I know you’ve been doing it this way for a while, but I like how you’ve decided on this new one long format video with a short form video to open. Much better than two separate videos or just the old long form. Your channel is a must-visit any time a new lens comes out.
Thank you very much for that. I've really struggled to find what is my own preferred format. My long form style isn't as RUclips friendly, but I also think I'm doing something that most others aren't doing.
@@DustinAbbottTWII really enjoy your deep dives, especially if I'm stuck on deciding between two lenses. Sometimes some extra corner sharpness is the thing that makes me swing one way or another, or coma / astigmatism in wide angle lenses, as anything 35 or wider is game for milkyway photography. This is why I got the sony 20 instead of the sigma 20 dn recently, the sigma has severe CA on stars wide open. Some people can live with that, I couldn't.
It's very interesting to get into nuances between these lenses but a bigger gap for most photographers I've seen is actually quality of costuming, lighting, composition.
Dustin please do a video about which 85mm lenses you found to have the “special” look you mention. I’m not really interested in boring (but sharp) lenses.
Since you are asking on a Sony review, I assume you are asking on E-mount. For a zoom, I would say the Tamron 35-150mm. It gives great versatility and works well either indoors or outdoors. I think the Sony 50mm F1.2 is special as a portrait lens. On a tighter budget I think the Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II has very nice rendering. I do like the Sigma 85mm F1.4 as well.
@@DustinAbbottTWIThe sigma 50 1.2 also seems to be a great option, while almost at the price of the gm 50 1.4 here in Europe. I personally own the 85 dn, and I'm going to get the 35 gm to complement it, as the 35 dn needs a refresh imho. I also own the 20 G, 200-600, sigma 24-70 dn mark I and I had the 35-150 for a while (too bulky for daily use for me personally). All great lenses, so happy to have joined the sony ecosystem. I'm also looking at the 14mm GM as it's the cheapest well rounded ultrawide for the mount, and the 24-70 + 14mm for travel / architecture is just a mint combination.
The Zeiss Milvus 135mm F2 is pretty special. Canon EF 200mm F2 IS. For an 85mm lens, I would say that the Canon EF 85mm F1.2L II is probably still the nicest.
Thanks, a comprehensive review as always. Much to like with this GM. I never bought the original GM 85mm, even though I used to love my Nikon equiv, before switching to Sony mirrorless 6 years ago. Tis is way better and now on my 'buy' list. I originally bought the (excellent value and underrated) G f1.8. if I weren't a GAS lens snob, then maybe I'd just be happy with my 85G. I will likely buy this 85 GM mkii, evaluate alongside my 85G, then decide if I keep both or sell my G. Previously I retained my 35mm f1.8 G after buying the 35mm f1.4 GM (I had good reasons to). If I sell my 85G I know I won't realise much for that - but I possibly already have too many Sony lenses. It makes kit selection trickier - depending on subject/genre, trip duration, bag choice etc etc. This 85GM for portraits will augment my lovely (quite hefty) 135 GM. 135 f1.8 is excellent for planned portraits, but less good for impromptu people, as subject distance make direction trickier. Also risks unwanted folk wandering into shot, part blocking any ad-hoc shooting situations. When you have control of subject(s), set and lighting you can get great results with just about any focal length IMO. On AF speed I applaud what Sony is doing. I just ordered an a9iii (for sports and video) and feel rapid AF is now something I really look for in any lens. On aperture I also feel that f1.4 is, for me, the sweet spot - balancing heft, bulk, boker and cost. Yes a f1.2 might have niche appeal, for some. But I'd sacrifice a 1/3 stop for still excellent boker but with a much more usable (hand held) lens that better suits real world usage situations. My only surprise is that it took Sony until now to update. Id been anticipating this upgrade since 2022 after seeing the trajectory of Sony lenses....newer mkii, typically better, smaller, faster, more fully featured (eg aperture ring etc), often 'best in class' too.
I want to congratulate you for being the only reviewer of this lens so far who pointed out that effectively, while it may be near perfect optically, that doesn’t necessarily mean the rendering is fantastic/ special. We seem to be lost in a world of absolute sharpness right now and while I can appreciate technical photography requires that, for even non technical pros or an amateur - it would seem to be a quick path to wasted money and missed creative opportunities. I feel like working with technically lesser lenses can really help us grow and personally I’m not sure I need a hypertechnical 85 that brings every skin imperfection to light, just to require editing to soften and at the expense of a more dreamy feel.
Hi Dustin! Can you please tell me if the new G Master 85mm II is inferior to the G Master 135mm 1.8 in terms of resolution, sharpness and detail? Which one is sharper and has a higher resolution?
I just retired so I thought I would give photography a try. I just bought the Sony A7RV, Sony 85mm GM 2 f/1.4, Sony FE 200-600mm G f/5.6-6.3 and the Sony 35mm GM f/1.4 Whenever I start a new hobby I hate upgrading later
I'm working on it, but there have been so many new releases that it keeps getting bumped further back...since I own the Z8, I can be more flexible in the timing.
The GM I was not so good, we should compare the gm II with the Sigma Art, and find out that the sigma is still very very good , and maybe the best pick
I will much more like to have an aperture 1.4 85mm Lens than one big, heavy ship of a lens with aperture 1.2 !!! So it is very positive that Sony kept the 1.4 aperture ! But I will keep my Zeiss Batis Sonnar 85mm 1.8 T* because it is much more light weight and aperture 1.8 are more than enough for a 85mm to my use !
@@LtDeadeye So what ! Though I may not get the new Sony 85mm 1.4 GM II, I do appreciate that Sony makes a better Lens than the first version ! I do NOT like big and heavy Lenses, I think it is only men with small penises that buy those !
