Sony FE 85mm F 1 2 GM Review | 54 Data compared

The Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is a highly anticipated portrait lens update that focuses on reducing size while maximizing performance. It is 20% lighter (642g) and 13% smaller than its predecessor, matching the design aesthetic of Sony's recent F1.4 G Master lineup and featuring a retail price of $1799 USD. Built for hybrid shooters, it adds a physical aperture ring with a declick switch, a new Iris Lock switch, two programmable Focus Hold buttons, and thorough weather sealing. The optical design consists of 14 elements in 11 groups, including two extreme aspherical (XA) elements. Its standout upgrade is an advanced autofocus system powered by dual XD Linear motors, which delivers three times faster focus speeds and seven times better tracking. This rapid performance allows the large-aperture prime to support the 120FPS burst rates of the Sony a9III, making it highly effective for fast-moving targets like wildlife or action. Focus breathing is also well-controlled for seamless video transitions. Optically, the lens delivers exceptional technical performance, providing flawless sharpness and high contrast from F1.4 across the entire frame, even when...

The Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II is a highly impressive, near-perfect update to its predecessor, successfully addressing the flaws of the original lens while shedding significant weight to weigh just 22.6 ounces (642 grams). Built with robust weather-sealing, a customizable button layout, and a physical aperture ring that can be de-clicked for video, it delivers outstanding real-world handling. Optically, the lens stands out as one of the sharpest ever tested, maintaining incredible corner-to-corner contrast and resolution even wide open at f/1.4 on demanding 60-megapixel sensors. Furthermore, its upgraded linear autofocus motors ensure exceptionally fast and accurate subject tracking, making it an ideal tool for demanding environments like weddings, street photography, and live concerts. The lens's performance is further elevated by major optical corrections, including beautifully clean, round bokeh that is entirely free of the "soap bubbles" or "onion rings" that plagued the older version. Longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA) is virtually non-existent, and Sony's reliable lens coatings successfully eliminate ghosting and loss of contrast in heavily backlit scenes. On the downside, the lens still exhibits a small amount of lens breathing...

The core advantages of this lens include its exquisite sharpness across the flat field of focus, rapid linear autofocus, robust dust and splash protection, and extensive physical on-lens controls. However, its primary drawback is its premium price tag of $1,799.99, making it a costly investment compared to third-party alternatives like the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art, which offers comparable image quality for $1,199.99. Additionally, it exhibits slight pincushion distortion and minor vignetting at wider f-stops when shooting uncorrected RAW files, and it can produce green flare blobs when shooting directly into tight angles of harsh light at narrow apertures. Ultimately, while expensive, its top-tier tracking accuracy and seamless integration with high-speed Sony bodies earn it an Editors' Choice award for demanding professionals.

However, the lens does have a few minor drawbacks. Visually, it suffers from noticeable cats-eye bokeh near the frame edges at wide apertures and exhibits visible focus breathing, though the latter can be mitigated via in-camera digital compensation on modern Sony bodies. Some photographers may also feel slightly disappointed that Sony stuck with an f/1.4 aperture instead of pushing to an f/1.2 lens. Finally, while it is lighter than its predecessor, it remains a physically large piece of glass that carries a premium price tag of $1,798 / £1,850, making third-party options like the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art a much more budget-friendly alternative at roughly half the cost.

Brian Smith’s field test of the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II highlights it as a significant, lightweight upgrade featuring two XD linear AF motors that deliver instantaneous, silent tracking, even at 120 FPS on the A9 III. This second-generation portrait lens provides exceptional, sharp optics from wide-open f/1.4 to the corners. While offering a smaller, lighter form factor suitable for travel, the main drawbacks are its premium $1,799 price point and the high-end, specialized nature of the lens.

