinding noise on my sample, it worked fine alongside the X2D 100C’s MF assist modes. Focus position is retained when restarting the camera, but on a premium lens like this, it’d be nice to see a physical or menu-driven focus lock like on Sigma’s 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Art, which means you can, for instance, nail focus on stars at the start of an astro shoot and not have to worry about the sharpness wavering. 

It’s a small thing to pick out, but I found the metal lens hood quite fiddly to fit. It was quite easy to put on crooked and it occurred to me that, while the use of metal is usually welcome, any slip near the front element could get a bit scratchy, so I was cautious when fitting it. On the plus side the 77mm filter thread keeps the cost of modification down.

Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E – Autofocus

It’s fair to say most prospective users’ decision to buy this lens won’t be based on AF performance. Twinned with the Phase Detect AF of the X2D 100C it certainly does OK and is streets ahead of older camera and lens combos in this format. I found it sprightly in daylight, although it did focus better near the centre of the frame than the edges. However, it hunted a lot at night, which meant reaching for a torch to focus on some foregrounds.

X2D 100C · f/3.2 · 1/20s · 20mm · ISO64

The closest focus of 32cm is a nice option for those foregrounds though, and brings some good focus-stacking options into play, assuming your computer can handle composites of the 100MP per layer.

X2D 100C · f/16 · 1/18s · 20mm · ISO64

Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E – Performance

When switching from primes to a zoom, it’s normal to expect some compromise in image quality, but the XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E does exceptionally well in bridging the quality gap. The lens produces nice natural colour, and while it vignettes noticeably wide open, this is an easy fix in editing. There is some light barrel distortion at 20mm, but this is no longer noticeable by around 26mm. The lens showed very little sign of fringing even on high-contrast subjects against the light. 

X2D 100C · f/16 · 1/12s · 20mm · ISO64

In terms of sharpness, the centre is very good, even wide open, becoming excellent at f/5.6 throughout the settings. I didn’t have the equivalent primes to test it against, but comparing previously shot images it seemed pretty close in centre sharpness. Corners are softer and more smeary at the widest apertures, but not in an ugly way, and the best combination of edge and centre was between f/8 and f/11, which to be fair is where most landscapers will want it. 

X2D 100C · f/11 · 1/13s · 20mm · ISO400

Wide open and focused close, the lens produces some nicely defocused backgrounds, and bokeh is round, only squashing slightly towards the edges with a smooth transition from sharp to blurred. At the other end of the aperture scale, it’s possible to get some nice looking sunstars at f/16 and up, and flare is well controlled shooting into the light. 

Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E – Verdict

If you’re a Hasselblad X user who wants an ultra-wideangle zoom, the XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E is most definitely the lens for you. Yes, it’s also the only one available for you, but don’t let that suggest it’s not a highly accomplished lens in its own right. The lens combines image quality befitting a 100MP sensor with excellent build and genuine versatility. If I already owned something like the £3559 XCD 2.5/25V, I would think hard about the upgrade, and only regular users of that lens will know if they feel restricted by the lack of framing options.

X2D 100C · f/13 · 1/0s · 27mm · ISO64

Away from Hasselblad’s primes, the closest competitor is the Fuji GF 20-35mm f/4 R WR. It’s a fine lens, and while slower at the short end, it’s less than half the price. Of course, this would  necessitate a more troubling conversation about changing systems. 

X2D 100C · f/6.8 · 1/0s · 20mm · ISO1600

Ultimately, quality and versatility come at a price and whether its lenses, Hi-Fi equipment, running shoes or garden strimmers, anyone investing in high-end gear knows that there isn’t a straight line on the graph between more expenditure and greater return. At the top end, you pay more and more to inch forward, but the XCD 3,2-4,5/20-35E does break new ground.

Full Specifications

Related reading:

• Hasselblad X2D 100C Earth Explorer Limited Edition Lands
• Hasselblads first XCD 20-35mm F3.2-4.5 ultra-wide zoom
• Hasselblad’s new ultra-wide XCD 25mm F2.5 V lens

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The post Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E review appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Following on from the Nikon 35mm f/1.4 lens announced earlier this year, Nikon’s Z 50mm f/1.4 lens is only the second f/1.4 lens for Nikon’s mirrorless system. Traditionally, f/1.4 was the favoured aperture for those looking for a good balance between having a wide aperture and having a lens which is reasonably portable – by the time you get to f/1.2, lenses tend to much bigger and heavier.

As with the 35mm f/1.4 lens, the 50mm f/1.4 has a direct stablemate in the 50mm f/1.8 S lens, which was one of a trio of lenses to be announced alongside the very first Z system camera. Plenty will naturally assume that an f/1.8 lens is better than an f/1.4, and that this is therefore an update of that lens.

At a glance:

• Price when reviewed: £499
• 9 rounded diaphraphm blades
• 37cm minimum focus
• 86.5mm long x 74.5mm diameter, 420g
• 62mm filter thread
• Nikon Z mount

However, the 50mm f/1.8 S lens will still exist, with that S at the end of the designation being very important – it tells us that, unlike the 50mm f/1.4 lens, it offers superior sharpness and image quality.

By contrast, the 50mm f/1.4 could in theory be a more affordable optic, designed to appeal to a wider variety of different photographers who might be looking for a “nifty fifty” but don’t want to pay the higher RRP of the 50mm f/1.8 S lens.

If you’ve hitherto not invested in a 50mm lens for your Nikon Z camera, now you’ve got a choice between the two. I’ll be considering the differences a bit more as we get through the review.

50mm is a classic length for street and documentary photography, but its also flexible and versatile for a range of other applications, such as environmental portraiture, events and weddings, landscape photography and some types of close-up work. The wide aperture also makes it a good choice for low light shooting.

At £499, this is a lens which is on the cheaper end of Nikon’s range. It’s also cheaper than the £649 asking price of the 35mm f/1.4 lens. Interestingly however, at the time of writing, you can actually pick up the optically superior 50mm f/1.8 S lens for under £500 in some places, and even cheaper if you’re happy to buy second hand. It’s possible that this is the vagaries of market forces and the price difference will be more marked at a later date. There’s also a Z Nikon 50mm f/1.2 S, but that has a street price of around £2300 in most places.

If you’re interested in an affordable prime lens, you might also consider the 40mm f/2 (£299) or the 28mm f/2.8 (£244).

Features

The lens is constructed of 10 elements in 7 groups, with just 1 aspherical element. This makes it a slightly less complex construction than the 35mm f/1.4, which likely explains the lower price point. It’s also significantly less complex than the 50mm f/1.8 S lens, which has 12 elements in 9 groups, but also includes 2 ED elements, 2 aspherical elements, and elements with Nano Crystal coating. There are 9 diaphragm blades to help create the out of focus areas.

Although not designated as a macro lens, it has a 0.37m close-focusing distance, which considering the focal length makes it suitable for some types of close-up work, albeit you shouldn’t expect to fill the frame with a small subject. The maximum magnification ratio is 0.17x.

There’s no special coatings on the lens, but the parts are sealed to provide protection against dust and moisture. The lens doesn’t have an “S” sharpness designation, but it’s also worth considering that it also doesn’t have VR (Vibration Reduction). At this focal length, that’s unlikely to be a big problem, plus all Nikon full-frame models have built in image stablisation (IBIS) anyway.

It may be of more importance if you want to use this lens with one of Nikon’s APS-C models, such as the Nikon Z50, which don’t have stabilisation. In that case, you’ll end up with an equivalent focal length of around 75mm, which could make it a good choice for portrait work.

Build and Handling

In terms of heft and weight, the 50mm f/1.4 lens is roughly the same size as the 50mm f/1.8, actually being slightly smaller in diameter. It’s significantly smaller than the 50mm f/1.2 lens. It balances well with models such as the Z7 II, and makes for a light enough lens to carry around for “everyday” or “just in case” purposes.

Approximately half of the lens is taken up with the manual focusing ring. There are no hard stops at either end, but it’s got a good amount of give to make precise adjustments easy enough.

Just like the 35mm f/1.4 lens, there’s very little in the way of outward controls for the 50mm f/1.4. For example, you won’t find a switch to move between manual and autofocus, and there’s also no custom function buttons. There is however a control rung, which can be set to control a number of different settings including aperture.

This is one of the differences to note between the 50mm f/1.8 S and the 50mm f/1.4 – there’s no clickless control ring on that lens. For that reason, video shooters might find the 1.4 more appealing for making silent settings changes while recording.

An HB-115 lens hood is included in the box, which adds about another third of the length of the lens onto the end, but you can reverse it back (or remove it) when not in use to save space.

Autofocus

On the whole, focusing with the 50mm f/1.4 lens is very quick. I have been using it with the Z7 II, which does a good job in the majority of situations. I expect if I was using it with a newer camera with an upgraded AF system, such as the Nikon Z6 III or the Nikon Z8, I think it’s likely to be even more responsive.

I used the lens for subjects like street photography and environmental portraiture. Switching on eye-AF can be a benefit, particularly for portraits, but it’s possible for the camera to get it “wrong” for street work with multiple faces in the scene – so a single point focus might be a better option there.

Video shooters will be pleased to know that the autofocusing is very quiet. You can just about hear if you’re filming in a silent room, but where any ambient noise is present, it’s pretty much unnoticeable.

