Sony FE 50 mm f/1.2 GM review - Chromatic and spherical aberration

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Sony FE 50 mm f/1.2 GM

16 March 2021

Maciej Latałło

5. Chromatic and spherical aberration

Chromatic aberration

Despite its great aperture fastness the Sony 1.2/50 deals with correction of longitudinal chromatic aberration very well. Even at the maximum relative aperture colouring of out-of-focus images is slight; you have to take a closer look to spot anything. Anyway, all the problems end on just slight stopping down of the aperture.

Sony FE 50 mm f/1.2 GM - Chromatic and spherical aberration

What about lateral chromatic aberration? A graph, shown below, answers this question for us.

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The lowest level of that aberration you get near the maximum relative aperture where it is 0.03-0.04% so practically imperceptible. On stopping down CA increases but it never exceeds 0.06-0.07% and these values can be still described as low. As you see, also in this category there are no reasons to complain.

A7R III, RAW, f/1.2	A7R III, RAW, f/8.0

Spherical aberration

In first photos of this chapter it would be difficult to notice any 'focus shift' symptoms even if you take a closer look. Some traces of weaker correction of spherical aberration can be visible in circles of light we reached before and behind the focus – soft edges in the case of the former and a lighter rim in the latter. Mind you, such an effect is not especially distinct.

You can say there are some problems with spherical aberration but, I suppose, the constructors were more concerned about the appearance of blurry areas. No significant focus shift and a sensational image quality by f/1.2 allow us to suggest that spherical aberration is kept in check quite efficiently.