Our tests of the last two G Master series lenses (the 1.4/35 and the 1.2/50) proved that Sony optics specialists know how to construct instruments that perform well against bright light.
However, in this case their task was exceptionally difficult. Firstly, 11 group of lenses mean you deal with as many as 22 air-to-glass surfaces where unwanted reflections might happen. Secondly, internal focusing limits possibilities of using inner apertures that might block out unwanted light. Thirdly, a huge, distinctly convex front element can catch side light and even built-in hood doesn't help much; that hood, after all, has to be rather small and cut significantly lower in the corners due to a huge angle of view, provided by the lens. Its influence seems to be practically null.
Such a difficult task was too much for optics specialists constructing the Sigma A 14 mm f/1.8 DG HSM as their lens performed really weakly in this category. Sony constructors did a far better job. It is really difficult to catch any light artifacts at the maximum relative aperture; only one position of the sun might produce a more distinct diagonal white flare.
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On stopping down there are a tad more problems but still, the performance is far better than that of the Sigma. The white flare, mentioned above, becomes bigger and more intensive; locally it is able to overexpose the whole photo.
As you see, the performance of the Sony is hardly flawless but, taking into account the scale of the problem, it seem the tested lens emerges from of our test rather unscathed.
