Sony 55mm f/1.8 VS Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM

[@anfalshams]

By the way, I thought this was a big channel.. the quality of the video is so good! subscribed

[@EgillBjarki]

Thanks allot, very encouraging to read that. Really appreciate the support 😊

[@fotografpodlasem]

Same!😊

[@rayarzaga3248]

@@EgillBjarki Coming in here to say the same thing! Photo variety is exciting, as well as photographic QUALITY.

[@Solarfactor]

You really showed the beauty of the 55 ZA here, and it was down to the way you used it, skillfully, as a photographer. Well done.

[@KEHA14]

Great video. Love how you included the issue with the chromatic aberration with jewelry.

[@EgillBjarki]

Oh thank you! Glad you liked it :)

[@ChannelParodies]

Great review, this helped me make my decision to get the 55mm

[@EgillBjarki]

Genuinely happy to hear that, thank you 😊

[@fairweatherfarmer]

wow it's great to see it is possible for a new KZbinr to be on the YT homepage, keep up the hard work! 💚✌️

[@EgillBjarki]

Thank you, very encouraging to read! Need to work a bit more on my consistency and do allot more review based work. All the best with your channel, great concept and value! People who can grow their own food can learn allot from you 😃

[@muliblitz]

I agree 110% with you. I own the Sonnar from the beginning...and now I bought the 1,4/50mm GM and not the 1,2 as I did not wanted to have a heavy piece (I have already the 1,4/85GM I...super bokeh but sooo heavy).... I have read and watched so many good raving reviews about the GM...but I maybe will sell the GM and stay with the 55mm. What I found: - My 1,8/55mm is a bit frontfocussed and I have not yet found on the Sony ar7v a MicroAF setting to correct that. This is an issue. - The 55mm is byfar not as sharp as the 50mm wide open. From 2,8 on its hard to tell who is who. So, With the 55mm I get two lense: One creamy at 1.8 and one tack sharp at 2.8. Its not a bug. its a Cool feature. You should have seen the 1,4 Planar of Contax in the old days... - The Bokeh of the 1,8/55mm is nicer than the 50mm which is a but less smooth, more technical looking. This comes a bit as a unpleasant surprise, but my impression is the 50mm is more a 47mm and the 55mm more a 56mm...Their angle of view is quiet different...and there goes the advantage if the 1,4 vs. 1,8... - I LOVE the light weight and small form factor of the 55mm !!! - I LOVE the narrower view of 55mm over 47mm !!! and not as extreme as the 85 mm yet.

[@EgillBjarki]

Sounds like we are in complete alignment in our findings. We are well an truly spoiled by choice, it's about doing what both of us have done, finding the right lens for our unique use case :)

[@pomanprod]

I bought the 55 f1.8 Zeiss back in 2015. Got the 50GMf1.2 in 2021. Got the 50f2.5 in 2022. For 80% of the video work, the 55f1.8 is perfect in its imperfections. For demanding images or perfection, I go to the 50f1.2. The 50 f2.5 is kind of bland so I don't use it any more.

[@EgillBjarki]

That is a great way to use both lenses, 100% with you there. Was always curious about the 50mm f/2.5, perhaps only if you need ultra compact? But the 55mm is quite small already.

[@RaviUnbox]

Glad to be suggested this video of yours. Thank you for the quality of the video and the way you presented the subject. And most important of all, you went straight to the subject. Subscribed.❤

[@EgillBjarki]

Thank you for the kind words. Very encouraging to read, really appreciate you taking the time to watch it and subscribing, truly 🙌

[@seanwhaley8547]

Awesome Eg, really enjoyed the video!

[@EgillBjarki]

Thanks allot man! I’ll leave the 55mm at the studio so you can give it a try. Brilliant “daily driver”, so nimble 😊

[@AaronLaye]

Great video - really helpful to see the situations where chromatic aberration are most prominent. Hope to see more content like this from you in the future!

