The new Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II delivers high resolution, smooth bokeh and fast autofocus in a lightweight and compact body. First impressions of the new second-gen G Master lens are rolling out and reviewers are talking about its advanced features and impressive upgrades. See more of their thoughts in our review roundup below. Learn more about the new Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II HERE.

First impressions of the new second-gen G Master lens are rolling out and reviewers are talking about its advanced features and impressive upgrades.

David Zhou

“If you want the Too Long, Didn’t Watch summary: Yes, it’s worth it.” – David Zhou

“The improved sharpness performance at every stop, especially corner-to-corner sharpness as well as improved artifact suppression and significantly better autofocus performance, the Mark II is just a fantastic lens. Plus, this lens produces some of the best subject separation and bokeh I’ve seen on any lens, really. It’s a great lens for just about everything an 85mm focal length lens is good for – portraits, weddings, fashion, sports, landscapes and the list goes on.” – David Zhou

B&H Photo Video Pro Audio

“Overall, after eight years the FE 85mm f/1.4 G Master II is a welcome upgrade. For those who are already Sony shooters and utilize its predecessor, you’ll be pleased with the improvements. And those who are new to Sony, well, you’re getting into an ecosystem at the perfect time. For photo, the images produced were sharp, and utilizing the fast 1.4 aperture, I love to be able to separate the subject from the background with a dramatic fall off. During our video applications it felt good knowing the lens would hold focus and not shift, and was super smooth when racking focus. In my personal life, I shoot a lot of sports, weddings and travel, and I definitely see myself utilizing this lens a tremendous amount. Being able to get nice and sharp details while tracking your subjects is key in our line of work, and this lens does it, and does it well.” – Joe, B&H

Kyle Watts

“This thing has been an absolute beast to use. Like, I loved using this lens. This thing is incredibly sharp. It takes super fast photos. The video looked great. I’m just absolutely ecstatic about this lens. And then having it be 1.4, really good in low light. It’s going to be really good, blurry backgrounds.” – Kyle Watts

Adorama

“What you need from an 85 is precision and a beautiful fall off, and I think this lens checks all the boxes.” –Sal D’Alia

Mark Bennett’s Camera Crisis

“If you are looking for the most optically perfect 85mm focal length, then right here, this GM Version II. Other than a little bit of LoCA, there are no optical flaws on this guy. And also much smaller and lighter, balances better on your camera. Easy to take around. An absolute winner – what you would expect from a GM update, and that’s what you’ve got here with this lens.” – Mark Bennett

Gerald Undone

“You can see a pretty alarming improvement on the G Master II against the G Master I, which again surprised me because the G Master I against other lenses looks really sharp. So that shows you how sharp the G Master II is.” – Gerald Undone

The Art Of Photography

"Personally I found this lens to be an excellent performer with really good contrast. Really good color rendition. It's a really good lens. I think the original was and I think this one, for me at least, is just a little better even." – Ted Forbes

Lizzie Peirce

“This thing is tack sharp from edge to edge – even wide open at f/1.4. That means you’re getting super crisp details no matter where your subject is in the frame. But the real selling point here is the bokeh. Sony packed an 11-blade aperture, which means the background blur is perfect for making your subject pop.” – Lizzie Peirce

Mark Galer

"I think this 85 is going to find a home in my personal camera bag." – Mark Galer

“What I like about the 1.4 choice is that it does allow me to engage in low light street photography.” – Mark Galer

Wex Photo Video

“For my job, I’ve got to have this. And I have this one sort of state of mind with using the best possible kit I can get my hands on, and this is the best portrait lens that Sony makes. So I’ve got to have it.” – Tom Oldham

“It’s just a massive improvement, I think. One thing I noticed is just how fluid the whole process is, when you’re shooting. It doesn’t feel like you’re fighting against missed focus or any of the other complexities that happen.” – Ron Timehin

Jason Morris

“I just love how it controls the chromatic aberration. And the bokeh on this thing? Chef’s kiss. Amazing.” – Jason Morris

“Is the Mark II worth it over the Mark I? Well, obviously. It’s a lot smaller. It’s a lot lighter. It has better image quality. It’s faster. And you know, it’s just an overall better lens.” – Jason Morris

TheCameraStoreTV

“I love the look I was getting out of it and the results are exceptional. I mean how sharp it is but the separation and the look overall, the images are just popping off the screen. This lens doesn’t disappoint whatsoever. It’s the best that Sony can make and it’s one of the best 85mm lenses I’ve ever used.” – Dave, The Camera Store

Jared Polin

“This is a great wedding lens. For portrait photographers. It’s a great carry around lens. It’s great with street photography. You saw how amazing it looked out there at the Civil War reenactment. I love this lens. I have nothing bad to say about it…” – Jared Polin

Jeven Dovey

“Honestly I love the look of this lens after going through all this footage, and there are some major benefits. You can film from a distance and get some great shots, which is especially helpful when working with subjects that are uncomfortable with the camera. And also, this is a lens that’s not used as often as something like a 35mm for video, so the footage definitely has a distinct look.” – Jeven Dovey

Learn more about the new Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II HERE.