Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II preorder links:
USA: Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama.
Europe: FotoErhardt, FotoKoch, Calumet, WexUK.
Here is a roundup of all the popular reviewers who have tested the new Sony 85 mm GMII lens. They all think it is an outstanding lens–with one exception from Chris Gampat who thinks it’s too perfect and therefore boring.
PCmag writes:
Sony tends to pull out all of the stops for its GM lens series, and that is true of the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II. Photographers who want a short telephoto prime with loads of background-blurring power for portraits, fast focus performance for high-speed action photography, exceptional optical performance, and a carry-friendly design should look no further. It easily earns our Editors’ Choice award and is worth the splurge for discerning professionals. The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art, another Editors’ Choice winner, offers comparable image quality for a lower $1,199.99, though it can’t take advantage of the faster drive speeds and breathing corrections of Sony’s first-party offering.
Dustin Abbott writes:
While the 85GM II is a lens improved in every way, I think that Sony might have missed an opportunity to create a standout lens by swinging for the fences with an F1.2 lens. There are some really solid 85mm lenses optically available for far less, with both the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 II and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DN ART being the standouts. The Sigma, in particular, isn’t really much behind in performance or features, but happens to cost a good $600+ less. And while there once was a time when certain photographers were a little “snobbish” towards third party brands like Sigma, I think that Sigma has largely overcome that. That makes the $1800 USD price tag of the new GM lens a bit of a harder sell, no matter how good it is.
Fstoppers writes:
Updates are bound to happen. though not all updates warrant an upgrade. But in this situation, I feel like any owner of the original Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM should seriously consider the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II. It’s lighter, it’s smaller, it’s faster, and it’s optically better. All around, I think this is one of Sony’s best lenses on the market today, and I have an empty slot in my bag ready for when it starts to ship.
Techradar writes:
The original Sony FE 85mm F1.4 G Master lens was so good it was pretty hard to fault; but it was launched back in 2016, and a lot has happened in lens design since then. As a result, the new Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is a long way from just a simple makeover. It has more advanced optics, improved autofocus performance, better aberration control and, to cap it all off, it’s both slimmer and 20% lighter than the old lens. It does cost more than the original, though, and the difference will depend on where you are. Optically, physically and operationally, though, the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is simply spectacular.
Amateur Photographer writes:
Overall, this is a lens which offers the best possible image quality in a well-sized and well-designed housing. It’s expensive, but sometimes in life you really do get what you pay for.
The only “negative” review comes from ThePhoBlographer. They write:
Sony is going to do what Sony does. What I mean by that is that they’re going to constantly find a reason to try to one-up themselves. I applaud the capitalist and consumerism-centered need to improve their products. But at the same time, they start to feel kind of soulless. Bearing this in mind, shooting with the Sony 85mm f1.4 GM II doesn’t feel like I’m shooting with a camera or a lens. It instead feels like I’m using a computer. The image quality feels just as sentient.
Is it sharp? Yes. Is the bokeh nice? Yes. Are the colors great? Totally. But to get them that way, Sony gives you the blankest slate you can possibly work with. There’s no character, and if you want that, then you have to do it in post-production or use a filter.
And then if that’s the case, what’s the point of getting the lens? Sharpness, too, can be made to look gorgeous in post-production. So this leaves us with the bokeh.