It’s not that a special introduction is necessary for two of my favourite lenses ever: we’re again having a walk with the Zeiss Batis pair.
I’ve deepened some features that were impossible to examine in the first part of this test. Contest, subjects and lights are totally different; here we’re indoor at Orient Festival.
Light has been the most critical part to manage but, as we’re gonna see, these Zeiss are two fearless lenses.
Let’s start with the 25mm.
***There were two shots in particular that deserved to be commented. The first is the one with dried fruit: in the detail (f5 and 800ISO) resolution and plasticity establish a record. The second is the one with a fountain pen: the enlargement (f5.6 and 800ISO) shows how paper’s weft be perfectly detailed and distinguishable. For this last photograph “NEUTRAL” Creative Style has been chosen. The focusing distance was almost equal to the minimum allowed and despite the f5.6 aperture the depth of field is quite a lot limited***
***The picture showing a colored stripes carpet and a door behind it (f2 and 400ISO) is usefull to understand how much exceptional defocusings are achievable even with wide angle lenses like this. In the detail it’s difficult to appreciate pure resolution because perspective and almost non existent depth of field are anything but ideal. The following image with floral pattern yellow fabric shows how it delicately renders the transition of in/out of focus area. Sony A7RmkII rendition is always awesome; in this case at 1000ISO the complete absence of noise would make some someone thinking it’s only 100ISO. The last two enlargements, one with a feather and the other with a fan, show resolution (definitely stunning) at very wide apertures; the first at f2.8 and 400ISO and the last at f2 and 500ISO***
And now we can move on to the 85mm.
***The most impressive part of the first detail is surely the candle surface’s porosity (f2.5 and 400ISO). In the successive image we can appreciate the statuette’s three-dimensionality and a nearly perfect bokeh; remarkable are also the golden parts (“VIVID” Creative Style). The fan photograph shows how it performs at almost wide open (f2.2 and 1000ISO). I was interested in the last shot of blue and green ceramic vases only to test the image’s pure three-dimensionality. We’re not at the same level of a Zeiss Loxia but the final result is equally spectacular***
Conclusions? I’d get back to purchase both this very day.
More than a suggested purchase they’re both a mandatory purchase to squeeze out the real soul of the A7RmkII, that in turn proves itself to be able to take breath-taking photographs even with artificial, scarce, non-homogeneous light and all of this with so much brilliant colors that they feel like false.
The 25mm has on its side a minimum focusing distance comparable to a macro lens. Plasticity and delicacy never lack. The widest aperture of f2 allows for great bokeh.
The 85mm is always the same blade and as the 25mm it’s exempt from criticism.
Both Batis lenses focus impeccably and the difference in respect to the 24-70 ZA and the 70-200 G is easily detectable. The overall ergonomic is perfect and with the battery grip it’s possible to shoot an entire day using very low shutter times (thanks to the stabilized sensor) without great efforts.
A potential Batis 135mm would close the game in a devine way…