If you’ve been a Sony user for a long time, then you know what I’m talking about. Several photographers bought the 85mm f1.8 lens instead of the original G Master. To them, there just wasn’t anything special about it that was worth the upgrade. So now, with the new Sony 85mm f1.4 GM II being made, is there really a reason to upgrade? Well, we’ve compared the two.
We’ve reviewed both the Sony 85mm f1.8 and the new Sony 85mm f1.4 GM II. Check out our reviews for more info. And if you want one, check them out here.
Hardware
If you picked each lens up blindly, you could easily tell which one is which. The Sony 85mm f1.4 GM II has an aperture ring, a taller size, a girthier build, and feels more substantial. In contrast, the 85mm f1.8 is lightweight and feels a bit more like it’s made with a thin metal.
If you want the lightest lens you can get, you can’t beat the 85mm f1.8. But if you want something with more feeling, consider the Sony 85mm f1.4 GM II.
Autofocus
For a really long time, Sony’s 85mm f1.8 was one of their fastest autofocusing lenses. But with the newer motor put into the Sony 85mm f1.4 GM II, this is now Sony’s fastest. Don’t get me wrong, you can use both lenses for sports pretty easily. In fact, I’ve done just that before in the past. To absolutely trust the autofocus performance, consider the Sony 85mm f1.4 GM II. Though, to be really frank, you’d probably still be able to get the job done with the 85mm f1.8.
Ease of Use
There’s a clear winner here. The Sony 85mm f1.8 has fewer controls and rings on the lens. It’s going to be far easier to use overall and much more straightforward.
Image Quality
See the images above? Well, unless you’re viewing the images at 100% or on a super large screen, you’re not going to be able to tell the difference. And even so, most people reading this site are probably shooting for social media or the mobile web. So if that’s the case, then what does it matter?
You can’t tell much of a difference between the bokeh or colors in these images. Nor can you tell the difference between the sharpness unless you get very close. So it you can’t tell the difference, do you think your clients will be able to tell the difference?
Conclusions
Ultimately, get the Sony 85mm f1.4 GM II if you’re picky and not being realistic about image quality. When it comes to autofocus and build quality, the newer lens will surely outperform the older one.
The new Sony 85mm f1.4 GM II is $1,799 while the older f1.8 variant is only a few hundred bucks. For us, there’s a clear winner in many ways with the older f1.8 lens.