Category Archives: Sony

Review: Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM MK II – A worthy Update?

February 16, 2025 BastianK 29 Comments

Introduction

sony fe 85mm 1.4 gm mk ii 2 mark bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma astrophotography z6 z7 z8 z9 — Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM II on Sony A7rIi

The Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM is my favorite portrait lens out of the almost 300 lenses I have used so far. Being one of the first GM lenses, it features a comparably slow autofocus and some of the recent competitors offer higher contrast and resolution at f/1.4, so Sony decided to update this lens. Does it still have the bokeh qualities of the first generation 85mm 1.4 while making it smaller and sharper? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Images

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Comparison, Nikon, Sony, TTArtisan, Viltrox

Comparison: Which 85mm f1.8? Nikon Z or Sony FE? Or Maybe Viltrox, or TTArtisan?

January 26, 2025 Martin 23 Comments

Introduction

If you’re looking for an affordable short telephoto and portrait lens, an 85mm f/1.8 lens is an excellent choice. But which one should you pick—Nikon, Sony, or perhaps the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8? While all three lenses share the 85mm focal length, we’ll also consider the TTArtisan 75mm f/2, which is close enough to serve as a potential alternative. Let’s compare these lenses side by side to help you decide which one is the best fit for your needs.

camera-icon2 I tested the lenses on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf , Nikon Z6, and Sony A7 III)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

NIKKOR Z 85/1.8 S — Nikon Zf | Nikkor Z 85/1.8 S | f/2

SONY — Nikon A7 III | Sony FE 85/1.8 | f/1.8

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Review, Sony, Sony Alpha, Sony E-mount

Review: Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G

January 4, 2025 BastianK 13 Comments

Introduction

fe 50mm 2.5g 2.5 g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma — Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G on Sony A7rII

In early 2021 Sony released three compact fullframe E-mount lenses and this Sony FE 50mm 2.5 G is the longest of those. While many of the competitors often cut corners with their compact lenses when it comes to build quality, feature set and sometimes also optical quality, Sony decided to go for a different approach here, offering more, but also at a higher price point. Did that pay off? And is there a market for a comparably slow 50mm prime? Let’s find out in this review!

Sample Images

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Review, Sony, Sony Alpha, Sony E-mount

Review: Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G

December 4, 2024 BastianK 28 Comments

Introduction

fe 24-50mm 24-50 2.8 g 2.8g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma — Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G on Sony A7rII

When it comes to standard zoom lenses, Sony offers a lot of interesting options. For those most interested in a wide zoom range the Sony FE 20-70mm 4.0 G might be the most appealing option, but if f/4.0 doesn’t cut it and the 24-70mm 2.8 GM lenses are too big and/or too expensive, Sony also has a solution: this Sony FE 24-50mm 2.8 G. Can its optical performance keep up with the GM zooms? Let’s find out in this review!

Sample Images

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Review, Sony, Sony E-mount

Review: Sony FE 20-70mm 4.0 G

October 12, 2024 BastianK 19 Comments

Introduction

fe 20-70mm 20-70 4.0 g 4.0g sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma — Sony FE 20-70mm 4.0 G on Sony A7rII

One thing is for sure: the move to fullframe mirrorless led to the boundaries of lens design being pushed further and this Sony FE 20-70mm 4.0 G is a good example of that, as there has never been a zoom with this range before. As a do-it-all travel lens this range is way more appealing to me than those variable aperture 28-200mm or 24-240mm super zooms. But to realize a lens with these parameters, surely some compromises had to be made. Let’s find out about them in this review.