As well as getting our hands on the Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2, we’ve also been fortunate enough to get out to test the new Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8. Specially developed and created for mirrorless full-frame system cameras manufactured by Sony, the 85mm f/1.8 is out to appeal to portrait, wedding and documentary photographers who’d like a moderate telephoto lens that’s compatible with their Sony E-mount camera.
The ZEISS Batis 85mm f/1.8 was coupled to the Sony Alpha 7R II for testing purposes
With an aperture range of f/1.8-f/22 and a focusing range of 0.8m (2.6 ft) – ∞, the Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 features the same sleek and minimalist styling as the Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2. The construction of the lens is made up of 11 elements in eight groups and those with an eye for detail will notice the OLED illuminated display on the barrel, which provides clear distance and depth of field information while shooting.
The ZEISS Batis 85mm f/1.8 will appeal to E-mount users specialising in portraiture, wedding and documentary photography
Though the price of the Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 falls into the premium category of fixed focal length primes, it’ll be a particularly appealing optic for certain Sony E-mount users. At the time of writing the 85mm f/1.8 is available for pre-order from £909, and has also started to appear on some hire company websites including Hireacamera (www.hireacamera.com) who are currently listing it available to hire from £29 a day (including VAT). A weekly hire costs £61 (including VAT) and weekend hire costs £43 (including VAT).
The ZEISS Batis 85mm f/1.8 features an incredibly smooth and rubberised manual focus ring
We’ve since uploaded our full review of the Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8, which can be found here.
