Sony FE 85 mm f/1.4 GM | Full-Frame, Mid-Range, Prime Lens (SEL85F14GM)

♦ Introduction ♦The G Master Lens series by Sony are their top of the range and some of their most expensive lenses available, so as a hobbyist I was truly stuck whether to go for the 85mm F1.4 or 24-70mm F2.8 lens as I could only afford one, though to be honest, both have received EXTREMELY positive reviews in regards to build quality and performance, so there really isn't a bad choice but more down to which one you would use more. It was such a tough choice, however in the end I decided to go for the 85mm and so far I have been very happy with it.♦ Box Contents ♦∙ SEL85F14GM Lens.∙ Lens Hood.∙ Lens Case.∙ Instruction Manual & Documents etc...The lens hood has a nice rubber like texture on the front which is great for gripping, in addition there is a quick release button as it locks onto the lens which is actually a very nice feature to have.The included lens case is not your typical thin and soft leather pouch that typically comes with other Sony premium lenses (like the SEL90M28G lens), in fact, it's a very nice textile soft case with decent padding and shoulder strap! Very pleased indeed!♦ Lens Specifications ♦∙ Focal Length (Full Frame): 85mm.∙ Focal Length (APS-C): 127.5mm.∙ Aperture range: F/1.4 - F/16.∙ Aperture blades: 11.∙ Filter diameter: 77mm.∙ Weight: 820g.∙ Minimum focus distance: 85cm.♦ Build Quality & In-Use ♦If it's one thing you can instantly tell when holding this lens is that it is made with quality in mind, it feels incredibly robust and when mounted feels stable when held. Whilst this lens is heavier than my 556g A7M2 body, I didn't have an issue regarding fatigue in my arms when using it for longer periods of time.You will find a couple of of buttons and switches located around the lens:- Focus Hold Button (Left side): Does exactly what it states; once you've focused on something (AF), hold this button down and it will lock focus so you don't have to half press the shutter to focus again. A very handy feature when operating through auto-focus.- AF/MF Switch (Left Side): Choose between auto-focus and manual focus. Note that when 'AF' is selected, you can override with 'MF' through the camera, however with the 'MF' selected, you cannot override over to 'AF' in camera.- Click On/Off Switch (Right Side): Having this setting 'On' will click over to the next aperture point as the aperture ring is rotated, but will have a completely smooth transition when 'Off is selected'.- Aperture Ring F-Stops: The lens is marked from F/1.4 (right side) and goes all the way up to F/16 (left side); if any of the f-stops are selected on the lens, it will prevent you from being able to change the aperture in camera, so if you want to override, you will need to rotate the aperture ring to 'A' where you will gain full aperture control through the camera.♦ Performance ♦One thing that caught me off-guard when first operating this lens was the noise it makes during auto-focusing. In comparison to other Sony e-mount lenses I own, this is by far the loudest so was very noticeable to me and of course gave me some concern. That said, after searching online to where I learnt that this was normal for this lens due to the heavy elements inside and actually shooting when there is subtle ambient noise, you will actually soon realise that the sound is not really an issue; I only notice it when I'm in a room which has no noise at all.Not to say that some may not find it annoying, however within my use, I personally now find it to be a non-issue.Manual focusing with this lens is super smooth and responsive (if your body has focus peaking then even better!); I found the operating manual focus to be a breeze and achieved some might fine results too.In use with Sony's A7M2, the auto-focus was very responsive! Though at times I had to keep reminding myself to back-off from a subject as I too close causing it's inability to focus as I wasn't used to the 85cm minimum focus distance, that's completely down to user error.As for sharpness, this lens can provide tack sharp throughout all the f-stops. Just bare in mind if you're not used to going as wide as F/1.4... The depth of field is so shallow that if you're focusing on someone's eye's, their nose will be out of focus.For bokeh lovers, this lens will not disappoint, I can guarantee you that!♦ SEL85F14GM -VS- SEL90M28G ♦Those researching Sony E-mount lenses may have come across Sony's 90mm F/2.8 Macro lens; or you may already own the 90mm macro and are wondering whether you should ditch it and go for the 85mm G Master?Both are very good lenses without a doubt, in fact, the 90mm macro is one of my favourite lenses; I still own it and have no intent of ever selling it whilst I own a Sony E-mount camera, reason? The ability to do detailed and close-up shots.The 90mm macro has a minimum focus distance of 28cm which is almost a third that of the 85mm G Master, plus it has a maximum magnification ratio of 1.0. You just simply cannot get as close to your subject with the 85mm as you can with the 90mm, plus it can still provide useful for mighty fine portrait shots. The image quality you can get from the 90mm is nothing short of fantastic too.You may be asking what is the point of having the 85mm G Master when the 90mm Macro does a fine job itself? The 85mm G Master has a more premium build & anti-reflecting coating on the lens; has a wider aperture making it more suitable for lower lighting conditions and can provide sharper images.With all that said, if you're looking to get the 85mm G Master in addition to your 90mm Macro, I would say go for it! But if you are looking at one or the other, you really can't go wrong with the 90mm Macro as it offers a bit more versatility and will save you a lot of money. That is down to my own personal opinion as I couldn't be without my 90mm Macro and couldn't part with it if it meant choosing one over the other.If you however have absolutely NO interest in macro or detailed close-up shots (FYI, are great for weddings), then the 85mm G Master is definitely worth the purchase.♦ Final Thoughts ♦Since purchasing this lens, I have been using it as much as I can and quite frankly, love it.I love the feel it gives when holding; I love the usability and I LOVE the results it can allow me to achieve.Within my use, the noise is the only negative that I can pick up on which as already stated, it no longer an negative that affects me, so would highly recommend.► Note: I have included some photos which I took with this lens and the A7M2. They are completely unedited, though may have been compressed and lost some detail/quality during the process of upload.

