Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II Review: Lighter, Faster Focusing and Sharper Wide Open Than the Original
An 85mm f/1.4 is the classic portrait lens. Flattering perspective, beautiful background blur, enough distance to keep your subject relaxed. Sony’s first 85mm f/1.4 GM, from 2016, was loved for its rendering and criticized for slow, noisy autofocus. The Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II, announced in August 2024 at $1,798, keeps the look and fixes the focus.
It’s also lighter, at about 642 grams with a 77mm filter.
For Sony wedding and portrait photographers, it quickly became the 85mm to own.
Video review: Dustin Abbott
Focus that finally keeps up
Two XD linear motors replace the original’s slower system. Focus is fast, quiet and precise, keeping up with eye tracking on the A1 II, A7 V and A7R V even when subjects move. For candid moments at weddings and events, that’s the upgrade that matters most.
Video benefits too: smooth, silent focus transitions without the hunting the first version could show.
The look
Sharpness wide open is excellent, with crisp eyelashes at f/1.4 and strong contrast. Two extreme aspherical elements help keep aberrations low, so backlit hair and highlights stay clean.
Eleven rounded aperture blades produce soft, round background highlights. Bokeh is smooth and creamy, the reason anyone buys an 85mm f/1.4.
Handling
There’s an aperture ring with a click switch and an iris lock, plus two customizable focus-hold buttons. The lens is dust and moisture resistant.
The limits
Close focus is about 85 centimeters with autofocus, for 0.11x magnification. Fine for portraits, limited for details like rings and flowers.
$1,798 is a lot. Sony’s own FE 85mm f/1.8 is a fraction of the price and very good. Third-party options like Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art and Samyang’s AF 85mm f/1.4 also cost much less, though they don’t focus quite as fast.
No optical stabilization, normal for Sony primes since the bodies have IBIS.
Who should buy it
Portrait, wedding and event photographers on Sony. Hybrid shooters who need fast, quiet focus for both stills and video. Owners of the original 85mm GM who were frustrated by its autofocus.
If budget matters more than the last bit of speed and rendering, the FE 85mm f/1.8 or Sigma’s 85mm Art are smart choices. If you want Sony’s best portrait lens, this is it. It pairs naturally with the FE 50mm f/1.4 GM for a two-lens kit.