Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor: A Lens for Still Life and Nature Photos

Chris Gampat
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04/29/2016
3 Mins read
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Zeiss 100mm f2 Milvus lens product images (3 of 8)ISO 4001-200 sec at f - 4.0

Last Updated on 04/29/2016 by Chris Gampat

Letters to the Editor is a recurring series where Chris answers specific emails/letters that could benefit more than one photographer, interesting questions or questions that come in often. Have a question? Send it to chrisgampat[at]thephoblographer[dot]com with subject: Letter to the Editor: (Your name here).

In today’s letter, a reader that I’ve helped before looks for a specific lens for nature photography. No, today’s sponsored post by Zeiss isn’t a coincidence, he genuinely was thinking about getting one for the type of stuff he does and the quality that he wants.

As always, be sure to send in your letters for me to answer! And also be sure to check out our Kickstarter!

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Zeiss 100mm f2 Milvus lens review images (8 of 24)ISO 1251-160 sec at f - 2.0

Hello Chris,

You helped me in the past with a lens choice, and I’m hoping (if it isn’t asking to much), maybe you could help again.

First off, just want to say, thank you for the site. I read it as one of the first things in the morning. Your site is kind of my go-to for photography news and reviews.

I’m looking to invest in one of the new Zeiss Milvus lenses. I’m a little confused at which one to get though. Currently, my only lens is the Sigma 35 art lens, which I love.
My typical type of photography is usually still life nature (plants, forests, sometimes creatures if I am lucky), and sometimes I take the occasional portrait.

In my mind, that brings me to one of two lenses (unless I am mistaken). The Milvus 85mm and the Milvus 100mm.

I’ve seen pictures from both, and photos from both look very nice, though I feel the 85 might have a slight edge in the microcontrast dept.

Not sure if anyone has an opinion on either lens. I guess what I’m wondering is would I disappointed using say the 85 over the 100 or vice versa. I know each has their strengths and weaknesses. Just not quite sure which one would be the better investment for the long haul.

Thanks for any advice! And thank you for Thephoblographer!

– Terry Warner

…

I assume for nature photography, such as flowers and plants and such. The MFD of either the 85 or the 50 wouldn’t be a huge issue?

I enjoy macro work, but I don’t always want to be tied to a tripod to get the best results. I have the Sigma 35 now. So in my head and correct me if I am wrong, it makes more sense to go for the 85. Unless having a 50 and a 35 is OK.…

Model: Natalie Margiotta
Model: Natalie Margiotta

Hi Terry,

I don’t believe I’m saying this, but go with their 50mm. Personally I don’t like the 50mm field of view, but the Zeiss Milvus lenses are very good. I really, really like the 85mm though and the 100mm is a lens that is solid but I’m not so smitten for. I’d say go for the 85mm or the 50mm based on the distance that you think you’re going to be shooting from more often. They’re both very good.

This can help.

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Zeiss Milvus 50mm f2 Macro image samples (2 of 7)ISO 4001-100 sec at f - 4.5

But since you own the 35mm, then it would make more sense to go with the 85mm lens. It’s my favorite of the bunch and will give you a totally different field of view. If you don’t want to be tethered to a tripod then the 85mm lens may be the easiest to use. I wouldn’t at all recommend using the 100mm lens without a tripod because of the lack of image stabilization and the fact that turning the manual focus ring tends to move the lens around with more of an effect on the scene due to the long focal length. The longer you go, the more the effect will be emphasized.

 

lens nature still life zeiss
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.