Review by Klaus Schroiff, published July 2019

Introduction

In order to achieve the best possible optical results, Sony went a couple of extra miles with this lens. The optical design uses an aspherical element. This is often not a good idea when it comes to the rendition of the bokeh (out-of-focus blur) because it tends to have negative effects on out-of-focus highlights. However, Sony polished the element to a 0.01 micron surface precision in order to make sure that the highlights are as smooth as possible. The aperture features no less than 11 rounded elements and "Nano AR" coating is meant to minimize flare. Of course, the proof is in the pudding as we'll see later on.

The mechanical quality of the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is, of course, up to pro standards. It feels very sturdy, weather-sealed and tightly assembled. Size- and weight-wise it remains within the scope of classic 85mm f/1.4 lenses so there's no free lunch here just because it's a lens for a mirrorless system. The length of the lens remains constant throughout the focus range. The focus ring operates smoothly. Unlike on most Sony FE lenses, you can also control the aperture on the lens if you like. You also have the choice between a clicked or de-clicked aperture ring with the latter option targeting movie makers. A deep barrel-shaped hood is provided.

In terms of AF, Sony incorporated an RDSSM ( Ring Drive Super Sonic wave Motor ) and a secondary sensor to ensure accurate focusing. In real life, the lens isn't all that different compared to other 85mm f/1.4 lenses. Reads - the AF is reasonably fast but not really snappy. And whether you hit or miss your focus depends probably more on the camera than the lens. During the field trip, we had several misses because the AF sensor is just too coarse for the shallow depth-of-field at f/1.4 in close focus scenes. Manual focusing is very precise and much better than what we've seen in most other "by-wire" systems. An image stabilizer is, unfortunately, not provided but most full-format Sony cameras feature in-body stabilization anyway.