Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II Review: Smaller, Sharper, Speedier

[@everydayisextra]

I bought the Sigma 85mm 1.4 on the last day of 2022 and couldn’t be happier with the shots coming out of both my A7M4 and A7R5. Hard to believe that this new Sony version might even add some more horsepower to the game, but I have no regrets as is. Thanks for the type of review which thoroughly hits home in terms of my kind of capturing preferences!

[@youknowwho9247]

I have the sigma as well, and it's great ... on its own. The issue I have with it is that it renders colours significantly warmer than the Sony glass, and adds contrast as well. Mixing it with the 35 or 50 GM at weddings adds a fair bit of extra work in post. So I will be selling it and get the new Sony 85. Your mileage may vary of course.

[@danielrehmel]

@@youknowwho9247 Interesting, I‘ve made the same experience but this is the first time hearing it from somebody. Just sold my sigma 85mm 1.4 cause I couldn’t match the colors properly to my GM 35mm 1.4.The lens wasn’t as flattering taking pictures at people compared to the 35mm because it added a lot of sharpness and contrast. Really hope the 85 mm gm II will make editing easier and more enjoyable using different focal lengths.

[@jlwilliams]

04:31 Thank you, miss...

[@walwhite7399]

Shoutout to Chris Nicholls for wearing a T-shirt featuring his own face. Nice work fellas, a great review as always

[@TrevorSuarez]

Oh hey! That's @WildRiversMusic at 10:07! Great shot!

[@MudvayneS10]

Atleast they kept the price.

[@TheMrKonov]

This time Jordan head shot was floating head on an another level 😂

[@costafilh0]

Just like the 50mm, 1.2 to 1.4 won't be a problem for most people. The weight and handling will.

[@benejpocock]

Exactly my thoughts too. I don’t shoot FF (sorry, MFT loser here 😂) but even with MFT, the Oly 20mm 1.4 is almost half the weight of the 1.2 primes. I think it’s a good play by Sony to sacrifice those 2/3 of a stop for size and handling. I wonder what it would weigh if it was a 1.2? 🤔

[@costafilh0]

​@@benejpocockIf the big box store sales numbers are real, the market doesn't care either. Those huge F1.2 lenses are more of a "because we can" than a "because people buy them". They're VERY nice, but not very practical.

[@jriceblue]

You really did get quite a few nice shots on this one!

[@PhotoTrekr]

If I was a studio shooter, this lens would definitely go on my camera.

[@JoshStreetDesign]

@@PhotoTrekr The sigma 105 1.4 art is the best option. It lives on my camera in my studio.

[@NeonShores]

​@@JoshStreetDesignwould love to see Sigma update that lens for mirrorless with new focus motors but keep the character. I want it but I'm having a hard time wanting to pay that much for an old adapted lens.

[@JoshStreetDesign]

@@NeonShores focus works great on my a7rV, as long as you're not shooting sports

[@TheBlakeEverhart]

Yes yes, 85mm 1.4,,, got it. Can we talk about how awesome this GH7 footage looks 👀 ??

[@gcvrsa]

No sensor can caputre better than what the glass presents to it.

[@ProbeRoket]

Dope pic of black thought. Greatest emcee of all time!!!

[@WayneLLC]

Been holding out for 1.2 for the longest time....(and having waited so long), I really cant say that I am the most excited about this. Now, I understand this is my own expectations to bear but with Sony, I know they absolutely can do a 1.2 and I want to keep hoping they eventually do. Happy for the rest who are upgrading from their v1, I just be waiting a bit longer for miracles.

[@AdamKinMI]

Great work as always gentlemen.

[@evilcab]

that lady at 4:31 lol

[@AdamKinMI]

Ha!

[@mrbilalacar]

Came here to find this comment

[@RikMaxSpeed]

Funny this obsession with corner sharpness: what I like about characterful lenses is the way they focus attention on the centre with vignetting and a softer look on the edges.

[@jeffmiller6343]

F1.4 vs. F1.2 is only 1/3 to 1/2 stop not 2/3 stop 😊

[@Lass_muc]

I wanted to point it out but you did already. Good catch.

