{"id":9204,"date":"2017-09-12T08:00:12","date_gmt":"2017-09-12T07:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=9204"},"modified":"2024-04-21T14:24:17","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T13:24:17","slug":"sony-fe-1-885-vs-sony-fe-1-485-gm-the-big-shootout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/sony-fe-1-885-vs-sony-fe-1-485-gm-the-big-shootout\/","title":{"rendered":"Sony FE 1.8\/85 vs. Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM – The Big Shootout"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This is the long promised Sony FE 1.8\/85 vs. Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM shootout. This article should clarify what the \u00a0differences between these lenses are. Even the physical appearance sets both lenses apart. Does the FE 1.4\/85 GM also punch in a higher class optically, or just in terms of size and weight? Let’s find it out.<\/p>\n

This is a classic shootout article. For sample images and further informations, check out the dedicated lens reviews of the Sony FE 1.8\/85<\/a> and the Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM (coming soon).<\/p>\n

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Side note: It is obvious that the Batis 1.8\/85 would have fitted nicely into that comparison. I am a private person and review my own gear<\/strong>. I simply can’t afford to own all of them simultaneously. I have commented on the Batis 1.8\/85 in the alternatives section of the Sony FE 1.8\/85<\/a> review.<\/p>\n

Warning: This comparison is very detailed because I had to decide which lens I want to own personally. If you get bored by crop comparisons, just move on to the conclusion and make your decision.<\/p>\n

Comparisons like these are a huge amount of work. This is also the reason why there are not many comparisons like this on the web. If you appreciate this article, please consider buying the lens of your choice using one of these affiliate links:<\/p>\n

The Sony FE 1.8\/85 is available at Amazon.de<\/a> and\u00a0 Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM is available at Amazon.de<\/a> and Amazon.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The differences on the paper<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
<\/td>Sony FE 1.8\/85<\/th>Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Diameter:<\/td>78 mm<\/td>89,5 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Length*:<\/td>82 mm<\/td>107,5 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight:<\/td>371g<\/td>820g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Filter diameter:<\/td>67 mm<\/td>77 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aperture blades:<\/td>9 (rounded)<\/td>11 (rounded)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elements\/Groups<\/td>9\/8<\/td>11\/8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Close focusing distance:<\/td>0.8 m<\/td>0.8 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mount:<\/td>Sony-E<\/td>Sony-E<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price (Aug. 2017): <\/td>580\u20ac<\/td>1.670\u20ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

This the easy part of the equation – The Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM is significantly larger, longer, needs larger filters, is more than twice as heavy, more than three times as expensive and also more complex. Not much to say about it, it’s obvious. Save your time and and just get the FE 1.8\/85 (which already turned out to be a good performer in our Review<\/a>)\u00a0 if you are just looking for a nice, light, small and cheap native 85mm lens.<\/p>\n

Build quality<\/h2>\n

The FE 1.4\/85 GM screams quality in every aspect of its appearance. Its outer barrel is made from high quality plastic, which is a good thing in my opinion, because it is very scratch and shock resistant. The rubberized focus ring is nicely dampened and the focus hold button as well as the AF\/MF switch are larger and feel nicer than the external controls of the FE 1.8\/85. The aperture ring has a smooth and well defined feeling and can be declicked for video usage. The weather sealing of the GM lenses seems to be improved – at least the rubber gasket around the lens mount indicates that. The lens hood has got a locking mechanism and a rubberized front ring. A practical lens pouch is also in the box. The build quality of the Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM reminds me of a even more worthy interpretation of Canon’s L series which is a compliment.<\/p>\n

The FE 1.8\/85 is also a nicely crafted lens. It’s made from light metal and feels very light and well put together. The focus ring is smoothly dampened and I appreciate that the lens features a focus hold button which can be reprogrammed for things like Eye AF.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless it doesn’t give you the feeling of a super robust tool like the Sony GM 1.4\/85 does. The lens hood feels much cheaper, the feeling of the focus hold button and the AF\/MF-switch is plasticky and I wouldn’t have too high expectations of the scratch resistance of its painting. No real criticism, especially regarding the price – I just want to clarify what sets them apart.<\/p>\n

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Handling<\/h2>\n

First of all, the FE 1.8\/85 is much easier to carry around for longer times, especially if you own an APS-C body or don’t use a battery grip or L-bracket with your A7 series cameras. It makes its way into my camera bag much easier while I think twice if I really want to carry the glass brick (85 GM) around.<\/p>\n

In general, the operation of the FE 1.4\/85 feels a little more satisfying to me because of the better feeling of the external controls.<\/p>\n

The manual focus by wire of both lenses is virtually the same and features direct transmission of the focus ring movement to the focus motor which is a good thing and comes closer to manual lenses.<\/p>\n

The biggest difference in terms of handling is the quality of the autofocus. The Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM makes a audible scratchy noise when focusing. That doesn’t sound too healthy but seems to be unproblematic since I have never heard of long term problems. In contrast, the autofocus of the Sony FE 1.8\/85 is virtually silent which might be an important aspect for video. The autofocus speed of both lenses is also significantly different. The Sony FE 1.8\/85 is very fast and action-ready, the Sony FE 1.4\/85 is quite slow although the last firmware update improved its speed. Not an issue for portrait photography but too slow for sports and playing kids.<\/p>\n

