Samyang (Rokinon) AF 85mm F1.4 Series II Definitive Review

[@GLENNMPHOTOGRAPHY]

I shoot thousands of photos using this lens and I can say it's one of the best out there. It has this character and renders 3d like images.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It is a very nice lens, for sure.

[@benjaminbonnefond511]

Thanks a lot for all your reviews, they help a lot with choosing gear.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

My pleasure!

[@johnbecich9540]

Thanks!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You're welcome.

[@Jwitherow1964]

Dustin you are by far the best reviewer of camera lenses on KZbin and as a bonus we get to know you are a born-again Christian as you say kudos God bless you and yours thank you again for the great review making me want to purchase this item which I do not need😂

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thanks for the kind words.

[@BrianWatkins9000]

Agreed. I don't consider buying a lens without hearing what Dustin says first. I'll listen to other reviews too, but Dustin is often where I start.

[@stevensuum]

Can you review 135 1.8?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Samyang has promised to send me one in the middle of this month.

[@vuquylam93]

@@DustinAbbottTWI I've been waiting for that review from you for months now :D

[@stevensuum]

@@DustinAbbottTWI can't wait it!

[@KarstenMeyer]

Thank you so much for this in depth review! Some thoughts which I had while viewing: 1. I'd really appreciate a quick comparison with the f/1.8 75mm you've made several films about - especially as far as the bokeh is concerned. This lens costs half the money and weighs less than half than the lens tested here. 2. You notice that there are no in-camera corrections for Samyang lenses. Now I'm wondering if this is a function of the lenses (is this data in the lens?) or one of the cameras (do the cameras need updates for such lenses?). And then the question is, which lenses can do that - is that possibly true for all of Sigma and Tamron? Unfortunately I haven't found any paper on this topic yet. 3. I'm surprised that Samyang doesn't update its old f/1.2 85mm, which is still available for Canon EF, for mirrorless cameras. That would be a lens with a unique selling point!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'll have to see if I can fit in a 75mm vs 85mm video down the road if I have a slow season. 2) Sigma and Tamron DO get in-camera corrections. For some reason no Samyang lenses do 3) Doing autofocus and F1.2 isn't easy, and Samyang's F1.2 85mm lens was manual focus only.

[@vuquylam93]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Dustin, I can confirm that the Samyang 24mm f1.8 with its latest firmware gets a nice correction on the A7III - like completely gets rid of the moustache distortion. That makes me believe the correction profile is stored in the lens, which in turn makes me wonder why Samyang hasn't been actively providing us with Lr/ACR lens profiles since they clearly have the necessary data to make them.

[@AlHR23]

Another great review! I hope you get the chance to review the Samyang 135mm 1.8 :)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Good news - Samyang says they are sending me one middle of the month.

[@joshblank1]

Nikon 85 1.8g or Samyang AF 85 1.4 for F mount dslr?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would say the Nikon. The older Samyang 85mm wasn't nearly as good as these newer models.

[@Ryan_Secord]

Out of curiosity, is there any quality difference between a Rokinon and Samyang lens due to manufacturing locations, and do you prefer one over the other for any reason?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Not that I'm aware of.

[@mihgio3235]

as always great review but i have a request: can you review the samyang 24-70 lens? thank you!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'll have to ask Samyang about that.

[@picma]

Thank you for the great review, Dustin! I currently own the RF version and I love the image quality but I´m not so sure about the AF. I´m thinking about switching to Sony (because of Canons 3rd party ban) and if I do I have to decide between the Samyang and the Sigma, so I´m really looking forward to your comparison. In Europe the price difference is lower (799 € Samyang and 969 € to 1069 € Sigma).

[@acouragefann]

I think when the differences image quality wise are so minor, you might be dealing with differences that could easily be outdone by sample variation alone with some samyangs outresolving some sigmas and vice versa. I can also see the samyang dropping in price rather quickly. The Samyang 24-70 is sitting at 699-750 now and the 50mm can be had for just over 500. I imagine the 85mm 1.4 will drop by at least 100€ in a couple of months

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That comparison is coming next week.

