NEW - SONY AF 85mm f/2.8 SAM

[DonSchap]

The new SONY 85mm f/2.8 SAM has been released and I bought one, because my Rokinon (Samyang) 85mm f/1.4 is manual focus (MF) .. and at night, that can be a pain to deal with. My TAMRON SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di MACRO is the right size, but its focus is ... well, at MACRO speed. It has a limit switch, but I find myself often waiting a little too long to get focused and can lose the shot.

So, for $300, SONY comes to the rescue with not the widest 85mm on the market, but definitely one of the most cost-effective. It has a 55mm filter-ring, so the SONY 50mm f/1.4 filters are swappable to it. It weighs the same as the 50mm and is darn near the same size. Unlike the SONY CZ 85mm f/1.4 model, this is truly pocket-able.

Okay, yes, it is a plastic construct. Just treat it nice ... you'll live. It delivers snappy and accurate focus. The image quality is very good in my opinion.

Is it Zeiss glass? NO ... but, then again, it isn't $1400 either! You can actually afford this one.

Having an 85mm PRIME is a very desirable attribute, as it makes for a dandy portrait lens.

I shot a few, this weekend, with it and, well, you can tell me. Did I waste time using this lens?

[OsmosisStudios]

You also lost 2 full stops of aperture. Which, frankly, is huge.

Were these photos shot with that 85/2.8?

(also, your images are too big for the site and distort the layout: 600px max)

[S3000]

Don, that is not a waste of time using that lens. Very nice shots and very clear. I think it`s time for me to do some shopping...