Image Quality

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.4 · 1/1250s · 50mm · ISO100

Overall, images from this lens are very good, with a great level of sharpness and detail. That’s especially true if you’re looking at images at normal printing sizes, and don’t examine them in fine pixel level. You shouldn’t expect the same level of extreme sharpness as you’d find with the 50mm f/1.8 S lens, but for the average person, this is going to be more than fine.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.4 · 1/2000s · 50mm · ISO100

That said, there’s also some instances of chromatic aberration which appear with the f/1.4 lens, when shooting in high contrast situations. Again, it’s not hugely obvious when looking at images at normal sizes, but you can see it appearing if you’re looking for it closely.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.4 · 1/1000s · 50mm · ISO100

Bokeh produced by the lens is a little on the “rough” side, being not perfectly circular or smooth, but still pretty pleasing on the whole. On the plus side, I haven’t found lens flare to be particularly problematic with this lens.

With the built-in lens corrections applied, vignetting doesn’t appear to be an issue, even when shooting at f/1.4 and with subjects where it would likely be quite obvious.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/5.6 · 1/400s · 50mm · ISO100

If you’re already in possession of the 50mm f/1.8 and are thinking that moving to the f/1.4 would be an upgrade – it won’t be, at least not for general image quality. Low light shooting is pretty good from the f/1.4, but it’s unlikely to make much of a difference from the f/1.8 to warrant upgrading – with a possible caveat for those who pretty much exclusively in darker conditions may see some benefit.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.4 · 1/5000s · 50mm · ISO100

Image quality seems to be roughly on par with the 35mm f/1.4 too, which could make for a nice pairing if you want a couple of affordable primes for street-type work for example. That said, with the price of the 50mm f/1.8 S being so close to the f/1.4, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t go for the f/1.8 in most situations.

Verdict

If you’re a fan of the 50mm focal length, then Nikon now gives you three proprietary optics to choose from in f/1.8, f/1.4 and f/1.2 varieties.

Generally, the 50mm f/1.4 does a great job, producing lovely images which are sharp, detailed and the focusing is usually quite quick.

Those who aren’t necessarily familiar with Nikon’s S series of lenses might assume that the f/1.4 is a straightforward upgrade or replacement for the 50mm f/1.8 – received wisdom usually tells us that a wider aperture is better. However, it’s important here to note that it doesn’t equate to better image quality – the bokeh isn’t as nice, images aren’t as sharp and there’s some chromatic aberration in certain conditions.

For most who aren’t pixel peeping, these differences won’t be that obvious. Which would usually make it a good option for those who want to save money, or perhaps space in their kit bag. In this instance however, the price point is roughly the same (sometimes it’s actually cheaper to get the better one), while the size is almost identical.

If you already own the 50mm f/1.8 lens, you almost definitely should keep it. The only possible reasons why you might not would be if you shoot almost exclusively in low light and really do crave that extra aperture width, and/or, you’re shooting video and would find the clickless control ring to be useful.

If you’re looking to buy a 50mm lens for the first time, again, it makes more sense to go for the f/1.8 for the same reasons. It’s possible that the 50mm f/1.4 lens will drop in price – or, the 50mm f/1.8 will rise in price – at which point, it might make a lot more sense to pick it up over the f/1.8 if you’re keen to save cash.

Related content:

• Best Nikon Z Mount lenses for Nikon
• Best Nikon mirrorless cameras to buy now

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Specifications

The post Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 lens review appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Users of Sony’s A7-series of full-frame mirrorless cameras are well catered for when it comes to fast 85mm prime lenses, but where does the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art fit in? A bright 85mm f/1.4 lens is a great choice for portraits, or for when you need to record video in low-light. Does this lens do enough to make it a great lens for video?

There are several alternative 85mm lenses to consider. At the premium end there are three stellar examples:

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($1,199 / £929)
Zeiss Batis 85mm F1.8 ($929 / £1,129)
Sony FE 85mm F1.4 G Master ($1,698 / £1,349).

At the more affordable end of the spectrum there’s the manual-focus Samyang MF 85mm F1.4 MK2 ($320 / £359), the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 ($548 / £499) and the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE ($599 / £529).

Not exactly a shortage to choose from, so how does Sigma’s latest 85mm prime differ and where does it fit in?

Whereas the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG HSM Art was originally designed for full-frame DSLRs and later adapted for use with mirrorless cameras that use the E-mount and L-mount, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art is developed for full-frame mirrorless cameras from the ground up – denoted by the ‘DN’ initials in its name.

Like other Sigma DG DN full-frame mirrorless lenses, of which we’re starting to see a growing number appear, the 85mm F1.4 DG DN stands out in a number of ways from previous Sigma examples and its rivals, which we’ll come to shortly.

We’re not looking at a fast prime that’s only made in Sony E-mount either; it’s also available in L-mount for use with Leica, Sigma and Panasonic full-frame cameras. Is it one of the best portrait lenses you can buy? Let’s take a look.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art: Features

Compared to the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG HSM Art, which is one of the largest and heaviest 85mm lenses we’ve tested, Sigma’s latest example is far more compact and discards a vast amount of weight. To be precise, the E-mount version that we were sent for review works out 30mm shorter in length and 500g lighter than Sigma’s previous version. This is a phenomenal weight saving for a lens that promises improved image quality.

Where the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art was made up of 14 elements in 12 groups, this lens features an entirely new optical design encompassing 15 elements in 11 groups. Within this construction are five special low-dispersion (SLD) glass elements, one aspherical element at the rear of the lens group and four high refractive index glass elements to minimise chromatic aberration, flare and ghosting.

By making the most of in-camera aberration correction, Sigma has been able to restrict this to those that are eliminated by the lens’ optics. This, combined with reducing the size of the focus element, allows it to be made smaller. Furthermore, with an emphasis on the elimination of axial chromatic aberration, Sigma says users can expect sharp images with no colour fringing, even wide-open at f/1.4.

Complimenting the lens construction is a diaphragm with 11 curved blades to give a circular aperture for attractive bokeh. As for autofocus, the stepping motor it uses is intended to keep AF operation fast and silent, which will be important for those using the lens for video. It’s designed to work well with both phase-detection and contrast-detection autofocus, and fully supports different manufacturers face/eye/animal detection modes.

Elsewhere, the lens features a durable, brass metal mount and is compatible with Sigma’s USB dock UD-11 that’s sold separately for L-mount only. It has a minimum focus distance of 85cm and you’re presented with all the accessories you expect in the box, including a bowl-shaped lens hood, a padded case and front and back caps.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art: Build and Handling

This lens has entirely different handling characteristics to the 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art. Its predecessor added over a kilogram to the weight of the camera, often rendering setups very front heavy. This is no longer the case.

It balances superbly on full-frame mirrorless cameras like the Sony A7 III I paired it with. I was able to shoot single-handed with no discomfort. Having the option to shoot without always supporting the lens beneath the barrel will appeal to portrait and wedding photographers who often find themselves offering direction with their other hand. Better than this is that it lets you walk around and shoot without feeling weighed down.

Build quality meets the high standards we’ve come to expect of Sigma’s Art lenses. The construction of the barrel is a blend of precision-engineered metal and thermally stable composite (TSC), with its rubberised focus ring offering excellent precision and fluidity when focusing manually.

The transition between choosing whether the aperture ring clicks or doesn’t click from the flick of a switch is seamless. You can choose to receive feedback of the aperture changing every 1/3EV stop by leaving the click switch set to on, or if you’d prefer to adjust the aperture ring smoothly and silently, such as when recording video, it can be switched to off (for clickless operation).

To prevent accidentally engaging the auto (A) aperture setting, which allows you to adjust the aperture from the camera rather than the lens, Sigma has added an aperture lock switch. It can also be engaged when auto (A) is selected too, preventing the aperture being accidentally changed by knocking the aperture ring.

Having good weather resistance is crucial on a lens that’s likely to see plenty of use outdoors as well as in. The dust-and splash-proof structure features seals at strategic points in its construction, including a rubber seal around the perimeter of the metal mount that compresses against the mount on the camera. The autofocus lock (AFL) button is also weather sealed and exhibits a subtle click when pressed.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art: Autofocus

As we’ve witnessed on other Sigma DG DN lenses, users get a focus lock (AFL) button just below the AF/MF switch that can be setup from compatible camera’s menus to perform various different functions. Manual focusing is fly-by-wire rather than being mechanically coupled, but as already mentioned, users get precise focusing adjustment when the focus ring is rotated slowly.

The autofocus performance is good, with signs of mild hunting only being observed when it was asked to focus from near to far and vice versa in challenging low-light scenes. In brighter conditions the lens locked onto subject’s eyes with little fuss, aided by the effective real-time Eye-AF on the Sony A7 III.

I managed to achieve a consistently high number of sharp shots wide-open at f/1.4 during testing and the faint whirring it makes as it focuses didn’t disturb audio in outdoor movie recordings, though it was picked by the camera’s internal microphone up in a silent room.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art: Performance

To gauge how the lens performs optically, I requested that it be supplied with the older Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG HSM Art in E-mount so I could compare identical shots taken across the aperture range before meticulously examining real-world samples.

Comparing images revealed it’s ever so slightly sharper than its predecessor in the centre at f/1.4. Sharpness at the edge of the frame is remarkably impressive wide-open, though you can expect corners to get even sharper when it’s stopped down.

