One of Sony’s most popular lenses has just gotten a much-anticipated facelift that will excite creators of all kinds. This morning, the brand new Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens was introduced. The original 85mm f/1.4 G Master lens was introduced in 2016, and now, eight years later, we meet its successor. While you can expect the same optical quality we’re used to seeing from the G Master suite of lenses, substantial upgrades have been made to the original lens to help better fit the market today. Let’s dive into some of the specs for the new lens.
Key Features of the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II
- Best-in-class image quality
- 3x faster AF speed than the previous version
- Incredibly smooth bokeh
- 14 lens elements in 11 groups
- Iris lock switch prevents accidental aperture adjustments
- 642g / 22.7oz
- Optical focus breathing suppression
- Quiet AF system
What’s New About the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II?
The primary purpose of the second version of this lens was to offer higher image quality in a smaller lens, with better autofocus performance and great specs for videographers. Sony delivered a lens that provides the best-in-class image quality, lightning-fast and quiet autofocus, very smooth bokeh, and a lighter and smaller lens than the original 85mm f/1.4. The new specs on this lens help Sony take an already popular lens over the top, making it an essential lens for Sony shooters. Regardless of what you shoot, this new and improved lens has improvements for all kinds of creators.
Lighter and More Compact
While there are numerous new specs to rave about, none is more impactful than the new lens’s size and weight reduction. If you’ve shot the original 85mm f/1.4 lens, you’ll notice a reduced weight and a slightly narrower lens body. The new version of the lens is 20% lighter (820g vs 642g) and 13% smaller. This is a welcome change for anyone who shoots long days or has to travel to their shoots. Sony achieved this smaller body size through a slight reduction in exterior materials in addition to the latest technology in optical design, making this lens incredibly light considering the impressive f/1.4 aperture.
Higher Image Quality
Just when you thought the G Master lenses couldn’t get any better, Sony released this brand new lens with even higher image quality than its predecessor. Compared to other 85mm f/1.4 options for Sony E-mount, it is the sharpest in the center and corners and has the smoothest bokeh. Nikon has equipped this lens with the latest optical technology, including two extra-low dispersion glass elements to suppress chromatic aberration, two extreme aspherical lens elements to minimize aberrations, and a nano AR coating that subdues flare and ghosting. Needless to say, you can expect the optical quality of the 85mm f/1.4 lens to be superb.
Faster Autofocus Speed
The new 85mm f/1.4 II utilizes a new XD Linear Motor to speed up the focusing speed by as much as 3.0x and offer improved subject tracking. Compared to the previous lens, which used a Ring SSM actuator, the new XD Linear Motor improves continuous shooting and focus during video capture by as much as seven times. With recent technology allowing movie shooting at 120fps, tracking on the previous lens wasn’t quite up to par with some of the incredible autofocus features on the newer camera bodies. Now, this new lens will perform well when combined with a newer body and enhance the already impressive autofocus features to another level.
Improved Video Features
A quieter and quicker autofocus system is the foundation for an excellent video lens. However, that isn’t the only important spec for creating high-quality video. Luckily, Sony left no stone unturned when it came to video production with the new 85mm f/1.4 II. This newer lens version has even less focus breathing, which was already minimal on the original version. Additionally, Nikon added a new Iris lock ring to the barrel of the lens. This lock prevents users from accidentally adjusting the ring while recording. Creators have long been asking for this feature, and Sony employs it for the first time on a prime lens.
Who Should Buy This Lens?
As with anything in the G Master lineup, you can’t go wrong with this lens regardless of what you shoot. That being said, portrait, wedding, and studio photographers will find the most use out of this 85mm focal range and f/1.4 aperture. 85mm is often viewed as one of the best focal lengths for individual or couple portraits as it doesn’t distort the face or arms, and you can get creative to isolate the subject with beautiful background blur. This lens’s improved size and weight should appeal directly to wedding photographers or anyone who spends hours on their feet traveling and shooting during the day.
Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM vs Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II
| Specs | Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM | Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 820g | 642g |
| AF System | Ring Drive SSM | XD Linear Motor |
| AF Speed | Fast | 3.0x Faster |
| Moving Subject AF Tracking | Yes | 7.0x Better |
| Focus Breathing | Minimized | Very Minimized |
| Iris Lock | No | Yes |
Comparable Lenses
This is the fourth prime lens in Sony’s impressive f/1.4 lineup of G Master lenses, including the 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm. These lenses are relatively compact and offer excellent resolution and buttery smooth bokeh, making them all a top-tier choice for photographers and videographers. The wider lenses, like the 24mm and 35mm, are highly versatile and suitable for portraits, weddings, photojournalism, astrophotography, or landscapes. Sony has picked some of the most popular focal lengths to add to this lineup, truly giving all kinds of photographers the perfect f/1.4 prime lens for their particular use.
Hand’s On with the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II
If you’re still deciding about the new Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II, we tested it. Watch as Sal Dalia tests the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II in Union Square, NYC. This compact, lightweight, and fast lens joins the incredible Sony Full Frame lineup. If you need a creamy and beautiful bokeh, this might be the lens for you.
Final Thoughts
It’s certainly exciting to see Sony, a company so focused on pushing the limits of digital technology, revisit older lenses to make them even better. The improved size, weight, and sharpness of the new Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II will make this lens an absolute staple for any portrait photographer’s bag. It will even fill a need for Sony videographers. Finally, this isn’t the first Mark II version we’ve seen of a lens this year, and we can only hope to see more improvements to other popular lenses in the future.
