I’ve discovered your UA-cam channel today, because yesterday I tried astrophotography last night for the first time. I’ve learned so much from you in just a day. Keep up the amazing work
Thanks so much Lucas. Great to have you here and great to hear your learning a lot. 👍 Astrophotography is pretty addictive...so be prepared for lots of sleepless nights...😁 We're actually heading out tonight...can't wait!! And like Aarij said, if you have any questions, just ask and I'll try and help out the best I can. 😁👍
That was a great comparison, Mike. Glad to see you finally got your hands on the Sony 24mm GM lens to try out. I have really enjoyed it when shooting at night. My go to lens for the 24mm focal length when shooting in the day time, like when I travel (oh, to travel again) and am doing landscapes is still the Sony 24-105 G lens. It is a great all around lens because I have the flexibility to zoom, even though it is only F4. I am rarely looking for that shallow depth of field on a landscape and shooting at F 1.4 in the daytime requires an ND filter a lot of the time. Take care, brother.
It's a great little lens. 👍 Good to hear about your go to lenses...its always good to have both zooms and primes so you have the best of both worlds. 👍
Another great video Mike --I have a different problem I'm not getting the use of 16-35gm, I cant get to locations for night photography .. Thinking of getting the 24gm ???? mostly do landscape and close up's of flowers , a bit of street... Your opinion please , seriously looking at 24mm gm
The 24mm GM is a fantastic little lens. The best way to see if you need it is to have. a look at the photos you have taken with the 16-35mm and see if a lot of your shots are at that focal length. You'll find the 24mm quite limiting if you are used to the 16-35mm. 👍
Thank you for this review and images! I'm actually deciding between the two...but this helps a ton! I was initially leaning towards Batis but after your review it seems like image quality for both are the same. If anything, Sony's 24mm and lower f-stop makes it feel more versatile for everyday. Tough choice indeed!
Most definitely! If I didn't have the batis, I'd probably save a bit more and get the Sony. For everyday shooting, I love the look of the 24mm 1.4...always good to have a lens that is great for everyday shooting as well as astro! 😁👍
Mike Smith thank you! The other factor making it hard is that I can now get a lightly used Batis 18mm for $800...now both focal length AND f-stop seems less versatile but it’s hard to say no at that price. 😅
Hey Mike, Love your tutorials on astrophotography! Had a great time shooting the comet NEOWISE and am wondering what you have to say about shooting video of meteor showers.
Thanks so much John, I'm glad you like them! Unfortunately I was moving house...and moving countries, so Neowise really came at the wrong time for me...maybe I'll get next time around...in 6800 years! 😆🤦🏻♂️ Did you get any good shots of it? As for shooting videos of meteor showers...I'd do a timelapse with as shorter intervals between the shots as possible. The meteors are so dim and are so few and far between that I think a timelapse would give you a better final result... I hope that helps. 👍
Really good comparison, thoughtful and concise. Especially good at simplifying some of the more technical pieces. I actually sold a Batis 18 and 25 to get the 24 GM. In an ideal world I’d have kept the 18, but felt the vignetting of the Batis lenses made it really difficult for panoramic images. The coma is definitely there in the GM, but I felt it was a worthy trade off considering the muddiness of the Batis corners, and the purple fringing can be corrected easily in post. That said, now that I have a tracker, every lens should start to look much better.
Great to hear your thoughts Matthew. That's a very good point with the vignetting and building panos...definitely worth considering that with the batis lenses. A tracker definitely helps when it comes to making the final images better...just takes a bit more work when editing...but work that is well worth it as you already know. 😁👍 It would be interesting to see what the 20mm sony is like as well...I might have to get my hands on that and test it out. Thanks for watching. 👍
Hello Mike! Nice comparison as always :) I know this is a "apples and oranges question" but if you have the money, which one would you buy: Sony 24mm 1.4 or Tamron 17-28? Cheers my friend!
