Niah Aldrich (@niahrosephoto) is a photographer who specializes in bold and vibrant portraiture both in and outside of the studio. She calls herself a very color-oriented portrait photographer, and when you look at her work you can see exactly what she means. With such a focus on detailed, colorful imagery, having a setup she can rely on to produce the best results is key. She recently had the chance to try out the new Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II lens at #SonyKandoTrip. After putting it to the test for several portrait sessions, we connected with her to see what she thought about using the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II for her style of work.
Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony Alpha 7 IV
–Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II
Photo by Niah Aldrich. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/1600-sec., f/1.4, ISO 100
Why 85mm For Portraits?
The 85mm lens focal length is often hailed as the quintessential choice for portrait photography, and for good reason. This focal length strikes the perfect balance between providing a flattering perspective and maintaining a comfortable working distance between the photographer and the subject. Unlike wider focal lengths that can distort facial features, the 85mm lens compresses the scene just enough to render faces naturally and elegantly, accentuating the subject's best features without exaggeration.
“I think it is the perfect length for portraits,” says Aldrich. “It's one of those focal lengths where there’s just something really special about it. It doesn't have a lot of distortion. Whereas the 35mm, and sometimes even a little bit on the 50mm, you don’t get quite the same look. I feel like the 85mm is just a really nice and accurate focal length, and it’s especially beautiful for a headshot. The separation from the background is perfect for my work.”
Photo by Niah Aldrich. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/5000-sec., f/1.4, ISO 160
A Worthy Upgrade
As a second-generation model, the new Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II builds on the optical design of its predecessor and incorporates the latest G Master tech to enhance the overall performance of the lens. As someone who's owned the original 85mm G Master and the f/1.8 lens, Aldrich says she was really excited to try the new Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II. “I was so pleased with it,” she says. “It is definitely a lot faster when it comes to focusing. The motors work seamlessly with the new cameras. I think my favorite part of it was the color that it produced. It was so rich in color and I felt like it was really accurate.”
She continues, “On some lenses, sometimes there's a magenta or a green cast, and I really think they did a good job in the color of this lens – especially as someone who loves color and does portraits. Color accuracy is really important with skin tones, and the extra vibrance from this lens is just stunning. The bokeh is so creamy, it just perfectly fades and blurs. It's just so seamless, so vibrant, so creamy, so smooth.”
Photo by Niah Aldrich. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/6400-sec., f/1.4, ISO 125
Niah’s Newfound Seamless Setup That Nails Focus Every Time
The Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II is the 76th E-Mount lens in Sony’s lineup, and is designed to take full advantage of the features in Sony’s latest Alpha series full-frame cameras. This was exactly Aldrich’s experience when she paired the lens with her Sony Alpha 7 IV. “The Sony Alpha 7 IV paired with the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II just works seamlessly,” she explains. I use the Eye Autofocus and it is extremely fast. Being able to trust, especially shooting at a low aperture, that it's going to hit the eye is so important.”
She continues, “For these photos specifically, I really wanted to push that f/1.4 and test to see if it was nailing focus, and it nailed on every shot. I know sometimes with a lens, especially shooting at a low aperture, if you can't trust your autofocus then you're moving the point around. Sometimes it will focus on the eyelash or the nose instead of the eye. So being able to trust my gear, that it's going to focus on that eye for my portraits and just fall off beautifully is super important.”
Photo by Niah Aldrich. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/6400-sec., f/1.4, ISO 160
Aldrich says she will absolutely be adding the new Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II to her photography kit. “This lens is going to be used so much, especially with my studio work and my outdoor portraits,” she concludes. “There's no distortion and it's just a really accurate and nice lens for headshots or full body. I really like the bokeh and am just so pleased with how fast it is and how the focus always hits on my portraits.”
See more of Niah Aldrich’s work on Instagram @niahrosephoto or at niahrosephoto.com.
Learn more about the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master HERE.
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