Introduction
This hands-on review covers everything that you need to know about the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM, an ultra-wide prime lens for Sony’s full-frame mirrorless E Mount. This is Sony’s widest f/1.8 lens, and it’s also part of their professional G Master series. Both of these facts indicate a truly advanced lens.
Even so, the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM is surprisingly small and light. At 460 grams / 1.01 pounds, the lens is barely heavier than a lot of 14mm f/2.8 primes, yet captures more than twice as much light. By comparison, another 14mm f/1.8 lens today – the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art – weighs a whopping 1170 grams / 2.58 pounds. Interestingly, the even brighter Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art weighs 1170 grams, too. We’re in the company of some really bulky glass!
Despite its small size, the Sony 14mm FE f/1.8 GM has a complex optical design with 14 elements in 11 groups. This includes one aspherical element, two extreme aspherical elements, two ED-coated elements, and one Super ED-coated element. The price of the lens is relatively high at $1600. Though, considering the unusual nature of this lens, the price is not unexpected or out of line.
Wide, bright lenses like the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM are famously popular for Milky Way photography. The 14mm focal length lets you capture a dramatic view of the night sky, and it also allows for longer exposures without star trails. Meanwhile, the fast aperture of f/1.8 captures a lot of light even in the dimmest conditions. As a result, this lens allows you to capture unusually clean Milky Way photos with good colors and minimal image noise.
For this review, I tested the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM extensively in the lab and in the field. Most of the time, I used the Sony a7R V, but I also tested it on the Nikon Z8 using Megadap’s Sony-to-Nikon adapter. I performed this test in response to a question on our Member page about this lens’s suitability on Nikon Z cameras.
How does the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM hold up in practice, both on its native Sony sensor and adapted to Nikon Z? Did Sony sacrifice any image quality in their pursuit of light weight and portability? This review will answer those questions and more.
Build Quality
The Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM has a plastic barrel and an integrated, non-removable lens hood. As an internally-focusing lens, the front element stays fixed in place when the lens is focused. Sony’s well-designed lens cap slides directly over the hood and has two tabs that you must pinch before it locks in place.
This lens is extensively weather-sealed. As you can see from the sample photos throughout this review, I tested it in everything from dusty desert conditions to sub-freezing temperatures in the snow and ice. The lens held up without issue the entire time. I have no hesitation using it in adverse weather.
The most noteworthy aspect of the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM’s build quality is how small and lightweight it is. It weighs just 460 grams (1.01 pounds) and easily fits in a typical camera bag. For a lens with such a wide focal length and bright maximum aperture, this was hardly a given. As I mentioned in the introduction to this review, Sigma’s competing 14mm f/1.8 and 14mm f/1.4 lenses are more than twice the weight and substantially larger.
Once concern with the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM is how to attach filters to it. There are no filter threads on this lens. Instead, you can use a clip-in filter at the rear of the lens – mainly just for ND filters – or attach a filter holding system to the outside of the barrel.
The good news is that you’ll find such systems available from NiSi, Haida, Lee, and a variety of other companies. Most of them are specific to the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM and do not work on other lenses. Here’s a summary of the main options:
- The NiSi 100mm filter holder for this lens: A straightforward option if you already use a standard set of 100x100mm (or 100x150mm) rectangular filters and want to adapt them to the Sony 14mm f/1.8.
- The NiSi 150mm filter holder + polarizer: A more complex alternative if you need your polarizing filter to rotate independently of your other filters. Note that this system only accepts the larger style of rectangular filters, 150mm on the short end.
- The Lee SW150 adapter for this lens: Meant for photographers who already use Lee’s SW150 system, or expect to in the future.
- The Haida rear lens ND system: Good choice if all you need are ND filters.
Before buying into one of these systems, I recommend getting the lens first. Take it into the field and see if you actually miss using filters with it. A lot of photographers who shoot at 14mm find that they don’t use filters very often. This is even true of polarizers, due to the uneven sky issue at ultra-wide angles.
Handling
The Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM handles as expected of a high-end, G Master series lens. It has a nice set of controls, including the usual AF-MF switch and a custom function button on the side of the lens.
The focusing ring on the front of the lens is not mechanically coupled to the focus mechanism and feels a little on the loose side of things. The aperture ring isn’t mechanically coupled to anything, either, but it can be clicked or de-clicked. It feels nice and satisfying to use – though, admittedly, I kept it to “A” most of the time in order to control aperture via the camera.
If anything, it would have been nice to have an aperture locking switch as well. Occasionally, the aperture ring would rotate while in my bag. But this is a small nitpick of a well-built, well-handling lens. It still gets full marks from me.
Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM Specifications
- Full Name: Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM
- Mount Type: Sony E Mount
- Focal Length: 14mm prime
- Angle of View (Full Frame): 114°
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.8
- Minimum Aperture: f/16
- Aperture Blades: 9, round
- Filter Size: N/A
- Lens Elements: 14
- Lens Groups: 11
- Special Elements: 2 extreme aspherical, 1 aspherical, 2 ED glass, 1 Super ED glass
- Anti-Reflection Coatings: Nano AR II
- Fluorine Coated Front Element: Yes
- Image Stabilization: No
- Internal Focusing: Yes
- Control Rings: Focus and aperture rings
- Function Button: Yes
- Focus Motor: Dual XD Linear Motor
- Minimum Focus Distance: 25 cm (9.8 inches)
- Maximum Magnification: 0.1× (1:10)
- Mount Material: Metal
- Weather/Dust Sealing: Yes
- Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 100×83 mm (3.9×3.3 inches)
- Weight: 460 g (1.01 lbs)
- MSRP: $1600
- Lowest Sale Seen: $1498 (check current price)
The next page of this review covers the optical characteristics of the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM, including focusing performance and sharpness tests in the lab. Click the menu below to go to “Optical Features”:
Table of Contents