Thanks Ale! Thats an interesting question. They're very different lenses. I'd say if you're doing lots of different types of photography, get the tamron 17-28mm. If you're really getting into astro, get the 24mm... But then saying that, if you get a tracker, then fast apertures won't be as important. Sorry for the wishy-washy reply but it's a hard one to answer, not knowing what you shoot mostly. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography I guess I need more money for both of them hahaha. I'll probably go for 24mm to fill the spot left by my old sigma 16mm1.4 (sold it with my a6300). I love 24mm for gimbal work. Thanks for the input, Mike! Cheers!!!
Downloaded the RAWs. I'd say coma and astigmatism are definitely not a problem on either of those lenses. Where the Batis shines is on the control of longitudinal chromatic aberrations, there is definitely more purple haze in the Sony image which can be a bit of a pain to remove, especially if one is using a modified camera since it's almost the same color as nebulae. On the other end, the Sony definitely wins in vignetting, even corrected the Batis still has it, which makes it less suitable for panoramas or stacking. I'd probably get the Sony since it can go 1 stop faster, that's a huge difference for stuff like meteors or timelapse where one can't stack many photos. That said, I'd love to see those lense mounted on a Canon or Nikon body, just to see how the Sony noise reduction is changing the look of the stars... I keep seeing some weird colors in the stars which I think souldn't be there :D
Thanks for your thoughts on these images. The coma is sooo small in the sony, but it is still there which was quite surprising. You're right about the vignetting, I might do another test to see which one would be better for panos. Like you say, I think the sony would win that battle. Thanks for watching. 😁👍
Great comparison, thank you. Even if the weather is quite hot actually, do you plan to compare them for architecture and landscape to see how distortion and color rendition are in daylight ? Take care.
Unfortunately I have had to return the 24mm...I do want to get my hands on it again so when I do, I'll defintely do another comparison in the day with architecture and landscapes. 😁👍
I like my 24mm a lot. It’s my all around lens. I can’t say how much I liked it. I even used it exclusively with my latest video I uploaded here on UA-cam. I will stick with this lens for a very long time.
Thanks so much...yes, I definitely knew if it wasn't too damaged it was going to be a fantastic find...and it was like new. 😁👍 I'm really interested in the 20mm as well...I almost got my hands on one, but then Covid19 came along and lockdown came into force the day before I could pick it up from sony! 🤦🏻♂️ Thanks for watching. 😁👍
Thank you for the comparison! I just recently picked up the Batis 85mm 1.8 over the Sony solely for the color reproduction (pop) of the Batis which I thought was better than the Sony. Have you taken any daytime photos to compare overall differences between the lenses? I'm really impressed with my Batis and wonder if I would like the 25mm Batis over the Sony 24mm for the same reason. Thanks again for the review and the insights.
Thanks very much. I had to return the lens the day after this so didn't get a chance to test it fully...hopefully I'll be able to borrow it again to do a day time test. 👍 I really do like the batis lenses, they're fantastic and they have something about them that really works. 👍
With the batis, I just select manual focus in the camera menu, and then manually focus on the stars. I did a video on that a while back: ua-cam.com/video/Sw3oQK2PwWk/v-deo.html I hope that helps. 😁👍
Credible comparison, Mike. Nicely done and fairly presented.👍 The Batis LED window is unique and, I suppose, a big help in dark venues/Astro shoots. (I have a Batis 85 and am quite pleased with it.). To avoid focus by wire (aka focus “by ire”😁) have you used adapted manual lenses on your A73 - might be a good follow up vid?
Thanks Paul! It really is isn't it...although I don't really use the window that much...looks cool though! 😆 I used to have the 14mm samyang...until I dropped it...and I still have the 24mm samyang 1.4...Good, budget lenses when you get a good copy. 😁👍
That's a good question Jake. No, they are different. Chromatic aberrations are where you get a purple or red fringing on high contrast edges (for example on tree branches with a bright sky behind them) whereas Coma aberrations are where pinpoint light sources become flared, forming concentrically around the centre of the lens getting worse towards the edges. If you look at the image from the canon 50mm f1.4 at 5:32 ... notice how the stars towards the edges take on a seagull like shape and look like they're all facing the centre of the lens. I did a video on chromatic aberrations last December, check it out when you get a chance: ua-cam.com/video/OfQ_G311lM4/v-deo.html&t I hope that helps. 👍
Most definitely...but a bit more work when editing...also you will need to spend a certain amount on a decent lens to get good IQ...but a lesser need for wide aperture lenses. 👍 Thanks for watching.
