Zeiss 85mm f:1.4 Sony Alpha lens on Nex-6

[UrsaMajor]

Thanks to the generosity of a colleague whose has an enormous collection of cameras and lenses, this weekend I have the loan of a Zeiss 85mm f:1.4 lens in Sony Alpha mount. I have been shooting with it today on on my NEX-6 with the aid of a LA-EA2 adapter, mostly (so far) at the weekend event of an organization of re-enactors of the US Civil War, which took place from 1861-1865..

I may post some of the shots from that event in another thread, but in this thread I am posting a shot that is my tribute to this lens.

To get a shallow depth of field, this image was taken wide open at ISO 100, which required a shutter speed of 1/3200 second.

The result was:

- Tom -
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[Birma]

That is a nice loan Tom! I like the cannon shot. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your 'test' shots.

[Dr. Harout]

I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA

[Birma]

I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA

[mvanrheenen]

I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA

Yeah right! Just as you didn't buy the A99 and 28-75.

@Tom: that is really sharp, crisp and detailed for f/1.4! I now know where the good reputation of this lens comes from. A bit high on the pricetag though...

[bfitzgerald]

I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA

You don't have to, the Minolta 85mm f1.4 is around for £500-£600.
Whilst it's probably not as good as the Zeiss, it's probably not that far off.

What we really need is an 85mm f1.8, which is fast enough for most folks, and would be significantly cheaper than a f1.4. This lens is mysteriously missing from the range.

[gio67]

I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA
I will not buy the 85/1.4 ZA

come on doc, what kind of consumer are you

[Dr. Harout]

Barry, you nailed it, I would love an 85/1.7
I have the 85/2.8 but seldom can I use it (always with my son)

[pakodominguez]

Barry, you nailed it, I would love an 85/1.7
I have the 85/2.8 but seldom can I use it (always with my son)

GASx2

[mvanrheenen]

Just read on SAR a Sony 85 f/1.4 non Zeiss may be on its way. Also, a 120 f/2.8 and a 70-400G for E-mount

[classiccameras]

I expect these new lenses are going to be expensive.

[bfitzgerald]

Looking at the recent posts on SAR it appears he's getting carried away and being fed false information (hardly surprising really)
Hence the retracted "new" 85mm f1.4 post and A7000 stuff etc etc.

It wouldn't make sense for any company to have "two" 85mm f1.4's (bar an updated lens and an older model being sold off ala Canikon do this from time to time). Saying that I'm still wondering how having 2 50mm f1.4's makes sense either!

[Birma]

DK's thoughts on the future for E and A mounts on the main site are very interesting and make sense to me. The ability to use any manufacturers lenses on a body would be a massive coup.

[pakodominguez]

DK's thoughts on the future for E and A mounts on the main site are very interesting and make sense to me. The ability to use any manufacturers lenses on a body would be a massive coup.

I was thinking that it is not necessarily a good idea, since a manufacturer will probably make more money selling lenses that just bodies. But actually any sale is a good sale!

In other hand, in my own experience, you'll finish buying lenses for the system even if at the beginning you bought the camera in order to use legacy lenses. That was my case when I bought the NEX5 (+SEL16f2.. I used exclusively Minolta MC/MD lenses for a while until the Zeiss 24mm was introduced, then the 50mm... well: now I only use the Minolta lenses if I need any special effect. For everyday use, the Sony AF lenses are great.

[bfitzgerald]

It won't really work like that. In theory it should be a huge attraction, but it won't pan out like that. Pako is right in that they'd only sell a body and not lenses, hence longer term profits are questionable, which is why I've continued to pour "cold ish water" on the ILC market future, it's nowhere near as robust some anticipated.

For most enthusiasts, they desire DSLR style bodies and not NEX/ILC ones, and def not the A3000. In an ideal world we'd have only one mount, but then we'd have a lot less camera makers by some margin. I know Sony "think" they're being disruptive, but they don't really understand the market nearly as well as they think they do.