Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S vs Sony E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T*

Nikon Z 85mm f1.2 S Review: Astonishing, But Worth the Money?

The Nikon Z 85mm f1.2 S lens offers a blend of technical sharpness and creamy bokeh. It has a wide aperture for soft backgrounds and is weather-sealed. However, the JPEG colors are undersaturated and the autofocus struggles with action on some camera bodies. The lens is heavy and expensive compared to the f1.8 option. Overall, it delivers great image quality but falls short in some areas.

Hands on with the Nikon 85mm F1.2: Nikon Z Mirrorless Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

The Nikon Z 85mm F1.2 lens is highly praised for its outstanding optical performance, particularly its sharpness and unique bokeh. The lens has a soft and natural background blur, with a subtle and gradual transition from the plane of focus. It features 11 rounded diaphragm blades that create smooth and circular bokeh. The use of ED glass helps suppress color fringing, and the lens construction eliminates any "onion-ring" characteristics. Overall, the lens is described as dreamy, opulent, and desirable for fashion, boudoir, and bridal photography.

1.2: Nikon Z Mirrorless Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 lens is highly praised for its bokeh and sharpness. It can produce extremely thin depth-of-field shots at f/1.2, although some may find the shallow depth of field not to their taste. The lens handles flare and ghosting well, especially when the hood is used. It is sharp even when wide open and performs well in terms of focus speed and distance. The only complaint is that the minimum focus distance is a bit far. Despite its size and weight, the lens is manageable during long shoots. The price is justified for professionals who will use it extensively. Overall, it is recommended for wedding, event, and portrait photographers.

1.2 Review & Sample Images by Ken Rockwell

The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 lens is a large and heavy lens that is ideal for astronomy and low light shooting. It has great optics and is sharp and contrasty even when shot wide open at f/1.2. However, it is not a practical lens for everyday use and is too short for headshots. The Z 85mm f/1.8 lens offers similar optical performance at a lower cost and weight. The lens has a focus breathing issue and the bokeh quality is only average. Autofocus is slow and the lens is mostly made of plastic. It does not focus closely and does not have image stabilization. Overall, it is a good lens for specific needs but not a versatile option.

Nikon Z 85mm f1.2 S review

The Nikon Z 85mm f1.2 S is a large and heavy lens with a bright focal ratio of f1.2. It has a similar weight to other comparable lenses on the market. The lens features 15 elements in 10 groups and has a minimum object distance of 0.82m. It does not have optical stabilization but can be used with Nikon's built-in sensor-shift stabilization. The lens has autofocus capabilities and a control ring for aperture, exposure compensation, or ISO sensitivity. It is weather-sealed but lacks a fluorine coating. The lens is priced higher than its competitors. Overall, the lens performs well in terms of focus accuracy and repeatability, with minimal focus breathing.

Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS T* Review

The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS T* lens is a compact zoom lens for Sony cameras with APS-C E-mount. It features optical image stabilization, a constant maximum aperture of f/4, and a field of view equivalent to a 24-105mm lens on a 35mm camera. The lens has a solid build quality and handles well. It has fast and accurate autofocus, and the manual focus adjustments are smooth. The lens is compatible with filters and comes with a lens hood. It also has optical image stabilization for sharp handheld images. In terms of performance, the lens delivers outstanding sharpness in the center of the frame at maximum aperture. However, the sharpness towards the edges of the frame is not as good, and chromatic aberration levels are higher than expected. The lens has well-controlled falloff of illumination and reasonable distortion. Overall, it offers a useful zoom range in a compact package and delivers excellent quality in most cases.

Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS Review

The Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS is a compact zoom lens for Sony E-mount cameras. It has a 4.4x zoom range and a constant f/4 aperture. The lens is well-built and compact, with a metal barrel and reversible hood. It has optical stabilization and supports 55mm front filters. In terms of image quality, it performs well in terms of sharpness, with good center sharpness and minimal distortion. However, there is some softness at the edges and corners of the frame. Overall, it is a solid lens option for Sony E-mount cameras, especially for APS-C models.

Sony Zeiss 16-70mm OSS Review

The Sony Zeiss 16-70mm OSS is a top-notch midrange zoom lens for Sony's APS-C NEX cameras. It offers small size, built-in image stabilization, good build quality, and superb optics. The lens is always sharp with soft and smooth bokeh, no ghosts or flare, and fast autofocus. It is compatible with Sony's NEX series of mirrorless cameras and works well on full-frame NEX cameras by automatically self-cropping. The lens does not work on DSLRs or DSLR-style cameras. It has a close-focus distance of 1 foot and a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:4.3. The lens has a 55mm filter thread and comes with a hood and sack. It weighs 10.8 oz and is made in Thailand. The lens is highly recommended for its optical and ergonomic excellence.

Sony Zeiss 16-70mm F/4 review

The Sony Zeiss 16-70mm F/4 lens is a compact and lightweight zoom lens designed for Sony's APS-C mirrorless camera system. It features Optical SteadyShot, a quiet focusing motor, and a petal type hood. The lens has good build quality and includes three aspheric elements and one ED element. It autofocuses silently and accurately, with good control of color fringing. The lens has low distortion and light fall-off, but some ghosting and average bokeh. It has a close focus capability and a reproduction size of 0.23x. However, image sharpness at mid-zoom lengths is not very good along the sides. Overall, the lens is expensive for its lackluster quality at mid lengths.

Sony 16-70 Lens Review (And a great second hand deal) — Thomas Fitzgerald Photography

The Sony 16-70 lens initially disappointed the reviewer, with soft edges and a strange haloing effect. However, after more testing, they discovered the issue and were impressed with the lens. It is pin sharp when the focus is nailed, with excellent resolution. The images jump off the screen and look surprisingly good. The reviewer got a great deal on it second hand.

Sony (Zeiss) Vario-Tessar 16-70mm f/4 OSS Lens Review

The Sony (Zeiss) Vario-Tessar 16-70mm f/4 OSS Lens is a mid-range zoom lens designed for APS-C Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. It is lightweight and easy to use, with good manual focusing capabilities. The lens creates reasonably nice bokeh but has some issues with sunstars. Sharpness is sometimes questionable, especially in the corners of the frame. The build quality is good but not exceptional. Overall, it is recommended for landscape and general use photography.

Sony E 16-70mm f/4 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* ZA OSS SEL1670Z Review

The Sony E 16-70mm f/4 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* ZA OSS lens is a versatile and lightweight lens with good image quality. It has nice center sharpness, even wide open, and performs well in real-world shooting. However, there is some corner softness and chromatic aberration, and noticeable vignetting and distortion. The lens has a fast autofocus and a smooth focus ring. It is a compact and well-built lens, but it is quite expensive at around $1000. Overall, it is a good choice for those looking for a versatile one-lens solution.