The Toughest Race

My name is Horacio Cabilla and I'm a photographer/filmmaker specialising in adventure, and I'm particularly motivated by capturing the passion of human emotions.

As soon as I heard that Sony were launching the FE 50mm f/1.4 GM, I knew I wanted to try it and I had the perfect opportunity. I had been asked to shoot the official documentary for the Samla Qatar race - an extreme sports race in the desert of Qatar where participants cover 200Km of running, swimming, cycling and kayaking in just 57 hours.

I decided to shoot the whole project on just the one lens, which was actually an enjoyable challenge as I had to try and show all the situations that the athletes put themselves through, without having the flexibility of a range of focal lengths. It made me appreciate that 'less is more'!

The lens is compact and well-built, and as you'd expect from a G Master, very sharp and superbly quick. I shot a lot of the low-light scenes wide open at f/1.4 and the results were outstanding. I particularly liked the manual diaphragm option as it allowed me to quickly transition from indoor to outdoor scenes. It also meant that I could set the aperture before filming which allowed me to begin shooting very quickly.
 

The autofocus was extremely fast - probably the fastest I have ever experienced with a 50mm prime. Always accurate, even in low-light situations.

I often use large zoom lenses for my work, and the small size and weight of the 50mm was a breath of fresh air. It made me appreciate a small, compact set up and the mobility it provided was fantastic. Being so small, it was also very quick to set up on a gimbal.
 

I filmed with a variety of cameras, from the Alpha 7S III through to the FX6, and used the Alpha 1 for the stills side of things, so swapping the lens between the cameras was a breeze.

I'm very happy with the results and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the 50mm f/1.4 GM to anyone looking for a sharp and responsive lens to pair with any Sony body.

Featured Equipment:

• Sony α1

• Sony α7S III

• Sony FX3

• Sony FX6

• FE 50mm f/1.4 GM

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