Camera Labs

Headed down with wifey & junior to a new mall (one of a couple) on the weekend and went by a Sony Style store. I had my a700 with me equipped with my Sigma 18-50 f/2.8.

I thought what the heck and tried out the Carl Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8 since junior was with me....why not grab a few shots of him with some hardcore glass that i would never buy. The lady passes me the lens and WOW, HEAVY! Snapped a couple of shots....looked good. This was on 12 July '09.

Read up on the 24-70 and came across this forum. Long story short, I put up a WTB (Want To Buy) ad and 1 week after that, I bought a year old 24-70 off a dude who was changing systems.

Barely two weeks into Zeiss ownership, I was thinking that the 85mm Zeiss would be the next lens i'd go for. So as usual, i'm surfing the Buy & Sell section of my local photog forum and i see an ad for a 85mm Zeiss for sale! Bugger! BTW, i'm trying to save up for an Audi Q5 purchase sometime in 2010 and these temptations aren't helping.

Again, long story short, good lenses are an investment and they basically last forever and if looked after, won't lose their value too much especially if i buy used to start with. Sooo...met up with the seller and bought my second Zeiss! Its totally mint. Receipt was dated 20 July! Holy cow!

I love the 85mm more than the 24-70 right now. I think coz coming from the regular Sony lenses, the 24-70 Zeiss weighs like a tonne! Weight shock! haha

But i also, at least for now, tend to like shooting wide open and i'm really enjoying the 1.4 aperture of the 85.

So...seeing how there isn't really a CZ 85mm thread, i thought i'd start one and as the saying goes (at least in this part of the world), start poisoning some other people....much like i've been "poisoned"

Here's a sample pic...a childhood favourite of mine....Angsana seeds...

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Sony A700 + VG
Primes: Sony 28mm f/2.8 | Sony 50mm f/1.4 | Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 | Sony 100mm f/2.8
Zooms: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 | Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 | Sony 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
UWA: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye | Tamron 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Flash: Sony HVL-58AM

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zenfolio

wow, what luck! congrats!

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flickr

Sony α300
Sony HVL-F58AM Bounce-Shift Flash
Tamron SP 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF)
Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di
Sony 50mm F/1.4 SAL-50F14
Sony 100mm Macro F/2.8 SAL-100MF28

Threads like these making saving for the A900 very hard, I just want the 85mm soooo much... Well, next year I guess, when you get yourself new car.

Thanks for the great story.

- Bjorn -

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Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

Tell me bout it...just yesterday there was a dude posting up all his gear for sale...which includes his a900 with 6 months warranty left, priced at about 25% off Sony Style price.

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Sony A700 + VG
Primes: Sony 28mm f/2.8 | Sony 50mm f/1.4 | Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 | Sony 100mm f/2.8
Zooms: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 | Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 | Sony 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
UWA: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye | Tamron 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Flash: Sony HVL-58AM

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zenfolio

Too bad I'm just to stubborn to get over the idea of having to buy new equipment only. I could save quite a lot of money buying used...

- Bjorn -

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Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

The 85mm is a desireable piece of glass. Reading from your signature, you have a very interesting list of primes. When will the 135mm arrive?

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Fujifilm X-E1 - XF 18-55mm - XF 55-200mm - XF 14mm - Lowepro Rover AW II - Think Tank Retrospective 5

Hi Martino. Yeah...i seem to like primes. I don't know bout the 135. I've certainly been thinking about it...but it seems a bit long for me at this point. Maybe on a full frame.

Read some good stuff about the 135 STF...mostly about how buttery smooth the bokeh is.

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Sony A700 + VG
Primes: Sony 28mm f/2.8 | Sony 50mm f/1.4 | Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 | Sony 100mm f/2.8
Zooms: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 | Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 | Sony 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
UWA: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye | Tamron 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Flash: Sony HVL-58AM

flickr
zenfolio

Here's one i took today with the 85 mike mike. Today incidentally is Singapore's 44th National Day...hence the flag on the little boy's face.

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Sony A700 + VG
Primes: Sony 28mm f/2.8 | Sony 50mm f/1.4 | Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 | Sony 100mm f/2.8
Zooms: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 | Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 | Sony 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
UWA: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye | Tamron 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Flash: Sony HVL-58AM

flickr
zenfolio

You managed to do it, well part of it was because of you. The Zeiss 85mm is now atop my wishlist, above the A900.

Yesterday, I visited an old and beautiful church/cathedral, and shot pictures with the 50mm f/1.4 only. Loved it, prime shooting is just so much fun! And I've wanted the 85mm since it was released. So, I started thinking, thinking and thinking, and got to the conclusion the 85mm would be a better purchase at the moment. No more A900 (unless I win the lottery tomorrow evening).

Should have the Zeiss around November/December. Can't wait!

- Bjorn -

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Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

Good stuff Bjorn! I guess in a way similar to you, I will get the 135mm if i go full frame. haha

Anyways, i saw some pics from a friends Olympus E-P1 in 'Grainy Film' mode and it got me inspired...so here's a self portrait of sorts with the 85 which i quite like...probably coz i'm largely obscured. Never been one for self portraits really. Am a lens whore, not a cam whore.

Love the 72mm diameter on the 85. To think the 24-70 CZ is 77mm...nice!

Exif: B&W mode with the ISO bumped up to max at 6400 and 1/320 at f/1.4, -2/3 EV

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Sony A700 + VG
Primes: Sony 28mm f/2.8 | Sony 50mm f/1.4 | Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 | Sony 100mm f/2.8
Zooms: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 | Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 | Sony 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
UWA: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye | Tamron 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Flash: Sony HVL-58AM

flickr
zenfolio

Just got message from my wallet to have this thread closed.

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Fujifilm X-E1 - XF 18-55mm - XF 55-200mm - XF 14mm - Lowepro Rover AW II - Think Tank Retrospective 5

Dude that's so funny. haha

I suppose the good thing with the 85 is that it's a 'nice' focal length for both APSC & FF. So why not invest in it?

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Sony A700 + VG
Primes: Sony 28mm f/2.8 | Sony 50mm f/1.4 | Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 | Sony 100mm f/2.8
Zooms: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 | Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 | Sony 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
UWA: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye | Tamron 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Flash: Sony HVL-58AM

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zenfolio

If only I had the money already, I'd get one today...
Well, I'll get one, near the end of November. Working for pretty much the minimum wage at my age kinda s***s...

- Bjorn -

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Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

I second this, close immediately & delete ! We are in a recession people, have some courtesy!

Congrats man, awesome lens. I'd think about sending in your first pic to pop photo magazine (love the red on the very dark background with just a slight blurring). They like this kinda stuff there (rich colours that print well and look vibrant), and I think it looks pretty compelling.

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I wish there was a way to randomly cycle through click-able thumbnails of my most recent images :'(

http://www.laroygreen.com (under construction)

Haha...well over here in Singapore this recession doesn't feel as bad as previous ones...weird.

You're ok to send to Pop Photo if you want...scan it and show us if they ever use it. The full res pic is downloadable from my Zenfolio a/c.

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Sony A700 + VG
Primes: Sony 28mm f/2.8 | Sony 50mm f/1.4 | Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 | Sony 100mm f/2.8
Zooms: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 | Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 | Sony 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
UWA: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye | Tamron 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Flash: Sony HVL-58AM

flickr
zenfolio