Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II Review: Smaller, Sharper, Speedier

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Thanks to Westcott, PetaPixel's preferred lighting partner!

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The Sony 85mm f/1.5 GM was one of the first G-Master lenses ever released by Sony, and it was definitely starting to show its age. Now, we have a version II, and everything has been upgraded except the size and weight! To find out if this new lens was worth the premium price, Chris Niccolls took it to the Calgary Folk Music Festival to see how it performs.

0:00 - Intro
1:39 - Sample Images
2:29 - Build quality and controls
3:14 - Bokeh
4:08 - Autofocus
4:29 - Flare
5:38 - Close-up performance
6:01 - Breathing
6:36 - Sharpness
7:57 - Should you buy it?

[TheMrKonov]

This time Jordan head shot was floating head on an another level 😂

[TheBlakeEverhart]

Yes yes, 85mm 1.4, , , got it. Can we talk about how awesome this GH7 footage looks 👀 ??

[TedNghiem]

Chris needs a roadie to keep a fishing rod on them at all times.

[PhotoTrekr]

If I was a studio shooter, this lens would definitely go on my camera.

[TrevorSuarez]

Oh hey! That's @WildRiversMusic at 10:07! Great shot!

[costafilh]

Just like the 50mm, 1.2 to 1.4 won't be a problem for most people. The weight and handling will.

[walwhite]

Shoutout to Chris Nicholls for wearing a T-shirt featuring his own face. Nice work fellas, a great review as always

[everydayisextra]

I bought the Sigma 85mm 1.4 on the last day of 2022 and couldn’t be happier with the shots coming out of both my A7M4 and A7R5. Hard to believe that this new Sony version might even add some more horsepower to the game, but I have no regrets as is. Thanks for the type of review which thoroughly hits home in terms of my kind of capturing preferences!

[jriceblue]

You really did get quite a few nice shots on this one!

[ProbeRoket]

Dope pic of black thought. Greatest emcee of all time!!!

[sgpork]

The only problem about the old one is the af is very bad. . Glad Sony finally update it. It has been almost 8 years. Lol.

[WayneLLC]

Been holding out for 1.2 for the longest time....(and having waited so long), I really cant say that I am the most excited about this. Now, I understand this is my own expectations to bear but with Sony, I know they absolutely can do a 1.2 and I want to keep hoping they eventually do. Happy for the rest who are upgrading from their v1, I just be waiting a bit longer for miracles.

[iggy]

Okay, that shot of Jordan in the mirror is pretty great. Cute photo of a cute lad.

[patrickchase]

I’m a loyal Sony user, but I think that ultra-fast mid-teles are where they really pay for the E-mount’s smaller diameter. If you look at the exit pupil diameters of the Canon and Nikon 85/1.2s, they’re both larger than anything Sony has managed to cram into FE (including the 50/1.2). With that said it’s not a deal-breaker for me and Sony has plenty of other advantages.

[nathanaeldavenport]

Even as a satisfied, loyal Nikon shooter… Sony’s innovation is not easy to ignore.

[DavidHolliday]

Hey Chris, usually, in your videos, I'm expecting you to drop the camera because you tend not to use any straps.
Today, however, you're toting a cool wrist strap.
Might I ask what it is?

[gcvrsa]

There is really nothing like a fast moderate telephoto in the 85-105 mm range for portraiture. There's a reason that for so many years, photographers have used three fast prime lenses: a wide angle (24-35 mm), a normal perspective (40-60 mm), and a telephoto (85-105 mm). At least f/2.0, but the faster the better, for shooting natural light.

[AudiomoeTV]

Beautiful lens… I own the 1.4 and I’m sticking with it but would’ve loved a 1.2

[shawn]

@ 9:54 is that Black Thought from the Roots?
Nice pic, nice lens

[RG-rmjt]

Good review guys. Sticking with my sigma, but good to know this is a small upgrade.