Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM

Exquisite optical performance ; Fast linear autofocus ; Wide aperture readily blurs backgrounds ; Dust, splash, and fluorine protection ; Ample on-lens controls

Expensive

With superb optical performance, a background-blurring f-stop, and lightning-fast focus, the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is the premiere short tele lens for portraiture and bokeh on Sony's mirrorless system.

Impressively sharp from edge to edge at f/1.4. No distortion. Dust and splash resistant. Physical aperture ring. Focus hold function. Very bright design.

Dimmed corners at f/1.4. Omits optical stabilization. Expensive.

Sony mirrorless system owners looking for a classic portrait lens have a bevy of excellent choices, each of which has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The Zeiss Loxia 85 is an extremely sharp lens that delivers the mechanical manual focus...

Very fast f/1.4 maximum aperture provides great low-light performance and very shallow depth of field ; 11-blade aperture gives smooth, beautiful Bokeh ; Focus and aperture rings provide smooth and easy manual control ; On-lens controls add to the ease...

No built-in IS ; Very hefty price tag

An absolutely fantastic lens, the 85mm G Master lens provides amazing quality, low-light performance, and outstanding Bokeh for the Sony E-mount camera system. Worth the money if you are looking for the best quality available. Read more in our

The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is an outstanding prime lens for portraiture, offering a winning combination of sharpness and very appealing bokeh. Shooting at the maximum f/1.4 aperture does reveal a minor reduction in sharpness, but this is already...

You want the finest own-brand portrait lens for your Sony camera and don’t mind paying for the privilege. ; You appreciate the better wide-open sharpness and autofocus speed, compared with the original version of the lens. ; The price tag puts the lens...

Stunning image quality ; High-end handling ; Top-quality construction

Fairly weighty ; Expensive to buy

This Sony lens ticks all the right boxes for portraiture on a full-frame camera, with its 85mm focal length and fast f/1.4 aperture. As such, it works really well for isolating the main subject against a blurred background. As well as being...

Edge-to-edge sharpness at any aperture – amazing ; Smaller, lighter and better than the original ; De-clickable aperture ring and two Fn buttons ; Fast, highly responsive and silent AF

Smaller than its predecessor but still a big lens ; F1.4 not F1.2, which is slightly disappointing ; Focus breathing is suppressed but still there ; Some cats-eye bokeh wide open

The original Sony FE 85mm F1.4 G Master lens was so good it was pretty hard to fault; but it was launched back in 2016, and a lot has happened in lens design since then. As a result, the new Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is a long way from just a simple...