New Sony FE Prime Lenses - 100mm f/2.8 GM and 85mm f/1.8

Sony 100mm f/2.8 STF G Master lens – made for “bokeh lovers”

The first of the new Sony optics is the 100mm f/2.8 STF G Master OSS lens. The name of this mid-telephoto prime lens already proclaims it belongs to Sony’s premium G Master line, but what’s special about this glass is the apodization element marketed as “STF – smooth transition focus”. It is basically a circular gradient ND filter which helps create exceptionally smooth bokeh but does not affect the subject in sharp focus, creating a much smoother transition between areas in and out of focus. This filter element, however, reduces the amount of light coming in through the lens, and results in a T-stop of T5.6 when wide open at f/2.8. Sony claims that despite having this filter inside the lens, vignetting is kept to a complete minimum.

Apodization element inside of Sony FE 100mm lens. Source: B&H photo, Sony

Another feature of this lens that bokeh lovers will like is its 11-blade circular aperture, resulting in round-shaped bokeh in areas out of focus. There is also a macro ring switch for changing focusing distance, allowing up to 0,25x close-up shooting.

Other features of the Sony 100mm f/2.8 GM lens include:

ED and aspherical elements to reduce aberrations

Nano AR Coating to limit flare and ghosting

Fast and silent focusing through an SSM motor

Optical StadyShot image stabilization

Dust and moisture resistance

Programmable focus-hold button

Physical aperture ring for manual control

Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 lens

Sony’s second announcement is a cheaper full-frame E-mount lens. It is the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 lens, a much more compact product than the GM 100mm lens (700 grams vs 371 grams). This piece of glass sports a 9-blade circular aperture, as well as an ED element to minimize aberrations. It features a programmable focus-hold button too, but has no stabilization. It extends Sony’s affordable full-frame primes line along with the existing FE 28mm f/2 and FE 50mm f/1.8.