Finding that look - sometimes it’s in an unexpected place

My go-to camera and lens for portraits is the Sony A7RIV, which delivers a staggering 61 megapixels, and the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master, an exceptional portrait lens. The A7RIV’s files are huge and give me a chance to retouch the minute details on portrait subjects. The 85mm is an ideal portrait lens, producing sharp, flattering images and creamy bokeh. It’s a combination that I feel confident with in any head-and-shoulders portrait situation.

However, during a series of recent photo sessions, I reached for a lens that I haven’t used in a few years, the Nocturnes 50mm, f/0.95, a heavy, metal lens that was sold a few years ago by the German company Meyer Optik but later revealed to be a rebranded Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster . (Disclosure: I did some marketing work for Meyer Optik at the time and received several of their lenses as part of my contract. )

Anyways, regardless whether it is a $3,000 German-engineered lens or a rebranded $850 Chinese lens, its aperture opens up much wider than most lenses, which means you can use it in dimly lit situations.. I’ve never really considered it for commissioned portraits because it’s not nearly as sharp across the image as the top-of-its-class Sony 85mm. The quality of the glass and build is superior in the Sony. Another reason is that the Nocturnes doesn’t have built-in lens stabilization, which means even a little unsteadiness will cause a blur.

Yet, I was pleasantly surprised with the results I got from the Nocturnes / Speedmaster. Straight out of the camera, the images were extremely bright and much more contrasty and vibant than the Sony 85mm. They weren’t better, per se, but definitely a different, distinct look. In fact, some of my favorite images from these sessions were taken with the Nocturnes., including the images in this post.

All images © Joe Newman