[@EgillBjarki]

Thanks allot Aaron, appreciate the feedback and encouragement :) Planning to make more in the near future!

[@grawlinson]

Appreciate your perspective and use cases for considering different lenses--on all your videos. Especially helpful as I switch from Nikon to Sony and rebuild my setup from zero. Thanks!

[@EgillBjarki]

Thank you for sharing that perspective, very encouraging to read! Enjoy diving into the new mount, so many great options 😃

[@jammieperez1237]

The quality of this video is ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@EgillBjarki]

Thank you 🙏🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌

[@DDHDTV]

What worries me is, that I have to fear not getting a good copy of the 55 as apparently there are very bad copies out there. The weight and size is sooo good though

[@EgillBjarki]

Absolutely, people drop their lenses, de-centering them or worse. Some lenses also come straight out of manufacturing not 100%. I always try out lenses in the store, take a shot parallel straight on a flat surface and zoom into the corners, there should be equal loss of sharpness at the very top/bottom corners.

[@tsizzle]

I agree with you that the 55mm f/1.8 ZA is a great lens, especially if you can get a good copy used. It’s just a really sharp lens from the center to the corners even wide open. Yes, there’s chromatic aberrations in certain situations but some of that can be fixed in post. My main concern and only issue with this lens is the AF motors. 1) Compared to 2022 FE lens, the AF motors seem to struggle a bit as you hear the mechanical noises while it’s trying to acquire focus. Put the camera in AF-S, Aperture (A mode), close the aperture down to say F16 and tried to focus and you can see and hear the iris/diaphragm slowly closing down from F1.8 to F16… this takes 1-2 seconds. But to be fair as you said it’s a much older lens and we can’t expect it to have the same linear motors as modern day FE G or GM lenses. 2) There are some concerns about build quality and durability as it relates to the AF motors. It’s well known that the AF motors are held together by a drop of glue. There are many cases where people have found their AF motor failing because the glue adhesive came undone (possibly due to hot temperatures). See this lens rental article for details: www.lensrentals.com/blog/2016/04/a-look-at-electromagnetic-focusing/

[@EgillBjarki]

Appreciate the input, very valid points you bring up. Surely there must be AF performance differences, especially with the A1. Found a very helpful article that goes into great detail, on what difference lenses can do on Sony A1: www.alphashooters.com/cameras/a1/lenses/#lenses-that-support-30-fps According to it, the 55mm supports 15fps burst shooting, while the 50mm GM is capable of the full 30fps. How the differences are expressed in video, is minimal in my experience. The way I set the camera up at least, as I tend to lean towards slower/smoother focus. Thank you for the comment, very informative 😊

[@pomanprod]

If you hear noises while focusing, it means that the glue (at two points on the linear EM motor) have dried up and separated from the focusing lens element. I was able to fix mine in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4nVn2CPhc2AiZo

[@Elimnio]

great video. I wonder why there is no new 50 1.8 non-zeiss lens from Sony to replace the old 50 1.8. the 50 2.5 is too much compromise with beeing slower and having more abberations. the 50 1.4 and 1.2 are on another level in terms of price and size.

[@EgillBjarki]

Appreciate that Elimnio, thank you for the view and comment. There seems to be allot of option for FF 50mm in E-Mount: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=50mm&filters=fct_category%3Amirrorless_camera_lenses_17912%2Cfct_lens-format-coverage_3332%3Afull-frame-lenses%2Cfct_lens-mount_3442%3Asony-e-mount Perhaps Sony's assessment is that there are allot of cost effective offerings, prompting them to focus more on the premium end, where their profit margins are more favorable. If I was after a cost effective compact 50mm today, the Meike 50mm f/1.8 looks like a great option, although I have not tested it myself.

[@max-olson]

Great down to earth review!

[@EgillBjarki]

Thanks allot, appreciate it Max 😊

[@dwightlooi]

The question is not whether the 1.8/55 is better or worse, cheaper or not, than the 1.2/50 GM or even the 1.4/50 GM. The question is whether this MUCH SMALLER and LIGHTER lens is preferable to the "big fifties" as something you will rather lug around. And, to that point, whether there is a reason to get the slower but a little shorter 2.5/50 G instead?

