Samyang AF 24mm F1.8 Definitive Review | 4K

Photographer Dustin Abbott shares a thorough review of the excellent new Samyang AF 24mm F1.8 designed for Sony FE | Video Sponsored by Ridge Wallet: www.ridge.com/DUSTIN Use Code “DUSTIN” for 10% off your order | Read the Text Review: bit.ly/SAMAF24da | Visit the Image Gallery: bit.ly/SAMAF24pics | Purchase the Samyang AF 24mm F1.8 @ B&H Photo bhpho.to/3tPtuU2 | Amazon amzn.to/3aBxwbc | Amazon Canada amzn.to/3sNuU01 | Amazon UK amzn.to/3sOHlsq | Amazon Germany amzn.to/3azuqEA | Ebay ebay.us/HEouom
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Table of Contents:
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0:00​ - Intro
1:13 - Brief comparison to Viltrox 24mm
2:37​ - Build & Handling
7:29 - Focus Action
13:10 Image Quality Breakdown
27:39 Conclusion and Pricing
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Keywords: Samyang AF 24mm F1.8, Samyang, AF, 24mm F1.8, FE, Samyang 24mm 1.8 Review, Samyang AF 24mm Review, Samyang AF 24mm F1.8 Review, Sony Alpha 1, Sony A1, Sony Alpha 1 Review, Sony A1 Review, ILCE-1, Sony, Alpha 1, A1, Review, Hands On, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Sharpness, Autofocus, Image Quality, Sample Images, Video, Photography, Astrophotography

[@acouragefann]

The fact that we can even talk about this tiny Samyang in the same sentence as the Gmaster lenses is already a pretty great testament to its value. Having just switched to Sony from Canon, this is a lens that I'll be adding to my kit as an easy to bring hiking lens - thanks to your detailed and informative review! Much appreciated!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Exactly.

[@willh6838]

I've been waiting on this review - thank you!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You're welcome.

[@KresimirAbramovic]

Great review, as always. You are one of the best in business

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thank you very much!

[@keaganvandemerwe878]

I was waiting for you review of this lens and its comparison to the viltrox and I'm not disappointed great video as always thanks Dustin

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@frankluo230]

Thank you Dustin. Awesome review as always

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

My pleasure!

[@frankluo230]

@@DustinAbbottTWI I can really see the value of alpha1 as the reference camera. Hope this 24Samyang comes to RF mount in near future. Canon hasn't announced any prime wider than 35RF which itself not very strong optical performer. Samyang would sell a tonne of 24F1.8

[@robertl6330]

Great review Dustin, as always and what a fantastic lens ! I will definitely buy this one. Also, I had the same conclusion about samyang tiny series. It is a huge bonus to sony E mount system. For me that was one of the advantages when changing from canon. I own 18mm 2.8and 75mm 1.8, super happy with them and 24mm 1.8 will be next.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

They are so convenient to bring along and to have better than zoom performance at those focal lengths.

[@momchilyordanov8190]

I love the weather in your part of the world. For the month of May it looks... exotic :D

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

LOL - that's a kind way to put it.

[@dreikonig2785]

Great Review as always. Thank you, Dustin. It is an interesting lens. I wish it would be 20mm f/1.8. Maybe in the future.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I like 20mm for sure. Great focal length.

[@philharrisonphotographyvid2558]

Fantastic review covering everything I wanted to know & get an opinion on... thanks ! I was between this and the Gm24mm but will give this a go and put the saved money into another Samyang lens!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joe2snj]

A very surprising but welcome result from this lens, it could be argued that it’s actually under priced which is something I haven’t ever said before about a lens. Great work again, really looking forward to seeing your 35mm f1.4 GM review despite already being a very happy owner of one..

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's a fair point, though none of us are clamoring for more expensive lenses!!

[@edmoss88]

Fantastic detailed review. Very exciting seeing the hight resolving ability and the improvement in AF and build. Thanks for putting in so much effort into your reviews. I trust your judgement most on KZbin! 👍👍

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pedroprietolopez330]

I own the 14 and the 85 for Canon R. Waiting for this... Good job, Samyang and Dustin!!!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'd love for the tiny series to come to RF, but thus far that doesn't seem to be happening.

[@georgesmith3022]

Great review!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@IanHobday]

FINALLY!! Been waiting for a good review of this lens as I wanted to order it but it's a bit expensive for a Samyang Tiny Series lens. Looks like it's worth it though, will be ordering one from B&H soon. Thank you Dustin!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I think you'll enjoy it.

[@ArrakisDunedt]

Yes! Ty as usual!!!!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You're welcome.