Studying shots taken between f/1.4 to f/16 tells us the sweet spot of edge-to-edge sharpness is located between f/4-5.6, with a high level of sharpness also being recorded at f/8. The introduction of diffraction takes the edge off sharpness a little when it’s used beyond f/11 and at its minimum of f/16.

The built-in lens profile that’s applied to Raw files automatically does a fine job of correcting chromatic aberration to the point I didn’t witness any sign of nasty colour fringing, not even along any high-contrast edges of shots taken at the maximum aperture.

Users will want to ensure their in-camera lens compensation is turned on, though vignetting does remain prominent when the lens is used at wider apertures. Corner shading is tasteful rather than garish and diminishes as it’s stopped down to f/2.8, barely traceable by f/4.

Interestingly my comparisons revealed the lens displays greater pincushion distortion than Sigma’s 85mm f1.4 DG HSM Art so some users may want to apply a small amount of manual distortion correction in post.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art: Verdict

I’ve tested some phenomenally impressive prime lenses over the last couple of years, but the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art stands out as one, if not the best, I’ve used.

Though the optical quality of its predecessor remains excellent to this day, its bulk and colossal weight isn’t complimentary to full-frame mirrorless cameras, which is where other manufacturers examples have presented an advantage up until now.

By designing the lens from scratch and tailoring it for mirrorless users who desire smaller, lighter lenses, Sigma has created an absolute gem of lens that delivers astonishingly impressive image quality, fantastic lens-based aperture control and complimentary handling all in one.

Better still, it offers all the desirable features you’ll find on its more expensive Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM rival for £500 less. Take all that it offers for the money into consideration and there’s no disputing that it’s currently the best value for money premium 85mm f/1.4 lens you can buy under £1000.

It’s a must-have for E-mount or L-mount users who love to shoot portraiture, weddings or take a documentary style approach to their work, and for video use it has all the right features, including the option to de-click the aperture ring.

All that’s left to say is that it sets a new gold standard in portrait lenses for mirrorless cameras and I’m hopeful it won’t be too long before we see Sigma release versions in Canon RF and Nikon Z-mount.

Find more E-mount lenses in our guide to the best Sony E-Mount lenses.

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Like the Nikon Z 28-70mm f/2.8, the Nikkor Z 17-28mm f/2.8 is thought to be Nikon’s incarnation of a Tamron lens, in this case the 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD. Being an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens, it makes it an obvious choice when looking for a lens for video.

It joins the Nikon Z-mount line-up as the third full-frame zoom lens to cover the wide-angle range, sitting alongside the Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S (£2,099) and Z 14-30mm f/4 S (£1,149).

Unlike those two optics, the Z 17-28mm f/2.8 isn’t an S-line lens. This means it doesn’t have some of their premium features, but does it still have what it takes to appeal to the average Nikon Z-series photographer?

Nikon Nikkor Z 17-28mm f/2.8 – Features

Nikon set out to provide a relatively compact and lightweight wide-angle zoom lens with a constant aperture of f/2.8. This goes some way to explaining why the Z 17-28mm f/2.8 doesn’t go as wide as the company’s other full-frame wide-angle zooms, or the 16-35mm lenses from some other brands.

It’s also constructed from 13 elements in 11 groups with 2 extra-low dispersion (ED) elements, 1 Super-ED element and 1 aspherical element, with the special elements helping to keep the size of the lens down while maintaining high image quality across the frame.

That large maximum aperture is especially useful for anyone interested in shooting in low light conditions or in isolating a close subject from its surroundings. It means the Z 17-28mm f/2.8 lens should appeal to keen astro photographers as well as landscape-shooters.

Anyone with a full-frame Nikon Z-series camera is unlikely to be too concerned that the lens isn’t stabilised as their camera has sensor-shift in-body stabilisation. However, any photographers using it on one of Nikon’s APS-C format Z-series cameras which aren’t stabilised will have to take a little extra care to avoid the effects of camera shake.

On APS-C cameras, the 26-42mm equivalent range provided, is arguably not especially useful on those cameras anyway, especially as the video crop will make it even tighter.

Nikon Nikkor Z 17-28mm f/2.8 – Build and handling

Although it’s not one of Nikon’s top-flight S-Line lenses, the Z 17-28mm F2.8 is weather-sealed and there’s a rubber gasket around the metal mount to keep out dust and moisture. However, there isn’t a switch on the barrel to swap between auto and manual focusing, and there are no customisable L-Fn buttons to access favourite features.

Unlike some of Nikon’s more high-end lenses there also isn’t a dedicated control ring, but the slim focus ring can be used to adjust the aperture, exposure compensation, focus or sensitivity (ISO) setting when the camera is set to use its autofocus system. In most cases, I use this to set the exposure compensation as I find it quicker to use the lens ring than the use a camera button and dial.

The focus ring has a very smooth movement, as the focusing is by wire. There are no physical end points to its rotation. As usual, there’s no distance scale on the lens barrel, but one appears in the viewfinder or on the screen when the ring is rotated in manual focus mode.

The zoom ring sits further towards the front than the focus ring and it’s much broader. This makes it very easy to locate when you’re shooting. It has four focal length markings: 17mm, 20mm, 24mm and 28mm. It takes just under a quarter of a turn to zoom from 17mm to 28mm. While the movement is smooth and assured, my personal preference would be for it to be just a little stiffer.

Both the focusing and the zoom mechanism work internally. This means that the lens doesn’t change length during focusing or zooming. It also means that the front element doesn’t rotate, which is helpful for anyone using a graduated or polarising filter.

At 450g, the Z 17-28mm f/2.8 is 35g lighter than the Z 14-30mm f/4 S, which has a 1-stop smaller maximum aperture yet a wider zoom range. It’s also 250g lighter than the Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S. This makes it more attractive for anyone trying to keep weight down (as well as cost), and for those using the lens for video.

Autofocus

I tested the Nikon Z 17-28mm f/2.8 on the 45.7MP Nikon Z 7II and other than to test the manual focus system, I had no need to switch away from autofocus. It focuses quickly and almost completely silently. It is sometimes a bit indecisive when the subject is close to minimum focus distance, but that’s quite common and not insurmountable.

In most cases, I found a higher-contrast target close to the desired area for the autofocus system to latch onto and then recomposed with the focus point on my intended target. Once the focus is in the right zone, it usually gets the focus right quickly.

However, if you’re planning to shoot a lot of subjects close to the nearest focusing point, it would be worth setting the manual focus ring to M/A in the camera’s menu. This enables quick adjustments to the focusing using the ring when the camera is in AF mode.

When adjusting the focus from one extreme to another, you may notice a slight change in the framing of the image, but it’s not dramatic and unlikely to be problematic, although something to be aware of when recording video.

Nikon Nikkor Z 17-28mm f/2.8 – Image quality

It might not be one of Nikon’s flagship lenses, but the Z 17-28mm f/2.8 still captures a very respectable amount of detail across the frame and throughout its focal length range. As usual, the centre of the image is a little sharper than the corners, but the drop-off isn’t worrying. The sharpness is also pretty consistent though the aperture range. I’d be happy to use any of the available settings (f/2.8-f/22), but if you want to get the very best results, then stick to around f/5.6-f/11.

In the past I would have expected straight lines to bend like a banana when they’re photographed with a 17-28mm zoom lens. These days that’s something that can be dealt with in-camera or in post-capture processing. Of course, you can decide to turn off the correction profiles at either stage. However, it would be a strange decision.

If you do so with the Z 17-28mm f/2.8, you’ll see barrel distortion in images captured at the 17mm end. You’ll see pincushion distortion from about 24mm to 28mm. Neither is especially troublesome, but it’s there if you have an aversion to correction profiles. Activate the profiles, however, and any straight lines are straightened.

When the aperture is wide open, there’s some vignetting, even when the correction profile is applied. However, in many real-world shooting situations it’s likely to go unnoticed. Closing down the aperture to f/4 effectively eliminates any corner shading.

Increasingly, when testing lenses, it seems that I have to really try to force the issue to capture any flare or chromatic aberration. The Z 17-28mm f/2.8 is a great example of this. I’ve scrutinised my images and I can’t find any with chromatic aberration, even when the correction profile is turned off.

Similarly, flare is controlled extremely well, especially for such a wide lens and when shooting without the lens hood with sunlight passing over the front element. Of course, you will most likely see some if you point the camera towards the sun, but it’s contained impressively so the contrast doesn’t nose-dive there are only a few small hotspots.

Nikon Nikkor Z 17-28mm f/2.8 – Verdict

The Z 17-28mm f/2.8, at launch has around the same street price as the Z 14-30mm f/4 S. But importantly comes with an extra stop on the aperture, if you can accept the narrowing of the focal length range. It means that Nikon Z-series photographers and videographers now have some even more difficult decisions to make when looking for a full-frame wide-angle zoom lens.

In comparison, the Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S is an absolutely superb lens but it’s pretty heavy. It has a bulbous front element that means you have to use 112mm filters or rear gels and it costs more than £2,000. The Z 14-30mm f/4 S makes a great alternative that retails for almost half the price, is 165g lighter and has a wider zoom range, albeit it at the expense of a stop off the maximum aperture.