@@LtDeadeye There's a reason for that. The value proposition for f/1.4 and especially f/1.8 lenses is MUCH better. The FE f/1.8 is 1/3 the price, just over half the weight, has shallow enough DOF to blur the subject's nose, when focused on the eye, and is nearly an inch shorter. And it's sharp enough to show every pore and wrinkle, in a portrait. Even if I hit the lottery, tomorrow, I wouldn't trade up to the heavier weight and greater bulk, for 1/3 stop.
@@careylymanjones I’d rather not purposely limit my creative potential for sake of a bit of size and weight. You get more light ~30%, a shallower DOF and 1.2 lenses are typically sharper at 1.4 than 1.4 lenses.
@@LtDeadeye If your bag is full of f/1.2 lenses, it will be much heavier than a kit of f/1.8 lenses, and there will not be room for as many lenses. My Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens takes up 1/3 of my Peak Design 6L bag. My Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 takes up 1/6 of the same bag. I can get an extra lens in the bag, if I take the f/1.8. Sometimes I NEED f/1.4, but if I don't, the f/1.8 is lighter, and leaves more room in the bag for other gear. An alternate loadout for the PD 6L is the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8, the Sony 35mm f/1.8, and the Tamron 70-180 f/2.8, with either a full-frame or APS-C body, depending on whether I'm shooting wide or long. And for landscape/urban architecture/street, ultra bokeh is rarely necessary, or even desirable. Was Ansel Adams known for bokeh, in his shots? No, he was a founding member of the F/64 Group, who's schtick was maximum DOF. If you want to spend three or four times the money, and carry twice the weight, you do you. For the landscape stuff I shoot, f/1.2 is a waste of money, weight, and bulk.
I bought the 50/1.2 but once the 50/1.4 got released, that’s what I use. Granted a 1.2 can be stopped down, when needed, but that additional weight will always be around.
2 месяца назад+2
True and it seems most F1.2 lenses with the exception of the very latest and most expensive are not super sharp at F1.2 and require a stop of F1.4 for super sharpness. This New Sony lens is super sharp at F1.4 across the frame. Very impressive.
That’s totally untrue. Getting both eyes in focus depends on the skill of the photographer in managing the subject’s pose, angle and distance relative to the camera/lens. Even at F1.4 you may not get both eyes in focus if the aforementioned are not properly executed.
I prefer a f1.4 vs a f1.2 as well, so will likely buy this new GM mkii I understand your point about keeping both eyes sharp (1.4 vs 1.2) but pedantically that's controlled by subject distances too, not just aperture.
Worst part is, it wouldn't even be standing out from the crowd with respect to aperture, it would simply be joining the rest of it's competitors. Really perplexing how they didn't go with a 1.2
They viewed the original as a failure and couldn't allow that to stand. This was meant to replace the first one. They felt they had to do that before releasing a 1.2.
Thanks for the great review. I come to see yours first. I'd bet you're planning on it, so when will you release a head to head Sigma vs GM2 review? All I can figure now is Sigma wins size & price, whereas Sony wins distortion/vignette and AF. Some tiebreakers on image quality and bokeh would be useful.
This Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II seems much sharper than the XF 56mm F1.2 R WR (2nd gen) + X-H2 that you reviewed in May this year. People keep saying how sharp the XF 56mm F1.2 R WR was but it's soft compared to this.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks. I thought Fuji threw everything they had on the XF 56mm WR (2nd gen). I am starting to suspect they just can't make glass as good as Sony. As as you said the X-Trans probably is a liability as well.
Another great review I’m going sigma just don’t see the cents I have to spend just for autofocus that being said if it was the price of the Sony g master 50mm 1.4 I would get it
You know the 85/1.4 GMII is a good lens, but it is not ground breaking. What I really wish Sony (or anyone else) will do is make a SWITCHABLE STF lens. Specifically an 85/1.4 or 100/2 with an Electrochromic Apodization element. One that can electrically go from -0.0 EV to -2.0EV transmittance with varying STF effect.
I hear what you are saying, but STF lenses are pretty niche. Sony already has a 100mm STF GM lens (bhpho.to/3CDYdwG), but I suspect it has not been a great seller, as it only has 20 user reviews even though it has been out since 2017. The original Sony 85 GM has 185 user reviews over a similar period of time.
The best artistic rendering on the planet is the Canon EF 85 1.2 II. Nothing comes close. It's soft with a lot of LOKA and is slow focusing though...I just have to go with the cleaner image of the Sigma and sacrifice that artistic nature.
Which lenses would u rate as magical bokeh rendering types for Sony ? I got the 85GM1...and the rendering is nice, maybe not magical, but I am not sure if the new version is better or worse in this discipline...I suspect worst as it more designed for sharpness...less CA...
@@muliblitz I prefer the rendering of the Sigma, there's just something about the look that pops more, especially the 105. Focusing is not as good, but on my a7rV cameras it's not bad
It’s interesting that reviews are not highlighting that this lens is $700 less expensive than the Canon RF 85/1.2 L or $1000 less than the Nikon Z 85/1.2 S and 500-600 grams lighter than these two as well. Clearly it’s aimed to be the best f/1.4 around which to me makes it ideal for what I need with its best in class auto focus speed. Thank you and take care.
I just picked one up used in mint condition for $800. I don’t think there’s a better 85mm available for that kind of money. Any pincushioning or distortion is easily corrected in post.