[@PierGiorgioZuccaro]

Great video. Thanks!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You're welcome!

[@JoeMustang99]

Thanks for this review. I have an extensive Olympus kit but recently bought an A1 and Tamron 35-150. That is an exceptional combination but, man oh man, is it heavy, compared to my m43 gear! I love the camera, however, so I started looking in to wider angle zooms, and at the 24 GM. With weight being a primary concern, plus wanting a wide aperture, this lens looks like an excellent fit for me, so I "hit the link below", this morning, lens will arrive later today. No heavy GM for me, and I'll be able to take the A1 on a walk for once, LOL. Thanks, Dustin.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Hi Joe, you're picking up some great lenses there. You'll enjoy how lightweight the Samyang is along with its optical brilliance.

[@rbphotoguy8457]

Another great review Dustin! I bought the Samyang 24mm f1.8 based on your and many other great reviews. I received it and took it out on a shoot with a second body using the Sigma I Series 65mm f2 lens. I was very happy with the feel and features of the Samyang, and the images were very sharp. However, after 45 minutes of shooting between the 2 bodies, I was walking and the Samyang literally fell apart in my hand! Everything from the focus ring forward separated from the rest of the lens, which remained mounted on my camera! Amazingly, I reinserted the front half of the lens and it appeared to still function. It appeared to me that the lens parts were not glued together during assembly. I put it back in the case and finished my shoot using my 35mm Sony lens. I returned the Samyang and bought the Sigma I Series 24mm f2 instead. I assume this was an isolated manufacturing defect, but, I couldn't comfortably purchase another copy of the Samyang lens, even though it has some features lacking in the Sigma.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That is very strange. I've never seen anything like that before.

[@rbphotoguy8457]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Indeed, there is a first time for everything! Thanks for the response. I trust your reviews and find them very thorough and valuable in deciding on purchases.

[@torbenlysholm1]

Excellent, Dustin! Great review for those of us who likes to compare lenses in order to see what we're NOT getting, when opting for the cheaper lens, and what we DO get, EVEN when opting for the cheaper lens. Great for those who like to dig deep. Great for artists that want to know what they can expect to be able to do. I love that your artistic focus is the anchor, no matter how technical and nerdy your probing gets. Great job as always! Thanks for sharing!👌 So, what a rare lens this is. That kind of resolution corner to corner with a lens this wide at this price point? And I'm so thrilled to see the same nuanced colour rendition as with the 45. A little bit of LoCA ... not always completely smooth bokeh ... a wee bit of flaring ... All fine and manageable. Not much compromise in my opinion. When comparing this with older Canon, Tamron and Sigma lenses I've been willing to buy used and adapt for my camera for the about tge same money, this looks sooo much better. I can't wait to get my copy. Thanks for sharing!👍

[@frankluo230]

Exactly. People tend to forget new lenses are not just competing against each other like so many KZbin vs reviews, but also changing the perspective of old used gear often from DSLR mounts. 24L used was one of the cheapest modern L primes, but this Samyang is outresolving it, better at focusing, CA, coma, pretty much every aspect at a fraction of weight and size. Sigma 24ART will be in similar position, why would anyone bother to adapt that monster while this is cheaper and smaller, equally as good at least?

[@torbenlysholm1]

@@frankluo230 👍

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Fair points, for sure.

[@dominic-ryan]

The Olympus 17mm f/1.8 on my Panasonic GX85 has been one of my all time favourite super lightweight and compact video centric combos, however I have been looking for something considerably better for very low light night videography for sometime. Not wanting to compromise on lightweight and compact, it was the 35mm tiny prime that finally convinced me to jump to an a7s III. Now again, I have been doing mental gymnastics on whether or not to get the 24mm GM as my primary wide video lens (already have the Sony 20mm) and have never been able to justify it for the cost. Samyang it seems has again made this choice straight forward for me. Once I get this lens, 4 of my 8 Sony FE lens collection will be Samyang. Think I see a pattern emerging 🤔.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's the way I feel about the tiny series. It's hard to ignore because the compact lenses are so easy to bring along.

[@DA-yd2ny]

Great! Thank you

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You are welcome!

[@DavidB-tj3rj]

Great review. I will be picking one up for my a6400! I would love when you do a review, especially on a smaller lens, you would do a few shots on an APS-C camera.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Hi David, fair enough. You'll love the lens.

