Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Lens
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Surprisingly good lens
Bought this one as a cheap and lightweight alternative to CZ 85/1.4. I use it on full frame body (A850) for portraits and results are very good. Lens is very compact and lighweight. It's not as durable as metal CZ, but if you brake one, you can buy another one ;) Very sharp (even at corners!) straight from f/2.8 and almost free from aberrations. Auto-focus is slow and quite noisy (compared to 50/1.4), but very precise. Bokeh is smooth and nice in... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Nice little lens, a great buy
This lens is very sharp edge to edge. The f2.8 is very sharp, and gives me enough DOF to blur out the background. AF is accurate but not as fast as lens with SSM. No doubt the 85 F1.4 is better but it is about 7X more expensive than 85 2.8. For the price, 85 2.8 is excellent choice. Pros: 1. Sharp from edge to edge even at f2.8. No need to stop down to increase sharpness. 2. Very light weight, and it's perfect to mount on the Nex cameras. Cons 1.... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Love it!!
I got this lens about two weeks ago and LOVE it! It has been a great addition to my camera bag. The focus motor is a bit loud but who really cares when you are getting such amazing photos with this lens. The only downside is the AF is a tad slow, but this lens really isn't built for fast paced sporting events so it shouldn't really be a issue. I 100% recommend this lens to anyone looking for a prime lens that has a bit of a closer view. One of my best buys so far! And as far as other reviews complaining about it being plastic, it is a durable plastic and I love how light it feels!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
This lens redefines the words Good Value
Sony has done a great job with this lens. I own a 85mm f/1.4 CZ and I would say this lens is very comparable to it's more noble brother. Pictures are very similar, if not just as sharp. Unless you need that extra 2 stops of light, do save your money and get this one instead as you'll barely notice the difference in image quality. I mostly shoot studio with my 85s so I'm rarely under f/8. This lens is also much lighter. The only drawback is that the focus on it is slightly slower than the CZ, but then again, I'm usually using it in a studio it isn't a big issue for me.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very fun lens for the a77
I've been using the kit lens 16-50 (which i love) for a while and I wanted a new crop perspective. The 85 is really intersting and there is virtually no distortion so portraits are stunning on this lens. Surprisingly I love the shots I can produce on the street compared to a wider lens. This lens has brought a new dynamic to my photography since I've never owned a lens longer that 50mm. Was considering the 85mm zeiss for 1700 but I took the advice of others in this review section a went with this lens. I am very satisfied with my purchase.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very good lens for the price
On my A850 Sharp enough for portrait at f/2.8 Sharpen up nicely at f/4 Hard to tell the difference to my 85mm f/1.4 at f/5.6 or smaller aperture. This lens is so small and light, and I usually take this lens with me for daylight outdoor hike. Some may complain about the plastic mount, but for the lens this short and light you never hold the lens and let the camera hanging behind, so I don't see it as problem. Focus is very accurate but focus speed is about the same compared to my 85mm f/1.4 set at slower focus speed on camera body.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Not fragile
(Don't try this at home!) While changing lenses I rested the SAL85F28 on its side and watched in stunned horror as it rolled off an edge and dropped 18 inches onto a rough concrete floor. I was lucky - the SAL85F28 landed side-on, I haven't been able to find so much as a scratch, and the lens continues to function perfectly. The SAL85F28 lens is sharp, so you will notice if you don't focus in exactly the right place -- and happily you will notice when you do focus in exactly the right place.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Works great with an A7
I'm using this with the Sony LAEA4 adapter on an A7. This lens seemed a very good low-cost choice for the portrait focal length. The lens is compact and very lightweight due to the extensive use of plastic (even the mount is plastic). The lens focuses accurately via the adapter and is sharp in the center wide open, which works well for the portrait use this lens will see. Very hard to top this lens for the price.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I like this lens
This lens is a nice addition to my list of prime lenses (Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 and 500mm f/8). IMO sharpness and resolution from this lens is in the same league as the 500mm f/8, which makes it a worthy companion to the full-frame A850. Size and weight make it very suitable for candid, street, and portrait photography. Given its low price, it is a lens that Sony DSLR shooters should find very hard to resist.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great prime lens for far-away headshots