[@quantumimagesQC]

The 50mm f/1.4GM is my favorite lens. So light and incredibly sharp at 1.4 even with my A7RV. So I'm surely getting the 85!

[@tammytrashbags]

this lens looks beautiful, but what I personally long for (having been shooting these types of lenses on my OM film camera recently) is a high quality, compact 85 or 90mm f2 with .5 magnification. I know canon make a close focussing 85 f2 for rf mount, which is right up my street, though sadly not the system I'm invested in. When it comes down to it I just always find the massive increase in versatility that close focussing brings far more useful than ultra shallow depth of field (which, at 85 or 90mm, f2 generally does just fine). That's ofc just my personal use case though. Why are these sorts of lenses out of fashion, do you think?

[@larrychicco1062]

It's a great question. I do genuinely think at least some part of the issue is marketing. A lot of the gear is reduced down to specs compariaon these days. In my club a lot of the armatures who seem to have money to burn are obsessed with specs.

[@saint4030]

Result @8:30 Sigma still in the Game

[@AudiomoeTV]

Beautiful lens… I own the 1.4 and I’m sticking with it but would’ve loved a 1.2

[@patrickchase5614]

I’m a loyal Sony user, but I think that ultra-fast mid-teles are where they really pay for the E-mount’s smaller diameter. If you look at the exit pupil diameters of the Canon and Nikon 85/1.2s, they’re both larger than anything Sony has managed to cram into FE (including the 50/1.2). With that said it’s not a deal-breaker for me and Sony has plenty of other advantages.

[@RG-rm9jt]

Good review guys. Sticking with my sigma, but good to know this is a small upgrade.

[@jliang70]

Maybe we will see Sigma releasing a new one too, Sigma DGDN 85mm F1.4 being around for almost 3 years.

[@Separade]

Ye no way. The Sony version 1 was 8 years old. We still have to see serious comparisons between the sigma and the version 2

[@gcvrsa]

There is really nothing like a fast moderate telephoto in the 85-105 mm range for portraiture. There's a reason that for so many years, photographers have used three fast prime lenses: a wide angle (24-35 mm), a normal perspective (40-60 mm), and a telephoto (85-105 mm). At least f/2.0, but the faster the better, for shooting natural light.

[@TedNghiem]

Chris needs a roadie to keep a fishing rod on them at all times.

[@youknowwho9247]

It's 1/3 stop advantage for the f/1.2 glass, not 2/3. That's still an advantage, sure, but at twice the weight and a grand pricier ... personally I'm very happy that Sony went with the more sensible, practical option rather than pointlessly competing in an arms race.

[@mikaelnilsson5912]

Weight and AF improvements are the most important imo. And that it is sharper, has less LoCA and maybe better bokeh than the GM mark 1 is pretty cool.

[@heiner71]

Chris, who makes your wrist strap?

[@niccollsvideo]

That’s from Wotan craft. Check out their stuff, best around I think. @wotancraft

[@TheFallengiant]

I had the FE 50mm f/1.2 GM and it was a really nice lens but I never found the f/1.2 aperture all that useful. I often stopped down to 1.4 or even 2.0. In a lot of circumstances the focus plane at f/1.2 was just too narrow. I much preferred my FE 35mm f/1.4 GM. So I think it’s great they stuck with f/1.4 and saved some weight and bulk. Couple with the improved optics and auto focus I think this will be a very popular lens.

[@TheFallengiant]

I had the FE 50mm f/1.2 GM and it was a really nice lens but I never found the f/1.2 aperture all that useful. I often stopped down to 1.4 or even 2.0. In a lot of circumstances the focus plane at f/1.2 was just too narrow. I much preferred my FE 35mm f/1.4 GM. So I think it’s great they stuck with f/1.4 and saved some weight and bulk. Couple with the improved optics and auto focus I think this will be a very popular lens. And the price will come down in time and with sales.

[@nathanaeldavenport2251]

Even as a satisfied, loyal Nikon shooter… Sony’s innovation is not easy to ignore.

[@matrixate]

I was hyped about the speculation of the new 85GMii being f1.2...very disappointed.

[@MedikationYT]

I’d love to try this lens for my videos!

[@sgpork]

The only problem about the old one is the af is very bad. . Glad Sony finally update it. It has been almost 8 years. Lol.

