Sony FE 14mm F1.8 GM

Advanced Optical Performance
The FE 14mm F1.8 GM delivers incredible G Master quality and performance with a new perspective from an ultra- wide-angle field of view and bright F1.8 aperture -- all in a compact and lightweight design. Ideal for astrophotography, architecture, landscape, and even portraits and movie shooting, it delivers extraordinary resolution and gorgeous bokeh with precision focus performance. Two XA (extreme aspherical) elements, one aspherical, two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass and one Super ED element coupled with Nano AR coating II all contribute to high-contrast, high-resolution results with corner-to-corner sharpness and dramatically reduce chromatic aberration, flare and ghosting.

 

F1.8 max aperture
The F1.8 max aperture – uncommon in ultra-wide primes - provides extraordinary brightness and shallow depth of field, allowing you to isolate your subject from the foreground and background with amazing light gathering capabilities when shooting wide open. The combination of wide F1.8 aperture with 9 circular aperture blades and two XA (extreme aspherical) lens elements deliver on the G Master promise of ultra-sharp in focus areas of your image with beautiful soft defocused bokeh. The fast F1.8 aperture is not only good for shallow depth of field, but ideal for situations that require more advanced light gathering capabilities like indoor, night and astrophotography, making this lens perfect for any occasion.

 

Two XA (Extreme Aspherical) lens elements
The FE 14mm F1.8 GM incorporates two extremely precise XA (extreme aspherical) elements - manufactured to 0.01-micron surface precision  - and one Aspherical element in an innovative optical design that achieves stunning G Master resolution throughout the image area, while delivering smooth, creamy bokeh in out-of-focus areas. Two XA elements compensate for coma, field curvature, and astigmatism, that can be problems with wide-angle large-aperture optics. Sagittal coma flare is also corrected   which makes this lens ideal for capturing stars in the night sky. These elements also enable closer focusing distance and contribute to the compact and lightweight design.

 

Beautiful, natural-looking bokeh
While the two XA elements effectively suppress onion ring bokeh, the F1.8 max 9-blade circular aperture maximizes the beauty of this large-aperture prime-lens, contributing to impressive images in which the subject stands out against a smoothly defocused foreground and background, as well as perfectly round points of defocused light. Conventional aperture blades have flat sides that create unappealing, polygonal-shaped defocused points of light. This lens overcomes this problem through a unique design that keeps the aperture almost perfectly circular from its wide-open setting to when it is closed by 2 stops. Smoother, more natural defocusing can be obtained as a result.

 

One Super ED and two ED glass elements
One Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) and two ED glass   elements significantly reduce flare and ghosting by taking axial chromatic aberration and chromatic aberration (due to differences in magnification) out of the picture. Resolution and bokeh is maximized while leaving precisely rendered edges with no fringing or unnatural coloration right out to the image edges.

 

Close-ups with stunning bokeh
The two XA lens elements plus innovative mechanical, optical and control technology achieve a minimum focusing distance of just 9.8” ( 25cm) with a maximum magnification of 0.1x, making it possible to shoot impressive close-ups with smooth, creamy background bokeh. The combination of F1.8 maximum aperture and the flexibility to choose your shooting distance affords plenty of control for stills as well as movies. This compact 14mm wide-angle prime lens can deliver spectacular images with an extremely wide variety of subjects.

 

The FE 14mm F1.8 G Master lens incorporates a precision internal focus mechanism consisting of two XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors that easily keep up with the high-speed capabilities of today’s most advanced camera bodies, taking advantage of their full autofocus speed, precision, and tracking potential to capture the most dynamic subjects. New control algorithms make it possible to drive the lens’s focus group smoothly and without delays for responsive, silent, precise and continuous autofocus in both still and video modes.

 

New Nano AR Coating II enhances clarity
A new Nano AR Coating II has been developed that can be evenly applied to large lens elements or highly curved element surfaces to suppress internal reflections and minimize flare and ghosting for clear, crisp imagery. Despite the lens's wide angle of view, Nano AR Coating II maintains high clarity and contrast throughout the entire image, even in difficult light.

 

Compact, lightweight design
This lens weighs just  16.3 oz (460g) and measures in at only Φ 3.26” x 3.93” (Φ83mm x 99.8mm). Its small size and light weight enhance mobility when used with compact E-mount Full-frame or APS-C bodies and make up a well-balanced system that is ideal for use on gimbals or accessory grips.

 

The FE 14mm F1.8 G Master lens is highly recommended for APS-C as well as full-frame users. It balances well on smaller APS-C format bodies, providing a wide focal length of 21mm (full-frame format equivalent). 21mm is wider than most primes available for APS-C and combined with the small size and light weight, make it an ideal companion lens for all the same reasons  as on a full-frame camera.

 

In addition to providing the fast, hands-on response required for still and moviemaking applications, the FE 14mm F1.8 G Master lens’s aperture ring includes a switch that turns its click stops on or off: ON for tactile feedback when shooting stills, or OFF for silent control when shooting movies. The combination of quiet XD Linear Motors and the quiet operation available when the click stops are off is not only great for smooth, seamless aperture control when shooting movies, but also for shooting theater, concerts, and events where noise must be minimized.

 

Customizable multi-function focus hold button
The focus hold button not only performs its primary function to lock focus when recomposing but can be customized via the camera body menu settings to a number of other functions depending on your needs. In addition to Focus Hold, these custom functions can include: Eye AF, AF On, Aperture Preview, Shot Result Preview or Bright Monitoring.

 

Instant auto/manual focus selection
Instantly and quickly switch between auto and manual focus via an AF/MF switch on the side of the lens. This makes operation faster and easier as you let the camera and lens focus for you or decide to take control and manually focus on the precise point you choose.

Natural, linear manual focus response

Linear Response MF (manual focus) ensures that the focus ring responds directly and linearly to subtle control when focusing manually. Focus ring rotation translates directly to a corresponding change in focus, so control feels immediate and precise in both still and movie modes.

 

Dust and moisture resistant for robust reliability
The dust and moisture resistant1 design make this lens appropriate for heavy-duty outdoor use, especially when combined with a camera that employs weather resistant measures.

 

The FE 14mm F1.8 G Master lens has clear advantages for moviemaking. With an ultra-wide 14mm angle of view on full frame bodies and 21mm on APS-C bodies or Super 35mm cameras, two XD (Extreme Dynamic) Linear Motors for fast, precise autofocus and tracking, a bright F1.8 maximum aperture for beautifully defocused background bokeh, excellent close-up performance and a class leading compact and lightweight design, this lens is ideal for all types of content creators. In addition to the small size and light weight, its internal focus design makes it convenient for use on compact gimbals or grips for vlogging and other applications.

 

The front lens element features a fluorine coating that repels water, oil, and other contaminants, while making it easier to wipe off any contaminants or fingerprints that attach to the lens surface.

 

The extended curvature of the front element and fixed lens hood found on most wide-angle lenses make attaching a front filter difficult. The FE 14mm F1.8 GM takes a different approach so standard sheet-type ND, color correction, and other filters can be inserted into the lens’s rear filter holder for expanded expressive capability. A cutting template for sheet filters is supplied.

 

Integral petal-style lens hood
An integral lens hood effectively blocks off-axis light that can cause flare and ghosting. The supplied lens cap covers the hood, attaching easily and locking securely with the hood at any angle.