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First Reviews of the New Sony G Master Lenses for FE-mount

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Here are the first reviews of the brand new Sony G Master lenses for FE-mount cameras.

The new Sony high-end lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras known as G Master (GM) sits above the current ‘G-series‘ lenses with a premium price. As announced, the company’s first three GM lenses are the FE 24-70mm F2.8, FE 85mm F1.4 and FE 70-200mm F2.8 OSS.

In this post you can find the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM, FE 85mm f/1.4 GM, FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM lenses hands-on videos, reviews and additional coverage.

First Reviews of the New Sony G Master Lenses for FE-mount

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From MirrorLessons:

More in-depth tests will definitely be required to see how far the resolving power of these lenses can go in a real world situation. So far I’ve found the results very impressive, especially those from the 85mm f/1.4. (It was also the lens that matched the various studio sets Sony prepared for us the best.)

I think these lenses prove that Sony is determined to chase the best image quality possible from both a sensor and lens point of view. It is true that the system is not yet complete and lacks more affordable lenses but many people asked for f/2.8 lenses and Sony answered. I am confident they will do the same in response to the other complaints.

From Miguel Quiles at AlphaUniverse:

For wedding, portrait, landscape, and event photographers this 24-70 f/2.8 GM is going to be a must-have. It’s that simple.

Simply put, this is now the gold standard 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens and it will certainly satisfy the needs of anyone looking for fast glass. Overall I’m excited to continue to use these lenses for my business and art. The unique abilities of these lenses have my creative juices churning, and I’m excited to share my results.

From Miguel Quiles at AlphaUniverse:

The lens that I was looking forward to the most is the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM. Prior to switching to Sony mirrorless cameras, the 85mm lenses I owned were my workhorse lenses in my portrait photography business. It was versatile for both studio and outdoor use, and the compression that the 85mm focal length offered made shooting flattering portraits much easier.

The lens certainly feels like a top end lens, however I was much more interested to see how it would perform in my day to day portrait business…and it performed beautifully!

Tony Northrup has posted his review of new Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens ($1,699.95 – Amazon | B&H | Adorama). This is Sony’s first f/2.8 zoom full frame e-mount lens announced several weeks ago.

Here is conclusions from Tony Northrup:

  • Image quality is similar to that of the latest pro DSLR bodies & lenses: the Canon 5DS-R with the Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L II and the Nikon D810 with the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8.
  • Auto-focusing, even in low light, is comparable to the DSLRs.
  • The electronic viewfinder previews your exposure, so you never again have to chimp. You can see a histogram while you shoot and see overexposed parts of the picture highlighted.
  • 4k video, either full-frame or with a 1.5X crop.
  • The a7R II’s sensor stabilization means you can handhold this lens with longer shutter speeds. Canon doesn’t offer a stabilized 24-70 f/2.8, and Nikon’s 24-70 f/2.8 VR is known to be a bit less sharp.
  • The tilt screen is critical for shooting low to the ground or over crowds.

Read full reivew at Tony Northrup Photo

Sony G Master Lenses Video Reviews

Photographer Matt Granger had a chance to test the new FE 85mm f/1.4 GM lens, comparison with Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 lens for the size and image quality.

The FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM features special elements for reducing aberrations and increasing resolution, a 9-bladed aperture, special coatings for reduced reflections, a direct drive SSM (Super Sonic Wave Motor) for fast and quiet focusing, dust and moisture resistance, and a compact design.

The FE 85mm f/1.4 GM lens has an 11 blade circular aperture (the most offered in an α lens) for smooth bokeh, Nano AR coating for reducing flare and ghosting, a ring drive SSM motor, dust and moisture resistance, and an aperture ring with on/off switchable click stops (for smooth adjustments during video recording).

The FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM features special coatings (Nano AR and fluorine), a floating focusing system (the first in an α zoom lens) for improved AF performance, a minimum focusing distance of just 0.96m (~3.15ft), a SSM and dual linear motors, Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, dust and moisture resistance, a focus hold button, and a focal range limiter.