[@user-ym4lg5zv2h]

Great-! Those are what i want to know 🤩 thank you

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You’re welcome 😊

[@m.z.9411]

Good review! noticed something, what is that thing that ran across the background at 3:50 LOL

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That was a wild turkey

[@LessTalkMoreDelicious]

Wasn’t expecting this one to be That good! Was only planning to get this for 1.8 and maybe slightly better IQ than my older 2.8 pancake version. Sold that 2.8 pancake a few weeks ago to make room for this one... good thing I did!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Agreed - it was a stronger lens that I expected, and I've liked the series.

[@TonyGardnerRC]

Another really great review as always. I really really hope they bring out a version of this for Canon EF or RF. There are an awful lot of Canon astrophotography shooters (me included) and they would sell a bucket load of them if they produced an EF version. I bought the 85mm F1.4 RF partly on the back of your reviews and its now one of my favourite lenses, its really fantastic. If this came out in Canon fit I'd certainly buy one..!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would love to see it on RF, but so far none of the Tiny lenses have been ported.

[@BayAreaPEV]

@@DustinAbbottTWI I feel like there is a good chance for it to happen, I'm seeing a lot of e mount lenses from sellers like rokinon/Samyang being ported to RF mount. I guess the design is similar due to both being mirrorless so they don't have to change much of the lens. I love that the floor for lens quality is a lot higher today than even 10 to 15 years ago. Even cheap lenses today blow away lots of expensive lenses from back in the day,.

[@mrwashur1991]

@@BayAreaPEVlol..

[@petersvan7880]

Very good job by Samyang on this one. Great Review!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Agreed. I think is is probably their best lens yet.

[@networm64]

Very good job Samyang! Thanks for showing its ability Dustin. Wish to see such a small and budge lenses performance on apsc crop too if it makes any difference to the fullframe chart though. Also a comparison with the new Sony G lens would be appreciated if you going to test that tiny trio!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I do hope to test the new little Sony lenses, but I don't have any of them scheduled yet.

[@runawayatlarge2815]

Just managed to catch up with this - thank you so much for this detailed review. I have been obsessively using the 24mm f/2.8 recently, and am tempted to get trade in my f/2.8 and the other non-weather sealed mini lenses from Samyang for this version of the 24mm! Your review seems to suggest that this is a very good value for money lens... and also I'm not sure the improvements with the Sony native lenses is actually worth the difference in price. As a photojournalist, the f/2.8 has been good to me, but am up for that larger aperture, especially if the performance is like this! As always though, thank you for the detailed analysis!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I definitely this is a lens worthy of upgrading to.

[@mtsalmi]

Another excellent review, Dustin. I've seen the Zeiss Batis 25mm f2 as low as $650 used. It's an older lens but is that price low enough to pass on the newer Samyang?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's a strong value for the Batis, though I'm not actually sure it is the better lens.

[@J.Koenige]

Another nice lens from Samyang, I am loving his primes lineup. Hope they will bring soon some short telefoto primes: 100mm f2, 135mm f2.8

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Agreed. I would love to see those lenses.

[@ernstvandeursen9254]

Or a tiny AF f2/135mm. Will be an other best seller

[@sandeepraiphotography2111]

Great review. Definitely getting this lens which seems amazing for the price. By the way did you use any lights for filing while speaking? As I don’t see any reflection in the mirror behind you. Anyways, the lighting looks so perfect.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I’m definitely lighting that scene, but very carefully so that the reflections are not in the frame.

[@janihonkala8154]

Great lens! Good size and price! Waiting that to rf!

[@tomapaunovic]

It a good question of those tiny lenses can be ported to RF, because RF mount is much larger than E mount

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's true that none of the tiny series has been ported to RF, but I don't see any reason why they couldn't with a bit of modification.

[@DigitalRetro]

I`m a 35mm focal lenght lover, but this lens seems to be a perfect fit for some wider environmental shots and street photography. Thank you for this review. Very to the point and pleasing image samples. Def giving this lens a try.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy!

[@airefc]

It would be 35mm on apsc

[@DigitalRetro]

@@airefc i shoot full frame but yeah for apsc it`s about that, yet it`s still better to get and aps-c lens with 1.4 instead of 1.8 FE (which will get you like 2.8 on apsc), like viltrox 23 1.4 or Sigma but I guess Samyang will make the 24 1.4 aps-c lens one day.

[@OrenArieli]

3:53 Turkey photobomb? Thanks for this review, well done. Just got my lens and this helped with the decision.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

They definitely show up regularly around here.

[@highwayman1224]

Just ordered this lens yesterday so I can delve into a bit of astrophotography out here in Arizona. $450 so it really seems like a good deal. I have the Samyang 45mm 1.8 that I really like also.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You'll enjoy the lens from that.