@@coldmedinaLOL, I had the version one 85mm f1.4 GM and it was soft at f1.4, slow to focus, too big, heavy and poor rendering. I sold it and got the much better Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN and it bests the version one GM in sharpness, focus speed rendering, size and weight. All independent testers agree the Sigma is the best E-mount 85mm presently on the market, just a fact. This Internationally Award Winning Pro of over 50 years in the business has owned all the best 85mm f1.4 from Nikon, Canon and Sony, and the Sigma is tops. When I would shoot the version one 85mm f1.4 GM alongside my Sony 135mm f1.8 GM, the glaring shortcomings of the version one 85mm f1.4 GM were evident. I could not match the sharpness, and IQ of shots with my 135mm f1.8 GM. With the Sigma Art 85mm f1.4 DG DN I can match the sharpness and IQ of my 135mm f1.8 GM when I use both on the same job. A game-changer . All independent testing shows this. FYI, I have owned Sony A6500, A7RII, A7RIII, A7III, A9, A7RIV, A7SIII, and currently own A1, A9III, A7RV. Cheers
If the F1.2 was released I’d buy 2 of them … one for use and the other as a mint collection.. I don’t care if it’s twice as heavy or as large.. I want the heavier larger diameter glass for photography work…if it needs to be bigger than canon then great…I’ll use a mono pod..The buttery images are worth it as a photographer.. Everyone that bought the sigma 85mm 1.4 will just keep the sigma.. why not … Especially if you already have the 50mm F1.2..the 85mm F1.4 GM II was a mistake.. they should have released the 85mm F1.2 first like the 50mm f1.2 to compete with sigma.. Sad but good that we are getting some action from Sony..Waiting for the F1.2 monster which will be Sony’s best prime lens ever… and they know it… lol
Trade in my FE 85mm f/1.8 for a lens that's three times as expensive, more than half again as heavy, and takes up more room in my bag, for an extra 1/3 stop? I don't THINK so. The fact is that at six feet away from the subject, an 85mm f1/8 only has about an inch of DOF on each side of the plane of focus. If you nail the eye, you may end up the the tip of the nose soft, never mind the ear. If you want the subject's entire face to be sharp, you probably don't need to be faster than f/2, with an 85mm. At least not at headshot distances. And if you're shooting on location, and you want the location to be recognizable, f/1.4 is just silly. "Here's my portrait, taken at the Eiffel Tower, but the tower is so blurred-out that you can't recognize it." Kudos to Sony for not jumping on the f/1.2 bandwagon. An f/1.2 would have been even bigger, heavier, and probably MUCH more expensive.
sigma has sharper in center , lighter , smaller , cheaper , beautiful lens flare . sony has better af , better corners , better distortion. sure i will keep my sigma , and wait for sigma 85 1.2 it will be cheaper also more than gm 85 1.4 ii 👌🏻👍🏻
I have been waiting for this lens for years. I have got to say, I'm disappointed by the rendering. It reminds me of the emount Sony 135 1.8, whose rendering was so clinical it left me deeply disappointed, and had me clutching my beloved 135 1.8 in A mount. Great review as always,😅 but I think I will lean towards getting the v1 version of the lens. For a portrait lens, rendering is more important to me than optical correction.
I used to have the 135/1.8ZA (used with the A900) which I considered as a benchmark for perfection, and now have the 135/1.8FE (used with the A7RV) and to be quite honest, I look at the 135/1.8FE as a slight improvement over the ZA version.
@@OBrandt-i5c Thanks for your reply. I'm going to go to Flickr and take another look at 135 emount shots (it's been a couple of yrs since I investigated the lens). Maybe I will change my mind. Again, thanks for sharing your experience.
Sony really missed an opportunity to make a statement. they should've come out with an 85 f1.2 that was smaller and lighter than both the Nikon and Canons big and heavy monsters. but with at least equal image quality and a slightly lower price. it would've separated themselves in allot of ways. just like they did with their smaller and lighter 50 f1.2. it would've also separated themselves from the Sigma 85 which has been the 85 lens to beat for a few years now. there is also just not letting Nikon and Canon having a lens that Sony doesn't have. and its not just any lens. its the lens that all portrait photographers want. and with it being so long since they first came out with the original 85 GM. they had so much time to make there new 85 f1.2 something that really blew people away. the 85 is just to important of a focal range for Sony not to have an f1.2. especially with all of the talk about Nikon and Canons bigger lens mounts and Sony not being able to make fast glass because of there smaller mount. Sometimes I think Sony is slowing down. Sony has been the leader of innovation for a number of years now. but now Canon and Nikon are right there. and it just seems like Sony is getting content with where they are at. instead of continuing to push the envelope forward. but now that this took place. maybe Sigma or Tamron or Samyang will surprise us with an 85 f1.2. it's such a wanted lens for Sony users.
Previous 85GM owner, and sold it due to focus speed but have been waiting for too long for the 85 MKII, then the Nikon 85 1.2 came out and I jumped in right away as I am multiple system user not locked into a particular brand, after this announcement and your review I am so glad what I did, I also don't see much improvement in the Bokeh, also F1.4 is little " disappointing", well, I was expecting a F1.2 since both Canon and Nikon offer the F1.2 version, however, this lens is "only" $1798 USD MSRP in US, $1000 cheaper than the Nikon and Canon 85 1.2 also much smaller and lighter, I think Sony did great job making it small and light as they know most Sony user want small and light gear, so I bet it will sell like a pancake. as for myself, I will definitely stick with the 85 1.2 , if I am adding a 85 portrait lens to my Sony platform, I would rater just get a Sigma 85 1.4 dg dn instead.
I think it's the differences between philosophies of the lens manufacturers that result in the rendering of the final images. Optically-speaking, Sony focuses on perfection, meaning without any serious flaws like CA, flares, corner softness, just like any of their GM lenses, to accommodate everyone in the market. Canon has a worse flare performance, but some portrait photographers like its flare for they to create artistic images in the field. Some people claim that Nikon Z 50 1.2 and 85 1.2 emphasize the transition of out-of-focus and in-focus areas to have better rendering than the other two manufacturers, and it speaks about Nikon has portrait photographers in mind when it designs their 1.2 lenses.
And I understand why some people are not so excited about the new GM II, because there is an already excellent Sigma 85 1.4 in the Sony system. The Sigma lens, while seem not as good as the Sony lens in some categories, is lighter and obviously have a higher price-performance ratio. If Sony chose to make a lens with emphasis on the transition of out-of-focus and in-focus areas (like the f1.2 lenses from Nikon) and totally round bokeh (like the Nikon's Plena 135 1.8), then the Sony lens would have distinctive characters making it very different from the Sigma lens, and it might stand up as an unique lens on its own. The current Sony lens feels like a jack-of-all-trades, but definitely not a master-of-portraiture.