Another great video 👍🏼 Slightly off topic but as you are testing the sigma 24mm . Which Sigma lens focuses faster on the Sony a7iii. The 24mm 35mm or 50mm. I believe the 50mm is the sharpest corner to corner but would like to know which is faster at hitting focus. Thanks!!
Hi Chris, I haven't had a chance to try those lenses yet...but I'll try to get my hands on them...would be a good test to do...I bet there won't be much in the speed difference, but I could be wrong. Thanks for watching. 👍
Mike Smith I’ve been looking for a comparison between the Batis 25mm f2 vs the Sigma 16mm f1.4 (APS-C). It would be interesting to see what happens there as they are equivalent on paper!
You'll lose the light at f1.4 but you'll gain a lot more, like you said, in the versatility side of things. I have the 17-28mm Tamron and it is great...but I do wish it had that little bit more range, like the 16-35mm. 👍
Mike Smith how would you compare the image quality between Tamron 17-28 and the Batis 18mm f2.8 for astrophotography, and landscapes in general? Thinking of getting either one. Either way, thanks for the awesome review!
Mike Smith good morning Mike, I had it second hand “never been used actually” for excellent deal about 2 years back. Took it then with me to Greece and got excellent results.
The newer tracking system on Sony cameras make BBF useless. Every advantage of BBF now with the benefits of now having your thumb for custom hold programmed buttons
I really like the focal length around 24mm for astrophotography. Currently I'm using the Sigma 24mm 1.4 Art with Canon EF-Mount with the Sigma MC-11 on my Sony A7RIII and I love it. I prefer the hard stops on the Sigma and image quality wise I think it is as on a similar level like the Sony or Zeiss lens. (sorry - but I really love this Sigma Lens...) Cheers, Matthias
Good to hear Matthias. The sigma lenses are really good...would love to get my hands on a few of their lenses. Haha!! I definitely got that impression from your comment...and it's great to have a lens you love. 😁👍
Great review, and the only one with astrophotography as the subject. With the Sony GM still commanding high prices used I think I will try to get a good used Zeiss. This is a subject matter that I want to do more in.
@@mikesphotography it's funny I think I like buying lenses more than I like taking pictures. So far this year I have acquired three lenses and haven't had a chance to use them yet 🤑. If a Batis comes along that will make four, Yashica 24 2.8, Contax 21 Biogon 2.8 and a Canon EF 24 TS 3.5
I’ve discovered your UA-cam channel today, because yesterday I tried astrophotography last night for the first time. I’ve learned so much from you in just a day. Keep up the amazing work
hey! welcome to the hobby! i hope you have great fun :) if you have any questions just ask
@@aarijkhan8093 this channel is great mate
rivertdude yeah it’s great :)
Thanks so much Lucas. Great to have you here and great to hear your learning a lot. 👍
Astrophotography is pretty addictive...so be prepared for lots of sleepless nights...😁
We're actually heading out tonight...can't wait!!
And like Aarij said, if you have any questions, just ask and I'll try and help out the best I can. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Awesome Mike! Thank you so much! Have a great night shooting
Definitely Batis. I get one for my new a7cr.
Great video, Mike. I don't do much astro but your pictures are always wonderful. Stay safe and sane.
Thanks so much Lance!! It's always fun getting out under the stars. It's well worth a try if you ever get the chance. 😁👍
Great comparison please continue with your work. Can you compare the Sony 24 1.4 full frame against the apsc Sigma 16mm 1.4?
Thanks so much!
I'll see what I can do. 😁👍
I have the Sony 24mm 1.4 GM, I rarely use autofocus, so I will like to see an excellent manual focus 24mm 2.0 Lens from fx Voigtländer in APO design.
Very-very helpful! Thank you so much!!
