The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II is the latest iteration of Sony’s premium portrait lens, building upon the success of its predecessor. This lens is designed for professional photographers and serious enthusiasts who demand the highest image quality for portrait, wedding, and event photography. In this review, we’ll explore its features, performance, and value to help you decide if it’s the right investment for your photography kit.
Design and Build Quality
Sony has managed to create a more compact and lightweight lens without compromising on build quality. At 642g, it’s 20% lighter than its predecessor, making it more comfortable for extended shooting sessions. The lens features a dust and moisture-resistant design, ensuring reliability in challenging outdoor conditions.
The exterior is sleek and professional, with a focus ring that’s smooth and well-damped. The addition of a de-clickable aperture ring is a welcome feature for videographers. Two customisable focus hold buttons offer flexibility in handling, while the AF/MF switch is easily accessible.
Optical Performance
The FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II truly shines in its optical performance. Sony has incorporated two XA (extreme aspherical) elements and two ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements, resulting in exceptional sharpness from edge to edge, even at wide apertures.
The lens delivers stunningly beautiful bokeh, thanks to its 11-blade circular aperture. The out-of-focus areas are smooth and creamy, perfect for isolating subjects in portraits. Chromatic aberration is well-controlled, and the lens exhibits minimal distortion.
Autofocus Performance
One of the most significant improvements in this lens is its autofocus system. The dual XD (extreme dynamic) linear motors provide lightning-fast and near-silent autofocus. This improvement is particularly noticeable when tracking moving subjects, making it an excellent choice for wedding and event photographers who need to capture fleeting moments.
The lens also features improved close-focus capabilities, with a minimum focus distance of 0.85m in AF mode and 0.80m in MF mode.
Video Performance
Videographers will appreciate the minimal focus breathing and the option to de-click the aperture ring for smooth exposure transitions. The lens is also compatible with Sony’s breathing compensation feature, ensuring consistent framing during focus pulls.
Image Quality
The FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II produces images with exceptional clarity, contrast, and colour rendition. The lens shines in low-light conditions, maintaining impressive sharpness even when shot wide open at f/1.4. The balance between sharpness and smooth bokeh transitions is particularly noteworthy, resulting in images that are both crisp and aesthetically pleasing.
Comparison to Competitors
When compared to other 85mm f/1.4 lenses in the market, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II stands out for its combination of optical excellence, fast autofocus, and compact design. While it may be pricier than some third-party options, the overall performance and compatibility with Sony’s latest features justify the investment for many photographers.
Value for Money
The FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II is positioned as a premium lens, and its price reflects this. However, for professionals and serious enthusiasts who require the best possible image quality and performance, this lens offers excellent value. Its versatility across various photography genres and its ability to produce stunning results consistently make it a worthwhile investment.
The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II is a remarkable achievement in lens design. It offers exceptional image quality, fast and accurate autofocus, and a more portable form factor compared to its predecessor. While it comes with a premium price tag, the performance it delivers makes it an excellent choice for photographers who demand the very best from their equipment.
Whether you’re a portrait specialist, a wedding photographer, or a videographer looking for that perfect 85mm lens, the FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II should be at the top of your consideration list. It’s a lens that not only meets the high expectations set by its G Master lineage but exceeds them in many ways, setting a new standard for what a professional 85mm lens can achieve.
Buy The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens
Experience the pinnacle of portrait photography – order your Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens from Campkins Cameras today!