[@EgillBjarki]

E mount users are most definitely spoiled my choice! I chose todo a video specifically about the 55mm, as it has been around for 10 years and available used for a bargain. It’s a fantastic choice, with only a couple of shortcomings. Remarkably great for a 10 year lens.

[@Manueldeva]

Muchas gracias

[@EgillBjarki]

Thank you 🙌

[@christopherkorey2602]

great video and to the point

[@EgillBjarki]

Thank you kindly! I appreciate that myself, to the point reviews :)

[@mohandass3442]

Last week I purchased 55 mm sony f/1.8 Zeiss very sharp lens on A1 sony still we hv to adjust colour balance in camera i am asking one question lens is important or camera important for actual colours

[@EgillBjarki]

The color accuracy is the combination of camera sensor and lens. Every lens varies a little bit, can be a bit warmer or cooler in expression. Assuming you are shooting in RAW, you can get a color calibration card, and generate a 100% color accurate profile based on your your A1 + 55mm combination. I have good experience using these people www.xrite.com/ for both photo and video calibration (two different products). Hope this helps 😊

[@AydinAydin-f6w]

I have one question for you bro, now I have a sony a7 iii, 55mm zeiss and 35 mm gm, should I buy a new camera (sony a7 r5) or 50 mm 1.2 gm or 135 mm gm? What would you do?

[@EgillBjarki]

If you can comfortably afford it, if the upgrade will spark you being more active, I would say go for it. Both 50mm 1.2 GM and 135mm 1.8 GM are some of, if not the most sharp lenses in E mount. Great system investment! BUT, what you have, is really good stuff! At least in terms of photography. If I just could have one lens, it most likely would be 35mm GM.

[@halimrahman]

I used 55mm and decided to upgrade to 50mm F1.2 The main theme for these lenses is for portraits. I do find that 50mm F1.2 is a tad sharper and the aperture ring on the body complements my work flow. However, I still keep that 55mm for videography work.

[@EgillBjarki]

Both exceptional optics, we are well and truly spoiled for choice in E mount.

[@halimrahman]

@@EgillBjarki i think too spoilt that Sony releases new lenses almost every quarter.

[@BJJgurl]

I have the extreme f1.2 but what a huge and heavy chunk. Not at all compact and inconspicuous.

[@EgillBjarki]

It’s a really well designed lens, and for a f/1.2 lens, it’s not too big (about same size as Sony 50mm f/1.4 Zeiss. But totally agree with you, 55mm is definitely preferred in many situations.

[@cameraprepper7938]

First of all, I never use a 50mm Lens for full frame Cameras, any Lens sorter or longer than 50mm ! So I have the Sony Zeiss Sonnar 55mm 1.8, it is not among my most used Lenses, but I do use it often for portraits both in full frame 61 megapixel and in APSC-mode 26 megapixel, I also sometimes use the 55mm for Landscapes and street/urban/architecture. I like the compact size, but I wish it had a button for manual/AF and a ring for aperture, I hope that Sony/Zeiss will make a new version of the 55mm which are a bit better for high megapixel use. I can highly recommend the Sony Zeiss Sonnar 55mm 1.8 !

[@EgillBjarki]

It’s great! Particularly for being 10 years old! The new Sigma 50mm f1.4 seems great, but it’s much larger! There is a rumor that Sony might release a 50mm f1.4 GM, much more compact than the f1.2 GM. E mount shooters are truly blessed with options!

[@cameraprepper7938]

@@EgillBjarki I prefer Lenses that are compact and still excellent to outstanding in optical performance like the 55mm Lens. I do not thing that the new Sony 50mm 1.4 GM will be compact enough (compared to the 55mm) and I think the 50mm 1.4 will be 1850 Euro, right now you can get a new 55mm for 698 Euro ! Yes there are so many good options of Lenses to Sony E-mount.

