Zeiss has announced a new line of autofocus lenses designed for Sony full-frame E-mount cameras. Shipping this summer, the Zeiss Batis line will initially include two lenses, the 2/25 and the 1.8/85. Always innovating, each of these lenses feature something you don’t see everyday: an OLED display screen which shows focal distance and depth of field.
The Zeiss Batis 2/25 incorporates the Distagon optical design on the inside and has 10 elements in 8 groups. Four of these lens elements will be aspheric on each side which helps produce constant image sharpness throughout the frame with reduced distortion. The minimum focusing distance of the 2/25 is an intimate 7.9 inches.
Zeiss Batis 2/25
Zeiss Batis 2/25 with hood
In contrast to the Batis 2/25, the Zeiss Batis 1.8/85 utilizes a Sonnar optical design and offers 11 lens elements in 8 groups. It also sports optical image stabilization, a well-suited feature considering the lens’ focal length.
Zeiss Batis 1.8/85
Zeiss Batis 1.8/85 with hood
Both of the Batis 2/25 and 1.8/85 include linear motor autofocusing and manual focusing with the rubberized ring. Each are dust and weather-sealed, which according to Zeiss allows them to “be used in even the harshest weather conditions.”
One of the most head-turning features of these lenses is the first-of-its-kind OLED display. Zeiss Product Manager Dr. Michael Pollmann said its inclusion was a decision based on “numerous requests from customers.” The display will be easy to read in low-light environments and will show depth of field as well as the distance between the focal plane and camera. It will be very interesting to see how well this performs once the lenses are released and if it catches on to be used in other lens lineups.
Zeiss Batis 2/25
Zeiss Batis 1.8/85
The Zeiss Batis 2/25 is priced at $1,299.00 and is available now for pre-ordering. The Zeiss Batis 1.8/85 is priced slightly less at $1,199.00 and is also open for pre-ordering. Both the Batis 2/25 and 1.8/85 are scheduled to ship July 2015.
[via Zeiss]
So happy that there's finally a fast portrait lens for the a7. Now it's even more tempting.
Yeah it's exciting. I recently got a Rokinon 135 F2, that's very nice. The Zeiss looks really interesting indeed.
They're every bit as good as they look. I had the opportunity to field test the prototype versions during the last few months. I honestly did not want to part with them!
any more detailed evaluations you're allowed to share? How to they stack up against other 85's & 24/25's?
why no EF mount :/ , i think now sigma will finally come up with 85 Art lens ;)
The DoF addition is a seriously cool idea. So much more handy than on the old Zeiss lenses.
As an A7II user, I'm really, really happy that these lenses are out (even if I can't afford them).
These lenses are a little slower than the flagship Nikon and Canon primes, but they're much cheaper and much lighter. The Zeiss name gives me plenty of confidence that the optical quality is there.
For a camera that already has battery life issues they should have left the LED display idea until they can develop the cameras to not need 4 batteries for a full day of shooting. As someone who would like to someday switch from Canon to Sony, I don't like seeing more features that draw power.
We had an interview with Zeiss' Richard Schleuning who showed us the Batis lenses first hand at NAB 2015. Check it out here: http://hdslrshooter.com/nab-2015-zeiss-batis-full-frame-af-sony-e-mount/
Awesome, thanks for sharing the video. I'm really interested in trying out the 2/25!