Claire Prouvost is a French graphic designer and illustrator living and working in Dublin.
She loves to paint women in a cubist inspired style, using gouaches for their vibrant colours. Her colourful work plays with shapes, contrast, and composition to show the simple beauty of things in our daily lives.
Today I used my Sony 85mm GM lens with the Sony FX30 so it was effectively a 127mm lens. This is supposed to be one of the best lens that I own and it has been described as the ultimate portrait prime. The perfect 85mm F1.4 portrait lens with outstanding sharpness dissolving to magnificent bokeh.
I obtained a copy on the day that it became available here in Ireland in advance of any genuine reviews. I immediately discovered that it made a horrible grating noise while focusing.
According to some reviews that I came across months later “The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM lens has a focusing system that makes some noise. It sounds a little like metal scraping or a linear piezo motor even though it’s an SSM motor. It’s much quieter in video AF mode. Nearly silent.”.
I brought my copy back to the dealer and the told me that it would take a month or two to get a replacement so I decided to keep my copy on condition that I could replace it at some later date.
Here are some of the reviews of the Sony 85mm GM lens:
“The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is a superb lens that delivers outstanding image quality. It is sharp, contrasty, and has beautiful bokeh. The autofocus is fast and accurate, and the lens is weather-sealed. It is an excellent choice for portrait photographers.” – DPreview
“The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is a top-of-the-line portrait lens that offers excellent image quality and performance. It is sharp, has beautiful bokeh, and is weather-sealed. It is a bit on the expensive side, but it is worth the investment for serious portrait photographers.” – The Phoblographer
“The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is a fantastic lens that delivers excellent image quality in a variety of situations. It is sharp, has beautiful bokeh, and is weather-sealed. It is a bit on the large and heavy side, but it is still a great choice for portrait photographers.” – Cameralabs
Overall, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is a highly rated lens that is well-suited for portrait photography. It is sharp, has beautiful bokeh, and is weather-sealed. However, it is also a bit on the expensive side.
PAINT-A-BOX STREET ART ON TARA STREET – MR SCREEN IS NO LONGER THERE
You may not have noticed but many of the painted utility cabinets that I have photographed reference popular Dublin characters and in this instance it is the popular Mr. Screen.
Sadly, Mr Screen on Tara Street has recently been replaced by Michael Collins, who was from Cork rather than Dublin, and that disappointed many locals.
Dublin’s best known cinema usher was located outside the Screen Cinema at Hawkins Street and after many years standing still and ignoring everyone with equal distain he suddenly disappeared. There is a rumour that he was, before Covid-19, employed in the lobby of the Savoy Cinema but according to some reports he has yet to decide if he should return to work in 2021 or seek employment elsewhere.
In case you are confused I should explain that Mr. Screen was an ugly but appealing little bronze statue by Irish artist Vincent Browne. It was very popular with Dubliners and many were really upset when it was removed from public view. Apparently a cinema group has claimed ownership which has been disputed by Dublin City Council who are in talks regarding the relocation of the sculpture.
You must be logged in to post a comment.