REVIEWS | WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE SONY FE 50mm F1.4 GM LENS
In this blog post, I discuss using the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens on a wedding day, I compare it to my old Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM lens and give you my final thoughts on which is best.
Introduction
As a wedding photographer, having the right lens and focal length can make all the difference in capturing special moments. One focal length that has been key to my wedding work is the 50mm focal length, originally the Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM lens, and now the Sony FE 50 mm F1.4 GM lens.
In this article, we will explore the features and benefits of this lens and how it works in my wedding photography set-up. Whether capturing the morning preparations, the ceremony, or the heartfelt speeches, the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens is a versatile lens that never leaves one of my Sony A1 camera bodies.
The Evolution of Sony 50mm Lenses
Sony has been filling out their mirrorless lens lineup for many years, and the release of the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens in February 2023 adds to the ever-growing list of Sony E Mount lenses.
Before this, Sony offered a few 50mm lens options, most recently, the Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM lens, released in March 2021 (click HERE to see my 100 wedding review of the Sony FE 50mm F1.2 Lens).
Two other popular 50mm lens options for the Sony E Mount, were the Zeiss Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA lens and the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* Lens. While these lenses had their merits, they also had drawbacks, such as purple fringing and decentered copy variances.
HOW I USE A 50mm LENS ON A WEDDING DAY
The Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens is incredibly versatile and can be used throughout the wedding day, from capturing venue shots in the morning to intimate moments during the ceremony.
It is equally impressive during the family formals and speeches, providing a perfect balance between subject isolation and contextual storytelling.
The 50mm focal length allows me to be close to the action while still capturing the ambiance of the moment.
I photograph all my weddings with three cameras and three lenses:
Sony A1 + 20mm F1.8 G lens
Sony A1 + 35mm F1.4 GM lens
Sony A1 + 50mm F1.4 GM lens
Some photographers may question the need for both a 35mm lens and a 50mm lens, as the focal lengths may seem quite close.
However, the results and look of the images captured with these lenses are different enough to create a distinct visual experience; the 35mm lens offers a wider perspective, capturing more of the scene, while the 50mm lens provides a closer, more intimate view. This combination allows me to alternate seamlessly between wider shots and more focused compositions, ensuring a cohesive and engaging visual narrative without the jarring view of going from a 35mm photo to an 85mm photo.
One unique advantage of the Sony A1 camera, paired with the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens, is the ability to switch between full-frame and APSC modes and still have a 20mpx file.
With the Sony A1 boasting a 50.1-megapixel sensor in full-frame mode, switching to APSC mode, the 50mm lens effectively becomes a 75mm lens, offering an extended reach without compromising image quality. This feature is particularly useful for situations where a little extra reach is needed, such as capturing candid moments during the ceremony or speeches.
WEDDING PREP
WEDDING CEREMONY
FAMILY FORMALS
WEDDING PORTRAITS
WEDDING SPEECHES
WEDDING FIRST DANCE
SONY FE 50mm F1.4 GM - THE GOOD
Image Quality
One of the standout features of the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens is its remarkable image quality.
With a wide maximum aperture of f/1.4, this lens allows for incredible depth-of-field control and produces stunning bokeh. The images captured with this lens have a distinct look and feel that sets them apart from other F1.4 lenses for the Sony E mount.
The ability to shoot wide open at f/1.4 creates a shallow depth of field, drawing attention to specific subjects or details within the frame.
There is only one issue with the 50mm F1.4 GM Lens, and that is lens flare, which I will talk about in the ‘Not So Good’ section.
Autofocus
When it comes to wedding photography, speed and accuracy are crucial. The Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens, paired with the Sony A1 camera, creates a dream combination.
The A1's advanced autofocus system and tracking capabilities perfectly complement the lens's performance. Together, they ensure that almost every shot taken is tack sharp and in focus, even when shooting wide open at f/1.4 and in tricky lighting conditions.
Size & Build Quality
Something that Sony has been doing with recent GM prime lenses is making sure they are not too large and are similar sizes to other Sony GM prime lenses.
The Sony 24 mm F1.4 GM lens has the same filter size as the 35mm F1.4 GM lens at 67mm, which is also the same size as the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens; it’s the same in weight and size; the 24mm GM, 35mm GM and the 50mm GM are all between 92mm and 96mm long and between 75mm and 81mm wide, which makes it great for people who like to travel light, and is perfect for videographers who use gimbals as it saves time on having to rebalance the gimbal after changing lenses.
I have banged and crashed my 50mm F1.4 GM lens; I don’t treat the lenses well and will often bang my Sony A1’s and lenses into walls while trying to get a certain shot.