[@DDHDTV]

Well. There goes the hope of a new Zeiss 55 mm

[@OfficialIpek]

400 subscriber? Come on. This Video looks like you Are on of the bigges youtubers. Wow

[@EgillBjarki]

Very kind of you ✨ Thank you! Guess I should also end my videos with asking you guys to like and subscribe 😆 But seriously, very encouraging words, really appreciate it 🙏🙌

[@dancelens]

Subscribed ☘️

[@EgillBjarki]

🙌🙏😃

[@ryaley1]

This was exactly what I was looking for. I have the 55 and couldn’t shake the desire for the 50 1.2. This video changed my mind. At least for the time being 🤣

[@EgillBjarki]

Glad to hear it Ryan! It’s an expensive desire, glad the video elevated it, for at least some time 😆

[@orhansnake9824]

I Love this Lens 😍

[@anfalshams]

what about the 50mm 1.8 FE?

[@EgillBjarki]

Since the 55mm was the first lens I got for the system back in 2014, I never really had a reason to get the FE 50mm f/1.8 (announced back in 2016). But for the sake of comparison, if would be nice if I could borrow all the other 50mm offerings in the system and do a comparison, good idea!

[@anfalshams]

@@EgillBjarki considering the huge price difference, if the 50 1.8 FE is almost as good as the 55, then it would be great

[@EgillBjarki]

@@anfalshams I don’t have experience with FE 50mm, but to my understanding it’s a very similar lens in terms of performance.

[@mrwashur1991]

@@anfalshams from what I hear, the 50 1.8 is not good at all. Terrible build quality, slow af, and not sharp (when compared to the zeiss/gm). You have to remember that most people who tell you a cheap lens is great, is just proud of their purchase and they think they have something equally as good for 1/3 or 1/6 of the price. They don’t understand why someone would invest in expensive glass when their cheap lenses “do the same thing.” Basically they don’t really know what to look for other than sharpness. Does it get the job done on a budget? Absolutely. But when comparing to these lenses it just doesn’t hold up. There’s a reason it $300. Remember, date your camera, marry your lenses. Your lenses are what matter. If you’re just a hobbyist then sure get the cheap lens, or if you know it’s a lens that’s not going to used a ton then go ahead and buy something cheap. But if you want to become pro in the future and start making money off it then just save up for the hood glass upfront. It’ll actually save you money so you don’t end up buying twice. Also probably saves on e waste too lol. Although I will say that just about any new lens on e mount from 2021 to today is very sharp (speaking for photo lenses). It’s not even a competition on sharpness anymore. Sigma, tamron and Sony are all great lenses. Now you’re just paying for build quality and CA/distortion control.

[@eggs-benny]

great video

[@apaindust7316]

55ZA almost 10 years old

[@EgillBjarki]

Making it even more impressive! The Zeiss 55mm f1.8 and the Zeiss f35mm f2.8, along with 28-70mm kit lens were the very first FF lenses, I think 😅 I think the 55mm is holding up best with the perspective of time.

[@papsny]

just got one for 250, worth it

[@EgillBjarki]

Excellent value!!!

[@opsupa]

Hello Hong Kong🥰

[@XDR2201]

I owned Zeiss Batis 40mm F2 and Zeiss 55mm F1.8 but later I sold them. They are amazing for their price. I now use Sigma 28mm F1.4 and Sigma 40mm F1.4 for daily photography. The only reason I switched to these 2 lenses is because I also shoot astro panorama and these Sigma lenses are amazing for this genre.

[@mynameistrd6841]

not twice but three times :)

[@EgillBjarki]

Times you watched the video? 😉🤪

[@EgillBjarki]

The exact light gathering difference between the lenses is 2.25 times to be perfectly accurate. You can ask chatGPT, I did 😅

[@thorsteins5502]

frábært myndband :)

[@EgillBjarki]

Kærar þakkir :D