As a fan of wide-angle photography, I’d be tempted to go for the 14-30mm lens, but 14mm can often be a bit too extreme while the 17-28mm range covers many eventualities. It’s also nice to have that extra stop on the aperture for low-light situations and even the occasional environmental portrait.

Anyone who does opt for the Z 17-28mm f/2.8 will find that it’s a very capable lens that controls the usual flaws of wide-angle optics extremely well so that straight lines don’t bow, flare isn’t a major issue and there’s nice sharpness across the frame.

Related articles:

• Best Z Mount Lenses for Nikon
• The Best Nikon Mirrorless Cameras To Buy
• Best lens for landscape photography: wide-angle zooms

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Creating a lens range that has appeal to both videographers and photographers is a challenging prospect, but with the lenses that have come before the Panasonic Lumix 18mm F1.8, Panasonic’s Lumix brand has been delivering. And an ultra-wide-angle prime lens it is an obvious choice when looking for a lens for video.

At a glance:

• Filter diameter: 67mm
• Lens elements: 13
• Groups: 12
• Aperture blades: 9
• Weight: 340g

The company embarked on creating a full range of full-frame L-mount fast primes, starting with the Lumix S 85mm F1.8, announced in November 2020. Since then, we’ve seen that lens followed up by 50mm, 24mm and a 35mm optics, all with a maximum f/1.8 aperture and all sharing the same length, diameter and 67mm filter thread size. Now they’re joined by the $997 / £799 Panasonic Lumix S 18mm F1.8.

The uniform design of this family of lenses makes them ideal for people who plan to mount them on gimbals due to their similar size and weight. Swapping between any of the lenses in the series requires minimal centre of gravity shift, if at all. All the S f/1.8 series lenses have identical focus rings, meaning no adjustments would need to be made to a follow-focus system either. Needing a single filter size for the whole range also adds to the appeal and convenience of the set.

Of the range, fitting the requisite glass for an 18mm ultra-wide lens with a fast f/1.8 aperture into such a compact and light configuration is perhaps the most impressive feat technically.

Comparing this lens in terms of size, weight and cost to its closest competitors makes the point clearly. There are no ultra-wide full-frame lenses for L mount that match or surpass the S 18mm F1.8 for its combination of speed and field of view. Sigma does have a couple of alternatives that come close. The cheapest of the bunch, the Sigma 20mm f/2 DG DN lens costs £150 less, but it’s not as wide, 30g heavier and 1/3rd of a stop slower.

Stepping up to the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens will give you stunning optics for the price of £779, but then you have a significantly larger lens, which is almost double in length – 82mm vs 153.75mm. It’s almost three times the weight of the Lumix S 18mm f/1.8 as well, coming in at 1,035g. For reference, the Lumix S5 full-frame camera weighs 630g body only.

Considering the competition, it’s clear that the Lumix S 18mm f/1.8 could slot in neatly where the gap is, that’s of course if it delivers to the same high standards that the rest of its stablemates have set.

Panasonic Lumix S 18mm F1.8 Features

To keep costs and size down, the Panasonic Lumix S 18mm f/1.8 does not benefit from image stabilisation and features a single control switch for AF/MF, just like the other f/1.8 primes.

However, that’s less of a concern when you’re planning to pair it with a Lumix full-frame camera like the Lumix S5, which has very effective in-body image stabilisation for handheld shooting. IBIS is even less necessary for gimbal-mounted use of this lens for obvious reasons.

Its ultra-wide focal length makes this an incredibly versatile lens. It would suit landscape and cityscape photography just as much as it would suit vlogging style video creators. Paired with the S5, this 18mm lens is wide and lightweight enough to comfortably handhold while presenting to the camera, keeping everything within frame without the need for a selfie grip or even a full-arm extension.

Carrying a wide maximum aperture of f/1.8 also makes the Panasonic Lumix 18mm lens a superb lens for events photography and video creation, particularly during night concerts and festivals. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 18cm. This is great for photographing close-up subjects or vistas with detailed foreground elements. Just make sure to avoid casting shadows on them.

In terms of optical construction, the lens houses thirteen lens elements in twelve groups. This includes three aspherical elements, one ultra extra-low dispersion (UED) lens, three extra-low dispersion (ED) elements and one ultra-high refractive (UHR) index lens.

This configuration is designed to deliver a fine balance of resolution and contrast. All while minimising the effects of chromatic aberrations and lens flare. It also relies on software-based correction to combat barrel distortion, diffraction and vignetting. The in-camera corrections for the second two can be turned off in compatible cameras.

Aiming to deliver smooth, attractive background blur, the Panasonic Lumix S 18mm lens deploys a circular aperture diaphragm composed of 9 blades.

Like the rest of the f/1.8 series lenses, the 18mm features “micro-step aperture control”, designed to make transitions between aperture settings smoother. It also uses a stepper motor, which should deliver fast and quiet autofocusing, while the lens focuses internally. Video creators will find these features especially helpful.

Build and Handling

In terms of build quality, the Panasonic Lumix S 18mm F1.8 features a tough polycarbonate plastic housing and a metal mount. It has a rubber O-ring, which seals it against dust and moisture. Measuring 82mm in length, 73.6mm in diameter and weighing only 340g this lens is a perfectly balanced companion for a full-frame mirrorless camera like the Lumix S5.

Only Sigma’s 20mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary lens offers a comparable combination of aperture, size and weight. The Sigma 20mm f/2 is smaller, measuring 72.4mm in length and 70mm in diameter. Yet it’s still 370g, 30g heavier than the Lumix S 18mm f/1.8. The extra weight is due to its all-metal construction and the inclusion of a tactile aperture ring.

In terms of construction, the Sigma lens generally looks and feels more sophisticated. The Sigma warrants strong consideration if you’re willing to compromise on speed and field of view, and you’re less concerned about video performance.

Lumix has also supplied a plastic petal-type lens hood in the box with the 18mm. It has a satisfying bayonet locking mechanism. Thanks to its design and the large focusing ring, there’s still enough space to make focusing adjustments when the lens hood is mounted in reverse for storage.

Speaking of the focusing ring, it’s generous in size and smoothly dampened. This makes it a pleasure to use, even with gloves on. It does provide a decent amount of grip, but with a follow-focus system, you may still want to use a focus gear ring.

The rotation function of the lens can be adjusted in the menu of a compatible camera. It can be set to function in a linear or nonlinear fashion. When non-linear focusing is selected, the speed of focusing affects the throw of its distance. In linear mode, focusing reacts to how far you turn the ring. It can be set between 90° and 360° in 30° increments.

Panasonic Lumix S 18mm F1.8 Autofocus

This lens was paired with the Lumix S5 for review as it felt like the natural companion for the brand’s lightest and most compact full-frame mirrorless camera. The S5 also enjoys the most advanced focusing capabilities of the S-series line-up. This is why it is the better choice for assessing this lens’ autofocusing capabilities.

The Panasonic Lumix S 18mm’s stepper motor manages to achieve consistently fast and accurate actuations with practically undetectable motor noise. This near-silent operation is perfect for capturing pictures in situations that require discretion, such as an acoustic concert performance or when recording video with sound.

This is a smooth fast-focusing lens that transitions pleasingly between focusing positions. And key for video creators, it features a mechanism that suppresses focus breathing.

What does this mean? For example, when the lens transitions from subject to foreground, it doesn’t appear to zoom in or out. Instead, it can automatically rack focus smoothly. This makes it easier to achieve more cinematic focusing movements without relying on manual focus pulling.

This is an advantage over more photography-focused lenses, like its Sigma rivals. When you want to take over focusing manually, overriding the camera’s AF system is seamless. All you need to do is press and hold either the shutter or AF-on buttons. You can also choose between a picture-in-picture or full screen MF-magnification for assisting you when making fine adjustments.

Whether you’re shooting an event in low-light, a landscape scene or vlogging, I found the AF performance of this lens consistent and fast.

Panasonic Lumix S 18mm F1.8 – Image quality

On seeing the specs of this lens, I expected there may have to be some compromises in terms of either AF performance or image quality. But as we’ve just confirmed in the previous section, AF performance was solid in testing. So on to image quality. How could such a compact and lightweight lens be engineered to deliver on the stellar image quality we’ve come to expect from Lumix S-series lenses?

While we can’t answer the how, we can certainly confirm that this lens delivers, pretty much across the board. Chromatic aberrations are kept to a minimum across the frame. There is little colour fringing around lines separating high contrast areas, such as branches set on the background of a bright sky.

Sun flares or ghosting are also suppressed effectively. While they are visible when shooting directly into key light sources, they don’t distractingly dominate the frame.

While shooting in the sunlight, stopping down to f/4 and beyond will improve contrast, and ghosting will be all-but eliminated. This lens also creates relatively sharp and attractive sun stars if that’s a look which appeals to you.

In terms of out-focus-highlights, the bokeh from this lens is silky and uncomplicated, delivering attractive results in the instances tested. At its maximum aperture you do see some elliptical shaped highlights. However, this is typical when shooting at wider focal lengths. It is worth noting they’re less prominent from around f/2-2.8.

Crucially, overall edge-to-edge sharpness on the Panasonic Lumix S 18mm is impressive. Particularly, if you have diffraction compensation turned off within your camera, as that will soften the corners of your image slightly. However, stopping down to f/2 and beyond is also recommended when making the most of this lens’ 18cm minimum focusing distance. This is because it’s not at its sharpest close-up at f/1.8.