The build on these Sony lenses is top-notch; there are reasons why professionals like me buy the expensive lenses: they last, are reliable, and will provide years and years of perfect service.
Aperture Ring
I am a photographer who does use the aperture to change the aperture.
Some photographers prefer to use the rear or front dial on the camera body to change the aperture, but I have always struggled with this as I often knock or roll the dials on the front or back of the camera; this, if they were set to aperture, would mean I would be changing the aperture by accident and shooting at F16 rather than F1.4!
Every lens I own and use for weddings has an on-lens aperture ring; I have always loved this feature from my time with Fujifilm, and it’s been great that Sony has been adding aperture rings to their lenses, and not just the G Master ones.
On Lens Functions, Buttons & Locks
The Sony FE 50mm f1.4 GM lens has plenty of on-lens buttons and switches:
AF/ MF switch, which allows easy autofocus and manual focus switching.
Two programmable buttons can be assigned to many functions via the camera; both buttons will be set to the same function, and the placement of these buttons means you will always be able to reach a button even if you are holding the camera in portrait or landscape orientation.
An aperture click/ de-click switch, which allows you to turn off the aperture ring clicks. Useful for videographers who change the aperture on the fly and don’t want any shake or noise from the aperture ring click.
An aperture lock switch or ‘Iris Lock’ in Sony speak, allows you to lock the aperture dial to ‘A’, and change the aperture by using the front or rear dials on the camera; if you don’t lock the aperture ring, you run the risk of knocking the dial which then stops the dials from changing the aperture.
THE NOT SO GOOD
SONY FE 50mm F1.4 GM LENS FLARE
The only issue I have had with the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 lens has been the occasional ugly lens flare.
The following images were taken on my first wedding with the lens. I saw the issues in the EVF when taking the pictures, so I took a few more, trying to get the lens to flare (shown below).
I was able to get images without the lens flare, but I think it’s worth pointing out that if you are a wedding photographer who likes to capture images around sunset and like the sun behind or to the side of the couple, you need to keep a lookout.
Above, you can see the sizeable circular dot of light on the suit, and I think you can see another flare to the left of the Brides dress.
You can see above a slightly different lens flare; we have a small circular light, followed by a line across the flare and then into a small light dot at the end.
This lens is by no means the only Sony GM lens to do this; the Sony FE 35mm F1.4 lens is a lens that in the right (or wrong) conditions, can also flare and has an even harsher lens flare.
SONY FE 50MM F1.4 GM vs. SONY FE 50mm F1.2 GM
So, Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM vs. Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM?
I owned the Sony 50mm F1.2 from early May 2021. The first wedding with the lens was in early June 2021, and the lens was in continuous use until my copy of the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM arrived on the 11th of March 2023.
Why did I buy the F1.4 when I had the F1.2?
Size and weight, that’s all it was. If the F1.4 was everything the F1.2 was except the aperture, then I knew I would switch to the F1.4.
By switching to the light 50mm F1.4 lens, I was able to put a battery grip on my Sony A1, which would remove the worry I always have of running out of battery during an important part of the day.
What are the real differences?
No matter what people say about the Sony 50mm F1.4, it isn’t an F1.2 lens; there is a difference between the images taken on the two lenses when both are used wide open.
The F1.2 is a special lens; it has a different look to the F1.4, BUT, and this is the big but, will anyone except the photographer know the difference? Our wedding couples will never be able to see the differences.
I loved the 50mm F1.2 and would shoot at F1.2 for a lot of the wedding day when I really wanted to isolate one person - it was fab during a wedding ceremony.
Both the F1.4 and F1.2 Sony 50mm GM lenses are:
Tack sharp wide open.
Have limited distortion.
Low purple fringing, even in high contrast back-lit situations.
Both are super quick to focus (although I do think the F1.2 was a tad quicker, but that’s like saying one rocket ship was slightly quicker than the other - they are both rocket ships!).
Both vignette wide open without lens corrections turned on (I do not apply camera corrections to my images, I prefer the natural lens vignette).
Both lenses suffer from some lens flare, but I think the F1.2 is better at handling strong light coming into the lens at certain angles.
For those photographers who want the F1.2 look, there is no other option than the F1.2, but for me and most wedding photographers, the F1.4 is good enough and is 90/95% of what the F1.2 is, and I’m very happy with my choice to pick the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM up and sell my copy of the Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM and maybe, just maybe had Sony released the F1.4 first, I may never have picked up the F1.2 lens.
SONY FE 50MM F1.4 G MASTER LENS IMAGES
