I’ve been openly questioning of Sony’s commitment to its APS-C platform, as both camera and lens releases in that space have been few and far between over the past 3 years.  Sony’s development on full frame has been rather frenzied during that same period, with a number of new camera and what I consider a golden age for lens development.  I’ve reviewed one lens after another that I really, really liked in the full frame space, which tells me that Sony has really hit its stride as a camera lens maker.  But APS-C has seemed to be on the back burner.  And while I still see a lot of room for Sony to deliver a robust sports-oriented APS-C body (something to contend with the new Canon EOS R7 would be nice!), they are taking large strides to shore up the wide angle end of their APS-C catalog with three releases:  the E 10-20mm F4 PZ OSS (Powerzoom), the E 15mm F1.4 G, and the Sony E 11mm F1.8 lens.  This isn’t the first time that Sony has done some of its better APS-C lenses in bunches, as the last “G” lenses (mid-tier superior lenses) for APS-C came together in 2019:  the Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS (my review here) and the Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G.  I’ve been fortunate enough to have spent time with all three of these new releases, and I am starting my coverage with the largest of the three small lenses – the Sony 15mm F1.4 G.

Sony reserves the G designation for its mid-tier lenses and G Master for its superior lenses, and I’ve found that there is a lot of value to be found in the G lineup.  These lenses have more advanced features like weather sealing and a focus hold button, and Sony has packed a lot features into a very small package here.

• Superior G Lens image quality 
• Three aspherical elements
• Dual linear motors driving autofocus
• A focus on video performance, with minimal focus breathing
• Linear manual focus for more precise manual focus and repeatable focus changes
• More physical controls, including an AF/MF switch, aperture ring with De-Click switch, and a focus hold button
• Dust and moisture resistant design 
• Close minimum focus of 20cm (Autofocus = 0.12x magnification) or 17cm (Manual Focus = 0.15x magnification)
• Smaller and lighter than competing lenses

This is a beautiful, well crafted lens that is in many ways similar to Sony’s full frame series of recent G primes (24mm F2.8, 40mm F2.5, and 50mm F2.5 G primes – click the hyperlinks for reviews of each lens).  Though small and light, it feels premium, and its optical performance certainly backs that up.

The final retail price hasn’t been announced as of the time of this review, though Sony gives a range of $700-800 USD.  That definitely makes it one of the more expensive primes on the platform (the Sigma 16mm F1.4 is the closest competitor at a $449 MSRP), though the Sony is definitely the more premium lens on a number of levels.  It is capable of giving you lovely images even at F1.4:

Ultimately you will have to decide if the premium price point matches the premium performance, but if you want more information, you can watch my video review or read the text review…or just enjoy the photos!

Follow Me @  Patreon  |  My Newsletter |  Instagram | Facebook | DA Merchandise | Flickr | 500px

I want to thank Sony Canada (and Gentec) for the loaner of this lens. As always, this is a completely independent review.  The opinions here are completely my own.  *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the Sony a6400 along with the Sony Alpha 1 which will serve as my benchmark camera for the foreseeable future (my review here).

Images of the Sony E 15mm 1.4 G

Images from the Sony E 15mm F1.4 G

Gear Used:

Purchase the Sony E 15mm F1.4 G @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Sony E 11mm F1.8 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Sony 10-20mm F4 PZ G @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Sony a6600 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase the Sony a6400 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Peak Design Leash Strap:  Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada  | Amazon UK

Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
Visit Dustin’s Amazon Storefront and see his favorite gear

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like.  Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Check me out on:  My Patreon  | Sign Up for My Newsletter |  Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Flickr | 500px |  Google+ |

Keywords: Sony E 15mm Review, Sony 15mm F1.4 G Review, Sony 15mm, F1.4, f/1.4, G, APS-C, Sony a6600, Sony Alpha, a6600 Review, Sony, a6600, Review, Dustin Abbott, a6500, a6400, Alpha 1, Hands On, Video Test, Sharpness, Autofocus, CA, Video AF, Autofocus, Eye AF, Lens, Comparison, Test, Dustinabbott.net, Sample Images, Sample Video, Let the Light In, Burst, Action