For its size, weight, overall versatility and price, this lens delivers professional-level image quality that will not disappoint in general use. Its only weakness is in the specialist field of astrophotography, where it doesn’t seem to deliver the sharpest results wide-open.

It also appears to suffer from mild comatic aberrations (coma). This causes the light from stars towards the edge of the frame to form a more conical shape, rather than a circular point. Again, stopping down slightly will reduce this effect and deliver better results.

Panasonic Lumix S 18mm F1.8 – Verdict

Panasonic has created an incredibly strong family of fast, compact primes for its full-frame S series cameras, with this latest S 18mm F1.8 defying logic to maintain the high bars for image quality and performance set by its predecessors. Making direct comparisons of this lens is tough as it’s the only lens of its kind that is available for L-mount cameras.

But there’s some close competition if you’re only in the market for a single, fast ultra-wide lens. Competition is strongest in the form of Sigma’s line up of 20mm primes; the Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN Contemporary; the huge, but optically sublime Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens; and the latest Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art lens, which promises astrophotography-specific benefits.

However, if you own a full-frame L-mount camera, enjoy photographing ultra-wide vistas, day and night, this lens is wonderful. If you create video content and would consider buying any one of the other f/1.8 series primes, the S 18mm F1.8 is simply a no brainer. It’s a fantastic, versatile lens that manages to deliver handsomely on its primary use cases.

Further reading:

• Best Panasonic cameras to buy in 2024
• Panasonic Lumix GH7 review: hybrid powerhouse
• Best Panasonic cameras to buy in 2024

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Announced in September 2023, the Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena is a large-aperture prime lens with a short-telephoto focal length that’s ideal for portraits. It’s designed to take advantage of the large-diameter mount that the Z system affords over its F-mount SLR/DSLR predecessor, and should easily be one of the best Nikon Z Mount lenses. The aim is to give perfect well-rounded bokeh throughout the whole frame at the maximum aperture, and deliver outstanding sharpness.

At a glance:

• Price when reviewed: $2,499 / £2579
• 11 rounded diaphragm blades
• 82cm minimum focus
• 139.5mm long x 98mm diameter, 995g
• 82mm filter thread
• Nikon Z mount

It’s been given the name Plena in the hope that it will be considered a “classic” over the years, and be referred to by name rather than focal length or other designation. The name apparently comes from the term “plenum”, meaning “completely full”. This has nothing to do with how you feel after a big meal, but instead, is supposed to reflect the lens’ ability to “support the user’s creative vision”.

Unlike the other named lens in Nikon’s line-up – the 58mm “Noct”, the Plena offers autofocusing, but, similarly to the Noct, it commands a very high price tag which may be hard for many to justify.

Portraits is the obvious use-case for a 135mm lens, with it being an alternative for something like the Nikon Nikkor 85mm f/1.2 S lens (which is actually currently retailing for a higher price than the Plena). Other subjects for this type of focal length include still life, close-up type subjects (such as flowers), and even some aspects of landscape or architecture, if you want to pick out fine details.

Features

The lens features a complex lens construction, which explains its high price. That includes 16 elements in 14 groups, including 4 ED elements, 1 aspherical element, 1 SR element, and elements with meso-amorphous and ARNEO coats). All of these elements are designed to come together to suppress ghosting, reflections and flare.

There are 11 diaphragm blades which are designed to create that lovely perfectly rounded bokeh (out of focus areas) that many people crave and desire.

This lens is not designated as a macro lens, but it does offer 0.2x magnification and a closest focusing distance of 0.82mm. Given the focal length of the lens, and the fact that this distance is measured from the sensor, this gives you  good scope to create close-ups of typical macro-type subjects, such as flowers or food.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.8 · 1/3200s · 135mm · ISO100

The lens is dust- and drip- resistant, so you should find you can shoot in plenty of different weather conditions. The Plena lens has the “S” designation for sharpness, but it doesn’t have the “VR” designation for inbuilt vibration reduction. That’s perhaps a surprise at this focal length, but considering all full-frame Nikon Z mount cameras have stabilisation in the body, it shouldn’t prove to be too much of an issue.

It is possible in theory to use this lens with an APS-C Nikon Z camera, which would give an equivalent focal length of approximately 200mm. However, this seems unlikely to happen with any great frequency.

Build and Handling

That brings me on to build and handling – one of the big reasons why you would almost certainly not want to use the Plena lens with anything other than a full-frame Z camera is its size and weight.

Clocking in at nearly 1kg, and with an almost 140mm length, this is a hefty piece of kit. I used it with the Z7 II and the Z8, and it certainly felt more balanced with the larger Z8 – so that’s something to consider. That said, it’s actually lighter and shorter than Nikon’s 85mm f/1.2 lens, so it’s not the chunkiest portrait lens you can pick up for your Z camera.

The outward design of the Plena is fairly simple, but it has “Plena” engraved on the outside of it in yellow. A nice finishing touch, and a good way to show off to all your photography mates that you’ve got a fancy expensive lens, of course.

Near the mount-end of a lens is a switch for moving between autofocus and manual focus. In front of this, is a control ring, which you can use for aperture, exposure compensation or ISO – choose which one you want from the main menu of the camera, or alternatively, set it to control nothing at all if you’re worried about accidentally knocking it.

There are two customisable buttons on the lens, which you can set to control dozens of different options. However, both will do the same thing – you can’t set one to one function, and one to another. This is intended to make it so that no matter whether shooting or landscape or portrait orientation, you always have access to one of the buttons.

Towards the front of the lens is the focusing ring, which takes up about a quarter of the lens’ length. It doesn’t have hard stops at either end, but it does have a good amount of give to make fine adjustments nice and smooth. 

An HB-108 lens hood is included in the box. This is pretty large and adds considerable length to the lens, but you can reverse it when not in use to save space.

Although 135mm is ideal for portraiture, giving you the opportunity to throw the background beautifully out of focus – you do need to be aware of the space constraints you’ll be working with when using it. This is not a lens to use in a compact room, for example, and even when shooting outdoors, you’ll need to stand quite a distance from your subject to get half body shots or more.

That’s not necessarily a deal-breaker for some, but, if you’re likely to be working in reasonably tight spaces, such as offices, or wedding venues for example, then an 85mm is likely to afford you a little more flexibility – so it’s certainly worth considering.

Autofocus

The Nikkor 135mm Plena lens uses an internal multi-focusing mechanism that uses stepping motors (STMs) which are designed to be fast, accurate and quiet.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.8 · 1/400s · 135mm · ISO100

I used the Plena with both the Nikon Z8 and the Nikon Z7 II during the course of this review. With the Z8, I found that focusing was indeed fast and accurate – using eye-focus for portraits left me with mostly sharp images.

NIKON Z 8 · f/1.8 · 1/1250s · 135mm · ISO100

With the Z7 II, results were a little more mixed. With eye-AF also enabled there, I found that there were several instances where something other than the eye was actually in focus, such as the nose. With a long focal length and a very wide aperture, this can ruin a portrait. The Z8, with its superior focusing capabilities didn’t have the same problems, so I put this down to the camera rather than the lens – still, it pays to take multiple shots and keep reviewing as you’re working to make sure you’re getting what you want in focus when working at maximum apertures.

You can also use the lens with continuous AF (C-AF) selected, making it useful in some action scenarios. I found this worked very well on the Z8, while a colleague has also found it to perform similarly on the Z6 III. Again, the Z7 II isn’t quite as fast, so essentially you’ll need to pair the Plena with a Nikon body equipped with the latest focusing specifications to really get the best in those scenarios.

The lens is indeed very quiet, so the Plena would be suitable for video work, and situations where quiet focusing is preferred, such as during a wedding ceremony for example.

Image Quality

As you’d expect for a lens of this type and price, the images it’s capable of producing are stunning. They are beautifully sharp, right across the frame, even when shooting at the widest maximum aperture of f/1.8.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.8 · 1/320s · 135mm · ISO100

The all-important bokeh is rendered beautifully, with bright highlights being perfectly circular, and with no incidences of onion-ring or cats-eye bokeh appearing. I tested this by photographing in front of some trees and the background bokeh is beautiful. You can also get similar results by shooting with small lights in the background.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.8 · 1/800s · 135mm · ISO100

If you don’t have any small sources of light in the background, instead you get lovely, creamy, oh-so-dreamy bokeh that just melts away from your main subject. In some instances, if you’re shooting with a very plain background, this can arguably be perhaps a little dull, but if you choose something such as a brightly coloured graffitied wall, you’ll see some beautiful results.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/4 · 1/160s · 135mm · ISO100

Although it’s tempting to constantly shoot at the widest aperture with a lens like this, you can of course still expect excellent results throughout the rest of the aperture range, too. Something like f/2.8 or f/4 provides a good balance between subject and background if you want to give a bit more context and not have everything completely blurred out – and it can also be helpful when shooting quite tightly on faces, as otherwise you might find not every element of a face is in focus.

