Skip to main content

All about that bokeh: Meet the Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master with updated autofocus

Sony launched the 30th native E-mount lens today with flare — or rather the lack of it. The Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master lens uses primary Extreme Aspherical (XA) glass to suppress aberrations and flare. The lens, announced on Thursday, September 20, also uses a newly designed autofocus motor for faster, precise focusing.

Recommended Videos

Most lens manufacturers place the aspherical lens elements in a secondary position in the lens, but Sony’s latest E-Mount uses the XA glass in primary positions at both the very front and very rear of the lens construction. The change, Sony says, helps further squelch chromatic aberration, while also creating smooth bokeh. The design can also help eliminate sagittal flaring, which can create diamond-shaped stars in astrophotography, and it enhances sharpness and contrast.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master also houses the company’s latest autofocus motor, a new direct drive supersonic motor (DDSSM). Sony says the new motor improves speed and precision while also reducing noise. The motor also intentionally “wobbles” for quiet continuous autofocus while recording videos, Sony says. The autofocus can lock on as close as about 10 inches away from the subject.

The lens is constructed from 13 elements in 10 groups with an 11-blade aperture. Sony says the lens delivers the bokeh and edge-to-edge sharpness that’s the focus for the Master G series.

Compared to competing 24mm f/1.4 lenses, Sony says the new G Master lens is lighter and smaller, weighing in at just under a pound. The lens is weather-sealed to resist dust and moisture. The click ring aperture can also be disabled for videos.

In our early hands-on experience with the lens, the new 24mm feels well made and light. Pairing the lens with the Sony a7R III, we shot some nice photos at f1/.4 with excellent bokeh as well as sharp handheld shots at f/11. While the lens feels like a solid landscape lens, the eye AF also produced nice portraits.

Sony says that the lens is designed for high resolution — and not just for current E-Mount cameras but future bodies as well. The Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master will be available beginning in October with a $1,400 list price.

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
Cyber Monday Sony camera deals: Save on camera body and lenses
sony-a9-best-mirrorless-camera

There are a lot of Cyber Monday deals that are turning out some impressive discounts right now. This is great news if you’re looking to save on a camera, as Cyber Monday camera deals have some of the best prices we’ve seen all year. This is especially true among Sony cameras, as some of its most popular cameras are seeing discounts. We’ve tracked down all of the best Cyber Monday Sony camera deals, and you can find them all below.
Our top pick: Sony ZV-1F vlogging camera — $398 $500 20% off

Vloggers and content creators regularly turn to the Sony ZV-1F for their camera needs. It can shoot in 4K resolution, which is pretty impressive for such a small-bodied camera. And while it’s designed with some features that make it nice for filming with, this is also a quality photography camera if you’re looking for something small and pocketable. You can grab the ZV-1F for under $400 with this Cyber Monday deal, which is a 20% discount and a savings of more than $100.

Read more
Best Cyber Monday camera deals: DSLR, action cameras, and more
Canon EOS R10 camera mirrorless with STM lens attached and flash up

Cyber Monday has come and gone, but many retailers still have excellent Cyber Monday deals. This makes right now your last chance to get some early holiday shopping done or to pick up some tech for yourself. Photographers should be glad to hear this, as there are a lot of Cyber Monday camera deals already available. We currently see models discounted from top brands like Canon, Nikon, Sony, and others. You can also check out these Cyber Monday laptop deals and Cyber Monday tablet deals so you can access content on the go.
Canon EOS R100 with 18-45mm lens — $350 $600 42% off

Canon is a favorite among photographers, and if you’re looking for an entry-level camera from the long-time camera maker, the EOS R100 offers up $250 in Cyber Monday savings here. The camera itself has a 24-megapixel sensor that can capture beautiful photos and 4K video. You’ll also get three free months of iCloud+ with this camera, and the Canon RF-S 18-45mm IS lens.

Read more
Don’t miss the chance to get this 128GB SD card for less than $100
The Lexar 128GB Professional 2000x UHS-II SDXC Memory Card on a white background.

Your new purchase from camera deals will need storage for photos and videos, but you can't buy just any SD card that you see online. It's highly recommended that you invest in a high-quality storage device like the Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II SDXC Memory Card, which you can currently get from B&H Photo Video with a $75 discount on its 128GB version that brings its price down from $170 originally to a more affordable $95. You may want to buy multiples of this SD card while it's available for less than $100, but you'll have to hurry because we're not sure how much time is remaining on this bargain.

Why you should buy the Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II SDXC Memory Card
More devices are using microSD cards for expanded storage, but according to our guide on finding the right memory card for your digital camera, most DSLR cameras and mirrorless cameras are still using SD cards like the Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II SDXC Memory Card. Lexar is one of the brands that we wouldn't hesitate to recommend to photographers, and this SD card's read speed of 300 MB/s and write speed of 260 MB/s will enable quick transfers and smooth shooting. Additionally, as an UHS-II card, you won't have a problem with advanced functions such as continuous shutter bursts, rapid shooting, and raw and JPEG captures.

Read more