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Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II · Photo source

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II
Photo 1 of 9

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II · Photo source

Sony

FE 85mm F1.4 GM II

Released September 2024

A full-frame E-mount portrait prime with an F1.4 aperture, two linear autofocus motors and aperture-ring controls.

Mount
Sony E
Focal length
85 mm
Max aperture
f/1.4
Stabilisation
No
Weight
642 g

What reviewers say

Both praise sharp images from F1.4, smooth background blur, fast quiet autofocus and lighter handling. Both note cheaper alternatives. OpticalLimits finds some longitudinal colour fringing in demanding scenes; Photography Blog sees little except at high contrast and would prefer stronger weather protection.

From opticallimits.com, photographyblog.com, photographyblog.com and photographyblog.com

Optics

Lens type
Prime
Focal length
85 mm
Maximum aperture
f/1.4
Minimum aperture
f/16
Optical construction
14 elements in 11 groups
Special elements
Two XA extreme-aspherical and two ED elements
Coatings
Nano AR Coating II; fluorine coating on front element
Diaphragm
11 rounded blades
Angle of view
29° full frame; 19° APS-C

Mount and compatibility

Mounts
Sony E
Image circle
Full frame
Image circle detail
Full-frame coverage; 127.5 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C
Teleconverter support
Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC

Focus and stabilisation

Autofocus
Yes
Minimum focus distance
0.8 m (manual focus)
Maximum magnification
0.12× (manual focus)
Optical stabilisation
No
Autofocus detail
Two XD linear motors; Linear Response MF
Focus distance detail
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 0.11× with autofocus or 0.12× with manual focus
Stabilisation detail
No lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation
Video features
Breathing compensation with compatible cameras; compensation crops the image

Design

Dust and moisture resistant
Yes
Filter diameter
77 mm
Maximum diameter
84.7 mm
Length
107.3 mm
Weight
642 g
Controls
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
Weight detail
Approximately 642 g lens; separately supplied hood, caps and case excluded
Lens hood
ALC-SH180 bayonet hood
In the box
ALC-SH180 hood, ALC-F77S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap and soft case
Release detail
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.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • F1.4 maximum aperture
  • Aperture ring with click and iris-lock controls
  • 642 g lens weight

Cons

  • No optical stabilisation
  • No teleconverter support

Closest rivals

Model
MountFocal lengthMax apertureStabilisationWeightReleased
Sony E85 mmf/1.4No820 gMar 2016
Sony E85 mmf/1.8No371 gMar 2017
Sony E100 mmf/2.8Yes646 gOct 2025

Sources

  1. sony.co.uk/electronics/support/lenses-e-mount-lenses/sel85f14gm2/specifications
  2. sony.jp/ichigan/products/SEL85F14GM2/spec.html
  3. sony.jp/ichigan/products/SEL85F14GM2
  4. sony.co.uk/presscentre/sony-announces-the-highly-anticipated-fe-85mm-f14-gm-ii-…
  5. sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/202408/24-0829
  6. opticallimits.com/sony/sony-fe-full-format/sony-fe-85mm-f-1-4-gm-ii-review
  7. photographyblog.com/reviews/sony_fe_85mm_f1_4_gm_ii_review

Photo: sony.jp

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