SAL85F14Z
4.9
5
10
10
Very Useful Addition
I've been wanting to add this lens to my kit for quite some time, and finally made the jump. While an outstanding portrait lens, my primary use is for outdoor shots where the 135 f1.8 is too long, the 70-200G isn't quite fast enough, and the 55 is too short. I knew in advance I would not be disappointed with this lens.
December 17, 2012
Exceptional Lens
I purchased this lens a few months ago, needing a portrate lens, mid-range telephoto, to capture close up candid photos for my work. This lens has way exceeded my expectations, and the clarity of images is the very best... To be able to take close up shots at a distance of 8 to 16 feet is excellently produced by this lens. This is one of two Carl Ziess lenses I use, but it is on my camera at least 50% of the time... Wonderful companion to the Carl Zeiss 24-70 lens.
January 10, 2012
If You Only Have One Lens This Is It.
A brilliant lens for portraits, low light and midrange telephoto shooting. This beautiful piece of glass is perfect for intimate or low-light portraits, fashion shots and quick candid photographs.
October 24, 2011
Magic Wand
I picked up this lens at the Sony store in Bangkok figuring it would be great to have for the rest of my trip and boy was I right. I'm still a relative beginner so I won't pretend to know what makes this lens great, but it is simply awesome. For me to have this power in my hands feels incredible. It's like a magic wand that makes everything look beautiful (and like I said, I'm a beginner). Portraits pop out heroically with soothing bokeh and great clarity. It focuses fast and feels solid. When using it outdoors, I found that in aperture-priority mode, opening it up to 1.4 sometimes maxes out my a55's shutter speed of 1/4000, so I'd recommend a filter to give more flexibility. One thing to consider is the focal length of 85mm translates to about 130mm with the APS-C sensor, so if you're like me, you'll have to adjust a little bit to position yourself properly for the shot. For that reason, it might not be the best lens for enclosed areas.
September 27, 2011