This lightweight lens is great for portraiture, especially headshots, and also for video shooting. The af motordrive is not even close to silent, but it is, for one thing, smooth, but its sound is really strange, comparing to traditional body-screw driven lenses. The lens's bokeh is outstanding. Useful 55mm diameter filter threading. Nice value, if you can't get the Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.8.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great prime lens for far-away headshots
This lightweight lens is great for portraiture, especially headshots, and also for video shooting. The af motordrive is not even close to silent, but it is, for one thing, smooth, but its sound is really strange, comparing to traditional body-screw driven lenses. The lens's bokeh is outstanding. Useful 55mm diameter filter threading. Nice value, if you can't get the Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.8.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
High optical quality/low price
I bought this lens as a portrait lens for my Sony A900. It is nicely light and compact. Optically it is excellent - very sharp wide open including the corners. All together is is a high quality bargain. Its only drawback is that the lens mount is plastic and might not survive extremely heavy use. It is also somewhat marginal for close up photos with a max reproduction ratio of 1:5.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
INEXPENSIVE ALTERNATE TO A CZ MODEL
i was in a quandry about getting the 85mm or 135mm Carl Zeiss lens for portraits...both of these are on the $1,500 shelf...i bought the Sony version, plastic and all, for$and love the lightness and sharpness of the lens...i have the 24-70mm CZ lens so this 85mm lens will be a backup for special times...it has been a very pleasant surprise for me and quite a bargain.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great bang for the buck!
Sharp, lightweight and compact. Just what I wanted. I won't comment directly about the level of sharpness, the quality of the bokeh etc as that is too subjective. The plastic mount doesn't bother me at all. It stands up to REGULAR usage and that is all that matters to me.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A must have lens for the price
I recently bought this lens, mostly for portrait usage, and although I have not used it much yet, I did run a series of tests on it. The lens tested out very sharp edge to edge when stopped down 1-2 stops. For the price, I think it is a must have prime lens.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Fantastic Product
This is a great value lens! I have used it mainly for photographing my children from a distance. Works well for candid style portraits when you do not want to be right in your subjects face! Very sharp, even at f/2.8. I would recommend this lens.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Wonderful lens for wonderful portraits!
This lens suits my amature photogrpahy needs. Photos with th 85mm SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens by Sony come out crisp and clear. The service at B&H was top of the line, and I recieved my package next day! Thanks B$H
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
SHARP/LIGHTWEIGHT/INEXPENSIVE
The headline says it all. It is sharp from corner to corner wide open, it doesn't weigh a ton like most newer lenses and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It is not good for closeup work (reproduction ratio = 1:5).
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens
As I have the 50mm f/1.8 lens I needed a bit more reach ...this lense gives me that reach with great bokeh It is so sharp and works great in low light too Great value for money...I haven't taken it off so far !!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great buy
Don't let the size or feel fool you. Beautiful portrait lens and tack sharp at f4. If I were you I would invest in this little guy and don't get so hung up on the fact that it's not it's more expensive brother!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Beautiful lens...Very happy.
This is a great lens for the money. It creates beautiful images. I got it primarily for portraits and am very excited to use it more. It does take a little bit of time to auto focus, but I prefer manual focus.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Good value for the money
Smaller then expected but makes for a lightweight system with my A33. Feels a bit plasticky but the image IQ is very good. I didn't expect Zeiss lens level of IQ but for the price I paid it's hard to beat.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Portrait Lens
This is a great lens for Portrait Photography. It is very light and very fast. No problems at all with this lens. It is all plastic which means you need to be careful mounting it. I may buy another one.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great portrait lens
This is my new go-to lens for portraits. Faces are more flattering than with a wider lens. The bokeh is really nice and focus is crisp. Lightweight but substantial enough to throw in the bag and go.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