[@Gentle_Zephyr]

Great review! What is that new autofocus feature that can be done on a switched off camera? Never heard about it.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

If you hold down the focus hold button before turning the camera on, the lens will automatically focus to infinity and be ready to shoot stars.

[@Bog1979]

Samyang is what Sigma used to be. The quality improvement of the brand is stunning. I really enjoy their price/quality ratio too. If you are really serious about photography without willing to spend thousands $ more for each lens.. here you are, with the latest Samyang lens. Sweet spot lens. Also loving the slightly imperfect although insane for my usage Samyang 45mm f1.8

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I too love the 45mm. It and this 24mm are my faves in the series.

[@Donbros]

I have another question which g 20 1.8 or samyang 24 1.8 has less focus breathing? I think that may help to choose between those two for soke f1.8 action

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You would have to look at my reviews on both, as I couldn't tell you that from memory.

[@juanmoreno8217]

Hi Dustin, thank you very much for the review, as always great! At the moment I have the Sony 24mm GM lens, I feel that it is a very versatile lens and I can use it in crop mode like a 36mm and F2.1 equivalent. My question is, do you think it is a good option to change the 24 GM for the Samyang 24mm 1.8 and add a 35mm such as the Samyang 35mm 1.8 or the sigma 35mm f2 for a very similar price? I usually shoot with the 24mm 40% environmental portrait, 30% Astrophotography and 30% Landscape. Thank you.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I really like the Samyang, but I'm not sure I would really recommend downgrading from the GM. You always lose some money in that process, and the GM is exceptionally good.

[@davjeon427]

I agree with Dustin that the GM is simply not comparable. However, you could get 18 2.8 for astro ,landscapes, 24 1.8 for environmental portraits and 45 or a 75 1.8 to cover the rest of the range for the price of that one GM lens. The three lenses combined also only weighs 100g more than the GM so it looks like you have some options.

[@sundster_1796]

I had the exact same question!

[@HomesickMac]

Great review and presentation, I'm a huge Samyang fan and got the 35mm f.2.8. It's an mazing value despite being a bit noisy on the AF in video, you can hear the constant gargle... I set it to MF and got my foot marker on the floor, so conference calls are saved. I'm very tempted to get this 24mm as well but I've just forked out for the new Tamron 35-150mm (fantastic lens btw) and since I already have the Sigma 16mm f1.4 for APS-C, I kind of recon it would give me aprox. 22-24mm on the A7III. This camera goes directly in the crop mode when I'm using this lens. Maybe this solution can buy me some time..

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That Tamron is amazing, so you may be able to use the Sigma in the short term.

[@2Meerkats]

Thanks ! the face tracking focus 9:26 ~ 9:41 was my main interest - please do more of these moving subject focus tests at 4K with an external recorder (ninja V) - with and without overlay, to see the eye tracking focus rate - cheers ! Trying to buy a lens for people video 100% and decide is this lens OK or not?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm afraid I don't own an external recorder, so you'll have to make due with the tests I do run.

[@donnafortner7651]

Dustin, I own the Samyang 35 1.8 and love it , would it be worth it also to purchase the 24 1.8? I was hoping to use it for video and landscapes, but was wondering if there is enough of a difference in Focal length to justify owning both?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's difficult for me to answer because it's really subject. I own both a 24mm and 35mm prime lens, but I keep more lenses than necessary to have some comparison points for my reviews. If you feel like you need the lens, then certainly it is justified. There's definitely a serious difference in perspective.

[@b.walter6646]

Dustin, Does this lens hold up optically with the Loxia 21mm 2.8? I have the Loxia and if this lens is 90-95% of the quality of the Loxia, I might make a change. Thanks.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't think colors are as good (almost nothing is), but it is crazy sharp and arguably more usable due to AF and more features.

[@MarkusGebhard]

I bought this lens yesterday for an upcoming new Zealand trip next week. The dark skies in NZ are supposed to be spectacular. I tested it today and while it is sharp in every corner, I'm, however, a bit concerned about its performance in regards to chromatic aberration. Wide upon it turns pretty much a whole tree purple against a cloudy background. Does your copy perform as well outside as it does on your test image? Maybe I just got a bad copy? Kind regards

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I've never noticed much CA with mine.

[@anujbhatia7176]

Hi Dustin, I just picked up this lens based on your review and I have noticed a lot of autofocus motor noise when doing a near to far focus (on auto or touch to focus). I have an a7iii. Have you noticed this issue. Please do advised. thank you.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

No, I definitely did not notice that at all. That doesn't sound right.

