The Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM ($1,999.99) is the first ultra-bright aperture lens from the company, following similar entries from Canon, Nikon, and Sigma for their respective systems. The FE 50mm sets itself apart from competitors by way of form factor (it's not that much bigger than a typical F1.4), as well as absolutely outstanding optical performance. There are plenty of other 50mm lenses available for Sony cameras, but the F1.2 GM stands out among the crowd. It's a premium entry for sure, but it's up there with the best 50mm lenses we've used for any system, and earns our Editors' Choice award as a result.
Brighter, Not Bigger, Than F1.4
We're used to F1.2 lenses being, well, massive. The Nikkor Z 50mm F1.2 S and Canon RF 50mm F1.2 L USM are both heavyweight contenders. The FE 50mm F1.2 GM comes in at 1.7 pounds, about a quarter pound less than Canon and a half pound lighter than Nikon's take on the concept.
It's also a bit smaller all around. At 4.3 by 3.4 inches (HD), it supports reasonably sized 72mm front filters, and doesn't make your camera system as front-heavy as the 50mm F1.2 options for other systems. Sony has really done something here, delivering an F1.2 lens that is, for all intents and purposes, no bigger than the Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA.
The FE 50mm F1.2 GM is one of many fast-aperture primes available for the Sony system. It's part of the G Master series, Sony's top tier of lenses. It's positioned above the Zeiss line 50mm F1.4 ZA, still available for around $1,500. Sony also offers the Zeiss 55mm F1.8 ZA for around $900, and if you don't mind a budget build (and optics), you can get the Rokinon 50mm F1.4, now selling for around $450.
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Sony a7R IV, f/1.2, 1/2,000-second, ISO 100
That's not even getting into lenses from other focal lengths. It's worth noting that while the FE 50mm F1.2 GM is Sony's first F1.2 lens, it's not the only one available to Sony camera owners. The Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG DN Art has been on sale for close to two years. Some may prefer the wider angle, but it won't satisfy photographers shopping for a 50mm, and it's a hefty optic. If you're shopping for a 35mm, you'll be met with even more choices than in the 50mm focal range, which is well covered by Sony and third parties alike.
Top-Flight Construction
Sony uses polycarbonate for its GM lens barrels. It's a sturdy material, and has become the norm for camera lenses. Like Sony's camera line, the 50mm F1.2 GM includes internal seals to prevent dust and splashes from getting inside. The glass itself has anti-reflective coatings, as well as anti-smudge fluorine. A hood, front and rear caps, and carrying case are included.
The expected controls are there, too. The focus ring is at the front. It turns easily, but with enough resistance to precise manual focus. Its response is linear, a plus for videographers who need to perform the same focus rack from take to take. There is a breathing effect, though—the angle of view changes along with focus.
Autofocus is quick and quiet. There are two internal focusing groups, each driven by dual motors, that drive the lens from its close-up distance to infinity in a split second. Close-up focus is a strong suit, too—the lens locks as close as 15.7 inches, for 1:5.8 macro results. You'll net incredibly shallow depth of field when working up close at f/1.2.
Sony a7R IV, f/1.2, 1/8,000-second, ISO 100
You can swap focus modes quickly using the AF/MF switch, located on the left side of the barrel. There are two programmable function buttons on the barrel, one that you can press when holding the camera in landscape and another for portrait. The default function is AF-ON, and while you can reassign what the buttons do, you can't set them to perform two different actions.
You also get an aperture control ring. It's finished in polycarbonate, but has ridges so it's comfortable to adjust. A toggle switch changes between silent operation for video, and third-stop detents for photography. There's also an A position that moves aperture control to the camera body.
Optical stabilization isn't included, but that's no big concern. Sony's full-frame line includes 5-axis IBIS, so any lens enjoys some steadying. You'll easily net handheld speeds where subject motion is more of a worry than hand shake. With care, I managed half-second exposures with little or no blur.