@@Kevon420 Is that a serious comment or jesting?! That would be a perfect lens. I've been waiting for Tamron to up their 28-200 to 24-200 like the Nikkor I so loved, but a 20-200...
This lens should have been released two years ago, it’s still outclassed by the Sigma in terms of weight & nearly double the cost. They couldn’t make a f/1.2 because of the 46mm E-Mount, so they elected to build a video-centric 85 Prime, as opposed to a portrait photographer 85 Prime, which Nikon & Canon offers. They can make a 24 f/1.2 Prime with Quad-XD motors & shock the world once again in 2025 in conjunction with the α1ii announcement. Does Sony have the courage to still innovate?
"Outclassed" is 12g? 630g vs 642g. The difference might be all the pincushion distortion.. Sony did here what people have been clamoring for: update one of their first if not the first GM lens. "They can't make a 1,2" oh OK, because it's possible at 50mm and impossible beyond? Whatever you say Chuck And thanks for the thorough review Dustin : )
I'm not sure that you can definitively draw that conclusion (re: F1.2), and that certainly wasn't what Sony said in my briefing with them on this lens. We've seen multiple full frame F1.2 lenses on Sony E-mount, and Viltrox has detailed in their roadmap upcoming 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm F1.2 prime lenses for Sony FE.
@@DustinAbbottTWInot beyond 58mm, Dustin. Nikon had the best optical engineers on Earth and since 1959 they could not push beyond 58mm at f/1.2. When they launched Z-mount at 55mm, they dropped the 58 f/0.95 Noct and followed that up with the first 85 f/1.2 for Nikon owners in history. At 46mm, there is not enough light that can hit the edges of the sensor beyond 58mm. There is nothing preventing Sony from releasing a 24, 35 or 50 at f/1.2, it’s going beyond 58mm that is the inherent flaw. I have been around the country and have spoken to Professionals who have been in the industry for decades, and they all agree with my conclusion. Sony needs to shock the world with the first 24mm f/1.2 Prime and give the 50GM its little brother. Own the 24/50 focal lengths because Sony will never match Canon or Nikon at 85mm until they move on from E-Mount. This is an excellent lens for videographers, but for portrait photographers it is outclassed by Nikon & Canon’s 55mm mount. You are the best Dustin, and your review is the one that matters most. Thank you for all that you do 🙇🏼♂️
@@hikertrashfilmsif you don’t need the 30 fps and better AF from the factory GM for your applicable body than you go with the Sigma.. if you’re a working pro and that cost is a faction of your days shoot then it’s getting preordered at 10am tomorrow
![Twenty One Pilots - The Line (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XCz7WUotXs8/mqdefault.jpg)
This video is sponsored by Fantom Wallet. Visit store.fantomwallet.com and use code DUSTIN20 to get 20% off
I know you’ve been doing it this way for a while, but I like how you’ve decided on this new one long format video with a short form video to open. Much better than two separate videos or just the old long form. Your channel is a must-visit any time a new lens comes out.
Thank you very much for that. I've really struggled to find what is my own preferred format. My long form style isn't as RUclips friendly, but I also think I'm doing something that most others aren't doing.
@@DustinAbbottTWII really enjoy your deep dives, especially if I'm stuck on deciding between two lenses. Sometimes some extra corner sharpness is the thing that makes me swing one way or another, or coma / astigmatism in wide angle lenses, as anything 35 or wider is game for milkyway photography. This is why I got the sony 20 instead of the sigma 20 dn recently, the sigma has severe CA on stars wide open. Some people can live with that, I couldn't.
It's very interesting to get into nuances between these lenses but a bigger gap for most photographers I've seen is actually quality of costuming, lighting, composition.
100% true.
Dustin please do a video about which 85mm lenses you found to have the “special” look you mention. I’m not really interested in boring (but sharp) lenses.
Batis 85 :) £400 used mint
best artistic rendering on the planet is the Canon EF 85 1.2 II. Nothing comes close. It's soft with a lot of LOKA though.
Dustin at the end of the day is 1.4 vs 1.2 an emount limitation that Sony couldn't overcome?
Not according to Sony, and I'm inclined to believe them, as doing an 85mm F1.2 is no more difficult than doing the 135mm F1.8.
What lenses would you say are the best for professional portrait photography (indoors and outdoors)?? Not the mm, but the actual brand.
Since you are asking on a Sony review, I assume you are asking on E-mount. For a zoom, I would say the Tamron 35-150mm. It gives great versatility and works well either indoors or outdoors. I think the Sony 50mm F1.2 is special as a portrait lens. On a tighter budget I think the Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II has very nice rendering. I do like the Sigma 85mm F1.4 as well.
@@DustinAbbottTWIThe sigma 50 1.2 also seems to be a great option, while almost at the price of the gm 50 1.4 here in Europe.
I personally own the 85 dn, and I'm going to get the 35 gm to complement it, as the 35 dn needs a refresh imho.
I also own the 20 G, 200-600, sigma 24-70 dn mark I and I had the 35-150 for a while (too bulky for daily use for me personally). All great lenses, so happy to have joined the sony ecosystem.
I'm also looking at the 14mm GM as it's the cheapest well rounded ultrawide for the mount, and the 24-70 + 14mm for travel / architecture is just a mint combination.
Dustin what is the lens with your most preferred bokeh please tell us.
The Zeiss Milvus 135mm F2 is pretty special. Canon EF 200mm F2 IS. For an 85mm lens, I would say that the Canon EF 85mm F1.2L II is probably still the nicest.
Thanks, a comprehensive review as always. Much to like with this GM. I never bought the original GM 85mm, even though I used to love my Nikon equiv, before switching to Sony mirrorless 6 years ago. Tis is way better and now on my 'buy' list. I originally bought the (excellent value and underrated) G f1.8. if I weren't a GAS lens snob, then maybe I'd just be happy with my 85G.