No worries, I'm glad it has helped!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
That was a great comparison, Mike. Glad to see you finally got your hands on the Sony 24mm GM lens to try out. I have really enjoyed it when shooting at night. My go to lens for the 24mm focal length when shooting in the day time, like when I travel (oh, to travel again) and am doing landscapes is still the Sony 24-105 G lens. It is a great all around lens because I have the flexibility to zoom, even though it is only F4. I am rarely looking for that shallow depth of field on a landscape and shooting at F 1.4 in the daytime requires an ND filter a lot of the time. Take care, brother.
It's a great little lens. 👍
Good to hear about your go to lenses...its always good to have both zooms and primes so you have the best of both worlds. 👍
Another great video Mike --I have a different problem I'm not getting the use of 16-35gm, I cant get to locations for night photography .. Thinking of getting the 24gm ???? mostly do landscape and close up's of flowers , a bit of street... Your opinion please , seriously looking at 24mm gm
The 24mm GM is a fantastic little lens. The best way to see if you need it is to have. a look at the photos you have taken with the 16-35mm and see if a lot of your shots are at that focal length.
You'll find the 24mm quite limiting if you are used to the 16-35mm. 👍
Sweet....always wanted to see a comparison for that.
Cheers dude! They're both fantastic lenses...I really do want to take them both with me!! 😆👍
Thank you for this review and images! I'm actually deciding between the two...but this helps a ton! I was initially leaning towards Batis but after your review it seems like image quality for both are the same.
If anything, Sony's 24mm and lower f-stop makes it feel more versatile for everyday. Tough choice indeed!
Most definitely! If I didn't have the batis, I'd probably save a bit more and get the Sony. For everyday shooting, I love the look of the 24mm 1.4...always good to have a lens that is great for everyday shooting as well as astro! 😁👍
Mike Smith thank you! The other factor making it hard is that I can now get a lightly used Batis 18mm for $800...now both focal length AND f-stop seems less versatile but it’s hard to say no at that price. 😅
I know what you mean, when you get a bargain it's hard to let it go! 👍
Hey Mike, Love your tutorials on astrophotography! Had a great time shooting the comet NEOWISE and am wondering what you have to say about shooting video of meteor showers.
Thanks so much John, I'm glad you like them!
Unfortunately I was moving house...and moving countries, so Neowise really came at the wrong time for me...maybe I'll get next time around...in 6800 years! 😆🤦🏻♂️ Did you get any good shots of it?
As for shooting videos of meteor showers...I'd do a timelapse with as shorter intervals between the shots as possible. The meteors are so dim and are so few and far between that I think a timelapse would give you a better final result...
I hope that helps. 👍
Really good comparison, thoughtful and concise. Especially good at simplifying some of the more technical pieces. I actually sold a Batis 18 and 25 to get the 24 GM. In an ideal world I’d have kept the 18, but felt the vignetting of the Batis lenses made it really difficult for panoramic images. The coma is definitely there in the GM, but I felt it was a worthy trade off considering the muddiness of the Batis corners, and the purple fringing can be corrected easily in post. That said, now that I have a tracker, every lens should start to look much better.
Great to hear your thoughts Matthew.
That's a very good point with the vignetting and building panos...definitely worth considering that with the batis lenses.
A tracker definitely helps when it comes to making the final images better...just takes a bit more work when editing...but work that is well worth it as you already know. 😁👍
It would be interesting to see what the 20mm sony is like as well...I might have to get my hands on that and test it out.
Thanks for watching. 👍
Great Video Mike,,, Which area in UAE were these photos taken?
Thanks so much Ashraf. I took these down in Razeen just before lockdown came into force. 😁👍
Hello Mike! Nice comparison as always :) I know this is a "apples and oranges question" but if you have the money, which one would you buy: Sony 24mm 1.4 or Tamron 17-28? Cheers my friend!
Thanks Ale!
Thats an interesting question.
They're very different lenses. I'd say if you're doing lots of different types of photography, get the tamron 17-28mm.
If you're really getting into astro, get the 24mm... But then saying that, if you get a tracker, then fast apertures won't be as important.
Sorry for the wishy-washy reply but it's a hard one to answer, not knowing what you shoot mostly.
