Sony FE24mm F1.4 GM ($1,399) is everything a wide-angle modern lens needs to be. The Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM is significantly smaller and lighter than other SLR lenses, extremely sharp and can open up to f/1.4 for images taken with blurred backgrounds. It's a great choice if you have the budget.
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Small, wide, and bright
The FE24mm F1.4 GM lens is smaller than other SLR lenses. The FE 24mm F1.4 GM measures 3.6x3.0 inches (HD), and weighs just under one pound. It supports 67mm front filters. It is half the price of the Sigma 24mmF1.4 DG HSM Art but weighs in at half the weight and has a slightly larger overall area.
This lens, part of Sony’s G Master Series top-tier lenses, includes all the usual design details. It is made of rugged polycarbonate with splash and dust protection and an anti-smudge fluorine coating at the front. Sony also includes front and rear caps as well as a soft case.
An aperture control ring is available, which can be adjusted from f/1.4 to f/16 at third-stop increments. The switch to the right disables the aperture clicks. This allows for silent, smooth adjustment of video.
You'll see an AF/MF toggle on the left and a function switch on the right. It's default function is to lock autofocus. However, you can change its function from your camera's menu. You can also use the manual focus ring.
Although the FE24mm is able to focus very close to 9.5 inches (or so), macro magnification can only be achieved at 1:5.9 for a life-size. Lenses have a focus distance measured at 6 inches from their sensor.
There is one thing that's missing: optical stabilizer. This is not something we would expect from a lens like this. However, all full-frame lenses, except the oldest, include in-body stabilizer which can be very useful at wide angles for images as well as handheld video.
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Extraordinary Resolution
Sony claims that the G Master series of its G Master series will be compatible with sensors both today and tomorrow. Although the 60.2MP a7R III was not available outside of a laboratory at the time the FE-24mm was first announced, the lens provides sufficient resolution to satisfy its image sensor.
An Imatest analysis shows that the lens produces approximately 4,300 lines at f/1.4 when paired with an a7R IV. This is a great result for a 60MP lens. At f/2 (4,525 lines), and f/2.8 (4.700 lines), it is excellent. Although the edge resolution is slightly lower than that of the center at wide settings it still performs well at all.
At f/4 the lens crosses the 5,000 line mark, an impressive result that almost maximizes the potential image sensor of the a7R IV and provides a dead-even performance from the center to the edge. At f/5.6, the lens shines at 5,070 lines. It also excels at f/8 at 4,933 lines. The lens drops slightly at f/11 (3,447 lines), and f/16 (3.710 lines).
Other aspects of optical performance are good. The distortion is minimal and visible. While there's some vignette when we photograph a gray background, it's not noticeable. The effect disappears at f/2 or higher.
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The Benchmark for Large Primes
Sony employs some unusual lens elements including the Extreme Aspherical, or XA lens. This allows for high quality images in a small f/1.4 lens. Sony pays close attention to details. This includes an 11-blade aperture that shows circular highlights in defocused areas, even at small f-stops. A Direct Drive SSM autofocus system allows for quiet, quick focus.
It costs $1,399 and may shock some photographers, particularly if they have already purchased a full-frame model with lower prices. While it's not as expensive as Canon or Nikon SLRs for comparable first-party options, Sony SLR owners have plenty of budget options.
The Zeiss Batis 225 has a lower F-stop but is $100 cheaper. It can also be purchased for less than $1,000 occasionally. With a price of $449, the FE 28mm F2 can be found more frequently at a lower price.
For value-shoppers, the Sigma 24mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens is a great choice. You'll pay a bit less—it's priced at $849—but the lens was originally designed for SLRs, so there's some extra bulk that comes with it. It has not been tested on high-resolution systems, however, I would recommend it to 24-megapixel users as long as it isn't too large.
The FE 24mm F1.4 GM is the most desirable. This prime is the best you can find for an A7 or A9 Series body and Editors Choice.