[@JonathanPetersonlisten2EITS]

EXACTLY! I'm surprised they waited this long.

[@zapadakofflv8560]

Yes, when I bought the 85 I was disappointed with its speed, I was thinking of returning it. I should have done it. It is huge and slow. At the same time I bought a new 50/1.4 and it is great.

[@1585AS]

I never understood what you mean when you say the bokeh is busy? Please explain (with some zoom in pics). Tnx.

[@shawn4900]

@ 9:54 is that Black Thought from the Roots? Nice pic , nice lens

[@iggy880]

Okay, that shot of Jordan in the mirror is pretty great. Cute photo of a cute lad.

[@JuanSanchez-zz3me]

I watch reviews for gear I'll never have, but at least I do have an 85mm 1.4g I got for 400 dollars

[@raptorbass4054]

I don't even have a sony camera yet I watch these reviews 😂

[@Lofote]

A mount?

[@JuanSanchez-zz3me]

@@Lofote f mount Nikon f glass is super cheap, and gets crazy deals at times. I got a 300mm f4 Ed for 84 dollars, a Tamron 70-200 G2 for 394, and a 2nd one for 439. A sigma 150-600 for 352. Crazy prices

[@Lofote]

@@JuanSanchez-zz3me ah, nikon

[@jhudieltorres2786]

Using it on a sony body? hows the AF speed?

[@DavidHolliday]

Hey Chris, usually, in your videos, I'm expecting you to drop the camera because you tend not to use any straps. Today, however, you're toting a cool wrist strap. Might I ask what it is?

[@MaawiyVisuals2024]

Impressive lens wow

[@dannyli9424]

Besides the frame rate concern, is this finally a better lens than the Sigma 85 1.4?

[@spencerl885]

3D pop! Looking between your shots with the old Sony and the Sigma and this new lens it looks so 3D like on this new lens. The subject in focus really stands out (looking on a calibrated computer monitor). I wonder if the slight focus breathing 'creates' the 3D pop effect in some lenses, now I'm curious if zero focus breathing lenses look more dull 2D flat in the image in comparison? Where the subject and the background it's super hard to get a sense of distance from the scene? Or is it more to do with bokeh quality, image distortion type (pincussion etc) and sheer contrast from barrel coatings?

[@charlesmcguffy]

at 2:54 you said 'we now have a clickable aperture switch' but that is on the GM 1. I think you meant to say that the Iris Lock is the new feature on the GM 2.

[@twoblink]

The metal armband on the singer shows minimal CA as well.

[@damiandazervin2079]

I was hoping for a 1.2 but Sony has to come out with a new version of the 1.4 before they release the 85mm 1.2?

[@LMActionsports]

It is going to have to be seriously upgrade compared to the Sigma 85 f1.4 DG DN for me to switch. More fps is not enough for me to switch. No questions about it. It’s definitely a much better upgrade than the original 85 GM. But if it’s only a little bit sharper than the sigma, I will just keep the sigma. But it’s nice that sewing finally updated this lens it was really needed.

[@iggy880]

Sony really needed this. The original 85mm 1.4 is so outclassed by other manufacturers and left a big gap for Sony shooters doing portraits. Seems like a natural choice if you're a working professional doing portraits, but I agree the price otherwise will give enthusiasts pause.

[@BrandonColePhotography]

I dont know what Sony is thinking. This should have been a 1.2 hands down. The 85mm 1.2 is an untapped market for Sony because NOBODY makes a 1.2 for Sony E mount. Not sigma , tamron nobody. This was a complete overlook and trying to compare the sales of the 50mm to estimate what the 85 will do was just dumb. Now when Sigma drops the first 85mm 1.2 for Sony E mount they will regret it . Whoever dropped the 85 1.2 for Sony would've sold like crazy and Sony completely missed the opportunity especially when the Sigma 85 is so close to accuracy of this lens and not that far up. So dumb. Sigma your up, hopefully they do not make the same mistake. It's just crazy to me how the 85 1.2 is untapped and nobody is gonna come get this money. Sigma will make a 1.2 and completely steal the temporary light of the GM II. I will continue to rock my Sigma 85 1.4, until they drop the 1.2

[@JonathanPetersonlisten2EITS]

Who says they aren't working on it? They released the 50mm f1.2 GM then released a f1.4 lens shortly thereafter.

