REVIEWS | WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE SONY FE 50mm F1.2 GM LENS
In this blog post, I discuss using the stunning Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM lens on a wedding day.
In March 2021, Sony announced the Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM lens. At the time, Sony already had two native options in this range — the Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA and the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*.
I’d owned both during my time as a Sony wedding photographer, but each had a flaw I couldn’t overlook: purple fringing when photographing subjects in front of a bright light source. On a wedding day, this is a common scenario — especially during speeches, where couples are often positioned in front of large windows. In those moments, both lenses would reveal their weakness.
The Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA remains a popular choice for wedding photographers thanks to its small size, light weight, and excellent value for money. The Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 was the go-to if you wanted a native 50mm at F1.4, but it was big, heavy, and not the fastest to focus.
Today, there are several 50mm options for Sony from brands like Sigma, Tamron, and Rokinon — none of which I’ve owned. Since the release of the Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM, I haven’t felt the need. To be honest, it’s all the 50mm I’ll ever need.
My copy arrived in early May 2021, delayed slightly due to COVID and the global chip shortage. Its first outing was a wedding in early June 2021, and since then it’s been part of my trusted trio — alongside the Sony 20mm F1.8 G and the Sony 35mm F1.4 GM — for over 35 weddings.
The combination of the Sony A1 and the 50mm GM is a dream. The A1’s speed and tracking, paired with the improved colour rendering from its 50-megapixel sensor, really bring out the very best in the Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM.
SONY FE 50MM F1.2 G MASTER LENS IMAGES
HOW I USE A 50MM LENS ON A WEDDING DAY
The Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM never leaves my second Sony A1 — it’s always there, always ready, and always on my left-hand side. There isn’t a part of the wedding day where it can’t be used. Some lenses are better suited to specific moments, but the 50mm works everywhere: venue shots in the morning, getting ready, the ceremony, formals, speeches, and even the dance floor.
For many wedding photographers, the 50mm sits awkwardly between their 35mm and 85mm combo. It’s neither wide enough to be the main lens for most of the day, nor long enough to be their telephoto option. For me, though, it’s the one lens I’ll never sell. The F1.2 aperture delivers a look and feel I’ve never seen from another lens, and when paired with the Sony A1, I can shoot wide open all day and still have every frame tack sharp.
The 50mm is my “long” lens on a wedding day. Here’s the trick: the A1’s 50MP sensor means that when I switch from full-frame to APS-C mode, my 50mm becomes a ~75mm lens (reach of a 75mm) while still producing a 22MP file — more than enough for weddings. In practice, it’s like having two lenses in one, giving me that extra reach when I need it without having to change lenses.
I used to rely on an 85mm as my long lens, picking people out during the ceremony or speeches. But over time, I found it too isolating — I’d end up with just headshots, often missing the wider context of the moment. The 50mm gives me the best of both worlds: enough compression to isolate a subject, but still wide enough to show what’s happening around them. Look at my speech images taken with the 50mm F1.2 GM and you’ll see it — closeness and intimacy without losing the story.
People often ask why I use both a 35mm and a 50mm — aren’t they too close in focal length? On paper, yes. In practice, the results are different enough to give variety without creating a jarring viewing experience. It’s not like jumping from 35mm to 85mm, where you go wide, then tight, then wide again. With 35mm and 50mm, the transition feels natural and consistent.
And how is it at F1.2? In a word — epic. The depth of field is so shallow when you work your distance to the subject, and it draws the eye exactly where you want it. I don’t shoot every frame at F1.2, but I do use it wide open a lot, especially when I want to highlight a specific person or detail in the frame.
Right — enough talk. Let’s look at some images.