As I expected from this lens, I saw no evidence of flare or ghosting, nor any chromatic aberrations, even when shooting in high-contrast situations. With the standard lens-corrections applied in camera, I can also see no incidence of unattractive vignetting, even when shooting wide open.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.8 · 1/200s · 135mm · ISO100

When looking at raw files or JPEGs which have the inbuilt lens-correction applied, there’s no obvious barrel or pincushion distortion on display. Switch it off and you can see a small difference, with pincushion distortion ever so slightly evident in some frames. Most users will experience the lens with the corrections turned on, with no obvious reason to turn them off, so that shouldn’t be a problem for most.

Verdict

For anybody that shoots portraits, or similar/related subjects, such as events, the 135mm Plena is a superb lens that is capable of creating exceptional imagery. But, considering how much it costs – it’s what you’d absolutely expect.

From this lens you can get pin-sharp images, gorgeous bokeh and lovely out-of-focus areas. Autofocusing is generally quick and quiet, albeit with the best performance coming from the latest and best cameras equipped with Nikon’s most-recent focusing technology.

Aside from cost however, there are a couple of things to consider. There’s the size and weight of a lens like this – it’s not something you’ll be taking out every day, for example.

There’s also the inflexibility of using such a long lens for portraits. In smaller spaces, it might be hard to get what you want – in which case an 85mm might make more sense. If you’re therefore tossing up between the two focal lengths, perhaps consider where you do most of your shooting and go from there. For anybody with this kind of budget, I’d probably go with the 85mm f/1.2, but there is undeniably something special about the 135mm – if you can justify getting both, then you’ll have an amazing set up.

In essence, the Plena represents the best of what Nikon can achieve with its lens and Z mount technology. Do you need it? Well, probably not – but it is awfully nice, so it’s hugely desirable for anyone who shoots a lot of portraits.

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Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 Plena lens full specifications

The post Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens review – perfect portraits? appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Sigma’s seemly constant striving to be different and better has gifted us a standard zoom lens with a 105mm telephoto end combined with a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8 – the Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art. While most of the competition offer 24-105mm lenses that open only to f/4, this independent brand gives us a stop of extra light at every focal length, but doesn’t charge us any more for the benefit. This makes it one of the most unusual and best lenses for Sony E-mount and L-mount cameras.

Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art at a glance:

• $1499 / £1399
• Large-aperture standard zoom
• For full-frame mirrorless cameras
• Minimum focus distance 40cm
• 82mm filter thread
• 87.8mm diameter x 157.9mm length, 995g
• Sony E and L-mount versions available

Sharp-minded readers may remember that at the end of my Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art review, I greedily asked Sigma’s engineers for a little more reach in the form of a 24-105mm f/2.8. Sigma UK pretended that the engineers had listened and hastily put this lens together just for me, but could only manage 28mm at the wide end in such a short time.

I would be flattered indeed, but also deluded to think such a lens could be designed in just a few weeks on the whim of some idiot reviewer. I’m just as glad to see it, nonetheless.

The usual 24-70mm focal range of standard zooms really does cover a useful set of angles. But having 85mm, 90mm and 105mm in the mix really opens a lens like this to a new set of purposes, of which portraiture is not the least. However, size becomes an issue when extending the range of a standard zoom with a fast maximum aperture.

Sigma tells me the foreshortening at the wide end to 28mm from the regular 24mm has been done to ensure the size and weight of the lens doesn’t exceed what users would consider reasonable for an everyday, on-all-the-time kind of lens.

I’m happy enough to take the loss of a few millimetres at the wide end, but I’m more interested to see whether Sigma has managed to maintain the high optical standards we’ve come to expect from a modern Art-series lens. That 3.75x zoom range is still significant, and it takes in some awkward focal lengths.

Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art: Features

If you have followed the development of recent Sigma Art lenses, you may have a decent idea of what to expect in this model, as it abides by all the rules that have driven Sigma’s brand value in an upward direction. Designed for full-frame cameras with L or Sony E mounts, the optical construction of this zoom takes in 18 elements in 13 groups and includes 2 elements in the company’s fluorite-like FLD glass, and one in SLD glass – both of which are low-dispersion type designs.

We also get a total of five aspherical lenses which are used to reduce the length of the optical path, so the lens barrel can be kept relatively short. Sigma is very proud that one of those aspherical lenses, which sits in the forward lens group, has a diameter of 66.4mm. Aspherical elements this large are very hard to make, we are told, and are possible only through the company’s advanced manufacturing facility in Japan.

Another interesting feature, with potential to have a direct impact on the look of our images, is the 12-bladed iris. With the extra telephoto focal lengths, this rounded aperture could help to maintain attractive out-of-focus highlights even as the aperture is closed down, which will be useful in portraiture.

Minimum focal distances remain constant at 40cm across the whole zoom range, which gives us a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.1 when we set the lens to 105mm. It’s hardly true macro but impressive all the same – we can fill the frame with subjects as small as 10cm across.

Sigma gives us the usual anti-flare coatings that have proved very effective in the past, and the front element is additionally coated to repel water and oil. We also get a manual aperture ring with an option to de-click the stops, a zoom lock, and a pair of function buttons on the barrel that are set by default to AF Lock. The filter thread is 82mm – so in line with other recent Art zooms.

Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art: Build and handling

As the Art series is Sigma’s premium lens offering you might expect this 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens to be very well made – and it is. The construction feels solid, secure and as though it will cope with extensive use – and even a good deal of rough treatment.

Despite Sigma being very proud of the fact the lens weighs less than 1kg (and that being a favourable weight compared to some others) this is still a significant addition to a camera bag. At 995g (for the L-mount version – the Sony E model is 990g) it weighs a lot, and it is pretty big too. The barrel measures 87.7mm in diameter, and when at rest in the 28mm position, the lens protrudes 157.9mm from the camera’s mount.

Shifting the zoom ring to the 105mm position though makes the front element whizz out another 4cm to make the lens just slightly over 200mm. It isn’t the extended length, though, that’s the issue when you are deciding where to house the lens in your camera bag.

In use I found neither the length nor the weight of the lens to be an issue, and I happily carried it for full days without either aspect bothering me. I was aware of having a sizable set-up, but not so that I wished I’d left it at home.

This lens is actually very comfortable to hold and felt nicely balanced on the Panasonic Lumix S5ll and Lumix S9 cameras I used it on for this review. As is usual with these Art lenses, the zoom and focus rings are nicely placed, and we can tell in a split second whether our fingers are on the zoom, focus or aperture ring, as each feels different enough to be quickly distinguished.

The zoom action is noticeably stiffer than on the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens, but not uncomfortably so – it just takes a little more determination to rotate the ring through the almost 90° angle required to get from 28mm to 105mm. That stiffness does make micro-adjustments somewhat more difficult to make, though. The buttons and switches are all well placed on the barrel and are easy to reach when needed.

Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art: Autofocus

The lens’s autofocus is driven by Sigma’s recently developed HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) motor that seems to shift the focusing group with ease, great speed and very little sound. Using the lens on the Lumix S9 and S5ll, I didn’t once feel the mechanical properties of the lens inhibited the speed of the camera’s own AF. With that bright aperture too, the camera was always fed with plenty of information to work with, even in low light situations.

DC-S5M2 · f/11 · 1/320s · 28mm · ISO200

Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art: Image quality

I don’t know if I have a healthy suspicion of zooms or just a plain suspicion of zooms. But either way, my suspicion manifests in direct proportion to the range of the zoom and how far the focal lengths extend either side of ‘normal’ – 50mm in this case. I expected good image quality from this lens, but didn’t expect it to be up to the standards we see in the 24-70mm f/2.8 or the 70-200mm f/2.8, as the range and desire for miniaturisation make things a little more demanding.

DC-S5M2 · f/10 · 1/800s · 28mm · ISO200

In the event, though, image quality is really very good indeed. While it’s perhaps not quite as sparkling as we get from the 24-70mm when used wide open, it is still excellent.

Sharpness is very good but we don’t quite get the same clarity the 24-70mm possesses, so images don’t at first seem quite as detailed when we look (too) closely. Detail is there all along, but we just need to tickle it out with the ‘Texture’ slider to enhance the micro-contrast. When closed to f/4, the resolution of the lens is really exceptional, and it remains so right down to f/11 – dropping only slightly at f/16 and f/22.

DC-S5M2 · f/11 · 1/250s · 73mm · ISO200

One of the features I really appreciate is the quality of the out-of-focus highlights. When the lens is used wide open at 105mm, portrait backgrounds take on a beautiful painterly atmosphere with a smooth softness that is very pleasing.

Even when we close the aperture down beyond the brave f/2.8 and f/3.5 shallow depth-of-field settings, background details remain firmly in the background and don’t take on hard edges that project them to our attention.

DC-S5M2 · f/2.8 · 1/125s · 105mm · ISO200

Even at f/8 or thereabouts, close headshots still have lovely backdrops, but with intensely detailed focused areas. This means the longer focal lengths don’t present us with some sort of compromise we might hesitate to suffer over a fixed lens – the look is lovely.

I’m also impressed with the way curvilinear distortion is controlled at the wide end of the zoom. I used the lens to compare to my usual lens when shooting a kitchen and was impressed that no extra distortion correction was needed, and that edges close to the extremes of the frame appeared straight. I wasn’t expecting that, and had shot on my usual lens as well in case of disaster.

DC-S5M2 · f/11 · 1/6s · 29mm · ISO100

Chromatic aberrations do not show their face, and vignetting sits right at the back of the class where it won’t be noticed.  

Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art: Our Verdict

As I expected, during the weeks I shot with this Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens, I was very glad of the extra 35mm at the long end. And while I would have liked 24mm at the other end, I found I only really missed it on one occasion.

DC-S5M2 · f/10 · 1/400s · 101mm · ISO200

It is a bit big, and it is a bit heavy, but both of those issues are readily forgotten when you discover you are able to shoot at 105mm and f/2.8 one moment, and then at 28mm and f/8 the next. It’s a very versatile lens. And should any negative feelings remain when you get home, they will be further dispelled when you bring your images up on screen.

I have been delighted with what this lens produces and, after initial testing, used it for professional architectural interiors, portraits and for recording the fast-moving children at a summer camp – and it has performed exceptionally well in all cases. Now I just need to decide what I should wish for next from Sigma’s excellent Art range.

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Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art: Full Specifications

The post Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art review – more light for your money appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

One of Sony’s original G Master lenses from 2016, the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM has proven popular with portrait photographers since its release. So it’s no surprise to see it receive the GM II treatment. It’s successor, the new Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II, adds to the second-generation line-up of Sony GM primes, following on from 35mm and 50mm f/1.4 optics. These are two of the best Sony lenses, so we have high hopes for the new 85mm.

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II: At a glance

• $1799 / £1850
• Large-aperture, short-telephoto prime lens
• 85cm minimum focus
• 77mm filter thread
• 107.3mm long x 84.7mm diameter, 642g
• Sony E-mount (full-frame)

Retailing at $1799 / £1850, this is far from a cheap lens. However, as the G Master name signifies, it is designed for superior image quality. It also promises a range of improvements over its predecessor in terms of usability and performance. Sony says the lens should deliver exceptional sharpness across the frame, to focus quickly, and to do it all in a package which is smaller and lighter than the original FE 85mm F1.4 GM.

Some complaints about the original lens included its slightly sluggish AF performance, and some instances of chromatic aberration. Its relatively large size and heavy weight could also make it feel unbalanced on most Sony full-frame cameras.

As well as being a classic focal length for portraits, an 85mm lens has other applications too. That includes street photography, weddings and events, still life, and even some aspects of landscape and architectural work.

The original FE 85mm F1.4 GM lens will set you back about £1500 right now, but it’s likely to drop a little in price once the new version becomes readily available from early September 2024. There are also other 85mm f/1.4 options elsewhere on the market for the Sony E Mount, including the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art, which we rate very highly, and costs rather less at £979.

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II: Features

Optically, the lens is constructed of 14 elements in 11 groups, including two extra low dispersion (ED) and two extreme aspherical (XA) elements, which are designed to minimise aberrations. It also has Nano AR Coating II to suppress flare and ghosting.

There are 11 diaphragm blades for creating that super-pleasing bokeh that most will be looking for from a portrait lens, with the two XA elements designed to produce super smooth blur without any appearance of ‘onion rings’.

Typically for its class, this lens has a fairly long minimum focusing distance of 85cm, which means you can’t get very close to small subjects. While it can be useful for some still life subjects, such as large flowers or large food arrangements, it’s not one you’d expect to use for macro work.

Although primarily designed for full-frame cameras, you can use it with Sony’s APS-C models as well. If you do that, the equivalent focal length will be around 127mm, which is also quite a nice length for portrait work – similar to a classic 135mm prime. It might therefore appeal to those with higher-end crop-sensor cameras such as the Alpha A6700.

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II: Build and Handling

One of the improvements that Sony has delivered with this lens is to make it 13% smaller and 20% lighter than the predecessor. It’s still reasonably chunky, at 107mm long, 85mm in diameter, and 642g. But for there to be this big a reduction in heft, while also improving image quality, is a pretty impressive feat.

I’ve been using it with the 60MP full-frame Sony Alpha A7R V, and it feels fairly well balanced, albeit with the support of your left hand required for the best comfort.

Towards the back of the lens, there’s an aperture ring which is marked in full stops, as well as lines for one-third stops. This ring can be set to either clicked operation, for the feel and sound of a traditional aperture ring, or you can flick a switch to make it completely silent. This can be useful for shooting in discreet situations, as well as for video work.

The ring can also be set in the “A” position, which gives over aperture control to a dial on the camera body. A useful Iris Lock switch prevents you from accidentally switching to “A” when you’re not looking directly at the aperture ring – such as when you’re shooting through the viewfinder. Alternatively, if you have the ring set to “A” and engage the Iris Lock, you won’t be able to accidentally come out of that mode, either.

Two customisable function buttons can be set to control a huge number of different features from the main menu. One is positioned on the side of the lens for shooting in landscape format, while the other is placed on the top of the lens, meaning it falls in the same place when you rotate the camera for vertical shooting.

It should be noted that both lens buttons will control the exact same thing; I’d like to have the ability to set the two buttons to control different functions.

A manual focus ring sits towards the front of the lens. This is smooth and has a satisfying amount of give to help making precise adjustments to manual focusing. But there are no hard stops at either end of the ring.

Included in the box is an ALC-SH180 lens hood, which you can use to shield the front element from the sun when shooting in bright light. It’s quite a large hood and dramatically increases the length of the lens, but it can be reversed when not in use.

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II: Autofocus

The FE 85mm F1.4 GM II uses internal focusing facilitated by two XD linear motors. This promises to be 3x faster than its predecessor, which employed an older supersonic motor (SSM). I didn’t have the original GM with me for a direct comparison, but what I can see is that the GM II locks on to the subject very quickly, even in low light situations. It’s also extremely quiet – as close to silent as possible – which is great for video recording.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/1.4 · 1/8000s · 85mm · ISO100

‘Eyelash-precision’ AF is promised by the lens, and that’s something we can see when focusing on people – something that is obviously a priority with a lens like this. For portraits, I tended to use Eye Detection AF – with the A7R V it does such a good job of tracking eyes around the frame it made the most sense. This is a lens that promises 7x better subject tracking for stills and that’s something you can really see in action when shooting portraits.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/1.4 · 1/2500s · 85mm · ISO100

Additionally, the lens also supports continuous focus adjustment when shooting at super-fast speeds, such as 120fps when using cameras like the Sony A9 III, or when video recording in 4K 120p. Speaking of which, transitions between focus points when recording video are also nicely smooth for a natural look.

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II: Image Quality

As I’d expect from a G Master lens – particularly one that has been updated – image quality from the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is exceptional. Using it with a high-resolution camera like the A7R V shows exactly how much detail it is capable of resolving. Whether looking at images at normal printing/viewing sizes or examining in close quarters, the pictures look incredible.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/1.4 · 1/200s · 85mm · ISO100

I tested the lens with the A7R V’s lens correction settings enabled, which includes in-camera compensation for distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration. This is how most users will experience the lens, and there’s no obvious reason to turn them off.

Sharpness is excellent across the frame and throughout the aperture range, as promised by Sony. The previous FE 85mm F1.4 GM was hardly a bad performer, but this update shows there was room for improvement and you really do get the best possible image quality.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/1.4 · 1/1250s · 85mm · ISO100

Background blur (bokeh) is beautiful. This can be a subjective opinion, but I think most would agree that the rounded shapes are smooth and attractive, and again as promised, there’s no sign of onion ring bokeh.

With such a narrow depth of field, you can really play around with bokeh effects, while portraits have that fantastic “pop” from the frame that many will be looking for. Those who shoot other subjects such as weddings and events will likely find a huge amount to like here.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/1.4 · 1/100s · 85mm · ISO250

Chromatic aberration appears to be pretty much non-existent, even when shooting in very high contrast situations. There’s no sign of any barrel or pincushion distortion, including when looking at uncorrected raw files. This implies that the lens is perfectly corrected optically.

I tried hard to get some flare into my shots, but even when pointing the lens directly at the sun, it’s very well suppressed. Likewise, when shooting at the widest f/1.4 aperture I can see no noticeable problems with vignetting.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/1.4 · 1/1250s · 85mm · ISO100

All in all, this is a lens which demonstrates the highest optical excellence. It’s a significant improvement from an already fantastic lens, so if you’re looking for something superb you shouldn’t be disappointed.

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II : Our Verdict

If you’re a photographer whose primary interest is portraits, or similar related genres, such as weddings or events, then an 85mm lens is a must. Sony’s new FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is an exceptional example. Of course, for the price it absolutely should be.

It’s a clear step up in image quality from its predecessor, but, whether you need that is down to personal preference. It’s probably not so much of a step up as to make the original FE 85mm F1.4 GM redundant, so if you already have one, you needn’t think you must immediately rush out and get one. That said, its reduction in size and weight might make swapping to the new version appealing for those who’d like to see a reduction in how much kit they’re carrying.

ILCE-7RM5 · f/1.4 · 1/8000s · 85mm · ISO100

Of course, if you don’t already have an 85mm f/1.4 lens and are thinking of buying one for the first time, you now have two options from Sony. The older version is likely to be available at a cheaper price, so it’s an option if you want to save money – while the newer lens will be expensive but offer the best possible image quality. The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art provides an excellent and affordable third-party alternative, too.

Overall, this is a lens which offers the best possible image quality in a well-sized and well-designed housing. It’s expensive, but sometimes in life you really do get what you pay for.

