Sony today is expanding its popular and acclaimed G Master full-frame lens lineup with the all-new 50mm f/1.4 G Master. Fitting in with the other top-of-the-line G Master lenses, the 50mm f/1.4 combines fast autofocus with a compact and lightweight build, and all while not sacrificing beautiful bokeh that enhances any picture. It uses the classic Sony E-mount system and works great for still photography and shooting videos. This new lens is expected to launch in May 2023, and if you want to learn more about what makes this lens tick and how big of a hole it will put into your wallet, keep reading below the fold.
Bokeh, bokeh, bokeh
With a lens like this, you gotta start by talking about bokeh, and Sony isn’t about to disappoint in that department. From the design to the manufacturing of these lenses, spherical aberration is controlled. This leads to beautiful bokeh without colors bleeding from each other, which can happen on lesser-quality lenses. The 11-blade circular aperture allows you to achieve sharp details throughout the aperture range, with the bokeh melting away the background at f/1.4. Sony has also implemented two extreme aspherical (XA) lens elements here to correct the field across the image and eliminate most types of aberration. Combine those with the ED elements, and you can achieve high resolution throughout the entire frame. The cherry on top is the Sony-exclusive Nano AR Coating II, which suppresses reflections and flares in strong lighting conditions.
Compact frame and fast autofocus
Designed to be your go-to lens out in the field, Sony was able to cram all of this performance into a 516-gram package measuring in at only 96mm in length and 80.6mm in diameter, though it accepts 67mm threaded filters, just as the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 G Master and FE 35mm f/1.4 G Master lenses do. Autofocus is very important when it comes to lenses with shallow depth of fields, and Sony delivers. The focus elements in the lens are driven by Sony’s high-thrust XD linear motors, and when paired with Alpha cameras, the 50mm f/1.4 can quickly gain and track subjects all the way at f/1.4. This system has been optimized to even work smoothly when recording a moving subject at 120FPS. Another benefit of pairing this lens with Sony Alpha cameras is support for breathing compensation. Essentially, the camera will account for the slight zooming that occurs when you adjust the focus so your video stays consistent, even while changing the focus point.
In terms of on-lens controls, you’ll find a focus ring that uses Sony’s Linear Response MF system to ensure direct and subtle control over the focus when needed. In a first for first-party prime lenses, the 50mm f/1.4 comes with an Iris Lock switch. The more common focus hold buttons and focus mode switch are also present here, so you can lock focus with a button press and quickly swap from auto to manual focus. There are two focus hold buttons here, which can be reassigned within the camera menus to control other functions.
Availability
The all-new Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master full-frame lens is expected to launch in May 2023 for approximately $1,299.99. You will be able to order it from a variety of Sony dealers, though we will have some links below where you can sign up to be notified when they come in stock or even pre-order the lens.
- B&H – $1,298 shipped
- Notification signup
- Adorama – $1,298 shipped
- Pre-orders open February 22 at 10 a.m. ET
- Sony – $1,299.99 shipped
- Notification signup
9to5Toys’ Take
Sony never seems to disappoint with their cameras and lenses, though I am a Nikon shooter myself. While the $1,300 price point is steep, it is more affordable than the 85mm f/1.2 S lens Nikon announced recently, though it is technically a faster lens than the Sony here.
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