😁👍
@@mikesphotography I guess I need more money for both of them hahaha. I'll probably go for 24mm to fill the spot left by my old sigma 16mm1.4 (sold it with my a6300). I love 24mm for gimbal work. Thanks for the input, Mike! Cheers!!!
Downloaded the RAWs.
I'd say coma and astigmatism are definitely not a problem on either of those lenses.
Where the Batis shines is on the control of longitudinal chromatic aberrations, there is definitely more purple haze in the Sony image which can be a bit of a pain to remove, especially if one is using a modified camera since it's almost the same color as nebulae.
On the other end, the Sony definitely wins in vignetting, even corrected the Batis still has it, which makes it less suitable for panoramas or stacking.
I'd probably get the Sony since it can go 1 stop faster, that's a huge difference for stuff like meteors or timelapse where one can't stack many photos.
That said, I'd love to see those lense mounted on a Canon or Nikon body, just to see how the Sony noise reduction is changing the look of the stars... I keep seeing some weird colors in the stars which I think souldn't be there :D
Thanks for your thoughts on these images. The coma is sooo small in the sony, but it is still there which was quite surprising. You're right about the vignetting, I might do another test to see which one would be better for panos. Like you say, I think the sony would win that battle.
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
Great comparison, thank you. Even if the weather is quite hot actually, do you plan to compare them for architecture and landscape to see how distortion and color rendition are in daylight ? Take care.
Unfortunately I have had to return the 24mm...I do want to get my hands on it again so when I do, I'll defintely do another comparison in the day with architecture and landscapes. 😁👍
I like my 24mm a lot. It’s my all around lens. I can’t say how much I liked it. I even used it exclusively with my latest video I uploaded here on UA-cam. I will stick with this lens for a very long time.
Cool. It's a very nice focal length isn't it!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
I’m looking at the new Sony 20mm f/1.8 because I want something a little bit wider than 24mm. Sounds like you did well with your Batis, Mike.
Thanks so much...yes, I definitely knew if it wasn't too damaged it was going to be a fantastic find...and it was like new. 😁👍
I'm really interested in the 20mm as well...I almost got my hands on one, but then Covid19 came along and lockdown came into force the day before I could pick it up from sony! 🤦🏻♂️
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
Thank you for the comparison! I just recently picked up the Batis 85mm 1.8 over the Sony solely for the color reproduction (pop) of the Batis which I thought was better than the Sony. Have you taken any daytime photos to compare overall differences between the lenses? I'm really impressed with my Batis and wonder if I would like the 25mm Batis over the Sony 24mm for the same reason. Thanks again for the review and the insights.
Thanks very much.
I had to return the lens the day after this so didn't get a chance to test it fully...hopefully I'll be able to borrow it again to do a day time test. 👍
I really do like the batis lenses, they're fantastic and they have something about them that really works. 👍
Thanks for the great review! Since their is no external focus switch on the Batis, how do you achieve night photography focus in manual?
With the batis, I just select manual focus in the camera menu, and then manually focus on the stars. I did a video on that a while back: ua-cam.com/video/Sw3oQK2PwWk/v-deo.html
I hope that helps. 😁👍
Credible comparison, Mike. Nicely done and fairly presented.👍 The Batis LED window is unique and, I suppose, a big help in dark venues/Astro shoots. (I have a Batis 85 and am quite pleased with it.). To avoid focus by wire (aka focus “by ire”😁) have you used adapted manual lenses on your A73 - might be a good follow up vid?
Thanks Paul! It really is isn't it...although I don't really use the window that much...looks cool though! 😆
I used to have the 14mm samyang...until I dropped it...and I still have the 24mm samyang 1.4...Good, budget lenses when you get a good copy. 😁👍
Is coma abberation the same as chromatic aberration?
That's a good question Jake.
No, they are different. Chromatic aberrations are where you get a purple or red fringing on high contrast edges (for example on tree branches with a bright sky behind them) whereas Coma aberrations are where pinpoint light sources become flared, forming concentrically around the centre of the lens getting worse towards the edges. If you look at the image from the canon 50mm f1.4 at 5:32 ... notice how the stars towards the edges take on a seagull like shape and look like they're all facing the centre of the lens.
