While exploring with Sony lenses, we itched to try portrait shots one day and we started to look at the various options available to us. This purchase is to be our 3rd Sony Alpha lens so all specifications are considered and factored before deciding on which lens to acquire. Due to my Canon’s influence, I was looking at the 50mm F1.8 and the 50mm F1.4, which after some serious comparisons and reserching online, we picked the latter. It was a wise move. The F1.4 cost 2 times of the F1.8 (based on Sony Style’s RRP), but the quality of the F1.4 is 2 times better too! I am not going to touch on the F1.8 here since I bought the F1.4, so I will share more on this lens.

*Picture: Sony SAL 50mm F/1.4 SAM

The 50mm F1.4 is a re-incarnation of the Minolta AF 50mm 1:1.4 RS that’s been around since 1990. The Sony version (July 2006) came about from the acquisition of the (then) bleeding Konica-Minolta. Cosmetically the design is tweaked to bring it closer to the Alpha line, but the lens and technology behind this lens is still essentially KM. This 7 apeture blades lens is a super medium range lens. Not exactly cheap or expensive, we picked the 50mm was due to the cropped factor on our A230 that gave us 75mm – a super effective working range for portraiture work and F1.4 for the win. (lolz) Lens build is solid, usually expected from a medium range Sony standard (prime) lens and it feels good when handled. The sales for this lens was slightly threatened when Sigma launched its 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM for Sony Alpha mount. But soon users was dumping the Sigma and coming back to Sony’s version. (google yourself why this is so.)
(Don’t get me wrong, I love my Sigma lenses. But apparently, Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM works very well for Canon & Nikon bodies, but not exactly well on Sony Alpha & Pentax Mount – answers and reasonings can be found all over the internet, so read up yourself. :)~ )

At F1.4, the background blur (Bokeh) is out of this world. Extremely "creamy" and consistent, the blur can sometimes be mistaken or pass off as soft focus which made this lens an ace for portraiture work. The picture quality is comparable to Nikon & Canon’s equivalents which is of high quality. So if you are looking around and considering a lens for portrait or multi-purpose use, look no further, get the Sony SAL 50mm F 1.4 SAM.