HANDS ON WITH THE ZEISS BATIS 85 1.8
As many of you probably know, we are suckers for a prime lens. The detail and beautiful separation you get between subjects and backgrounds is incredible. Often we find ourselves lugging around up to six on a shoot, even on hikes! After many many recommendations from our industry friends we decided to add the Zeiss Batis 85 1.8 to our collection of lenses and put it to the test.
With our focus shifting more to travel and adventure work, keeping our bags as light as possible (lets ignore the above…) is vital in keeping us mobile and ready to capture those split second real life moments.
We have put this lens through its paces time and time again. Through freezing to soaring temperatures, to extreme rain and snow, this lens has proven itself with its premium build and output quality.
This lens allows us to capture subjects in the distance, whilst maintaining the perfect bokeh that we all love. It really is a commercial photographers dream.
Keswick, England. F2.8 - 1/300 second - 100 ISO.
Helvellyn, England. F1.8 - 1/600 second - 100 ISO.
We mainly use this lens for portrait/landscape work. Seeing as we are working with Zeiss, you get a minimal design featuring an OLED display that shows the focus distance and depth of field which is handy when setting up tripod shots. The lens also features proper weather sealing, which we can personally vouch for!
We nearly always keep a Polar Pro CP filter on the lens. Not only does it help with cutting through reflections, out of camera you get richer and deeper colours which we love! You will lose a bit of light using one so be prepared to adjust your settings accordingly. All in all, the filter is a must have from us - you can pick one up here.
Yorkshire Dales, England. F1.8 - 1/200 second - 300 ISO
Cheshire, England. F2.8 - 1/250 second - 100 ISO
We tested the autofocus on everything from people, to products, to landscapes. The focus is fast, smooth and silent. The eye-autofocus is near enough perfect enabling you to perfectly capture split second moments with complete ease.
Overall we absolutely love this lens. The amount of punch it packs with its small size and reasonable price point makes it a weapon that should be in any commercial photographers arsenal. The lens is sharp as hell and we are constantly blown away with how it performs in any situation you throw it at.
Going forward we are going to be carrying on using this lens for a variety of projects. Anything from landscapes, product, portraits, lifestyle - this lens has you covered. It offers you so much for such a small size and so it will be staying in our bags for sure! You can purchase the lens here.