[@zenshira4599]

Like the Samyang Promotion announce, "It`s a Masterpiece" (-in this pricerange-) and your the first rewiever who are able to unveil this fact. Great work Dustin ...thanks a lot!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's definitely a good little lens.

[@benatis]

definetely will buy, for all rounder lens!!!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Agreed

[@jbello9398]

I was shopping for a budget wide angle, light travel lens... and this is it! 😃

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Definitely is!

[@ajschot]

I just saw another video that compared it to the 24mm 1.4 GM but it is good but just looking for more reviews. I was saving up for the GM but i think stongly about getting the samyang now. Also it is right on sale now on Amazon Germany. So a bigger reason to think about it making it more 3 times cheaper than the GM. Thanks for your reviews!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's a very nice budget alternative to the GM, for sure.

[@Tudor_Mateescu]

Totally agree, Samyang makes Sony very attractive. Thanks for the video.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

My pleasure.

[@Riku2277]

Great review sir, as always. I primarily shoot weddings in india and was looking at samyang 24 and 35 1.8 for my setup with a7 mark 3. Would that be a good choice sir?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would personally probably go with something like the 24mm and the 45mm to give you a little more focal length separation.

[@StevePuppe]

Do you think this would be the best option for a small 35mm range lens on a crop sensor camera like the 6700?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'd probably say look at either the Sigma 23mm F1.4 or the Viltrox Pro AF 27mm F1.2. They will probably serve your needs better.

[@JamesClark1991]

Looks to be a great budget option. The comparison to the Sony 20mm 1.8 left me scratching my head though. That's one of the sharpest lenses for the system and leaves me thinking you've got a bad copy or something. (I don't own either so no bias)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Interestingly, if you look at the MTF charts for the two lenses, they show the Sony slightly sharper in the center but the Samyang stronger in the midpoint and edges, so my results are not really off that.

[@mjl1958]

Have you just filmed this? Is it still snowing in Canada?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

We had a freak snowstorm last weekend. I golfed a month ago, and then here was a snowstorm!

[@Donbros]

How it stack up to 24 g-master? Could this be kinda called as "g version" of gmaster? Also what do you think when this is compared to direct competitor sigma dg dn 24mm f2

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would say that this is very close to a G lens, yes. The Sigma has nicer build, but the Samyang has less distortion, is brighter, and is arguably a bit sharper.

[@Donbros]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you for your answer. What about bokeh, does samyang or sony g 20mm has better?

[@every1puturhands3on3]

Really good and comprehensive review thanks. I am searching for a 35mm equivalent for my Sony A6400, mostly for indoor portraits, videos, & some street photography. I know it's a FE, Will this perform equally good on a cropped sensor camera?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I've used it recently for a wedding in that fashion, and it worked quite well.

[@every1puturhands3on3]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks for the reply.

[@SnowyBlizzard]

Woahhh the snow threw me off but I miss it

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

:)

[@EngineXDesign]

I have a mix of Samyang 24mm .. Gmaster 24mm.. 20mm G's as our base studio primes on A1 & A74 cameras. I like the Samyang for it's weight also... On cameras it's used on we keep the camera mounted and ready vs taking it down (we take down all the other lens combos) between production because of paranoia that it would damage the emount staying constantly mounted. Just curious... Should even worry about taking the other camera lens combos down anyway? I have never found a straight answer if you can leave these camera mounted and in ready (pointed towards subject area) 24x7?

[@EngineXDesign]

To clarify we keep the Samyang always mounted because it weighs less then half the G master 24 and about half the 20mm G 1.8

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

In theory there is no reason why any of those lenses would cause any stress to the mount. That mount is engineered for lenses like the 400mm F2.8, so your 24mm F1.4 GM is not going to cause any damage. But yes, the light weight of the Samyang (that whole series) is quite liberating

[@EngineXDesign]

Yep. Such an amazing lens for the price or even if it was 900 like the 20mm G. We have never used a $400 lens for anything that's released to public until this one. Wish Samyang or Sony produced a 22mm prime lens. When setting a Tamron 17-28mm to 22 you'd be surprised how that middle ground between 20 and 24 is perfect... Less wide effect but just a little more to work with then 24mm

[@QuietOC]

Samyang made several AF zooms in the late 1980's primarily for the Minolta Alpha/Maxxum/Dynax system.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Interesting. They've never made a zoom since.

[@davidburton2294]

I can see this lens ending up in my Samyang collection. Wow look at that snow :)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's a sweet lens, for sure.

[@johnadams3038]

I got the GM-50 for my A7-III and I also have a Samyang 45mm and to be honest I'm not gonna sell it. This small lens is pretty good and super light, it's like almost having no lens on your camera.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Exactly. That's the value of the lens...particularly for travel.