I will likely buy this 85 GM mkii, evaluate alongside my 85G, then decide if I keep both or sell my G. Previously I retained my 35mm f1.8 G after buying the 35mm f1.4 GM (I had good reasons to). If I sell my 85G I know I won't realise much for that - but I possibly already have too many Sony lenses. It makes kit selection trickier - depending on subject/genre, trip duration, bag choice etc etc.
This 85GM for portraits will augment my lovely (quite hefty) 135 GM. 135 f1.8 is excellent for planned portraits, but less good for impromptu people, as subject distance make direction trickier. Also risks unwanted folk wandering into shot, part blocking any ad-hoc shooting situations. When you have control of subject(s), set and lighting you can get great results with just about any focal length IMO.
On AF speed I applaud what Sony is doing. I just ordered an a9iii (for sports and video) and feel rapid AF is now something I really look for in any lens.
On aperture I also feel that f1.4 is, for me, the sweet spot - balancing heft, bulk, boker and cost. Yes a f1.2 might have niche appeal, for some. But I'd sacrifice a 1/3 stop for still excellent boker but with a much more usable (hand held) lens that better suits real world usage situations.
My only surprise is that it took Sony until now to update. Id been anticipating this upgrade since 2022 after seeing the trajectory of Sony lenses....newer mkii, typically better, smaller, faster, more fully featured (eg aperture ring etc), often 'best in class' too.
Sounds like you are a great candidate for this lens.
Very good video as usual. When a comparative with the Sgma art 85mm 1.4 DG DN ?
Next week!
I want to congratulate you for being the only reviewer of this lens so far who pointed out that effectively, while it may be near perfect optically, that doesn’t necessarily mean the rendering is fantastic/ special.
We seem to be lost in a world of absolute sharpness right now and while I can appreciate technical photography requires that, for even non technical pros or an amateur - it would seem to be a quick path to wasted money and missed creative opportunities.
I feel like working with technically lesser lenses can really help us grow and personally I’m not sure I need a hypertechnical 85 that brings every skin imperfection to light, just to require editing to soften and at the expense of a more dreamy feel.
Some people claim that Nikon Z 50 1.2 and 85 1.2 emphasize the transition of out-of-focus and in-focus areas to have better rendering.
There's definitely a case to be made that overcorrecting a lens robs it of some character.
Hi Dustin! Can you please tell me if the new G Master 85mm II is inferior to the G Master 135mm 1.8 in terms of resolution, sharpness and detail? Which one is sharper and has a higher resolution?
Both are so ridiculously sharp that this isn't really a consideration. The new 85II might be ever so slightly sharper, but not in a meaningful way.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you!
Thank you very much for the review. I'm looking forward to your comparison with other similar lenses.
I do have a direct comparison video the the Sigma filmed.
I have this lens. Had it for about 3 weeks now. I love it. I didn’t get the 1st version
I'm glad you are enjoying it!
One thing literally no one ever mentions in a review, why can’t we use focus lock to LOCK INTO a specific aperture, why ONLY in or out of A????
If you want to do that, why not just put the aperture ring in A and set your desired aperture in camera?
@@DustinAbbottTWIBecause that would be too simple! 😂
I just retired so I thought I would give photography a try. I just bought the Sony A7RV, Sony 85mm GM 2 f/1.4, Sony FE 200-600mm G f/5.6-6.3 and the Sony 35mm GM f/1.4
Whenever I start a new hobby I hate upgrading later
Sounds like you should be well covered. That's a pretty amazing "starter's kit".
Love the review as always… but is it sharper than the RF 85 1.2…? 😌
Definitely is...even though the RF 85mm only has to resolve a maximum of 45MP
@@DustinAbbottTWI Oh no!! 😭😭😭
@@DustinAbbottTWIwow, rf85 is sharp as hell, I can't imagine something sharper 😮
Thanks for the review!
Can the RF 85 1.2 mount on a Sony camera body?
@ 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 No….. 😒
Hi Dustin, just one off topic question, is there any Nikon Z8 review coming? Thanks
I'm working on it, but there have been so many new releases that it keeps getting bumped further back...since I own the Z8, I can be more flexible in the timing.
@@DustinAbbottTWIsuch a great camera. I hope the a7V gets the Z8 sensor or something similar.
Thanks Dustin for this thorough review, Cheers
You're welcome.
Great video.Just bought the Sony Gm II a beast of a lens!
It is that.
Great review Dustin Abbott, thank you.
My pleasure.
The GM I was not so good, we should compare the gm II with the Sigma Art, and find out that the sigma is still very very good , and maybe the best pick
That comparison is coming later this week.
I will much more like to have an aperture 1.4 85mm Lens than one big, heavy ship of a lens with aperture 1.2 !!! So it is very positive that Sony kept the 1.4 aperture ! But I will keep my Zeiss Batis Sonnar 85mm 1.8 T* because it is much more light weight and aperture 1.8 are more than enough for a 85mm to my use !
But they already have so many other 85mm options at 1.4 and 1.8.
@@LtDeadeye So what ! Though I may not get the new Sony 85mm 1.4 GM II, I do appreciate that Sony makes a better Lens than the first version ! I do NOT like big and heavy Lenses, I think it is only men with small penises that buy those !
@@LtDeadeye There's a reason for that. The value proposition for f/1.4 and especially f/1.8 lenses is MUCH better. The FE f/1.8 is 1/3 the price, just over half the weight, has shallow enough DOF to blur the subject's nose, when focused on the eye, and is nearly an inch shorter. And it's sharp enough to show every pore and wrinkle, in a portrait. Even if I hit the lottery, tomorrow, I wouldn't trade up to the heavier weight and greater bulk, for 1/3 stop.