This is my first GM lens. It was love at first sight. Amazing from most of the aspects. Heavy. Big. Once you get used with it you can get some unbelievable images.Regarding packaging, I had bottles of detergent wrapped with bubble wrap foil and double boxed. This lens came all the way from Germany into a flimsy, half opened box, with one sheet of paper as a shock absorber😂

If you are a pro and/or a well funded E-Mount shooter, don't hesitate, buy it. A fabulous 85 mm with very fast/accurate auto-focus despite all the fantastic glass packed inside. If not, try the "slightly" more economical (manual) Sanyang F1.4: I really don't think you'll be disappointed either way.

Would like to buy more lenses from amazon however cant cope with such minimal packaging for such expensive lenses :(

The few images I've taken with this lens, are sharp enough to cut you.

Excellent lens for E mount sony full frame camera. Marvellous bokeh. Very broght and shrp lens. Does make some noise when focuses but not a big deal. Kooks awesome on the A7rii

The most visually stunning lens I have ever used. I moved from canon to sony and used to use the 85 1.2 they had, as nice as that was the out of focus blur and bokeh was nowhere near as nice as this. I have used tons of portraits lenses for weddings and .... well ... portraits and this stands out a mile. Extremely well made and with the manual aperture ring (clickless if you want) and the best manual focus ring/response on any sony (fly by wire) lens it's as amazing for videographers as it is for photographers. I have used the 85mm 1.8 and it's nice but in my experience, it's considerably less pleasing than this model. if you are a pro and really want to stand out that little more then this is worth the extra money. Its just made me want the other G-Master lenses now.... I have the sony 1.4 Ziess so now onto the 24-70 maybe....

I purchased this as my first GM lens. Maybe my expectations were set too high, but I found it a noisy lens when focusing (not too much of an issue as I’m not a video shooter, but annoying nonetheless) and soft at the edges when shooting at wide open. I wanted to like it but ended up returning it. I then purchased the Sigma Art DG DN version an was blown away! c. £500 cheaper and a way better lens. Don’t make the same mistake, go for the Sigma, you won’t regret it.