You could say we're in our G Master era, and we’re watching creators reach new heights of photographic and cinematographic expression with these lenses of the future. In this article we explore the G Master primes in the Sony lens lineup – their ultra sharpness, lightness and reliability makes them a top choice for portraiture, landscape and astro, nature and wildlife, video, content creation and much more. Pairing any of these with the latest Sony Alpha camera, or any Sony Alpha camera for that matter, can give you the impressive imaging performance you need for everything from client work to hybrid and motion projects to social media. But of course, rehashing the incredible specs and tech is easy…we also want you to hear firsthand from creators who have used these G Master primes for their work. Keep reading for your complete guide to G Master prime lenses as creators share their experiences with the top-of-the-line lenses from the Sony lineup and see the proof of performance through their stunning imagery.
Pairing any of these with your Sony Alpha camera will give you the professional performance & results you need for everything from client prints to social media
Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master
If you have an interest in shooting night photography, you're seriously going to want to consider the Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master. It's the go-to prime for many night photographers, and for good reason. Not only does its maximum aperture of f/1.8 handle low light with ease, it's also lightweight and simple for creators to carry out to spaces where they can clearly capture the night sky. See what other creators have said about the lens below and check out Alpha Spotlight: An Ultra-Wide G Master Prime That Shines At Night for more.
Photographer and Sony Brand Ambassador Stan Moniz says the Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master is one of his favorites for astrophotography. “These are the sharpest lenses I’ve ever shot astro with. They’re insanely sharp and don’t give you any distortion or chromatic aberration. But pretty much anything that’s an f/2.8 or higher is going to give you pretty sharp stars in my experience.”
Photo by Stan Moniz. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master.
Astrophotographer Mihail Minkov calls the Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master one of his go-to lenses. “I was waiting for some time to get my hands on this lens. Since I’ve purchased it, it has become one of my go-to lenses, especially when I have an interesting foreground that I want to highlight. I love a fast aperture lens because I want to use a lower ISO, in order to have less noise, more dynamic range, and once I post-process my shots, I want to print them large and keep all the quality and details my camera and lens offer. The lens is ultra-sharp from corner to corner, very light with no coma and chromatic aberration.”
Photo by Mihail Minkov. Sony Alpha 7 III. Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master.
Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master
The Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master is a multi-tasking mainstay that you'll find in the bags of many professional photographers. Landscape, astro, portraits, weddings, and more – it's a lens that pros like because they can use it for so many different subjects and scenes. It almost goes without saying, but it also has that high resolution and beautiful bokeh that you would expect from a G Master. See some more below and dive even deeper into the lens in Alpha Spotlight: Why This Wide-Angle G Master Prime Is In So Many Pro Bags.
Travel and landscape photographer Shane Ware always includes the Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master in his kit as his top choice for capturing beautiful scenes both day and night. “My go-to lens for landscape photography because it checks all the boxes. The focal length is one of my favorites, while the f/1.4 aperture allows me to capture scenes at any time of the day, including astrophotography. To top it all off, it is very small and light which makes it a no-brainer to bring along on any trip.”
Photo by Shane Ware. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master.
Music culture and commercial lifestyle photographer Chad Wadsworth uses the Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master for everything from small shows to massive festivals. “The 24mm GM may just be my most utilized lens in the bag, as it tells the story without overly distorting like an ultra-wide lens, so images still feel normal to my eye,” the Sony Artisan explains. “It gets called upon for everything from wide concert scenes to tight shots of fans, and I even enjoy it for taking portraits like this one of the Argentinian singer Lali, backstage at Mala Luna Festival.”
Photo by Chad Wadsworth. Sony Alpha 9. Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/250-sec., f/5.6, ISO 100
Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master
Another multi-tasking masterpiece, the Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master is a favorite for a wide range of uses in both still and video. It's razor sharp, it's fast, it's compact, it's lightweight...and everyone needs a 35mm in their bag! Keep reading below to see why this is the top choice for many creators and see even more in Alpha Spotlight: A Popular Prime For Just About Everything.
Sony Artisan and fashion photographer Nino Rakichevich says that 35mm is always the focal length he starts any photo or fashion shoot with, and that the Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master version is the best. “It’s my starting point and then I can change lenses accordingly. I actually have all of the Sony 35mm lenses ever made, but this G Master one is the best. It’s very light for all that it does and since it’s f/1.4 it’s a super fast lens.”
Photo by Nino Rakichevich. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 35mm 1.4 G Master. 1/5000-sec., f/1.4, ISO 125
Landscape and astrophotographer Dylan McMains typically uses zoom lenses, but there is one prime he definitely won’t shy away from. “By that same token, there is one prime lens that I think stands above all the rest in terms of its versatility (not just in landscapes). The Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master is an insanely sharp, light, amazing lens to have on you. Being less than 85mm, this lens is still wide enough to capture most landscapes, but still limiting enough to make me think a little harder about how to capture what I see in front of me.”
