A Change of Pace: Exploring the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4G Master Lens

I'm currently in Muir Woods, just north of San Francisco, where I'm testing out the new Sony lens, the FE 24mm f/1.4G Master. This lens is a significant addition to the Sony native E-mount lineup and is designed for full-frame Alpha cameras. The design process was unique, with a focus on both optical and mechanical aspects, resulting in an extremely high resolution and smooth depth of field.

The optic design delivers exceptional results, and I'm impressed by its compact and lightweight build. This lens features 13 elements in 10 groups, including two extreme aspherical elements to eliminate ghosting and flair, and three extra low dispersion elements for suppressing chromatic aberrations. What's interesting about this lens is that it was designed with the first element being one of the XA elements, resulting in a much sharper high resolving image, as demonstrated by the MTF charts.

In terms of focusing, I appreciate the direct drive SSM focusing system, which provides greater thrust accuracy and high-speed compatibility for video and continuous shooting on cameras like the Sony A9. The lens also features an 11-blade circular diaphragm, maximizing circular highlights and allowing for precise focus areas in the image. This is particularly useful when stopping down slightly, as it maintains rounded bokeh highlights, a unique advantage of this lens.

I've had limited time with the lens so far, but it does seem to reach its optical peak performance around f/4 and f/5.6. The ability to maintain rounded bokeh highlights when shooting wide open is particularly notable. All G Master lenses come equipped with a function button that can be customized, and I've set mine up to engage IAF (Intelligent Autofocus) for a comfortable and convenient experience.

For video production, this lens offers several major design advantages. The 24mm f/1.4G Master features a switch for clicking the aperture collar, as well as an internal focusing system designed to minimize focus breathing. Perhaps my favorite feature of this lens is its minimum focusing distance of 0.2 meters, allowing me to get extremely close to my subject with ease.

While not unique in terms of focal length, the Sony 24mm f/1.4G Master stands out from Canon Nikon and Sigma lenses with a similar design. Other 24mm lenses have a minimum focused distance between nine and ten inches, but none feature an 11-blade diaphragm like this lens does. Moreover, all G Master lenses are designed to resolve at up to 100 megapixels, which is higher than any camera released so far.

I'm particularly excited about the Sony 24mm f/1.4G Master because it offers a similar style of shooting with improved resolving power, faster autofocus, and the ability to retain beautiful depth of field even when stopping down slightly. This lens is designed for professionals who value image quality and precision.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enso this is a change of pace today I am in muir woods which is just a little bit north of San Francisco and I'm out here to test out a new Sony lens which is the FE 24 millimeter 1.4 this thing's pretty amazing show you around show you what we're doing the sony fe 24 millimeter f1 point 4g master is the 30th lens in the sony native email line-up designed for full-frame alpha cameras following the 400 millimeter f 2.8 it is also uniquely designed both optically and mechanically the optic design delivers both an extremely high resolution and a smooth and gorgeous depth of field it is a compact and lightweight addition to the G master line and features a direct drive SSM focusing system for greater thrust accuracy and high-speed compatibility for video and continuous shooting on cameras such as the sony a 9 so the 24 millimeter g master is designed with 13 elements and they are in 10 groups there are two extreme aspherical elements to eliminate ghosting and flair and there are three extra low dispersion elements for suppressing chromatic aberrations now interestingly Sony designed this lens with the first element being one of the XA elements and this design is very different than the 24 millimeters designed by Canon Nikon and Sigma and the result is theoretically a much sharper high resolving images seen in the MTF charts there is also an 11 blade circular diaphragm for maximizing the circular highlights and how to focus areas of the image using 11 blades over the conventional nine maintains these circular highlights when your stopping down just a little bit so you don't just get them when you're shooting wide open I only had a few hours with this lens but it does seem like the optical peak performances around f/4 2f 5.6 and being able to maintain the rounded bokeh highlights is a unique advantage as lenses are almost never at peak performance when you're shooting them wide open as with all the G master lenses there is a function button on the lens that can be customized and personally I have mine set up to engage IAF because it's a very comfortable place to have that but you can assign this to your own custom functions that can be easily accessed from the lens now if you were shooting video there are some major design advantages the 24 millimeter G master has a switch 4 D clicking the aperture collar and the lens also features an internal focusing system designed to minimize focus breathing so perhaps my favorite feature of this lens is that it has a minimum focusing distance of 0.2 4 meters so this is about 9 and point four inches or so from the focal plane of the camera and this means that you can get extremely close to your subject this is not unusual for this focal length Canon Nikon and Sigma all have 24 millimeter f1 point four lenses that minimum focused between nine and ten inches however they all feature nine blade diaphragms not eleven and the Canon has eight blades and none of them resolve at thirty lines per millimeter as high as the Sony will of course all G master lenses you probably know are designed to resolve at up to 100 megapixels which is obviously higher than any camera they've released however I am particularly excited about the sony 24 millimeter g master in that it will achieve a similar style of shooting but with a higher resolving power faster autofocus and the ability to retain a beautiful depth of field even when stopping down a little bit anything but still you know following the rules is an appropriate Canadian every hair in place really still yeah thank goodness mber folks at home program you can still change your aperture and shutter speed combination actually you can trust as capable as after priority or shutter party or man I get a question when should I take it back shudder party nobody's missed the first three letters in program Oh bono car for the win and that you're coming back to talk oh no just line Michael would you say this this this boat is optimized for video and audio production oh yeah for sure good solid echo in here a nice wind out here so I have to come down here because I was trying to do my closeout Gordon you just messed up my shot it's about the third time I filmed my closing shot here because well Gordon lank but also because it is really loud out there in terms of wind noise moving mixed white balance but anyway this 24 millimeter is amazing I'm having to share with you guys I can't wait to do some further work with this down the road see you guys the next video until then later\n"