Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM vs Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyFE 135mm F1.8 GM | SonyFE 85mm F1.4 GM II | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | April 2019 | September 2024 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Prime | Prime |
| Focal length | 135 mm | 85 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.4 |
| Minimum aperture | f/22 | f/16 |
| Optical construction | 13 elements in 10 groups | 14 elements in 11 groups |
| Special elements | XA extreme-aspherical, Super ED and ED glass elements | Two XA extreme-aspherical and two ED elements |
| Coatings | Nano AR Coating; fluorine coating on front element | Nano AR Coating II; fluorine coating on front element |
| Diaphragm | 11 rounded blades | 11 rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 18° full frame; 12° APS-C | 29° full frame; 19° APS-C |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Sony E | Sony E |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Image circle detail | Full-frame coverage; 202.5 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C | Full-frame coverage; 127.5 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C |
| Teleconverter support | Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC | Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.7 m | 0.8 m (manual focus) |
| Maximum magnification | 0.25× | 0.12× (manual focus) |
| Optical stabilisation | No | No |
| Autofocus detail | Four XD linear motors, two per focus group; floating focus design and internal focusing | Two XD linear motors; Linear Response MF |
| Focus distance detail | Minimum focus 0.7 m; Linear Response MF; focus limiter selects full, 0.7–2 m or 1.5 m–infinity | Minimum focus 0.85 m with autofocus or 0.80 m with manual focus; OpticalLimits reverses these modes in its specification table, so the maker values are used |
| Magnification detail | Maximum magnification 0.25× | Maximum magnification 0.11× with autofocus or 0.12× with manual focus |
| Stabilisation detail | No lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation | No lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation |
| Video features | – | Breathing compensation with compatible cameras; compensation crops the image |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Filter diameter | 82 mm | 77 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 89.5 mm | 84.7 mm |
| Length | 127 mm | 107.3 mm |
| Weight | 950 g | 642 g (better) |
| Controls | Aperture ring with click on/off, AF/MF and focus-range switches; two customisable focus-hold buttons | Aperture ring, click on/off switch, iris lock, AF/MF switch and two focus-hold buttons |
| Weather resistance | Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof | Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof |
| Weight detail | Approximately 950 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded | Approximately 642 g lens; separately supplied hood, caps and case excluded |
| Lens hood | ALC-SH156 round bayonet hood with release button | ALC-SH180 bayonet hood |
| In the box | ALC-SH156 hood, ALC-F82S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap and soft carrying case | ALC-SH180 hood, ALC-F77S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap and soft case |
| Release detail | Sony Europe specified April 2019 shipment; Japan specified 19 April, distinct from 5 March pre-orders; North America specified late April. Main date preserves April precision. Maker specifies XA glass, rather than the AA label in Amateur Photographer; maker 0.7 m minimum focus also resolves a 0.70 cm typo in Photography Blog’s conclusion | Sony UK announced on 28 August 2024 with September 2024 availability; Sony Japan specifies 20 September 2024 for that market. UK first-sale precision remains the month. Photography Blog incorrectly gives F2.8–F22 in an iris-lock paragraph; maker F1.4–F16 is used. |
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