Photo by Dylan McMains. Sony Alpha 7 III. Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. 5-sec., f/1.4, ISO 4,000
Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master
The Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master takes the "nifty fifty" to a new level. Because it allows for faster shutter speeds and lower ISO in low light settings, it's the ideal choice for portraits, wedding photography, video and more. It's super fast, delivers excellent resolution and has that sweet, sweet professional control and reliability of a G Master. See what some creators have to say about the lens below and get more of the inside scoop in Alpha Spotlight: An Ultra-Fast, Bokeh Making Favorite For Weddings, Portraits & More.
Photographer Al Thomas says the Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master would be his choice if he could only use one lens for an entire year. “It is just an amazing lens to be able to capture all of the different styles of content that I like to capture,” he says. “It gives me the versatility to be able to capture in any lighting conditions. I was waiting for a Sony nifty-fifty and when this came out it was everything that I needed and everything I wanted from that focal length.”
Photo by Al Thomas. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master. 1/80-sec., f/1.2, ISO 100
Sony Artisan Caroline Jensen creates beautiful botanical imagery, and this lens is the one she reaches for often. “I am 100% IN LOVE with the Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master! This lens has hardly left my camera since I got it last year. The lens is so incredibly sharp and it also has a fairly close minimum focus distance, which lets me get details as well as pull back shots.”
Photo by Caroline Jensen. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master. 1/250-sec., f/14, ISO 200
Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master
The Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master is a newer addition to the G Master lineup, and its large f/1.4 aperture deliver magnificent bokeh. Its fast, precise and quiet autofocus and tracking is great for stills and movies, and you'll get the breathtaking G Master image quality right out to the edges of the frame. Read more below and see more images and thoughts from other creators in Hands On: First Impressions And First Shots By Early Testers Of New Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master.
Portrait photographer and Sony Artisan Monica Sigmon uses the Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master and says, "This is a great focal length for portrait photographers. It’s beautiful for 3/4 length portraits while still staying at a comfortable distance to your subjects, allowing for a better, more intimate experience overall.”
Photo by Monica Sigmon. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/320-sec., f/1.4, ISO 200
Sony Artisan Kesha Lambert also loves the Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master, "50mm is a focal point that has a broad range of utility. It’s a lens that you could photograph an entire wedding with. It has the right compression for couples portraits and detail shots, and gives you enough room to work in small spaces and capture group shots."
Photo by Kesha Lambert. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/250-sec., f/3.2, ISO 320
Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master
Taking portraits, self-portraits, studio portraits, environmental portraits, or even vlogging? You're going to want to add the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master to your kit. It's been a popular choice for photos and videos that include someone in the frame because it's the perfect focal length for doing so. Many creators will even call it the king of portrait photography. Don't believe us? Keep scrolling to see below and read even more in Alpha Spotlight: The Leading Lens Of Portrait Photography.
Photographer and Sony Brand Ambassador Lizzy Gadd takes calming, ethereal self-portraits, and she loves to use the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master to tell her story. “For the same reason I love my 50mm and 35mm, this lens has an insane low aperture which really brings out the dreamy effect I love so much in my imagery,” she explains. “Having a longer focal length, I often use this lens when I’m a little further away from the camera and I want to compress the scene. It does the job amazingly well.”
“Desolate” Photo by Lizzy Gadd. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/3200-sec., f/1.6, ISO 50
Bronx-based creative Dennis Cacho calls the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master the King Of Portrait Photography, and he’s also found other uses for the focal length. “For me, I’ve been able to use this lens in many scenarios outside of portraiture like landscape, street and minimalistic photography.”
Photo by Dennis Cacho. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/250-sec., f/1.4, ISO 50
Sony 100mm f/2.8 STF G Master
The Sony 100mm f/2.8 STF G Master is a unique lens and a sleeper in the Sony lineup. It has absolutely beautiful bokeh, creating that stunning separation between subject and background. It’s an exceptional choice for portraits in a studio or daylight environment, especially when shot wide open, and the 100mm focal length is flattering for photographing faces. Read more about the sleeper lens below.
Lawrence Leyderman calls himself a photographer, explorer, overlander, outdoor junkie and part-time nomad. He makes sure to include the Sony 100mm f/2.8 STF G Master in his kit for exploring the great outdoors. “What a cool lens and so sharp too,” he says. “I use this for mid-telephoto panos, as well as when shooting semi-macro shots without having to get too close to an object like this lizard you see here. I must have taken at least 2000 images of these lizards on my last trip to the Caribbean. This lens makes it so fun to chase around these jeweled reptiles. I love the details you get with this lens - you can see every blood vessel in the lizard's eye.”
Photo by Lawrence Leyderman. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 100mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/400-secs., f/8, ISO 100
“Panoramic images look so stunning with this lens and I just love the compression I get with it! This image was focus-stacked as well.” Photo by Lawrence Leyderman. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 100mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/320-secs., f/11, ISO 100
Professional photographer Noel Claude II’s primary focus is in portrait, fashion and lifestyle photography. He captured the image below using the Sony 100mm f/2.8 STF G Master, which he says allowed him to get amazing compression. “This image was taken at 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 100. I was able to get amazing compression as well as achieve perfect focus utilizing the STF feature of the 100mm f/2.8 G Master lens. It gave me the depth of field of an f/2.8 aperture while providing the exposure and sharpness of a lens at f/5.6 which is truly the best feature of this lens for portraits. It's a unique lens that makes the subject pop from the scene while rendering the environment beautifully.”
