Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM vs Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM

Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM is the newest 50mm lens from Sony and surprisingly a little competitor to existing high end 50mm f/1.2 GM. I did compare two of these lenses in a real life scenario – wedding photography shoot in Madeira. Check out my video and comparison photos in the gallery. Also make sure to check all the photos I’ve shot in Madeira using new 50mm f/1.4GM.

Those lenses have nearly identical built, but 50mm f/1.4 GM is just smaller and more compact, similar to existing 24mm and 35mm GM lenses, sharing the same 67mm filter thread and overall design. Both are excellent in terms of IQ and performance. So the main difference is going to be bokeh and how the background blurs in the photos.

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Side by Side Image Comparison:

Below you can find side by side image samples. All of these photos were taken during real shoot, so these are not tripod photos. But I did shot them one after another, from the same position (you can see the process in the video above).

What you’re going to see in these images is that… the difference is definitely minimal. There’s tiny difference in the background blur, more visible on shorter distance between subject and the background – with 50/1.2 you get more blur. On the other hand you also get more vignette using the bigger of two lenses. Luckily this is something that can be easily fixed in post, and in my opinion shouldn’t be considered as a deciding factor.

Sony 50/1.2 GM or 50/1.4 GM – which one should you get?

First of all, I can’t stress that enough, but both Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM and Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM are spectacular lenses. It’s the best of the best of what Sony has to offer in terms of quality, sharpness and smooth bokeh. Moreover, with both of these lenses you’re getting spectacular autofocus performance.

If you already own 50mm f/1.2 GM, then you kind of know what to expect from its newer brother – quality wise, performance wise you’re getting pretty much the same and by sacrificing tiny difference in background blur, you’re benefiting from way smaller size. If size difference matter for you, then definitely 50/1.4 is the way to go. I’ve seen many photographers replacing their 50/1.2’s for 50/1.4 and being super happy with the change. But… If you’re one of these lens geeks (like me), that will use every occasion they have to get more blurred background, then you know that 50/1.2 is the one for you. But let’s be honest with each other – your clients will never see the difference. It’s only for our own pixel peeking pleasure. Either way, you will not go wrong with either of these lenses – that I guarantee.

You can purchase these lenses here: