Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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My Zeiss Batis 85mm lens is amazing, but it was released in 2015 and is definitely showing its age. So how does Sony’s much more modern 85mm f1.4 GM II compare and what advantages does it offer, especially for video?

•Sony 85 1.4 GM II:
geni.us/GZQpCkK (Amazon)

•Zeiss Batis 85 1.8:
geni.us/zeissbatis (Amazon)

Sony let me borrow the 85 for a couple of weeks and it has since been sent back to them. Read my Ethics Statement about reviews, sponsorships, and brand partnerships: himynameistom.com/ethics

⏱️Chapter Markers:
0:00 - 85 vs. 85
1:25 - First Comparison
2:56 - Where The Zeiss Is Lacking
5:12 - Autofocus For Video
5:51 - Physical Controls
8:35 - Price
9:42 - Optical Differences & F1.4 vs F1.8
11:41 - Is Sony Worth The Upgrade?

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•Ecamm Streaming Software: geni.us/ecammtom
•Sony FX3 (Main Camera): geni.us/fx3camera
•Sony a7SIII: geni.us/lYRYEc
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•Sony 24 1.4 (Main Lens): geni.us/sony24 (Amazon)
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Hi! My name is Tom Buck, a lifelong A/V nerd and former high school Digital Media teacher. I started this channel in 2017 as a project to share my enthusiasm for everything related to audio and video production.

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Episode 511: Comparing the Sony 85mm GM II to my Zeiss Lens for Video