Sony announces FE 85mm F1.4 G Master II lightweight telephoto portrait lens

Sony Electronics introduced the second-generation FE 85mm F1.4 GM II (SEL85F14GM2), a premium lens incorporating Sony’s latest G Master technologies to enhance overall performance. This is the 76^th E-Mount lens and is designed to take full advantage of the features in Sony’s latest Alpha series full-frame cameras, the company said. As a large-aperture, telephoto prime, this lens is an ideal option for portraiture, wedding, travel, and cinematic video. The FE 85mm F1.4 GM II will be available in September 2024 for approximately $1,799.99 USD and $2,499.99 CAD. It will be sold at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.

Compared to the original 85mm F1.4 G Master, this lens is about 20% lighter and 13% smaller in volume (approx. 642 grams, 22.7 oz), which is achieved through the latest mechanical technology and optical design. The FE 85mm F1.4 GM II has a filter diameter of φ77 mm, a diameter of 84.7mm (about 3 3/8 in), and a length of 107.3mm (about 4 1/4 in).

“The first-generation 85 mm F1.4 lens was one of three lenses in the initial G Master series launch back in 2016. Since then, our engineers have refined eight years of lens technology to decrease size and increase performance for our new flagship 85 mm,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “We are excited to introduce this highly anticipated lens for many photographers and cinematographers in our community.”

The refined optical design and advanced elements of the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II bring together smooth bokeh and enhanced high resolution, making it ideal for portrait photography, the company said. The lens offers advanced optics with two XA (extreme aspherical) and two ED (extra-low dispersion) elements designed to effectively suppress aberrations. This combination offers corner-to-corner resolution and rendering, resulting in outstanding image quality. The FE 85mm F1.4 GM II also includes Sony’s original Nano AR Coating II technology, which effectively subdues flare and ghosting for clear, crisp images. Alongside, the 11-blade circular aperture of this lens produces the beautiful, soft bokeh that G Master lenses are known for.

The AF capabilities of the next generation FE 85mm F1.4 GM II have drastically improved to maximize performance for its use cases like portrait photography and cinematic video. For stills, the AF is up to three times faster compared to the previous model, allowing users to accurately track moving subjects with high speed. In addition, subject tracking performance has improved by as much as seven times. With these improvements, this is a lens that can enable features on Sony’s latest camera bodies, including continuous shooting of up to 120fps ​ on the Alpha 9 III.

The large F1.4 aperture and compact size of the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II makes it a fitting lens selection for cinematic movie creation. Internally, the lens has an XD (extreme dynamic) linear motor with internal focusing, quiet AF and linear response MF (manual focus). Focus breathing is minimal, and in-body focus breathing compensation^v is supported.