A 24mm ƒ/1.4 is my stuck-on-a-desert-island lens. While it’s not perfect for everything, but I find them endlessly versatile. Whether it’s general travel photography, environmental portraits, or candid family photos, I like the 24mm wide perspective, especially when it’s combined with the low-light possibilities afforded by a wide ƒ/1.4.
Nikon’s version has been a favorite of mine for years. Recently I’ve been shooting with Sony’s version on the new Sony a7R IV. Its full model number is the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM wide-angle prime lens.
Compact Master wide prime Lens w/stunning wide-open resolution
F1.4 max aperture provides extraordinary exposure and Depth of field
I’ve posted a more detailed review separately, and this collection of images is designed to go along with it. I’ve shot these to give a sense of what the results look like in real-world shooting conditions.
These were all shot on a Sony a7R IV body. Most of them were originally shot in RAW. They’ve been processed in Lightroom, but I haven’t applied any of Lightroom’s lens corrections (honestly, I haven’t felt the need to).
You can click on each image for a full-size version, if you like. Be warned, though, that the 61MP images are pretty large even when converted to optimized JPGs.
Photos Taken with a Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM Wide-Angle Lens
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/5.6.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/3.5.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.2.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/11.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how sharp it is in the corners.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8. This shot is a good test of two things: sharpness in the corners and chromatic aberration (purple fringing). I haven’t applied any fixes to either issue, but the lens comes through with flying colors.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/10. I’ve spent many, many mornings shooting here, but this is the first time I’ve seen such dramatic crepuscular rays in this spot. And it just happened to be around the equinox, so it lined up nicely with the Washington Monument.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/4. Lots of lines with potential for barrel distortion and chromatic aberration, but no real issues to complain about.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/1.6. Another example where the fast aperture helped with a late-dusk hand-held shot.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/4.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8. Plenty of straight lines here and no real issues with lens distortion.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/1.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/11.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/5.6.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/11.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/1.6.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/16.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/1.4. When you’re up close, the focal point is very narrow indeed.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/11.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/1.4. I thought this would be a good test of how smooth the bokeh dropoff is from focus in the foreground, with the aperture wide open.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/5.6. Another with several strong, straight lines near the edges of the frame to look for distortion. This shot at the Lincoln Memorial, along with several others on this page, were taken around the fall equinox, when the sun lines up directly down the National Mall in Washington DC. At sunrise on a clear morning, the sunlight shines directly into the massive main chamber and falls directly on the statue. You can find out more about it on my Washington DC site.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/1.8. The fast aperture helped me take this hand-held as I was crossing the road—there was no time to dawdle and take the shot more carefully.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/1.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/4.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/1.6.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/11.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/5.6.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2. Often when I take this shot with other lens/camera combinations I end up getting some interesting (read: odd) lens flare. No such issues here.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/11.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/4.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/16.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/16.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8. This was one of the few shots here where I used a tripod.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/1.4.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/2.8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/5.6.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/8.
Taken on a Sony a7r IV with a lens aperture of ƒ/4. This was a very dark room, and it’s an example where the a7R IV’s superb low-light sensor performance came into play.
Vital Stats of the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM Wide-Angle Lens
It’s a prime autofocus E-mount lens designed for Sony’s full-frame cameras. You can use it on APS-C crop sensor cameras, in which case the focal length becomes the equivalent of 36mm on a full-frame camera (ie. 35mm equivalent).
Its full name is the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM Lens, and its product number is SEL24F14GM. Its MSRP is $1399.99.
It has an 11-blade circular aperture with two XA (extreme aspherical) elements.
It’s dust- and moisture-resistant.
It has a minimum focus distance of 0.79 feet (24 cm) and weighs 15.7 ounces (445 grams). It measures 3.75 inches (9.24 cm) long and has a diameter of 3 inches (7.54 cm).
Lens Hood. The replacement petal-shaped lens hood is model number ALC-SH154. I haven’t tried aftermarket lens hoods on this lens, but if you go that route, be sure to check for lens vignetting, something that wide-angle lenses are particularly prone to with generic lens hoods.
Lens Caps. It takes standard Sony front (ALCF67S) and rear (ALCR1EM) lens caps.
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David Coleman
I'm a professional freelance travel photographer based in Washington DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and a bunch of places in between. My images have appeared in numerous publications, and you can check out some of my travel photography here. More »
