Sony 85mm F1 4 ZA Carl ZEISS Planar T Bewertung | 54 Daten im Vergleich

The Imaging Resource review identifies the Sony 85mm f/1.4 Carl Zeiss Planar T* (SAL-85F14Z) as a high-performance, professional-grade portrait lens featuring outstanding center sharpness at f/1.4 and excellent, soft bokeh. Built with an all-metal barrel, the lens is noted for its durable construction, built-in focus-hold button, and lack of distortion. However, the lens utilizes a slower, noisier screw-drive autofocus system and exhibits significant longitudinal chromatic aberration (bokeh CA) at wider apertures. Additionally, the unit is heavy and represents a substantial financial investment for users.

The Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZA is a professional-grade portrait lens designed by Zeiss and manufactured by Sony for the Alpha system. Tested on an APS-C DSLR, it delivers a full-format equivalent focal length of 127.5mm. The lens features an excellent all-metal construction based on a historical symmetrical Planar optical design, incorporating 8 elements in 7 groups and 9 aperture blades. It is physically robust, weighing 640 grams, and includes a non-rotating 72mm filter thread, a barrel-shaped metal hood, and a dedicated focus stop button. A major positive of the lens is its decoupled manual focus ring, which stays stationary during autofocusing and operates very smoothly in manual mode. However, the review highlights several mechanical drawbacks. The lens relies on an older camera-driven slotted screw drive rather than a modern supersonic motor (SSM). This outdated AF system generates a moderate amount of noise and suffers from average autofocus speeds due to the heavy internal glass elements. Additionally, there is a slight play when changing focus directions manually, and the barrel physically extends when focusing at closer distances.

The LensTip.com review introduction details how the Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T 85 mm f/1.4* was commissioned to fill a critical gap in Sony’s early portrait lens lineup. Optically, the lens excels with stellar image quality across both the center and edges of the frame, beautiful bokeh rendering, and exceptional control over aberrations, showing practically zero geometric distortion and superb resistance to flares and ghosting when shooting into bright light. Its physical build is equally impressive, featuring a rugged and stylish black metal casing, a smooth manual focus ring, and a metal bayonet. However, the review reveals a massive drawback in the failure of its autofocus system, which was loud, buzzy, and plagued by severe inertia that physical shook the camera body during operation. Most critically, the autofocus mechanism suffered from a 37% miss rate in laboratory testing, making it unreliable for precise wide-open shooting. On the build side, the lens lacks weather sealing against dust and moisture, and its physical length changes during focusing, which creates a risk of sucking debris inside the housing over time. Furthermore, the lens...

The Photo Review assessment highlights the Sony SAL85F14Z Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZA as a high-end, classic portrait lens delivering outstanding optical performance, characterized by constant sharpness across the field of view and zero observable distortion. Its fast f/1.4 maximum aperture produces smooth bokeh, and it offers excellent flare control for backlit subjects. Photo Review However, the review notes the lens has a modest minimum focusing distance of 0.85 meters and is a relatively heavy, substantial piece of glass at 645 grams. Despite these limitations, the publication concludes it is a high-quality, durable option for specialized portraiture.

The Sony Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA achieved an overall DXOMARK score of 40 when tested on the Sony SLT Alpha 99 II camera body. Originally released in May 2006, this premium A-mount lens continues to deliver exceptionally strong technical performance across several key optical categories. Its primary pros include an outstanding sharpness score of 25 P-Mpix, a highly controlled distortion level of just 0.2%, and highly corrected chromatic aberration limited to a mere 4 µm. These metrics ensure crisp image details and minimal color fringing, making it well-suited for high-resolution portrait photography. Conversely, the lab results highlight a few notable cons regarding light management and vignetting. The lens records a transmission metric of 1.6 TStop, indicating a minor drop from its theoretical f/1.4 maximum aperture light-gathering capability. Additionally, vignetting is quite pronounced at -1.5 EV, which means photographers will notice visible corner shading when shooting wide open. Despite these drawbacks, its optical foundation remains competitive for a lens of its generation.