Zeiss Introduces Batis 135/2.8 Lens for Sony E-Mount

I got a notification today that Zeiss has a new full-frame Basis 135/2.8 lens for the Sony E-mount, which includes the Sony A7 series. The Batis line for Sony, like the Milvus lenses for Nikon and Canon, are sort of the runners-up to the premium Otus lenses. They are designed to have similar focus and color renditions with other Basis lenses.

 

ZEISS Batis 2.8/135 | Fullframe autofocus lens for Sony α series

 

I have the Basis 18/2.8, 25/2 and 85/1.8. Although rather large, Batis lenses are relatively light, lighter than similar lenses in the manual. Apparently it takes a lot of room for the AF mechanism, which is quick and nearly silent. Despite having "focus by wire" action, manual focus is easy to use and has a relatively low acceleration effect when the ring is turned faster or slower. Infinity can be set using the eye level display or an OLED display on the top of the lens barrel.

 

Zeiss seems to be playing leap frog between the AF Batis lenses and the MF Loxia, although there is one overlap at 85 mm. From a practical viewpoint, I could easily fit three or four Loxia lenses in a Leica-sized bag (only 35/2 and 50/2 at present), but Batis lenses would need a much larger bag. Basis lenses are weather-sealed (at least drip proof), whereas Loxia lenses have little protection.

 

I'm looking for a Batis image to post, but my server is doing some maintenance function and currently unavailable

$2,000 appears to be a bit steep for an f/2.8 135mm lens, even taking into account the APO designation. Although I applaud Zeiss for going that extra step; there are enough fast primes that one has trouble using wide open because of the CA.

Seems steep pricing. But presumably they can assess the size of the market from previous Batis sales, taking in to account the relative smaller size of the the market for a 135mm versus an 85mm or 50mm. Certainly it looks largish at 614 g.

This was taken with a Basis 85/1.8 at f/1.8. My experience with this lens is that the bokeh is very clean. None of the Batis lenses has noticeable CA, and they're sharp from corner to corner when wide open. The sweet spot is probably f/5.6, from whence they are limited by diffraction on a Sony A7Rii.

 

 

Edited April 6, 2017 by Ed_Ingold

None of the Batis lenses has noticeable CA

The image you show has been corrected for lateral CA during processing; according to DxOmark, the Batis shows actually more of it than the Nikon 85/1.8G. I was rather imprecisely referring to the longitudinal CA (bokeh fringing) that requires stopping down to take care of, at least partially negating the reason to purchase a fast lens in the first place. APOchormatically corrected glass takes care of it though, but unfortunately only few lenses exist of that design.

The only "fringing" I see is in reflections in the brass ferules - the environment not CA. There is no fringing in the neutral OOF objects. The image was taken in RAW format, and not subjected to any adjustments prior to resampling and conversion to JPEG for PNET. That said, Basis lenses are not perfect. If you want "perfection" pay $7500 for an APO Summicron or $4700 for an Otus (not including the neck brace). When DXOMark tests FE lenses, do they insert a 2 mm flat in place of the thick cover glass of the Sony sensor/ That's calculated as part of the Basis and Loxia lens design, and lenses designed in collaboration with Sony.

 

DXOMark is a useful source of information, if you approach their results with a bit of skepticism. They rank lenses using a weighted list of attributes, much like Consumer Reports. Make sure their priorities are a good fit with yours. A "one test fits all" approach may speak more for the test method than the test subject.

 

The Nikon 85/1.8 has other faults that surpass any contributions from CA. Besides, what body are you going to use it on, a Sony? Nikons are, shall we say, resolution-challenged.

 

Funny thing, but looking at this image wearing glasses shows CA which varies with the viewing angle - due to the glasses themselves. Those of us with aging eyes should keep that in mind.

not subjected to any adjustments

Not true according to the EXIF data, lens profile in LR was applied.

 

Nikons are, shall we say, resolution-challenged.

36MP from the D810 don't have to hide behind the 42MP from the A7RII.

Fairly happy the overall performance of my Sigma 150/2.8 OS APO Macro that costs half of what the Zeiss 135/2.8 does . Equally happy with the non-OS version I owned before; at 1/3 the cost of the Zeiss.

The Sigma 150 Macro weighs twice as much as the Basis 135. Since it is made for a DSLR, the extra weight and bulk may not matter as much ;) The list price ($1099) is more than half the suggested price of the Basis ($1999). In the past, demand for Batis lenses has been so high that speculators buy them for resale at 50-100% profit. This persists for up to 6 months until supply catches up with demand.

 

Sigma ART lenses are nearly state of the art, optically if not mechanically). This is done by adding elements and other mechanisms to chip away at 2nd and higher order aberrations. Sony has its share of lenses in this category, for which it is often derided in PNET for the "sin" of departing from the "compact camera" ethos.

 

With 14 elements in 11 groups, the Basis 135 (like other Basis lenses) strike a balance between performance and weight. I haven't seen any reviews of the Basis 135, which is probably only in the hands of a selected few. It is my observation that Zeiss compromises on distortion (3%, corrected to 0.5%), and concentrates on CA, coma and flatness of field, in order to keep the cost and weight down (e.g., compared to Otus). The main function of the lens profile in LR is probably to tame this distortion. I may investigate further, but since LR produces no obvious or nasty artifacts, I'm content to let it do its job and continue with mine.

The Sigma 150 Macro weighs twice as much as the Basis 135.

That's the OS version, the non-OS is substantially smaller and lighter, albeit still not quite as small and light as the Batis. Though the weight given for either Sigma might actually include the tripod mount. Either Sigma balances quite nicely with any DSLR I have ever put them on.

Either Sigma balances quite nicely with any DSLR I have ever put them on.

 

I guess Batis lenses are a moot issue for you, since they won't work on a DSLR, and there's little incentive to purchase a DSLR lens for use on a mirrorless camera. If you already have DSLR lenses you'd like to use on a mirrorless camera, adapters are readily available, some even with an electronic interface. Canon lenses made since 2007 are said to focus more quickly on a Sony A7Rii than on a Canon body.

 

Returning to the original topic, Zeiss introduced a new lens, a Basis 135/2.8. If it anything like the other Basis lenses, the image quality and consistency within the model line are probably excellent. It has certain features that will appeal to some but not to others. Since I own the 18, 25 and 85 mm versions, I can speak to the features I like or dislike. Zeiss lenses for the Sony have a remarkable resistance to flare, as the following example demonstrates.

 

Sony A7Rii + Batis 18/2.8, f/5.0, 1/400, ISO 400