In the Lab
I tested the FE 50mm F1.2 GM with the 60MP Sony a7R IV and software from Imatest. Resolution reaches outstanding levels when stopped down just a little bit, and is near the top of our excellent scale wide open (4,830 lines), with strong performance right up to the edges of the frame.
Sony a7S III, f/1.4, 1/160-second, ISO 100
The lens is just about as sharp as they get by f/2 and f/2.8 (5,200 lines). It holds steady through f/8, and shows just a little softening at f/11, an effect of diffraction. It's more evident at the narrowest setting, f/16. Resolution drops to just-okay levels there, but that's true of any lens on a digital system.
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There is a bit of pincushion distortion—lines that are straight in reality are drawn with an inward bow. In-camera corrections compensate for the effect when making JPG images or recording video, but they are visible in Raw files. Adobe doesn't have a correction profile for this lens yet, but it's likely to come with the next Lightroom Creative Cloud update.
Sony a7R IV, f/1.2, 1/3,200-second, ISO 100
In-camera corrections also compensate for dimmed corners and edges. The lens is a bit brighter toward the middle of the frame, and uncorrected photos show a natural vignette at f/1.2 and f/1.4. It's a rather modest one—I made no attempt to remove it from our sample photos, all processed from Raw using Adobe Lightroom.
When working at wider apertures, the lens blurs backgrounds with ease. The quality of bokeh is a bit subjective, of course, but Sony bills GM lenses as having pleasing defocused highlights. Stopped down it's also capable of drawing bright points of light as sunstars—you'll get good-looking ones starting around f/8.
Sony a7R IV, f/1.2, 1/5,000-second, ISO 100
The FE 50mm F1.2 GM does a very good job keeping highlights circular toward the center of the frame, but does show a modest cat's eye effect toward corners and edges of the frame when making an out-of-focus image of a string of holiday lights at f/1.2. Bokeh is rounder at f/1.4, and perfectly circular across the frame by f/2.
The lens did a great job of smoothing backgrounds in the field, even those that can prove to be problematic. I used it for some close-up shots of cherry blossoms and other scenes with tree branches, and had a hard time finding a shot with distracting elements in the bokeh.
Among the Finest Fifties
The growing number of made-for-mirrorless F1.2 primes is good news for photographers who love the creative control that an extra-wide aperture provides. These lenses are capable of capturing just a tiny slice of the of the world in focus, and are especially beneficial for photographers who work in challenging light.
Sony a7R IV, f/1.2, 1/3,200-second, ISO 100
The Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM is the best take on the concept for a full-frame mirrorless system to date. It's doesn't fall into the trap of being massive and front-heavy, and seemingly magically, there aren't many optical compromises made to get there.
Lab tests and real-world photos show outstanding resolution and smooth, clean defocused backgrounds. Autofocus is fast and quiet, and the lens includes the dust, splash, and fluorine protection that pros and photography enthusiasts demand from top-end gear, especially important if you take advantage of the tracking and high-speed capture offered by the a1 and a9 II.
If it were not for some focus breathing, a limiting factor for videographers, there wouldn't be any real flaws of which to speak. There's the price...at around $2,000, the FE 50mm F1.2 GM costs a little bit less than its counterparts from Canon and Nikon. But it's priced a full $500 more than the FE 50mm F1.4 ZA, a lens that's just as good now as it was before the FE 50mm F1.2 GM came to market.
The FE 50mm F1.2 GM does everything the 50mm F1.4 ZA does, but it does so a bit better. The aperture is wider, it focuses a little closer and with impressive speed, and it's not any bigger. The older 50mm F1.4 is still extremely capable, but it loses some luster compared with the FE 50mm F1.2 GM, one of the best 50mm lenses we've used for any camera system. It's our top recommendation for Sony pros, and our Editors' Choice.
Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM
Editors' Choice
Pros
View MoreThe Bottom Line
The Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM is the best standard prime lens available for the system, and the one to get if you use a top-end camera.
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May 04, 2021 at 03:20AM
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Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM Review - PCMag
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