Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 (Sony E/FE) lens

Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens (Sony FE compatible)

The Zeiss Batis 18mm is an autofocus wide-angle lens for Sony system cameras. The lens is packed with new technology, starting with fast autofocus and the lens body has an information display implemented with OLED technology. Batis is compatible with full-frame bodies such as the Sony a7 but also fits APS-C body bodies such as the Sony a6500, in which case the equivalent focal length of the lens is approximately 28mm.

The display on Zeiss Batis lenses not only shows the focus distance, but also where the depth of field begins and ends. The lens calculates the sharpness information based on the aperture and focus distance in use. A good use case is in landscape photography, where you can already judge based on the numbers whether a foreground object is sharp or whether the depth of field should possibly be expanded by reducing the aperture or whether the focus distance can be changed so that the depth of field moves to cover all objects.

Structure

The Zeiss 18mm lens has an optical construction of 11 lens elements in 10 groups. The design is based on the Distagon structure but uses a large number of modern special glasses. The floating-wheel structure enables sharp image quality across the entire image area at all focusing distances. The lens uses the Zeiss T* lens coating, which effectively reduces reflections.

In addition to fast and accurate autofocus, fine-tuning of focus is possible manually. The focus ring is implemented electronically, but the manual focus feel is very good. The focus ring is wide and coated with a grippy rubber compound, the ring's damping and feel are reminiscent of Zeiss manual focus lenses.

The entire Batis series is designed to be weatherproof and withstand even the harshest weather conditions. They support all the features and functions of current Sony E-series cameras. A lens hood is included with the lens.

Specifications:

• Mount: Sony FE
• Focal length: 18mm (equivalent to approximately 28mm on a6xxx series bodies)
• Aperture: F/2.8 (min. f/22)
• Construction: 11 elements in 10 groups, 10 diaphragm blades
• Closest focusing distance: 25cm
• Viewing angle: diagonal 99°
• Magnification ratio: 1:9.5
• Filter thread: 77 mm
• Size: 100mm x 80mm
• Weight: 330g