I did a video on chromatic aberrations last December, check it out when you get a chance: ua-cam.com/video/OfQ_G311lM4/v-deo.html&t
I hope that helps. 👍
Using a Tracker eliminates the need for expensive lenses. Do you agree?
Most definitely...but a bit more work when editing...also you will need to spend a certain amount on a decent lens to get good IQ...but a lesser need for wide aperture lenses. 👍
Thanks for watching.
Спасибо, буду брать Батис
Спасибо за просмотр
@@mikesphotography Good and health to you in the New Year!
Another great video 👍🏼
Slightly off topic but as you are testing the sigma 24mm . Which Sigma lens focuses faster on the Sony a7iii. The 24mm 35mm or 50mm.
I believe the 50mm is the sharpest corner to corner but would like to know which is faster at hitting focus.
Thanks!!
Hi Chris, I haven't had a chance to try those lenses yet...but I'll try to get my hands on them...would be a good test to do...I bet there won't be much in the speed difference, but I could be wrong.
Thanks for watching. 👍
Just what I needed. Thanks!
Great to hear Ivan. 😁👍
Mike Smith I’ve been looking for a comparison between the Batis 25mm f2 vs the Sigma 16mm f1.4 (APS-C). It would be interesting to see what happens there as they are equivalent on paper!
I have the Sony 24mm but thinking of changing to the Sony 16-35 f/2.8 just for the versatility.
You'll lose the light at f1.4 but you'll gain a lot more, like you said, in the versatility side of things.
I have the 17-28mm Tamron and it is great...but I do wish it had that little bit more range, like the 16-35mm. 👍
Mike Smith how would you compare the image quality between Tamron 17-28 and the Batis 18mm f2.8 for astrophotography, and landscapes in general? Thinking of getting either one. Either way, thanks for the awesome review!
Great video my friend and i would only go for Batis
Hey Sherif, thanks so much, I hope you are keeping well!
The batis is such a good lens and I am definitely happy with mine. 😁👍
Mike Smith good morning Mike, I had it second hand “never been used actually” for excellent deal about 2 years back. Took it then with me to Greece and got excellent results.
Which do you believe is sharpest? @bobbyfingers
Good question Roberto, they are soooo close it is really hard to tell...but I'd say the Batis. 👍
Phew! I've just traded in my Batis for the Sony :)
Nice!! How are you getting on with the sony?
The newer tracking system on Sony cameras make BBF useless. Every advantage of BBF now with the benefits of now having your thumb for custom hold programmed buttons
You thought you got yours cheap at $600 second hand? I got mine new for $800.
Now that's a bargain!! 👌
Where did you get it from?!?
@@mikesphotography b&h. It was a deal right before the Christmas.
Got mine used for $430
Do not see downloads below...
They should be there now.
Thanks for watching. 👍
Thanks Mike. I've been a photographer for 35 years and have learned a lot from your videos. Best to you, Joel
I really like the focal length around 24mm for astrophotography. Currently I'm using the Sigma 24mm 1.4 Art with Canon EF-Mount with the Sigma MC-11 on my Sony A7RIII and I love it. I prefer the hard stops on the Sigma and image quality wise I think it is as on a similar level like the Sony or Zeiss lens. (sorry - but I really love this Sigma Lens...) Cheers, Matthias
Good to hear Matthias. The sigma lenses are really good...would love to get my hands on a few of their lenses.
Haha!! I definitely got that impression from your comment...and it's great to have a lens you love. 😁👍
beautiful video just like rest :D
Thanks so much!! 😁👍
Great review, and the only one with astrophotography as the subject. With the Sony GM still commanding high prices used I think I will try to get a good used Zeiss. This is a subject matter that I want to do more in.
Thanks very much!! ... and you're right the, sony will keep it's high price so the batis would be a more budget friendly option. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography it's funny I think I like buying lenses more than I like taking pictures. So far this year I have acquired three lenses and haven't had a chance to use them yet 🤑. If a Batis comes along that will make four, Yashica 24 2.8, Contax 21 Biogon 2.8 and a Canon EF 24 TS 3.5