[@Carlos_Vasquez]

Impressive!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The lens is pretty impressive.

[@kkk-vu3kt]

Can’t decide between batis 25mm and this one, both lens are awesome.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

True enough.

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

That AF is very impressive. Normally third party lenses struggle a bit with AF compared to Sony, well because Sony has excellent AF in their new lenses, but this one is doing absolutely fine. The sharpness is very impressive, but too bad about the bokeh and background rendering, but again that's why there's the Sony 24mm f1.4 too. About the IQ comparisons with the Sony 20mm f1.8, I wonder how much loss is simply due to the A7Riii sensor being used on the 20mm f1.8, instead of the A1.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

There should be minimal difference in sharpness comparisons between the two sensors. 8 MP is not a lot when you are talking about that high of resolution already.

[@franciscoiris6659]

Better than the viltrox 24mm? Good for video?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Yes and yes.

[@fredventure]

Would this be okay for Real estate videography you think?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't see why not. Distortion is pretty well managed.

[@Kunal0915]

Hello there. I am thinking about this lens for my A6400. I have the Sigma 30 f1.4, which is a great lens, but has a slightly unreliable AF and no weathersealing. Can this Samyang focus better than the Sigma 30 f1.4? This Samyang seems promising. Fast, sharp, light and weathersealed. It is 35ish on APSC, which is what I am looking for.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It can focus more quickly and accurately. It’s an excellent lens

[@Kunal0915]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for your reply. Exactly the info I was looking for.

[@nsbhagwat]

As usual a no nonsense review of this lens. Have you / can you test this lens on a budget sony mirrorless? Since the majority populace will not / may not have access to a flagship camera. Thanks n stay safe.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't own any budget mirrorless - I had to sell everything to buy the flagship!!

[@nsbhagwat]

@@DustinAbbottTWI awwww. Thx mate.

[@MrRaychard123]

Which is better the Santa or the viltorx 24 1.8. I be using it with A73.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The Samyang is easily the better lens.

[@MrRaychard123]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks Dustin. Was about to get the Viltrox good thing I saw your video

[@LessTalkMoreDelicious]

After this video, I watched your Sony 20/1.8G review video too. In that video, you said the 20/1.8G is even sharper than the 24/1.4G (and also the Tamron 20prime and 17-28). So, does that mean this Samyang 24/1.8 is also sharper than the 24/1.4G too? (since the Samyang is sharper than the 20/1.8G)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't want to definitively say that as for some reason my 24GM tests are in APS-C mode and not full frame. I would want to compare apples to apples before making that statement.

[@nothajzl]

Recently bought the 35 mil 1.4, used it for a bit and then exchanged it for this one (24mil), and i gotta say: it looks bad. For some reason, the results i get from it on my A7 III are unsatisfying. The 35mil looked so much better. Now i'm not sure what to do, do i go back and take my 35mil back or try to live with this, being aware of its lesser quality..

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That’s surprising, actually, as that wasn’t my findings.

[@vncdvncd8331]

I would never buy 24mm lens but this Samyang looks like the best choice in this focal length.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's a strong choice, for sure.

[@jessemartinez2606]

What do you have against 24 mm?

[@vncdvncd8331]

@@jessemartinez2606 it feels like a smartphone perspective. I hate that ;)

[@jessemartinez2606]

@@vncdvncd8331 what focal length do you prefer?

[@vncdvncd8331]

@@jessemartinez2606 50 is my fav, 85 is also fantastic

[@ryanbeer5262]

Samyang is killing it right now. I may have to switch to Sony to get these lenses. 12mm f2, 24mm f1.8 & 75mm f1.8. It is a nice touch they use the same filter size

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

They really are great.

[@JimKopriva]

The 12/2 will be a 62mm filter (the 24, 35, 45, 75 all use 58mm)

[@ryanbeer5262]

Yes, I'm aware

[@benjaminwesercreative]

how about the autofocus sound while filming ? sorry if I’ve overheard that

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I found it nice and quiet for video recording.

[@benjaminwesercreative]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you, I also watched the complete review now. I heard you saying it. Thank you for your great work.

[@charmerci]

This and other videos really makes me want to get one. Though personally, I'm rather disappointed that you compared it to the Sony 20 and 35. I would have much preferred a comparison to the Sony 24-105 f4 - which is what I have!!! lol

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm afraid that's not a very natural comparison (zoom vs prime, maximum aperture of F4 vs F1.8).

