Product Reviews

Fantastic ability to focus crisply on the subject and leave the background a pleasant blur.

I have come to use the 100mm STF as the only long lens I carry alongside a wide angle when travelling. It works as a regular long lens but offers better creative possibilities. I was previously using the 90mm but it doesn't provide as nice bokeh as this one. The T5.6 aperture turned out not to be a limitation at all. There's been a dearth of in-depth reviews on this lens but it's not as specialist as you first think. Compared to the previous STF Sony lens or other similar lenses, the apodization effect is stronger and in use you realize that it is the right choice. I am still as keen on it now as I was before I bought it.

I like the 100mm/105mm focal length, personally I prefer it to 85mm. This lens is wonderful in every respect except the f/5.6 widest aperture can be limiting. If using natural light and it’s cloudy you have to plan ahead a bit and if it’s plain dull you have to decide whether to use the lens with higher ISO or take something faster. Apart from this the lens is a real pleasure to use. It’s a pretty expensive lens but with patience it’s possible to get it at a good deal.

Bokeh... Difficult one. If you want a lens to remove a background, look elsewhere. I was after a lens to do a better job where I can't remove the background, for example in group photos. Instead, the background is still present but is rendered in a more pleasing way. More I use this lens the more I like it!