[@tonyferrell3456]

There is a Mitakon that is 1.2. Know nothing about it other than it exists.

[@jlwilliams]

Contrary to what Chris says at 09:40, f/1.2 isn't 2/3 stop faster than f/1.4, it's between 1/3 and 1/2 stop. Nobody's going to care because Nikon and Canon have f/1.2s so Sony users suffer a loss of masculinity if they roll up with an f/1.4, but significant? It would make no difference to the rendering of real-world subjects such as the person at 04:30, who definitely needs to get an invite to the end-of-the-year drinking-game show.

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

The fact nobody makes one for Sony should tell you something 🤷‍♂️

[@keanusun9977]

love your t-shirt 😂

[@paulengle5784]

We should all be lucky if we found someone who loves us like Chris loves fishing. 😂😂😂😂

[@funtaril]

9:40 what do you mean "two thirds of a stop"? Thirds of a stop go 1 - 1.1 - 1.2 - 1.4. It's only one third between 1.2 and 1.4.

[@shawnwu2954]

Thump up for the tee in the video “胡子哥” lol

[@Biosynchro]

Interesting that Leica's best SL lenses are all f/2, and don't have aperture rings. But Sony takes a very different approach, one that you could say is more in line with Leica's philosophy, albeit a philosophy that's applied to M lenses, not SL ones. The Leica 90 Apo Summicron-SL focuses closer, but it's heavier and costs more.

[@artmaltman]

I prefer f/1.4 over f/1.2. The latter rarely gets both eyes in focus. And the weight.

[@MattParson]

How does this new G Master compare to the Sony 85 1.8?

[@alphaandomega2709]

Keh reminds me of GameStop for selling gear too.

[@goodthiefphoto]

I think I'm going to stick with my Sigma on my A7R V. I don't think I'd see that much advantage in the new lens from Sony. Now, if they released a f1.2, then I'd definitely consider swapping.

[@adamsorgi1457]

Lol the person in the background of the flare testing intro at 4:30

[@Lofote]

I want her in every flare test from now on :)

[@Iamtongue]

4:31 whats her @?

[@andyphotoandfilm]

Sony is probably going to make a 1.2 anyways… they know that people want it and they just didn’t want to make the same “ mistake” like with the 50mm. There are customers for both.

[@jeff.amador]

Uhhh...has this even been officially announced?

[@ferociousbiscuit]

Yes. It's in the store front already.

[@iggy880]

Yes. These reviews are embargoed until after announcement, though sometimes same day.

[@charlieself]

Would be interesting to see if this is any good for astro. Previous GM version was not great and many went for the 85mm f1.8 as it gave good results and was lighter in weight and wallet. Loved the Jordan floating headshot. Are you taking on @Jordi Koalitic for artistic shots 😅

[@MIRAAAS]

But the Sigma 85 1.4 can actually focus at distances closer than 1m (3 ft)…

[@Synchrodipity]

Twice as much as I paid for my Mk1 - considering how slow and noisy the AF was, I think Sony should compensate the difference. ;)

[@reg171reg]

I totally read that sign as the "Call Gary Folk Festival" Leave me alone it's not my fault. I'm Australian.

[@noenken]

9:39 Isn't 1.4 to 1.2 only 1/3 difference? I always thought it was f/1.4 - f/1.2 - f/1.1 - f/1. Now I'm questioning my sanity. xD

[@erbterb]

They have to update the 90mm macro. It is slow, hunts, flutters even with a A7IV. It was even worse than with original A7. I was shocked when I put that bad girl on.

[@KlausKusserow-ClassicalGuitar]

02:14 :-))))) Jordaaaaaan🙂

[@paulhancock]

I've been waiting for this lens to appear for quite a while, as I really only need an 85 to round out my lens kit. However, I assumed Sony would release an exorbitantly priced f1.2 before another f1.4, so nearly pulled the trigger on the Sigma last week. Bit of a dilemma now, although the Sigma currently has a £100 voucher so it's getting close to half the price of the Sony MKII. So is that even a dilemma or an obvious choice?! Bah. I realise this comment is absolutely irrelevant to anyone but myself. Thanks for providing a platform for me to publicly think aloud...

[@ElementaryWatson-123]

@8:54 did he say the "maximum birth rate"? 🤔

[@niccollsvideo]

No but I will from now on!

[@Jakobe_Beef]

Now I need to know what is the maximum birth rate

[@fangzhou3235]

胡子哥你好！

[@jeromechiu]

胡子哥（Simplified Chinese）=鬍子哥（Traditional Chinese）= bearded bro 😘

[@Gremlack13]

That lady dancing in the background… Kind of funny.

[@rongubin2548]

All praise to Sony. Releasing their 2nd version of an 85mm f1.4, whereas Canon is yet to release their first for RF (or let someone else do it).

[@SoftKitty0930]

If you squint really hard at 3:08, you can see this lens is made in Japan. Is Sony bringing back their manufacturing back from Thailand and China?

[@jujuxl]

Finally ❤

[@yuchengzhang3251]

i can't believe chris is wearing a 胡子哥 tshirt

[@alen2937]

Isolating subject = lowest aperture (or remove all the things surrounding the object).

[@HwL01]

TBH 1.2 vs 1.4 didn't get a very big difference in bokeh etc.. I rather have a smaller lighter 1.4 vs a heavy 1.2

[@haydar9004]

Wheres the 85mm 1.2??

[@Lofote]

Not yet here. Difference is also quite minor

[@JoshStreetDesign]

Hmmmm, $1800.... So more than twice the price I paid for my sigma... Image quality will be essentially the same so basically you're just paying for faster autofocus... Can't really say that I need autofocus that much faster for over $900....

[@BrasilOO7]

Right, with a portrait lens you most probably go shooting fast moving birds! 🙂

[@BtoZ403]

Nice T shirt…胡子哥😂

[@Mattrossphoto]

‘She’s breathing and singing at the same time so let’s talk about breathing’ homie that was a reach 😂😂😂😂

[@vegansoy]

That background music was profoundly dorky 😂

[@chenfirdcheng]

Bearded guy lol 👕

[@tagtheshooterphotography2540]

with Sony the 1.2 will come out in bout 6 months after the 1.4 sales slow down..

[@scottchiang7616]

So now KEH wants to see a picture of your lens before buying, but NOT providing real product shot of gears they're selling?

[@JiajuChen]

What's up with that 胡子哥 T-shirt? What did i miss?

[@terencemorrissey4413]

The Sigma 85mm has significantly more pincushion distortion than the new Sony.

[@RikMaxSpeed]

Should I get a tee-shirt made with a black & white cartoon of my face, and pretend to be a celebrity photographer? 😊

[@nicolaiecostel]

It is absolutely not 2 thirds of a stop between 1.4 and 1.2, it is 0.44 stops, so not even half a stop, almost one third of a stop !!

[@saibhargavamanda1062]

The lense i wanted in Nikon😢

[@deepstagesrt4]

How does it compare to the Canon Rf 85mm f1.4 or the f1.8? No? How about any Rf 85mm that is less than $2k. None? Oh.... cool...

[@nsnoesuarez]

impressed but sadly I can't afford this..

[@adventure_photo]

I think there will also be a 1.2 version. They’ll first release this then later a 1.2 or faster is my guess.

[@testxxxx123]

Have no use for this focal lens though ...

[@ChrisClayton]

The Westcott ads are verging on native advertising.

[@scottbufkin4702]

Agreed. I don't mind one ad per video. Two is verging on annoying.

[@ChrisClayton]

@@scottbufkin4702 was a pretty sneaky one as well. They rolled it in as part of the content at first. If you’re going to have an advert then someone like Mr Mobile is how you do it. Big ‘sponsored message’ text and a countdown timer so there is zero ambiguity that what someone is saying is not genuine

[@Alex-mi3pc]

胡子哥真穿了这T恤哈哈哈🎉

[@DavidDatura]

Can’t AI fix LoCA in post by now?

[@ArmaniFlyHigh]

No DoF scale...

[@80-80.]

I'm glad my system doesn't have a tiny mount. I love f/1.2