SONY LAUNCHES NEW 50MM F/1.4 G MASTER LENS
Nifty fifty is lighter than its Zeiss predecessor and promises 1.9x faster AF
Sony has announced the new FE 50mm f/1.4 GM, which is positioned as a replacement for the aging Zeiss Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA, a lens is known for its clinical sharpness, beautiful bokeh capabilities, and premium build.
Sony has established a coherent family of f/1.4 prime G Master lenses that share the same design aesthetic and technologies, with the new 50mm joining the FE 24mm f1.4 GM, FE
35mm f/1.4 GM, and FE 85mm f/1.4 GM. Its arrival means Sony now offers photographers a choice of fast primes for all common prime focal lengths. The FE 50mm f/1.4 GM is built using 14 elements in 11 groups, including one ED element to suppress color aberrations and distortion, and two XA (extreme aspherical) elements, which stop onion-ring effects in bokeh balls. The lens is finished with a Nano AR II coating that reflects internal reflections, and reduces flare and ghosting.
The lens has been designed with an 11-blade aperture, which should deliver beautiful rounded bokeh and smooth background blur. It has a 0.45m minimum focus distance with 0.15x magnification, both of which are fairly standard for a lens in this category.
Autofocus is driven by two linear XD motors, which should achieve fast and quiet autofocus – Sony claims autofocus is 1.9x faster than in the Zeiss model. The lens also has internal focusing, meaning the lens dimensions won’t change during use, which is good news if you’re using filters. As is standard for GM lenses, the FE 50mm 1.4 GM has a dustand moisture-resistant construction.
While the older Zeiss lens is relatively large and heavy, weighing 780g, its successor tips the scales at a much more manageable 516g. The Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM will be available from April, priced at £1,500 / $1,300.
Andrea is one of the world’s leading plant, garden and landscape photographers, and her pictures have been published and exhibited worldwide. Now based in Scotland, she was raised in the south of England, where she studied art and photography. In 2018 she was named Garden Photographer of the Year, so Ian has the good fortune of learning from the very best. You can see more of Andrea’s work by visiting: