Last Updated on 10/30/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
We spoke with Sony’s Mark Weir on how they designed the new Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master Lens!
At Photo Plus Expo 2018, we had a chance to speak a bit with Sony’s Mark Weir about the design behind the new Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master Lens. This lens is quite revolutionary; it is a bit smaller than most other 24mm f1.4 lenses out, and it is significantly lighter. As Mark explained to us, this is due to the inherent design. Of course, it’s first and foremost designed for Sony’s mirrorless cameras, and so a smaller size is paramount due to there being smaller cameras. But there’s a lot more to it than just that.
Sony designed the 24mm f1.4 G Master lens to focus with a linear actuator that moves specific focusing groups. Where some companies will design their lenses to move only a single lens element in order to achieve faster focusing, Sony’s philosophy here was to maintain fast focusing while also not compromising sharpness. What they ended up doing is also designing a lens that is incredibly light. Indeed, when I first held it, I thought I was holding an empty case.
Despite the nearly hollow and empty feeling, this lens still has weather sealing. It’s not only at the mount, but throughout the rest of the lens. We plan on testing this thoroughly when we get our review unit in.
Another two big considerations when designing the Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master was flare control and corner to corner sharpness. Of course, Sony is all about the technical details when it comes to achieving image perfection, but in our sample images that we’ve posted, I genuinely wish Sony allowed there to be more lens flare. For wide angle portraiture that works really well, but this lens is going to perform best put into the hands of street photographers and landscape photographers.
Stay tuned for our upcoming review.