@@careylymanjones I’d rather not purposely limit my creative potential for sake of a bit of size and weight. You get more light ~30%, a shallower DOF and 1.2 lenses are typically sharper at 1.4 than 1.4 lenses.
@@LtDeadeye If your bag is full of f/1.2 lenses, it will be much heavier than a kit of f/1.8 lenses, and there will not be room for as many lenses. My Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens takes up 1/3 of my Peak Design 6L bag. My Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 takes up 1/6 of the same bag. I can get an extra lens in the bag, if I take the f/1.8. Sometimes I NEED f/1.4, but if I don't, the f/1.8 is lighter, and leaves more room in the bag for other gear.
An alternate loadout for the PD 6L is the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8, the Sony 35mm f/1.8, and the Tamron 70-180 f/2.8, with either a full-frame or APS-C body, depending on whether I'm shooting wide or long.
And for landscape/urban architecture/street, ultra bokeh is rarely necessary, or even desirable. Was Ansel Adams known for bokeh, in his shots? No, he was a founding member of the F/64 Group, who's schtick was maximum DOF.
If you want to spend three or four times the money, and carry twice the weight, you do you. For the landscape stuff I shoot, f/1.2 is a waste of money, weight, and bulk.
F/1.2 is great in principle but rarely gets both eyes in focus, and a lot more weight. I prefer the f/1.4.
I bought the 50/1.2 but once the 50/1.4 got released, that’s what I use. Granted a 1.2 can be stopped down, when needed, but that additional weight will always be around.
True and it seems most F1.2 lenses with the exception of the very latest and most expensive are not super sharp at F1.2 and require a stop of F1.4 for super sharpness. This New Sony lens is super sharp at F1.4 across the frame. Very impressive.
That’s totally untrue. Getting both eyes in focus depends on the skill of the photographer in managing the subject’s pose, angle and distance relative to the camera/lens. Even at F1.4 you may not get both eyes in focus if the aforementioned are not properly executed.
@@coldmedinait’s just about being far away enough from the subject
I prefer a f1.4 vs a f1.2 as well, so will likely buy this new GM mkii
I understand your point about keeping both eyes sharp (1.4 vs 1.2) but pedantically that's controlled by subject distances too, not just aperture.
Thank you for an excellent review. I highly appreciate the sample images. The details are impressive.
My pleasure.
As always, wonderful and precise review Dustin. Thank you! I think the Sigma 85 is prob on the near horizon for my A7RV.
Fair enough.
Thank you very much for the review.
Glad it was helpful!
Worst part is, it wouldn't even be standing out from the crowd with respect to aperture, it would simply be joining the rest of it's competitors. Really perplexing how they didn't go with a 1.2
They viewed the original as a failure and couldn't allow that to stand. This was meant to replace the first one. They felt they had to do that before releasing a 1.2.
@@plutonium5156 Sony viewed their G-Master 85mm lens as a failure? Going to need an argument for that one..
I meant that more in the context of E-mount, where there still isn't an AF 85mm F1.2
Thanks for the great review. I come to see yours first. I'd bet you're planning on it, so when will you release a head to head Sigma vs GM2 review? All I can figure now is Sigma wins size & price, whereas Sony wins distortion/vignette and AF. Some tiebreakers on image quality and bokeh would be useful.
It's filmed, but will probably be a few weeks before I have room to release it due to other timed new releases.
Can't argue with that detail.
It's definitely superb in that area.
This Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II seems much sharper than the XF 56mm F1.2 R WR (2nd gen) + X-H2 that you reviewed in May this year. People keep saying how sharp the XF 56mm F1.2 R WR was but it's soft compared to this.
Fuji's X-Trans sensors are very hard to demozaic...and this is next level glass for sharpness, anyway.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks. I thought Fuji threw everything they had on the XF 56mm WR (2nd gen). I am starting to suspect they just can't make glass as good as Sony. As as you said the X-Trans probably is a liability as well.
Winner, definitely a lens worth getting. Near perfect.
Definitely has very few flaws.
Another great review I’m going sigma just don’t see the cents I have to spend just for autofocus that being said if it was the price of the Sony g master 50mm 1.4 I would get it
Fair enough.
You know the 85/1.4 GMII is a good lens, but it is not ground breaking.
What I really wish Sony (or anyone else) will do is make a SWITCHABLE STF lens.
Specifically an 85/1.4 or 100/2 with an Electrochromic Apodization element.
One that can electrically go from -0.0 EV to -2.0EV transmittance with varying STF effect.
I hear what you are saying, but STF lenses are pretty niche. Sony already has a 100mm STF GM lens (bhpho.to/3CDYdwG), but I suspect it has not been a great seller, as it only has 20 user reviews even though it has been out since 2017. The original Sony 85 GM has 185 user reviews over a similar period of time.
The best artistic rendering on the planet is the Canon EF 85 1.2 II. Nothing comes close. It's soft with a lot of LOKA and is slow focusing though...I just have to go with the cleaner image of the Sigma and sacrifice that artistic nature.
It's true that some of the less corrected lenses have some of the most special rendering. Sometimes you can correct all the character out of a lens.
Which lenses would u rate as magical bokeh rendering types for Sony ? I got the 85GM1...and the rendering is nice, maybe not magical, but I am not sure if the new version is better or worse in this discipline...I suspect worst as it more designed for sharpness...less CA...
@@muliblitz the sigma 105 1.4
@@JoshStreetDesign Great...i just ordered one used...arriving next week...how does the sigma compare to the sony gms ?
@@muliblitz I prefer the rendering of the Sigma, there's just something about the look that pops more, especially the 105. Focusing is not as good, but on my a7rV cameras it's not bad
It’s interesting that reviews are not highlighting that this lens is $700 less expensive than the Canon RF 85/1.2 L or $1000 less than the Nikon Z 85/1.2 S and 500-600 grams lighter than these two as well. Clearly it’s aimed to be the best f/1.4 around which to me makes it ideal for what I need with its best in class auto focus speed. Thank you and take care.
