70-200 GM Mk1 v Tamron 70-200 2.8 and 85 1.4 GM

addy landzaat wrote: Andy81 wrote: The 85/1.8 is a very good lens for the price, but I’ve never fallen in love with it like I did with the Batis 135, hence looking at the GM as a specialist portrait lens where AF speed is less critical. Is it the lens or the focal length? I, for instance, find 100mm here nor there, but really like my Sony 85/1.8 and Batis 135/2.8. If you like the 135/2.8, why replace it? The 70-200/2.8 GM is not considered to be that good. The advice of PhilipReeve.net is "Don’t buy this one new at full retail price anymore, get the better MK II version (see next lens) or the Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 for half the price."

The 85 is great in the studio, but when doing location shoots I will always reach for the Batis over it due to the rendering and microcontrast.

In essence the issue is that a 2 prime setup at these lengths isn’t as practical as I’d like, particularly for non-portrait work such as family etc.

As an only prime, I’d go for an 85 over a 135 for practicality (more use cases) hence considering the 85GM or possibly the Batis 85. A telephoto zoom would be a great addition, but I’m wondering whether getting the 70-200 GM1 at a big discount on original retail is worth it, or whether I’d be better with the Tamron zoom and a knockout 85.

The 85/1.8 is a very good lens for the price, but I’ve never fallen in love with it like I did with the Batis 135, hence looking at the GM as a specialist portrait lens where AF speed is less critical.

A couple of years ago, I picked up a Batis 135 after some very useful suggestions in this thread https://www.dyxum.com/dforum/135mm-prime-v-70200-zoom_topic138284.html.

Back then, I had an a7rii, and so using the 85/1.8 and the Batis 135 gave me a lot of options with respect to cropping in post and gave me a nice lightweight kit.

I've recently upgraded to an a9, and this has got me thinking about lens options, as I'm doing a lot more portrait work these days. I'm also running up against some limitations of the prime-only setup in the telephoto range.

I'm thinking of reshuffling my lens lineup (currently 16-35 f4, Sony FE 85/1.8 and Batis 135), getting rid of the 2 primes and replacing them with either of the 2 options below:

1. Sony 70-200 f2.8 GM1 - I've found a brand new copy for £1,600, so after selling the 2 primes, it would require a little additional investment. The pros are that I'd be down to a 2 lens zoom set up, it's got OSS, great build quality, and the ability to use teleconverters (this will be useful in the future as I would like to do a little sports shooting - mainly rugby, football and cricket, which all need longer lenses). The main con is the weight, which may get tiring on a long shoot (I'm currently planning a 6 hour model shoot with 1 other photographer and a model).

2. Tamron 70-200 f2.8 plus 85 f1.4 GM - The Tarom would be grey, and the 85 would be used, but the paid should come out at roughly the same cost as option 1. The pros are that I'd have a fabulous portrait lens and the versatility of the zoom. From reviews, the Tamron is no slouch and is much lighter than the 70-200. The only downsides are the lack of OSS, and the inability to use teleconverters.

I suspect that most here will come down on the side of option 2, but interested to hear thoughts.

Andy

Edited by Andy81 - 07 May 2022 at 11:00