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Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II full specifications:

The post Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II review: perfect portrait prime? appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

It’s perhaps hard to believe, but the Nikon hasn’t made an f/1.4 prime lens for the Nikon Z series lens range until now, some six years after its debut. Often regarded as the sweet spot the ability to create a beautiful shallow depth of field effect and optics which are required to be large, heavy and expensive, it’s perhaps a surprise that it has taken so long. 

This 35mm f/1.4 you might naturally assume supersedes the already existing 35mm f/1.8 S lens, which was launched as one of just three lenses for the Z series debut. However, both will still exist, with the older f/1.8 S actually being more expensive than its new f/1.4 sibling. 

That goes against all the usual received wisdom that f/1.4 is generally better. The reason for this is the S designation, or rather lack thereof for the 35mm f/1.4 lens. Without it, we know that this is not a lens which has been designed for sharpness and maximum optical quality. 

If you’ve not invested in a 35mm lens until now, you might be wondering which to get, while those who already have the f/1.8 might be pondering whether they might like to trade it in. In this review we’ll be taking a close look at what makes most sense for both 35mm newbies and those who are already in posession of one. 

A classic length for street and documentary photography, a 35mm gives a fairly wide angle of view that allows for lots of the scene to be shown. It’s also therefore good for other subjects including environmental portraiture, and even some types of landscape photography. With its wide aperture its also well-suited to low light work.

At £649 this is not a cheap lens, especially considering it doesn’t benefit from the “S” designation, but, it’s significantly lower cost than the existing f/1.8 lens so that’s something to think about. That said, you might also want to consider Nikon’s other wide(ish) primes, including the Nikon Z 40mm f/2 (£299) or the Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 (£244) if you want to save cash and aren’t necessarily desperate to have that exact 35mm, nor the f/1.4 wide aperture. 

Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 – Features

The lens is constructed of 11 elements in 9 groups (including 2 aspherical elements). This is a less complex construction than the 35mm f/1.8 lens, which although also having 11 elements in 9 groups, the f/1.8 also includes 2 ED elements, 3 aspherical elements, and elements with Nano Crystal Coating). It’s therefore no surprise to see that despite having a wider aperture, the f/1.4 and f/1.8 lenses are very close in size and weight, with the f/1.4 only being slightly longer and slightly heavier. There are 9 diapgraphm blades which help to create the bokeh (out of focus areas).

This is not a lens which is designated as a macro lens, but it has a 0.27m closest focusing distance. Bearing in mind this is from the sensor, rather than the end of the lens, it does allow for some types of close-up work. Being such a wide-angle however means you’re not going to be able to fill the frame with small subjects, such as flowers, but for showing such subjects in their wider environment it works well. The maximum reproduction ratio is 0.18x.

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/1.4 · 1/6400s · 35mm · ISO100

Although the lens doesn’t have any special coatings, all of the parts are sealed to provide dust and moisture resistance, so it should withstand shooting in less than perfect weather.

As already mentioned, this is not a lens which has the S (sharpness) designation. It’s also worth noting that VR (vibration reduction) is not included. That shouldn’t be a huge problem at this focal length, while all of the full-frame Z models have in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) anyway. 

It’s possible of course to use this lens with an APS-C Z mount camera, such as the Nikon Z50. By doing that you’ll end up with a 52.5mm equivalent focal length, which also works well for street and portraiture. 

Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 – Build and Handling

I wouldn’t expect a lens like this to be particularly bulky and heavy, but it is fairly impressive that it’s only marginally bigger than the f/1.8 version. I imagine if a 35mm f/1.2 makes an appearance that will add considerable weight and heft, but for now, there’s no noticeable difference between using this and the 35mm f/1.8 lens.

To that end, it balances pretty well with full-frame models such as the Nikon Z7 II and the Nikon Z6 III, and feels quite light on bigger bodies such as the Nikon Z8 and the Nikon Z9. 

A large ring takes up roughly half the barrel of the lens, which you can use for manual focusing. There are no hard stops at either end of the ring, but it does have a satisfying amount of give to help make fine adjustments. 

There is not much in the way of outward controls on the 35mm f/1.4 lens. There is no switch to move between manual and autofocus, and there’s no custom function buttons either. One thing which is included however is a control ring, which can be set to change a number of different settings – such as aperture. 

This is a difference from the f/1.8 which doesn’t have such a ring. It’s also a clickless ring, which is useful for video work – in fact it might be for this reason that anybody who primarily shoots video might choose the f/1.4 over the f/1.8 lens.

Included in the box is a HB-115 lens hood, which adds about a third of the lens length to the end of the 35mm f/1.4. It can be reversed or removed when not in use.

Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 – Autofocus 

Focusing is both quick and quiet in the vast majority of situations, sometimes depending on which body you’re using it with. 

I used this lens to do a lot of street photography, where you would generally want autofocus to be as quick as possible to react to unfolding events in front of you. I used it with both the Z7 II and the Z8, with the Z8 putting in the better / quicker performance as I’d expect it to. 

NIKON Z 7_2 · f/2.8 · 1/500s · 35mm · ISO1400

I found it helpful to switch on eye AF for quite a lot of the work I was doing. That also included shooting portraits, so that definitely made sense – when doing that, focus was pretty much spot on every single time. With street photography that could be useful but it could sometimes guess at the wrong eye.

NIKON Z 8 · f/5.6 · 1/640s · 35mm · ISO100

Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 – Image Quality 

NIKON Z 8 · f/1.4 · 1/8000s · 35mm · ISO100

Images produced from this lens are very good, with a good degree of sharpness and detail. However, with it not being an S lens, you shouldn’t expect the ultimate image quality, and it’s fair to say that the 35mm f/1.8 outperforms it in a number of ways.

The f/1.8 lens is sharper, but the f/1.4 lens also has some problems with chromatic aberration appearing in high-contrast scenarios, while the bokeh is a little rough and sometimes lens flare can be a problem.

NIKON Z 8 · f/1.4 · 1/500s · 35mm · ISO5600

If you already own the 35mm f/1.8 and you’re thinking that moving to the f/1.4 would be an upgrade, then it won’t be – at least in terms of general image quality. While there might be some improvements to image quality for low light shooters who can shoot at f/1.4 compared to f/1.8, on the whole, you will be worse off by trading in your f/1.8. 

Now, it’s probably true that most people won’t be comparing images shot with both lenses side by side, so, if you’re mulling over which lens 35mm lens to go for the first time, the cheaper price of the 35mm might lead you to the conclusion that it’s a better purchase for you. Probably only pixel peepers will be able to spot a major difference in your pictures, so if you’d rather save the cash at the expense of the finest image quality, it makes a lot of sense. 

NIKON Z 8 · f/1.4 · 1/500s · 35mm · ISO160

Lens flare can be a problem for any lens, but a lens such as this without any special coatings makes it more prone to it. As it happens, I quite like the effect on this image of my daughter, but the flare comes at the expense of good contrast and detail. Moving the camera just slightly out of the direct sunlight leads to a much better result. 

NIKON Z 8 · f/5.6 · 1/640s · 35mm · ISO100

Here I can also see there’s some noticeable chromatic aberration visible in the spires of the stadium in the back of the shot. Arguably it’s only noticeable because I’ve pointed it out to you, but it’s unlikely you’d see the same thing happening with the f/1.8 lens. That said, this was a particularly bright day, so it would be a challenge for many optics. 

NIKON Z 8 · f/1.4 · 1/1600s · 35mm · ISO100

Taking a look at the bokeh here. This is quite a subjective opinion, but while this is reasonably attractive, there is nicer available out there. But, for a 35mm lens at a lower price point, it’s not too bad. 

NIKON Z 8 · f/1.4 · 1/16000s · 35mm · ISO100

With the built-in lens correction applied, I can see no particular problems with unattractive vignetting, even when shooting at f/1.4 and with subjects that would make it obviously apparent. 

Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 – Verdict

Overall, there’s a lot to like about the Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 lens. It might not be the cheapest or the sharpest, but it offers a good compromise between the two for those who are fans of this particular focal length. 

It’s perhaps surprising that it’s taken Nikon so long to produce a f/1.4 lens for the Z series. The latest available roadmap for Nikon lenses doesn’t show any further f/1.4 lenses, but, almost everything from that roadmap has now been released so there’s presumably some completely new lenses to come that we don’t yet know anything about. 

It would probably make sense to make a series of other primes at this mid-range point, with 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 lenses being obvious contenders. 

The important thing to remember about the 35mm f/1.4 lens is that it is not a replacement for the 35mm f/1.8 lens. In fact, in several ways, it is inferior. Don’t be fooled into thinking that a wider aperture must mean better – in this case it doesn’t. The f/1.8 is sharper and has fewer optical problems – but you will pay a price premium for that so it’s fair enough. 

If you already own the 35mm f/1.8 lens, I definitely wouldn’t trade it for the 35mm f/1.4 lens, except with the caveat that if you do a lot of low light work, or perhaps video work, then it might just about be more appropriate. However, if you’re buying a 35mm for the first time and are struggling to choose between the two, go for the f/1.4 if you’d rather keep the spare cash for something else, but the f/1.8 if you want the best optical quality possible. 

Specifications

Related reading:

• Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S Review
• Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S review
• Best Nikon mirrorless cameras to buy now

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