But you didn’t mention the Nikon and canon are (1.2)
@@Jwitherow1964 I mention that the Canon and Nikon lenses both are f/1.2 in their specific model names.
I think that is a fair take.
Honestly, just get the Sigma. It’s a wonderful lens.
The Sigma has significantly more pincushion distortion.
I just picked one up used in mint condition for $800. I don’t think there’s a better 85mm available for that kind of money. Any pincushioning or distortion is easily corrected in post.
The sigma is a boring clinical lens - I regretfully got rid of my GM for the Sigma
@@coldmedinaLOL, I had the version one 85mm f1.4 GM and it was soft at f1.4, slow to focus, too big, heavy and poor rendering. I sold it and got the much better Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN and it bests the version one GM in sharpness, focus speed rendering, size and weight. All independent testers agree the Sigma is the best E-mount 85mm presently on the market, just a fact. This Internationally Award Winning Pro of over 50 years in the business has owned all the best 85mm f1.4 from Nikon, Canon and Sony, and the Sigma is tops. When I would shoot the version one 85mm f1.4 GM alongside my Sony 135mm f1.8 GM, the glaring shortcomings of the version one 85mm f1.4 GM were evident. I could not match the sharpness, and IQ of shots with my 135mm f1.8 GM. With the Sigma Art 85mm f1.4 DG DN I can match the sharpness and IQ of my 135mm f1.8 GM when I use both on the same job. A game-changer . All independent testing shows this. FYI, I have owned Sony A6500, A7RII, A7RIII, A7III, A9, A7RIV, A7SIII, and currently own A1, A9III, A7RV. Cheers
@@coldmedinathis lens seems to be the epitome of clinical. So are you saying you now want this?
If the F1.2 was released I’d buy 2 of them … one for use and the other as a mint collection.. I don’t care if it’s twice as heavy or as large.. I want the heavier larger diameter glass for photography work…if it needs to be bigger than canon then great…I’ll use a mono pod..The buttery images are worth it as a photographer.. Everyone that bought the sigma 85mm 1.4 will just keep the sigma.. why not … Especially if you already have the 50mm F1.2..the 85mm F1.4 GM II was a mistake.. they should have released the 85mm F1.2 first like the 50mm f1.2 to compete with sigma.. Sad but good that we are getting some action from Sony..Waiting for the F1.2 monster which will be Sony’s best prime lens ever… and they know it… lol
The problem for Sony is that for every opinion like yours, there is at least one favoring F1.4 and the smaller size instead.
Trade in my FE 85mm f/1.8 for a lens that's three times as expensive, more than half again as heavy, and takes up more room in my bag, for an extra 1/3 stop? I don't THINK so. The fact is that at six feet away from the subject, an 85mm f1/8 only has about an inch of DOF on each side of the plane of focus. If you nail the eye, you may end up the the tip of the nose soft, never mind the ear. If you want the subject's entire face to be sharp, you probably don't need to be faster than f/2, with an 85mm. At least not at headshot distances.
And if you're shooting on location, and you want the location to be recognizable, f/1.4 is just silly. "Here's my portrait, taken at the Eiffel Tower, but the tower is so blurred-out that you can't recognize it." Kudos to Sony for not jumping on the f/1.2 bandwagon. An f/1.2 would have been even bigger, heavier, and probably MUCH more expensive.
So you probably weren't looking for an F1.2 lens :)
@@DustinAbbottTWIIf I were a billionaire, and money was no object, I wouldn't want to lug the damn thing around. :)
Dustin is the only reviewer I trust.
No pressure ;)
First. No way. Been looking forward to this.
Congrats
So boys and girls, Sigma 1.4 over the new lens?
I'll release a video covering that in a couple of weeks.
sigma has sharper in center , lighter , smaller , cheaper , beautiful lens flare .
sony has better af , better corners , better distortion.
sure i will keep my sigma , and wait for sigma 85 1.2 it will be cheaper also more than gm 85 1.4 ii 👌🏻👍🏻
I've got a full comparison video coming.
I will stay with my Sony 1.8 z I have the Nikon 1.2 85 I my opinion it’s the best 85 I have ever used.
I've heard good things about the Nikkor. Haven't used it yet.
I have been waiting for this lens for years. I have got to say, I'm disappointed by the rendering. It reminds me of the emount Sony 135 1.8, whose rendering was so clinical it left me deeply disappointed, and had me clutching my beloved 135 1.8 in A mount. Great review as always,😅 but I think I will lean towards getting the v1 version of the lens. For a portrait lens, rendering is more important to me than optical correction.
I used to have the 135/1.8ZA (used with the A900) which I considered as a benchmark for perfection, and now have the 135/1.8FE (used with the A7RV) and to be quite honest, I look at the 135/1.8FE as a slight improvement over the ZA version.
@@OBrandt-i5c Thanks for your reply. I'm going to go to Flickr and take another look at 135 emount shots (it's been a couple of yrs since I investigated the lens). Maybe I will change my mind. Again, thanks for sharing your experience.
I loved the 135GM, but the rendering wasn't quite at the level of the Zeiss Milvus 135mm F2 I once used.
I dont care for 1.2
Wish they would have made it 1.2 I would have bought it,
You probably won't be alone in that.
its looks great & well done Sony but am I the only one thinking WOW that's overpriced , c'mon Sony drop your prices you are losing customers
Well, to be fair, it is the same price as the previous 85mm F1.4 GM, and far cheaper than any of the first party 85mm F1.2 lenses from Canon or Nikon.
@@DustinAbbottTWI maybe its the conversion exchange rate to UK but nearly 2K for a lens is robbery & greed in my mind from all the camera companies .
