Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM
Launch MSRP
$1,800- Weight
- 820g
- Filter
- ⌀77mm
- Min focus
- 0.80m
- Max mag.
- 0.12×
- Formula
- 11E / 8G
- Released
- 2016
Specification sheet
Optical construction
- 1x XA
- 3x ED
- Nano AR Coating
- Aperture range
- f/1.4 — f/16
Physical & ergonomics
- Weight
- 820g
- ⌀ × length
- 89.5 × 107.5mm
- Filter
- ⌀77mm
- Weather sealed
- Yes
- Aperture ring
- Yes · de-click
Autofocus actuator
- Stabilisation
- Body IBIS
- Teleconverter
- Not supported
- AF speed score
- 7.8 / 10
Close-up performance
- Min focus distance
- 0.80m
- Max magnification
- 0.12× (1:8.3)
Optical character
Sony launched the G Master line with this lens in 2016, and it became the default portrait 85 for the system for most of a decade. An XA element and three ED elements keep it sharp in the centre from f/1.4, and the 11-blade aperture gives very round, evenly lit highlights with almost no onion-ring texture.
The rendering is soft and creamy rather than clinical, with gentle transitions from the focus plane into blur. It is a large, heavy lens at 820g with a 77mm filter, an aperture ring with a click switch and a focus-hold button. Its single ring-drive SSM motor is quiet but slower than the XD linear motors in Sony's later GM designs. It has since been replaced by the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II.
Reviewer consensus
Reviewers praised the bokeh above all and placed it among the smoothest-rendering 85s on any mount. Centre sharpness at f/1.4 is very good, corners improve markedly by f/2.8, and longitudinal colour fringing is well controlled for the speed.
The common criticisms are size, weight and AF. Focus is accurate but not fast, it can hunt in dim light, and it lags behind the FE 85mm F1.8 and later GM lenses on continuous tracking. Its launch price looked steep next to the Sigma 85mm Art and Samyang alternatives, and the GM II is both lighter and quicker.
Owner sentiment
Portrait and wedding photographers describe the rendering as the reason they kept it even after cheaper or newer options arrived. The aperture ring with de-click switch and the solid, sealed barrel are popular, and used prices made it a strong buy once the GM II appeared.
Complaints centre on 820g of front weight on smaller bodies, AF that is audibly and visibly slower than newer lenses for moving subjects, and occasional purple fringing on backlit edges. Some owners note the AF speed improved on newer bodies but never matched the F1.8.
Strengths, weaknesses & performance
Strengths
- +Smooth, creamy bokeh with 11 rounded blades
- +Sharp centre from f/1.4
- +Aperture ring with click switch
- +Dust and moisture resistant
- +Strong used value since the GM II
Weaknesses
- −820g, heavy for an 85mm
- −Slow ring-drive SSM AF for action
- −Discontinued in favour of the GM II
Six-axis rating
- Sharpness
- 9.0
- Bokeh Rendering
- 9.5
- Autofocus Speed
- 7.8
- Flare Resistance
- 8.2
- Build / Sealing
- 9.0
- Value / Size
- 7.0
Editorial 0–10 ratings synthesised from published reviews.
Technical specifications
| Mount | Sony E (FE) · full frame |
|---|---|
| Focal length | 85mm |
| Category | Short Telephoto |
| Maximum aperture | f/1.4 |
| Minimum aperture | f/16 |
| Construction | 11 elements in 8 groups |
| Special elements | 1x XA · 3x ED · Nano AR Coating |
| Aperture blades | 11 |
| Focus type | Autofocus |
|---|---|
| Drive | Ring Drive SSM |
| Minimum focus | 0.80m |
| Max magnification | 0.12× |
| Stabilisation | None (uses body IBIS) |
| Teleconverters | Not supported |
| Weight | 820g |
|---|---|
| Diameter × length | 89.5 × 107.5mm |
| Filter thread | ⌀77mm |
| Weather sealing | Yes |
| Aperture ring | Yes |
| De-clickable aperture | Yes |
| Release year | 2016 |
| Launch MSRP | $1,800 USD |
Sources
Specifications
- electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/full-frame-e-mount/p/sel85f14gm
- sony.com/electronics/camera-lenses/sel85f14gm
- imaging-resource.com/lenses/sony/fe-85mm-f1.4-gm-sel85f14gm/specifications
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_FE_85mm_F1.4_GM
Similar focal length alternatives
- VSFE 85mm F1.4 GM vs AF 85mm F1.8
- VSFE 85mm F1.4 GM vs 85mm f/5.6 2X Ultra Macro APO
- VSFE 85mm F1.4 GM vs 85mm F1.4 AS IF UMC
- 7Artisans
AF 85mm F1.8
85mmF1.8- WT
- 438g
- FLT
- ⌀62mm
- MFD
- 0.80m
- MSRP
- $299
AFRING·DC - Laowa
85mm f/5.6 2X Ultra Macro APO
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- 291g
- FLT
- ⌀46mm
- MFD
- 0.16m
- MSRP
- $449
MFRING - Samyang/Rokinon
85mm F1.4 AS IF UMC
85mmF1.4- WT
- 570g
- FLT
- ⌀72mm
- MFD
- 1.10m
- MSRP
- $299
MFRING
