Sony's new nifty fifty FE 50mm F1.4 GM mirrorless lens is a bokeh monster
Sony FE 50mm GM F1.4. Picture: Sony.
Sony has the largest selection of full-frame mirrorless lenses for their e-mount system and they are expanding it further with the recent launch of the FE 50 MM F1.4 GM. When paired with the latest Sony cameras, it is an ideal option for a wide variety of uses in both still and video including portraiture, landscape, travel, and wedding. While Sony already offers a brighter 50mm F1.2 GM, the new G Master is lighter, has a standard 67mm filter thread and is less expensive.
“At Sony, we are continually listening to the needs of today’s content creators and are proud to announce the newest innovative option with the FE 50 MM F1.4 GM lens, the latest addition to the E-mount lens line-up,” said Yann Salmon Legagneur, Head of IP&S Marketing, Sony Europe. “This prime lens is a great option for both photography and videography use and delivers excellent image quality at 50 mm, one of the most popular focal lengths. Being able to pack our latest G Master technology into such a compact form factor brings ultimate versatility to a 50 mm for Sony.”
The advanced optical design and elements unique to Sony’s top-of-the-line G Master series bring outstanding image quality to FE 50 MM F1.4 GM. Spherical aberration control at both the design and the manufacturing stages contributes to beautiful bokeh. Sony says the lens offers naturally rendered bokeh with an 11-blade circular aperture and sharp realism.
FE 50 MM F1.4 GM is packed with two XA (extreme aspherical) elements that effectively correct field curvature and most types of aberration. This lens is also designed with one ED (extra-low dispersion) glass element that suppresses chromatic aberration to maintain clear and sharp images without colour bleeding. Sony says the design combination of the XA and ED elements helps achieve high resolution throughout the entire frame. Sony’s original Nano AR Coating II on the lens suppresses reflections even in a backlit scene.
In addition, the minimum focusing distance of FE 50 MM F1.4 GM is just 0.41 meters and the maximum magnification is 0.16x when autofocus is used.
The FE 50 MM F1.4 GM has Sony’s most advanced optical design technology including precisely positioned XA elements, high-thrust XD (extreme dynamic) linear motors and the latest compact circular aperture unit. These elements are critical for achieving a large-aperture, high-resolution lens that is only 80.6 mm in diameter, 96.0 mm in length, and 516 grams in weight. The compact size makes it an ideal lens selection for gimbal and drone operation.
The FE 50 MM F1.4 GM’s autofocus is as much as 1.9x faster than conventional models with the same specifications. The lens’s focus group is driven by Sony’s high-thrust XD linear motors and incorporates an advanced control algorithm for a smooth, responsive focus drive. Sony says that when paired with the latest Sony’s Alpha cameras, this lens can quickly acquire focus and track subjects, even when using the shallow depth of field available at F1.4.
The XD linear motors and control algorithm optimises the response to control signals so that focusing is precise and vibrations are minimised for refined, quiet AF operation. Sony says this is advantageous when shooting movies allowing movie subjects to be smoothly captured and tracked even when shooting at 120 fps or other high frame rates.
The FE 50 MM F1.4 GM features the latest lens technology to reduce focus breathing to ensure that the highest quality images are captured. In addition, FE 50 MM F1.4 GM supports the breathing compensation function provided in compatible Sony Alpha cameras.
The new FE 50 MM F1.4 GM will be available in March 2023 at a variety of Sony’s authorised dealers, for an estimated retail price of €1,700