❤❤❤❤
Sony really missed an opportunity to make a statement. they should've come out with an 85 f1.2 that was smaller and lighter than both the Nikon and Canons big and heavy monsters. but with at least equal image quality and a slightly lower price. it would've separated themselves in allot of ways. just like they did with their smaller and lighter 50 f1.2. it would've also separated themselves from the Sigma 85 which has been the 85 lens to beat for a few years now. there is also just not letting Nikon and Canon having a lens that Sony doesn't have. and its not just any lens. its the lens that all portrait photographers want. and with it being so long since they first came out with the original 85 GM. they had so much time to make there new 85 f1.2 something that really blew people away. the 85 is just to important of a focal range for Sony not to have an f1.2. especially with all of the talk about Nikon and Canons bigger lens mounts and Sony not being able to make fast glass because of there smaller mount. Sometimes I think Sony is slowing down. Sony has been the leader of innovation for a number of years now. but now Canon and Nikon are right there. and it just seems like Sony is getting content with where they are at. instead of continuing to push the envelope forward. but now that this took place. maybe Sigma or Tamron or Samyang will surprise us with an 85 f1.2. it's such a wanted lens for Sony users.
I'm pretty much in the same boat.
Previous 85GM owner, and sold it due to focus speed but have been waiting for too long for the 85 MKII, then the Nikon 85 1.2 came out and I jumped in right away as I am multiple system user not locked into a particular brand, after this announcement and your review I am so glad what I did, I also don't see much improvement in the Bokeh, also F1.4 is little " disappointing", well, I was expecting a F1.2 since both Canon and Nikon offer the F1.2 version, however, this lens is "only" $1798 USD MSRP in US, $1000 cheaper than the Nikon and Canon 85 1.2 also much smaller and lighter, I think Sony did great job making it small and light as they know most Sony user want small and light gear, so I bet it will sell like a pancake. as for myself, I will definitely stick with the 85 1.2 , if I am adding a 85 portrait lens to my Sony platform, I would rater just get a Sigma 85 1.4 dg dn instead.
I think it's the differences between philosophies of the lens manufacturers that result in the rendering of the final images. Optically-speaking, Sony focuses on perfection, meaning without any serious flaws like CA, flares, corner softness, just like any of their GM lenses, to accommodate everyone in the market. Canon has a worse flare performance, but some portrait photographers like its flare for they to create artistic images in the field. Some people claim that Nikon Z 50 1.2 and 85 1.2 emphasize the transition of out-of-focus and in-focus areas to have better rendering than the other two manufacturers, and it speaks about Nikon has portrait photographers in mind when it designs their 1.2 lenses.
And I understand why some people are not so excited about the new GM II, because there is an already excellent Sigma 85 1.4 in the Sony system. The Sigma lens, while seem not as good as the Sony lens in some categories, is lighter and obviously have a higher price-performance ratio. If Sony chose to make a lens with emphasis on the transition of out-of-focus and in-focus areas (like the f1.2 lenses from Nikon) and totally round bokeh (like the Nikon's Plena 135 1.8), then the Sony lens would have distinctive characters making it very different from the Sigma lens, and it might stand up as an unique lens on its own. The current Sony lens feels like a jack-of-all-trades, but definitely not a master-of-portraiture.
@@chanjeff4406 i totally agree with you
I think this is well stated, @chanjeff4406
This is yet another Sony lens that doesn't excite me at all.
Dont worry the 20-200 f2.0 is right around the corner.
Same.
It will be harder to get excited when there are so many amazing lenses already available on E-mount.
@@Kevon420 Is that a serious comment or jesting?! That would be a perfect lens. I've been waiting for Tamron to up their 28-200 to 24-200 like the Nikkor I so loved, but a 20-200...
This lens should have been released two years ago, it’s still outclassed by the Sigma in terms of weight & nearly double the cost. They couldn’t make a f/1.2 because of the 46mm E-Mount, so they elected to build a video-centric 85 Prime, as opposed to a portrait photographer 85 Prime, which Nikon & Canon offers. They can make a 24 f/1.2 Prime with Quad-XD motors & shock the world once again in 2025 in conjunction with the α1ii announcement. Does Sony have the courage to still innovate?
"Outclassed" is 12g? 630g vs 642g. The difference might be all the pincushion distortion.. Sony did here what people have been clamoring for: update one of their first if not the first GM lens. "They can't make a 1,2" oh OK, because it's possible at 50mm and impossible beyond? Whatever you say Chuck
And thanks for the thorough review Dustin : )
I'm not sure that you can definitively draw that conclusion (re: F1.2), and that certainly wasn't what Sony said in my briefing with them on this lens. We've seen multiple full frame F1.2 lenses on Sony E-mount, and Viltrox has detailed in their roadmap upcoming 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm F1.2 prime lenses for Sony FE.
@@Vantrakterin terms of cost. Sony is $1000 more than Sigma
@@DustinAbbottTWInot beyond 58mm, Dustin. Nikon had the best optical engineers on Earth and since 1959 they could not push beyond 58mm at f/1.2. When they launched Z-mount at 55mm, they dropped the 58 f/0.95 Noct and followed that up with the first 85 f/1.2 for Nikon owners in history. At 46mm, there is not enough light that can hit the edges of the sensor beyond 58mm. There is nothing preventing Sony from releasing a 24, 35 or 50 at f/1.2, it’s going beyond 58mm that is the inherent flaw. I have been around the country and have spoken to Professionals who have been in the industry for decades, and they all agree with my conclusion. Sony needs to shock the world with the first 24mm f/1.2 Prime and give the 50GM its little brother. Own the 24/50 focal lengths because Sony will never match Canon or Nikon at 85mm until they move on from E-Mount. This is an excellent lens for videographers, but for portrait photographers it is outclassed by Nikon & Canon’s 55mm mount. You are the best Dustin, and your review is the one that matters most. Thank you for all that you do 🙇🏼♂️
@@hikertrashfilmsif you don’t need the 30 fps and better AF from the factory GM for your applicable body than you go with the Sigma.. if you’re a working pro and that cost is a faction of your days shoot then it’s getting preordered at 10am tomorrow