Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens
The Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens is for full frame format D-SLR cameras, but when used with cameras with a DX size chip it has a 127.5mm equivalent focal length. This is perfect for portraiture because of the natural perspective that it provides. The Sonnar-type optical design is ideal for mid-range telephoto lenses. The fast f/2.8 wide-open aperture along with the 7-blade circular diaphragm allows you to work in low light, and produces a beautiful soft background effect. With a minimum focus distance of 23.6" (0.6m) the lens allows you to get in close to your subject.
The internal Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM) ensures responsive and fluid autofocus operation, and the focus mode switch allows you to quickly switch between autofocus and manual. The lens is part of the 'Easy Choice' series, offering photographers of all levels great value, with a compact and lightweight lens. The 85mm f/2.8 SAM weighs just 6.17 oz (175g), so it can be added to your lens arsenal without increasing the weight of your camera bag.
- Light, compact full-frame prime lens; ideal for portraits
- 127.5mm (35mm equivalent) focal length with APS-C sensor is ideal for general purpose mid-telephoto applications
- Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM) for smooth AF operation
- Clear, sharp corner-to-corner imaging, even at maximum aperture
- Focus mode switch allows you to quickly change from auto focus to manual
- 7-blade circular aperture for beautiful soft background effects
Go To
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length |
85 mm Comparable APS-C Focal Length: 127.5 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/2.8 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Sony Alpha, Minolta AF |
| Format Compatibility |
35mm Film / Full-Frame Digital Sensor DSLR (APS-C Sensor) |
| Angle of View |
29° APS-C Picture Angle: 19° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1.97' (60 cm) |
| Magnification | 0.2x |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | 1:5 |
| Groups/Elements | 4/5 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Autofocus | No |
| Tripod Collar | No |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Filter Thread | 55 mm |
| Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 2.05 x 2.76" (5.21 x 7.01 cm) |
| Weight | 6.1 oz (173 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 21 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Lightweight (19)
- Fast / accurate auto-focus (12)
- Nice bokeh (12)
- Consistent output (9)
- Easily interchangeable (8)
Cons
Best Uses
- Low light (11)
- Weddings (11)
- Landscape/scenery (8)
- Portraits (6)
- Night photography (4)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Photo enthusiast (14), Semi-pro photographer (5)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (20)
Reviewed by 21 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
I made the mistake of trying an imported manual lens 85mm F/1.4 without realizing that SONY had an inexpensive 85mm F2.8 lens ! This lens is gorgeous.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- Poor in Low Light
- Slow Focus
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
This lens is very sharp edge to edge. The f2.8 is very sharp, and gives me enough DOF to blur out the background. AF is accurate but not as fast as lens with SSM. No doubt the 85 F1.4 is better but it is about 7X more expensive than 85 2.8. For the price, 85 2.8 is excellent choice.
Pros:
1. Sharp from edge to edge even at f2.8. No need to stop down to increase sharpness.
2. Very light weight, and it's perfect to mount on the Nex cameras.
Cons
1. It's fabricated using cheap materials.
2. Sometimes, I hope it can have f1.8
3. SAM AF speed is not as fast as SSM.
4. SAM AF noise, not a good choice for video shooting.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
- Rugged
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
This is my new go-to lens for portraits. Faces are more flattering than with a wider lens. The bokeh is really nice and focus is crisp. Lightweight but substantial enough to throw in the bag and go.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Portraits
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
Bought this one as a cheap and lightweight alternative to CZ 85/1.4. I use it on full frame body (A850) for portraits and results are very good. Lens is very compact and lighweight. It's not as durable as metal CZ, but if you brake one, you can buy another one ;) Very sharp (even at corners!) straight from f/2.8 and almost free from aberrations. Auto-focus is slow and quite noisy (compared to 50/1.4), but very precise. Bokeh is smooth and nice in most cases, but don't expect anything outstanding here. Can't recommend it for shooting in low-light due to comparatively slow aperture, use fast f/1.4 lens for that.
Considering price and weight - very attractive offer, especially for those who don't need extremely shallow DOF and very fast autofocus. The only drawback is SAM, I would prefer body-screw driven approach here.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- Weak Casing
Best Uses
- Candids
- Portraits
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
This is a great value lens! I have used it mainly for photographing my children from a distance. Works well for candid style portraits when you do not want to be right in your subjects face! Very sharp, even at f/2.8.
I would recommend this lens.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Sharp
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Sports/Action
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
Portrait, sport
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Portrait photography
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
I bought this lens in anticipation of later buying a full frame camera. It works great with my Sony Alpha 500. This is a great lens for the money.
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
- A little noisy when AF
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
- Portraits
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
Smaller then expected but makes for a lightweight system with my A33. Feels a bit plasticky but the image IQ is very good. I didn't expect Zeiss lens level of IQ but for the price I paid it's hard to beat.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
Sharp, lightweight and compact. Just what I wanted. I won't comment directly about the level of sharpness, the quality of the bokeh etc as that is too subjective. The plastic mount doesn't bother me at all. It stands up to REGULAR usage and that is all that matters to me.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- None so far
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Macro Photography
- Night Photography
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
i was in a quandry about getting the 85mm or 135mm Carl Zeiss lens for portraits...both of these are on the $1,500 shelf...i bought the Sony version, plastic and all, for[$]and love the lightness and sharpness of the lens...i have the 24-70mm CZ lens so this 85mm lens will be a backup for special times...it has been a very pleasant surprise for me and quite a bargain.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
For the money, you really can't beat this lens. Very sharp on my A850.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
The headline says it all. It is sharp from corner to corner wide open, it doesn't weigh a ton like most newer lenses and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
It is not good for closeup work (reproduction ratio = 1:5).
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Portraits
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
I bought this lens as a portrait lens for my Sony A900. It is nicely light and compact. Optically it is excellent - very sharp wide open including the corners. All together is is a high quality bargain.
Its only drawback is that the lens mount is plastic and might not survive extremely heavy use. It is also somewhat marginal for close up photos with a max reproduction ratio of 1:5.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- All plastic body
- Strange focusing sound
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
- Video
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
This lightweight lens is great for portraiture, especially headshots, and also for video shooting.
The af motordrive is not even close to silent, but it is, for one thing, smooth, but its sound is really strange, comparing to traditional body-screw driven lenses.
The lens's bokeh is outstanding.
Useful 55mm diameter filter threading.
Nice value, if you can't get the Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.8.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- All plastic body
- Strange focusing sound
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
- Video
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
This lightweight lens is great for portraiture, especially headshots, and also for video shooting.
The af motordrive is not even close to silent, but it is, for one thing, smooth, but its sound is really strange, comparing to traditional body-screw driven lenses.
The lens's bokeh is outstanding.
Useful 55mm diameter filter threading.
Nice value, if you can't get the Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.8.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Lightweight
- Sharpness
Cons
- Build Quality
Best Uses
- General Purpose
- Landscape/Scenery
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
This lens is a nice addition to my list of prime lenses (Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 and 500mm f/8). IMO sharpness and resolution from this lens is in the same league as the 500mm f/8, which makes it a worthy companion to the full-frame A850. Size and weight make it very suitable for candid, street, and portrait photography. Given its low price, it is a lens that Sony DSLR shooters should find very hard to resist.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Portraits
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
Don't let the size or feel fool you. Beautiful portrait lens and tack sharp at f4. If I were you I would invest in this little guy and don't get so hung up on the fact that it's not it's more expensive brother!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Well built quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
Great Value!! This purchase is a no brainer for the price. The images are sharp and the fast lens is always a great feature. The focus is smooth and fast.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Love it
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Sports/Action
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
As I have the 50mm f/1.8 lens I needed a bit
more reach ...this lense gives me that reach
with great bokeh
It is so sharp and works great in low light too
Great value for money...I haven't taken it off so far !!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Mid-range Telephoto Lens:
It looks cheap but pre good quality and price!!
Must have one if you are begginer
- Was this a gift?:
- No
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Filters & Filter Kits
- Price: $20.85
Hoods & Covers
- Price: $39.95
Cases & Wraps
- Price: $9.95
What's in the Box
- Front Lens Cap
- Rear Lens Cap
- Solid-circular Lens Hood
- 1-Year Warranty
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