Sigma 85mm f1.4 - New Mid-range Telephoto Competition For Canon and Nikon
Sigma 85mm f1.4 - New Mid-range Telephoto Competition For Canon and Nikon
The Sigma 85mm f1.4 EX DG HSM Lens was announced months ago. It was due to release in the summer, but it actually became available in November.
Yours truly had great hopes for this lens, but I got tired of waiting and checking to see if it was available. Then, totally by accident, I came across it on Amazon, and to my shock, it is now shipping.
The Sigma 85 turns out to be a wonderful alternative to Canon's own 85mm f1.2 and Nikon's 85mm f1.4. On the Canon side, the price is almost $ 1000 less and for the Nikon model, you can save a respectable $ 200.
Right up front, I will admit that if you are a Canon shooter, and money is not an issue, go ahead and get the f1.2 version.
However, if you are not yet decided, by all means check out this comparison, because this new lens has gotten the attention of some "pixel peeping" experts in terms of its excellent performance.
I was personally interested in the release because of the perfect focal length and aperture for portrait photography.
At f1.4, you will get superior Bokeh, as good as the more expensive lenses. And this is the goal of portrait photographers.But aside from portraits, there are two other aspects of a really fast medium telephoto lens.
The first is indoor sports. The wide open aperture will get you some extremely fast shutter speeds in low light at events like basketball (my personal favorite). I have used my Canon 70-200 f4.0 lens with mediocre results. The Sigma 85mm f1.4 with its HSM (hypersonic motor) is "the cat's meow" in this type of light and action.
The second place this lens really shines is when using the video function on your digital SLR. The prime lens has such good image quality that it makes video look absolutely amazing. Again, the bokeh in your video (if taken at the wide open aperture) will look smooth and professional.
Tests against Canon and Nikon have placed the Sigma lens at equal or just below equal in image quality. And Sigma has been working hard to gain the trust of the expert photographic community.
This handsome Sigma 85mm f1.4 lens deserves your attention.
Sigma 85mm f1.4 - New Mid-range Telephoto Competition For Canon and Nikon
Rokinon 85mm F1.4 Lens for Sony Alpha Unboxing
A fully manual lens for my Sony A55. I am still trying to get used to the full manual without the focus sensor or what ever you call it lighting up to tell you that the lens is focuses. It is a really heavy piece of glass and lens combo, but really feels balanced on the DSLT. I love the wide aperature at f1.4. It is almost too wide on a sunny day because sometimes, I have to stop down to get the shutter speed away from 1/4000 of a sec. Sometimes even down to 2.8 to get a 1/2500 shutter speed. I love the way this lens feels, smooth focus ring. I really thing I received a good lens this time around and what a great deal! Thanks for watching!!!
Lens suggestions and other tips for shooting a college basketball game?
I've been recruited to shoot a basketball game since our regular university photographer quite on Friday. I've never been a sports person and the only sports I've shot are rodeo and equestrian. I don't know the first thing about basketball and I've never even sat through a whole game. I assume I need a longer focal length since we're confined to the side lines and bleachers. This is what I have that might fit the bill: Zeiss 85mm f1.4 Zeiss 135mm f1.8 Sony 70-400 f4-5.6 Minolta 70-210 f4 (aka the beercan) I'll also be bringing my HVL-F58AM flash. My first thought was to go with the 70-400 but lighting is absolutely terrible in this gym and I'm not sure it's fast enough. I'm really hoping I might be able to get by with the beercan because I'm antsy about taking my more expensive lenses into a basketball game with a ball flying around but maybe I'm being paranoid. I don't think the shots are terribly important considering the atrocious quality of what the previous photographer did (he shot them all at ISO 3200 and they were more noise than photo). This is a community college and I'm the instructor of illustration and photography so they called on me to do it after this guy quit. I don't believe in doing shoddy work so I want to get some advice to do the best I can. This is only my second semester as an instructor and I'm only 23 so obviously not a great deal of experience. What is the "tip off" and when does it occur?
Answer by toosuperlow
Did you let the recruiter know you know nothing about basketball and don't have the first idea about shooting one? If the shots are important to the person and especially if they're paying you to do it, you might want to let them know
Answer by Picture Taker
I'd think about the 70-210, because you really won't need the reach of the 70-400. The sidelines and bleachers are pretty close. The benefit would be the maximum aperture of f/4 throughout the zoom range. You might also carry the 85mm f/1.4, because you might find a spot where this lens is useful, like somewhere in the bleachers, and then you will be happy to have the additional speed.
Answer by keerok
You do know the reason why he shot those at ISO 3200. Think about it then work your way from there. Bring the 85mm f/1.4 and the 70-200mm. One of those two should be enough depending on where you are sitting. Use the flash if allowe d to do so. It would be great if you had two or three cameras, one for the 85mm, one for the 70-200mm and one for the 135mm just in case. You typically won't have time to change lenses. You basically sit on the bench, take shots. Transfer location perhaps near the goal (in amateur I think it's not allowed), then go to the bleachers. You basically go around taking shots of the players in action, huddled, paused during a free throw, the audience, the band, and yes, don't forget the tip-off.
Answer by Chaz
Tip off is the beginnIng of the first inning.
Answer by George Y
Your biggest two challenges will be low-light and using a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action. I'll assume that you're using a Sony DSLR (based on your lenses & flash). The ISO performance from the previous shooter may have been handicapped by his camera, but I don't know how your specific Sony does with higher ISOs. I've shot NCAA, WNBA, & NBA basketball, all without flash. We're not allowed to use it, as it blinds the players. You need to find out ahead of time, if that's a factor for you, as I suspect it will be. Set your camera for ISO 1600 or so, and shoot at 1/500, if you can. Any slower and you'll have a nice collection of perfectly exposed blurs. Your best lenses, since you're shooting from the bleachers (try to get in the front row, or just above) will be your 135 f/1.8 or 85mm f/1.4. They'll give you a nice reach for the near side of the court and will allow you the great high shutter speed/lower ISO combination you'll need. I seriously doubt the other two lenses will work in the gym. As for basketballs flying at you, it's a reality, but I usually shoot from the end lines, and sometimes beneath the basket where it's much more common. Suggestions: Learn to track the ball, and be prepared for players blocking your line-of-sight. I'd suggest you warm up with a practice beforehand, so you get the "feel" of how to follow the action. That would also be a great way to try out your techniques. Even if it's not the school team, shootings some actual basketball in the same gym would lessen your stress and increase your success. The "tip-off" is when the ball is tossed up to begin the game. Arrive extra early and establish your spot. Don't try to get the shots at the far end of the court, unless you have high-end equipment and fast, longer lenses. You can't catch all the action, but you can capture the mood and examples to show what happened. Set your camera for the fastest burst mode, and shoot more shots than you would normally. You may take 6-10 shots before you find 1 keeper. Bring extra memory cards (pre formatted in the camera) and extra charged batteries. A monopod can really help stabilize your camera, even better than the in-camera stabilization. If you have any questions, please, please feel free to email me. http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/bb/wc-bb/gal-wc-bb/ncaa-womens-basketball-stanford-71-v-connecticut-5.shtml?44559 http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/bb/mp-bb/gal-mp-bb/nba-sacramento-kings-102-v-new-orleans-hornets-96.shtml?45207#0
Lens suggestions and other tips for shooting a college basketball game?, Give your answer to this question below!
Sony A700 + CZ 85mm f1.4