Photo by Noel Claude II. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 100mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/1000-sec., f/5.6, ISO 100
Sony 135mm f/1.8 G Master
With the Sony 135mm f/1.8 G Master you get outstanding corner-to-corner resolution even at f/1.8, plus the exquisite bokeh that is a hallmark of the G Master series. It's another favorite among professional creators for everything from portraits and sports to nature and wildlife. See proof in the images and thoughts below, and for more read Alpha Spotlight: This Sharp, Light & Bokehlicious G Master Prime Is A Portrait Pro's Superpower.
Sony Artisan and professional sports photographer Patrick Murphy-Racey loves using the Sony 135mm f/1.8 G Master for capturing sports action. “It is long and very fast and this combo makes it create striking images. I use this all the time for shooting night football on goal, and when I sit out beyond the three point line on the baseline in hoops. For portraits and shooting all senior photos, it’s simply stunning. It is one of the sharpest lenses I have ever used in all my career. It can “clean up” the cluttered backgrounds at karate tournaments and is fast enough to keep up with K9’s running full tilt right at you. I love this lens!”
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 135mm f/1.8 G Master. 1/5000-sec., f/2, ISO 125
On-location portrait specialist, cinematic wedding photographer and Sony Artisan Scott Robert Lim calls the Sony 135mm f/1.8 G Master, “A perfect lens when you need a lot of reach but need to shoot in low light or want a shallow DOF. I use it at weddings or events where I can not get close to my subjects.”
Photo by Scott Robert Lim. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 135mm f/1.8 G Master. 1/4000-sec., f/1.8, ISO 400
Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master
You could call the Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master lens is an essential piece of gear for the legions of professionals who photograph sports, wildlife and more. It was the first large aperture super-telephoto prime lens to join the E-mount lineup, and the lightest lens of its class. Who could say no to that kind of versatility in a 400mm prime? Did we mention its brilliant image quality and extraordinary focusing speed and precision? Yeah...it's a good one. Read more below and take a deeper dive in Alpha Spotlight: A Fast Super-Telephoto For Long Focal Length & Optical Excellence.
Creator and Sony Brand Ambassador member Mike Meyers used the Sony Alpha 7R V with the Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master and Sony 1.4X Teleconverter on a tripod to create this timelapse. “This lens and this camera combined, I was blown away,” he says. “It's ridiculous how perfectly crisp and clear everything looks through that thing. A lot of times people will ask me, 'Do you really need that much resolution?' Maybe not for every shot, but for a shot like this, absolutely. Because the image where it's the full frame of the Statue of Liberty with the entire thing in there, that's a really cool shot. But then I can crop into a much tighter section of that and it still looks great. Without those megapixels you don't get that crop, it’s going to fall apart or become pixelated if you're shooting with less resolution.”
Enthusiast wildlife photographer Venki Ramasubramoni always includes this lens in his kit as he travels the world to capture stunning images of wildlife. “I mostly shoot handheld,” he explains, “so it is great to have a lightweight prime lens and the Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master is one of the best lightweight lenses available currently. The image quality is exceptional with incredible bokeh and detail. Its ability to perform under low light conditions is outstanding.”
Photo by Venki Ramasubramoni. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/2500-sec., f/2.8, ISO 200
Sony 600mm f/4 G Master
As the longest reaching prime in Sony’s flagship G Master series of lenses, the Sony 600mm f/4 G Master large-aperture super-telephoto prime lens features an incredible level of image quality and detail, with outstanding contrast and resolution maintained all the way to the corners of the image. The lens has become a lens a mainstay for professional sports and wildlife photographers.
San Francisco-based photographer Karthik Subramaniam used the Sony 600mm f/4 G Master to capture the image below, which earned first place in National Geographic’s ‘Pictures of the Year’ photo contest. “The Sony 600mm f/4 G Master lens is a special lens. My wildlife photography journey pretty much took an upward trajectory after I started using this lens. It's lightweight for a 600 prime and the image quality is unparalleled. It's my go-to lens for wildlife photography now.”
Photo by Karthik Subramaniam. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 600mm f/4 G Master. 1/1600-sec., f/4, ISO 1250
Wildlife photographer Phillip Hall relies on the Sony 600mm f/4 G Master for his photography. “This lens is my real workhorse and (subject depending) will be a permanent fixture on one of my camera bodies. It is lightweight and, more importantly, well-balanced (I took this on a four-week trip to Svalbard and was able to handhold for the entire period). The images I am able to capture with it are beautifully sharp and with the wide open aperture I’m able to shoot in low light and create a favored ethereal style seen in many of my images. The focal range allows me to shoot subjects from a comfortable distance (for both me and them) and becomes extremely powerful when paired with the Sony 1.4X Teleconverter.”
Photo by Phillip Hall. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 600mm f/4 G Master. 1/1250-sec, f/9, ISO 250
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