[@JackWoodhams]

Hey Dustin I bought this lens and I'm seeing tonnes of chromatic aberration, both with astro and high contrast scenes. Purple haloing around stars etc. Very surprised to see virtually none in this review. Are you showing processed JPEGS or raw photos and did you experience any?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I mostly just showed RAWs in my review, but you're the first to report high instances of CA with a copy. A lot of people have written about how much they love this lens. I wonder if you got a decentered copy?

[@JackWoodhams]

@@DustinAbbottTWI do you keep deleting my replies? 🤔

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I haven't deleted anything.

[@JackWoodhams]

@@DustinAbbottTWI the comment is gone again! Maybe KZbin is deleting my external links

[@tomson8678]

Hello. Great review. I've only two questions. 1) What you can say about video titled "Samyang 24mm 1.8 FE Lens has one HUGE problem - What Reviewers Won't Tell You" on Jack Woodham's channel? I mean all about chromatic aberration. In addition to his photos of the night sky, he also provided various examples of photos from Flickr from various authors where CA is visible to a significant extent. I'm considering purchasing this lens mainly for astrophotography, but after watching the video mentioned and seeing the photos shown in it, there seems to be a lot of CA, which worries me a bit. 2) How loud is autofocus in video auto-mode? With my previous Samyang (18mm f/2.8 AF) I've a problem in autofocus mode - an audible clicks sound like in the sample video which you can watch on my channel (I won't link it because YT will delete the comment). I'm a little afraid because it's Samyang again and probably the same engine like 18mm f/2.8 (which I love for its sharpness in astrophoto, size and lightness!) :)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The focus motor is much improved over the 18mm, which was a fairly early lens for Samyang in their autofocus process. I've never seen massive CA on my copy, which I have used on and off over the years. I can't account for what someone else found, and unfortunately I'm pretty much always too busy to watch KZbin videos...ironically.

[@tomson8678]

@@DustinAbbottTWI I understand. This is reassuring when it comes to autofocus volume. Thanks.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

@@tomson8678 You're welcome

[@mrbaiser4133]

This lens is PERFECT for street photography on an aps-c camera. Samyang should release it for Fuji, or the complete tiny series. The 24mm, 45mm and 75mm on the X-S10 is all that I would need. Sure, I could buy the overpriced A6600 with its outdated sensor, but...

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I think you'll see it released for Fuji.

[@HMX_12]

We finally got a replacement & cheap alternative for Batis 25mm F2 lens and.. 24mm F1.4 GM lens. Also this is a bad news for viltrox

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Yes, yes, and yes.

[@benjamindover4337]

It's funny that video is all going toward less contrast with sLog etc, but we're still looking for contrast in photography. With all the post processing at hand today, maybe it's time to reconsider that.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

LOG profiles aren't designed to be the finished product, though, unlike photography. You use LOG when you plan to grade the footage, so the optical properties of the lens are still going to be there after the final product.

[@DennisMoncla]

Cool "little" series of lenses they have going. I own the 35 1.4 that isn't tiny and it has the most equisit bokeh! That is what draws me to Samyang so I'm a little disappointed in the bokeh of this one but on the other fronts this seems like a little beast of a lens. Probably not quite fair you gave that GM a bump up which made it even sharper so you could compare it at the same aperture. But if you did them both wide open that wouldn't be fair either lol.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

There really isn't a "fair" way to equalize settings when lenses have two different maximum apertures.

[@DennisMoncla]

@@DustinAbbottTWI agreed. It's a pick your poison proposition. Great job as always. Sent your video to a astro friend of mine that shoots Nikon. She hasn't been happy with her lens selections for astro with them and is thinking of switching to Sony. This lens may have pushed her over the edge.

[@ernstvandeursen9254]

Very interesting. I LOVE small and light al long as image quality is good. Start thinking about selling my Zeiss f2/25mm Batis now.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Agreed.

[@USGrant21st]

Now we need a comparison with Sony 24/1.4 GM lens. Is Samyang optically comparable? maybe superior? Sony has quite a lot of LoCA, Samyang is probably better.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I discovered after the fact of my 24GM review that my chart tests were inadvertently done in APS-C mode, which makes them fairly useless for comparison with later lenses...particularly since I tested the Samyang on a higher resolution body to boot. Obviously if I ever have a 24mm GM on hand again, I'll redo my tests.

[@SnowyBlizzard]

Samyang and rokinon are selling the SAME EXACT lenses, any chance they’re just mass produced and drop shipped to some degree by these companies and not actually manufactured or sold by them? So the company itself is eh

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

No, I deal directly with the manufacturer. Samyang produces their own lenses and for some reason sell also under the Rokinon brand in North America.