The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens delivers outstanding real-world performance, successfully modernising a core focal length that had been limited by aging first-generation mirrorless technology. Built with Sony's latest XD linear motors, the lens achieves autofocus tracking speeds up to three times faster than its predecessor, maintaining tack-sharp accuracy even when paired with the high-speed 120 frames per second burst capabilities of the Sony a9 III. Optically, it stands out as one of the sharpest lenses available, maintaining excellent edge-to-edge clarity at f/1.4 that sharpens even further when stopped down to f/4. Despite this optical perfection, it retains a distinct visual character by rendering desirable rainbow-style flares at specific angles, which can be mitigated using the included lens hood. The review highlights several prominent pros alongside a minor structural complaint. Key advantages include its incredibly fast, accurate autofocus tracking—tested successfully on running children—and a robust, dust- and moisture-resistant build that features a linear-response manual focus, an aperture ring with locking and declicking controls, and customizable buttons. It is also praised for being smaller and lighter than the version...

The LensTip review concludes that the Sony FE 85 mm f/1.4 GM II is a phenomenal update to its predecessor, boasting exceptional sharpness that makes it the second sharpest lens ever tested on its full-frame sensor. Key pros highlighted by reviewers include its robust, weather-sealed build quality, which is impressively lighter and more compact despite featuring a more complex optical formula. Performance-wise, the lens delivers brilliant resolution in the frame center right from f/1.4, flawless correction of longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberrations, virtually zero distortion, and highly pleasing bokeh. Its new autofocus system, driven by two linear XD motors, ensures nearly silent, pinpoint accuracy that tracks up to three times faster than the previous version. However, the lens is not completely devoid of compromises, and LensTip notes a few distinct cons in its lab evaluation. The optical design struggles somewhat with full-frame vignetting, which remains surprisingly persistent and clears up slowly even when stopping down the aperture. Additionally, while the overall frame center is flawlessly corrected, the lens exhibits moderate coma performance near the extreme corners of a full-frame sensor....

The ePHOTOzine review of the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens highlights it as a lighter (642g), faster, and more refined prime lens featuring outstanding central and edge sharpness. Key pros include near-zero distortion, low focus breathing, and fast, silent autofocus driven by dual XD Linear motors. Additionally, the lens boasts robust weather sealing, an anti-grease fluorine coating, and an 11-blade diaphragm for smooth bokeh. Conversely, the review notes a lack of built-in optical image stabilization, making it dependent on in-camera IBIS. While vignetting is minimal, it is noticeable at f/1.4, and the 0.8m minimum focus distance limits close-up shots. The lens also carries a high price tag typical of its premium G Master status.

Performance and Design Upgrades The Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is a highly premium, short-telephoto prime lens that offers exceptional image quality and significant design improvements over its 2016 predecessor. Priced at $1799 / £1850, it targets professional portrait, wedding, and event photographers. Sony successfully reduced the physical footprint of this second-generation optic, making it 13% smaller and 20% lighter (weighing 642g) to ensure better balance on full-frame mirrorless bodies like the 60MP Sony Alpha A7R V. Internally, it features a re-engineered optical formula consisting of 14 elements in 11 groups—including two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) and two Extreme Aspherical (XA) elements—alongside an 11-blade circular diaphragm designed to maximize sharpness and eliminate "onion ring" bokeh. Autofocus capability receives a massive boost via two XD linear motors, delivering 3x faster tracking and nearly silent operation suitable for both high-speed stills and video production. Pros, Cons, and Final Verdict

The Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is a top-tier portrait prime lens offering significant improvements over its predecessor, featuring dual XD Linear motors that deliver up to 3x faster autofocus speed and superior subject tracking. It boasts a redesigned, 20% lighter build, exceptional image quality, and advanced controls including a de-clickable aperture ring with an iris lock. Despite the praise, it lacks optical image stabilization and carries a premium price tag. While it provides stunning, sharp images with beautiful bokeh, users may encounter minor vignetting at wide-open apertures and slight autofocus hesitation in extreme backlight situations.