Sharpness<\/h2>\n

Infinity – Center<\/h5>\n

The central sharpness of both lenses wide open is quite comparable and a little affected by LoCA and\/or purple fringing (only FE 1.8\/85). At equal apertures (f\/1.8 vs. f\/1.7), the GM pulls ahead and is visibly more contrasty and crisp. The GM is superior at large apertures but the FE 1.8\/85 catches up at f\/5.6.<\/p>\n

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Infinity – Midframe<\/h5>\n

Surprisingly, the FE 1.4\/85 doesn’t have a midzone dip and this area is already very sharp at f\/1.7. The midframe looks pretty much equal to the central area and the FE 1.8\/85 needs again f\/5.6 to catch up to the GM.<\/p>\n

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Infinity – Corner<\/h5>\n

In the corners, the FE 1.4\/85 looks already very sharp at f\/1.7 and improves a little at f\/2.8. The FE 1.8\/85 needs again f\/5.6 to catch up to the performance of the GM.<\/p>\n

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Close Up<\/h5>\n

Both lenses feature the same minimum focus distance (0.8m) although the magnification of the Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM is a bit higher due to the slightly longer focal length. The Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM is quite soft at f\/1.4 at the minimum focus distance but it gets a great boost in sharpness at f\/1.7. It is clearly sharper and more contrasty than the Sony FE 1.8\/85 at every aperture.<\/p>\n

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LoCA<\/h2>\n

I tested LoCA on a very sunny day. You can see the scene in the image below – A metal ladder which is reflecting the bright sunlight. It’s hard to think of more demanding scenes to test LoCA, keep that in mind.<\/p>\n

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Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM | f\/1.4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Sony FE 1.4\/85 at f\/1.4 shows the highest amount of LoCA in that comparison. Both lenses show almost the same amount of LoCA at f\/1.7|f\/1.8 but I see a that the color of the aberration is quite different and the saturation of the GM’s fringing is a little higher. The Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM shows less traces of LoCA at f\/2.8 and is virtually free of it at f\/4 while the Sony FE 1.8\/85 still shows some color inacurracy. Keep in mind that the FE 1.8\/85 has a tendency to show purple fringing, the FE 1.4\/85 doesn’t show this.<\/p>\n

While the LoCA look quite intense in this sample, I have never had the LoCA-problems with these lenses that I had with the Sony FE 1.8\/55 ZA. Both lenses don’t perform that bad in absolute terms but this is my subjective rating.<\/p>\n

One last thing that is visible but barely noticeable is that Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM exhibits slight forwards focus shift on stopping down.\u00a0 I imagine that this is also the reason why the lens focuses stopped down at larger apertures (which upsets many users).<\/p>\n

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Flare performance<\/h2>\n

I have prepared three setups:<\/p>\n

Scene 1 – Sun almost in the corner<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sony FE 1.8\/85 shows a big green ghost image opposite to the sun. Furthermore, there is a visible but not too obstrusive amount of veiling flare around the sun.<\/p>\n

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Sony FE 1.8\/85 { f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM shows a higher amount of veiling flare around the sun but no ghost images. This position was the worst case for the Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM with the sun in the frame.<\/p>\n

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Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM { f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Scene 2 – Sun centrally on the edge of the frame<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second scene is the worst case that I could find on that day for the FE 1.8\/85. It still gets a little worse but the sun has to sit lower on the horizon for that. You can find a sample of that in the Sony FE 1.8\/85 review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In this case, the Sony FE 1.8\/85 shows a large green bulb which is surrounded by massive veiling flare. You have to provoke a scene like that but it is possible to encounter it in the field.<\/p>\n

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Sony FE 1.8\/85 { f\/11The Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM looks much cleaner in that scene. There is some veiling flare but nothing that would be an serious issue for me.<\/p>\n

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Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM { f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Scene 3 – Sun just outside of the frame (no lens hood)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

A little later on that day, I have shot an additional scene and overexposed it a little.\u00a0 The sun was not in the frame but just a little outside of it. You can see here what happens if you don’t use the lens hood.<\/p>\n

The FE 1.8\/85 shows a large green bulb and a rainbow arifact. There is also a warm veiling flare on the top left corner.<\/p>\n

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Sony FE 1.8\/85 { f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM shows a large amount of coating- or sensor-reflection in the center of the image.<\/p>\n

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Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM { f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both lenses didn’t handle that situation well and I’d recommend to use the lens hood if you plan to shoot against the sun or bright light sources.<\/p>\n

In general, the flare performance of the Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM is less problematic than the flare performance of the Sony FE 1.8\/85<\/p>\n

Landscape Rendering<\/h2>\n

The images below should give you an idea how a typical landscape scene can look like when imported to Lightroom. I see a more saturated image of the Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM and also a much warmer color. To me, that looks more appealing and natural, but it is a matter of taste and can be a adjusted to a certain amount in the postprocessing.<\/p>\n

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Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM | f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Sony FE 1.4\/85 GM | f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bokeh<\/h2>\n

This is of course one the most important aspects of a bright 85mm lens. Most people will use these lenses for portrait work and therefore I will take the most detailed look. I will always compare three images:<\/p>\n