Cartier-Bresson loved a 50mm lens, and like me he also painted before he took up photography and disliked distortion in images. Not long after getting my first camera and a kit lens, the first prime lens I ever purchased was a 50mm f/1.8.  It was inexpensive, small, and light but remains the lens that turned a hobby into an obsession and (before too long) a career. I was able to shoot wide open and delight in the painterly results and bokeh. 50mm lenses have therefore always held a very special place in my heart too, so when I opened the box of the new Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM, I was immediately thrilled by the ergonomics. It feels absolutely perfect in your hand – a reassuring size and weight that was the first sign that this is a high-quality lens.

When I captured some initial photos to get a feel for the lens – straight out of the box, wide open and focusing close to the subjects – I found myself using an adjective that I don’t normally associate with photography: creamy.  It just seemed to be the best way to describe the delicious and smooth quality of the images.  But not to the detriment of the photos which are beautifully sharp where I needed it.   For some of the shoots I experimented with quite extreme depth of field – shooting wide open to create bokeh filled images.

For others – particularly food photography I used narrower apertures because I needed edge to edge sharpness – which it absolutely delivered.   An important thing for me is a lack of distortion and I probably put the new lens to the test most effectively shooting in an architectural setting in Oxford. I was absolutely delighted with the results.

Both my husband Brent and I are hybrid shooters and use the same lenses for video and stills. I found the new 50mm sharpness and quality just the same for moving footage and this focal length is just so versatile for filming.  I shoot a lot outdoors on location so on occasions added a 10 stop filter to allow me to keep shooting wide open.  I also work a lot in historic, dark, venues so teamed with the Alpha 7S III it creates a phenomenal duo for low light scenarios.

The lens is pretty much the perfect size for ‘walking around’ and as a result it really did come everywhere with me for three weeks.  It felt well balanced on Alpha 7 and 9 bodies (with and without battery packs) for stills and video.  It was incredibly easy to balance on the gimbal and felt very comfortable to handle.

The Sony AF system seems to just get better and better with every lens and body release.  The lens tracking was faultless, and I put it through its paces – most impressively with our black Labrador as she hurtled towards the camera on the beach. For photography I relied entirely on the tracking which would seamlessly transition between the face and eyes. I was particularly impressed during a portrait session where I asked the model to keep turning whilst I tracked her. Shooting at f/1.4 the camera picked her eyes up at lightning speed and didn’t hunt whilst she had her back to me. The video performance was also fantastic – so accurate that I had absolutely no concerns about shooting totally wide open – either to benefit from the additional light or the beautiful bokeh. The lens is fast and accurate – you can totally rely on it.

My work varies from photographing and filming weddings to food, from boudoir to commercial and as a result I have invested in an ever-growing range of Sony G Master lenses.   The Sony camera bodies and lenses are evolving at pace and in parallel – each enabling the other to perform at absolute peak performance.  I want the best possible resolution AND creativity but most importantly I want to be able to relax and trust my kit – I wouldn’t compromise that security with any other brand.

Any investment in glass should be carefully considered and we all know that there isn’t one ‘perfect’ lens.  BUT the new FE 50mm f/1.4 GM works so hard that it really should be an absolute no-brainer for photographers of all levels and interests.  Zoom lenses are great and super useful but this lens makes you want to work a little bit harder with composition, walk a little bit more and try new things.   It has been years since I did any landscape photography without people in it and the size and weight was perfect for experimenting with ICM (intentional camera movement) to create some abstract and painterly images – just for the enjoyment of shooting.   My final thoughts?  It’s creamy, fast, versatile, well balanced, accurate AND creative.  Now I won’t go to any shoot without it.