[@dalefrolander3583]

Anyone else notice what looked like a wild turkey run by on our left of Dustin at 3:50?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's exactly what it was. I get them often on my property

[@kifley19]

Great tiny lens for someone who wants a wide prime lens.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Exactly.

[@MrHD71]

Purchased the Viltrox at launch. Regret it so much!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm sorry about that. I'm genuinely surprised at how much better the Samyang is. That was unexpected.

[@itsraheem]

The viltrox doesn’t look that bad. Do you want to sell your lens

[@olegvorkunov5400]

Just got a 24mm 1.8 Samyang lens to replace my Sony 20mm 1.8 lens. And I did not make mistake on this. Lens distortion with in-camera correction is much worse for Sony 20mm than for Samyang 24mm. I understand that Sony is 20mm and Samyang is 24mm, but man, that is a huge difference. I took some shots while on a trip to Alaska and I had only Sony 20mm. Each photo had to be corrected and could not be posted straight out of the camera. And after correction, corners were destroyed for each shot using a Sony lens. With Samyang that distortion does not exist in JPEG files at all. Going to sell my Sony soon. Focusing in low light. Both performed the same. Image quality not considering distortion both perform the same. For street photography, Sony 20mm is NO GO. All structures are bent. For group shots side people are stretched with Sony 20mm. That problem does not exist with Samyang 24 mm at all. Sony 20mm landscape photography - if you have trees in the picture, side trees will be bent. So, practically I do not see any use case for Sony 20mm. Samyang 24mm does not have this problem.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

This Samyang is a really excellent lens relative to the price point. I'm a fan.

[@keystonebrotherb]

Adorama has it for $399 today!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's good value for an excellent lens.

[@budimaulana6087]

Samyang 24MM f1.8 or viltrox 24MM f1.8

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I found the Samyang to be the easy winner.

[@matej.mlakar]

I hope Samyang will make this lens also for Nikon F mount (and other mounts ofc), because there is no great astro 24mm lens out there. Sigma ART is not good, same goes for Nikon.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm afraid you won't see any of these lenses "retrofitted" for DSLR mounts because it is a completely different lens design process

[@andgainingspeed]

Seems like a terrific travel lens at just over half a pound. Lighter and cheaper than the Sony 24mm f2.8 G with a low light advantage, although not quite as small. If 24mm is your favorite focal length, maybe you go with the GM, but I think Samyang is going to sell a lot more of their 24mm f1.8 once they arrive in June.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It does seem like it will be a great seller for them.

[@fotomats8651]

why in hd only and not in 4k.....

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That must be a local problem; the video is in 4K.

[@fotomats8651]

@@DustinAbbottTWI o no, here in germany only hd in this video, your others are all in 4k...

[@fotomats8651]

btw: can´t believe that this lens is better than the sony 20mm, when this is rly true i will instantly buy this new samyang lens

[@anubhav1921]

how does it compare to 25mm batiss

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's been years since I've reviewed the Batis, so it's a bit hard to answer that question. This lens is certainly as sharp and probably has slightly better AF due to being newer and more refined. The Zeiss would probably win for color rendition, which is always a Zeiss strength. The Samyang is obviously a much stronger value.

[@MCAQUIN0]

if they made this a 1.4. I would pay an extra 100. It would be even more perfect

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

If it were F1.4, I'm afraid it would be more than a $100 difference.

[@MCAQUIN0]

@@DustinAbbottTWI really eh. Glad to know, thank you!

[@fixxforliferedskies8428]

3:52 Turkey?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Yes. There are a lot of them around here.

[@jkmediajohny4536]

Yousful video

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thank you

[@noctilux5134]

I have an A7... and 0 Sony lenses HAHAHHA !!! Bought the Samyang 24/2.8 (even smaller) on sales last year because of size+weight. Such a pleasure to bring SMALL gear with what is supposed to be a smaller system. I'm always astonished by the size and heaviness of modern glasses for mirrorless systems. At least before if you had a 5D or 1D (~1kg) it would counterbalance the lens XD

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's why this series is so special. It really allows you to have both the amazing image quality but also portability.

[@shamwow7996]

Me either... I have the Tamron trinity of 2.8's this lens, viltrox 85mm, haha, someday I'll get a Sony lens haha... also have the sigma 150-600

[@maggnet4829]

Can we stop bashing plastic? Plastic can be more sturdy than metal, since it is flexible and particularly is much lighter. Who actually wants heavy lenses? This whole metal raving is in my opinion like asking for glass backs on mobile phones, it just brings disadvantages.