[@RussellGarvey]

I switched from Nikon mirrorless to the Sony for the same reason. I used the Sigma 85 (with the mirrorless adapter) on the Nikon. I sold everything, switched to Sony and bought the Samyang 85. I don’t miss the Sigma.

[@StefanKamer]

@@acouragefann it may just be my luck, but I just bought the new Samyang 85 1.4 II for 620€ (615CHF) in Switzerland. So idk if that's a mistake or something but 200 bucks off for this seems like a good deal. Depending on how I like it, may sell my Sony 85 1.8.

[@DirkDien]

Have you used the latest firmware with your RF 85 1.4? That really improved my results on my R6.

[@boristahmasian9604]

Hi Dustin, thank you for another great video. I love your test chart. It is so telling for bench tests. I have a quick question. I can get a used Sigma 85 DG DN for around $850. Should I get the Sigma or a new Samyang 85? FYI, I borrowed my cousin's Sigma 85 DG DN and have been shooting with it for a few days. It is a fantastic lens. I notice a little CA at f1.4. Otherwise it is a great lens. I am doing a project and will be shooting a lot at f1.4 for max bokeh effect. Thanks.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I've got a direct comparison between the two coming next week, but if you can get the Sigma for that price, that's probably what I'd do. You know you'll retain that value quite well.

[@pierrenj79]

Of course Dustin is more pro than both of us . But in my honest opinion since I have both lens , the sigma is was sharper and faster , in low light its way better.. also you can find it new for 800 us dollars now . Get samyang 135mm 1.8 it's unbelievably great and cheap

[@boristahmasian9604]

@@pierrenj79 Hi Pierre, I am shooting with a borrowed Sigma 85 DG DN f1.4 and it is fantastic (my cousin's lens). I ordered the Samyang 135 a few weeks ago. I was really looking forward to shooting with the Samyang 135. However, the lens was a gray market (German packaging). I called Samyang US and they said they do not provide any support for gray market lenses. In addition, the lens had serious ghosting issue. The edges of the objects were showing a double image and the images had a slight out of focus look to them. My guess is that it had a de-centered element inside. Needless to say I had to send it back for those two reasons. I am bummed out as I was really looking forward to shooting with the Samyang 135. In the meantime, I am shooting my Tamron 70-180 albeit at f2.8 instead of f1.8. The images I am getting from the Tamron are fantastic and some of the sharpest images I have ever gotten from any lens. At 85mm The Tamron compares very favorably with the Sigma 85 I am test shooting, with the obvious difference being f2.8 vs. f1.4. BTW, where did you see the Sigma for $800. My cousin bought his from B&H for $1,200 plus tax. He is in California so the final cost was $1,320.

[@pierrenj79]

@@boristahmasian9604 boris, I bought the sigma 85mm 1.4 dg dn from a trusted seller located in NJ on ebay , brand new with full US warranty for 809 US dollars. About the samyang 135mm f1.8, since I wrote my previous post here to ya , I was on the phone with samyang CS , I was trying to update the firmware and all of a sudden the lens started acting weird. Not focusing. Not letting me turn the camera off .. I purchased it from samyang store on Amazon.. before I tried to update the firmware the lens was Fantastic, maybe you got a bad copy ..

[@boristahmasian9604]

@@pierrenj79 Pierre, I have not seen a single bad review of the Samyang 135. I definitely had a bad copy. Most of the reviews I read say it is better than Sony GM, at least optically. Sorry to hear about your lens. This is where the warranty comes in. About your Sigma 85. I have bought most of my brand new lens or bodies from B&H or Adorama. They stand behind their products 100%. I have had bad lenses that they even paid for return shipping and sent me replacements promptly. I have also bought (and sold) a fair number of lenses and bodies on fredmiranda with zero issues. I never thought about buying brand new lenses on eBay. You made me think about it. Thanks.

[@ooharloo]

Would you say this lens in Rokinon branding for $610.41 USD new after taxes is a good price?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Definitely. That's more than $100 cheaper than B&H at the moment.

[@marknathan7744]

Samyang have come along way since the early days Dustin great video as always . I still manage fine with my Sony 85 f1.8 but the Samyang looks nice .

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

They really have come a long way

[@JackieSemple]

Very helpful review. I've got the Mark I version which I like a lot. But its autofocus is not as agile as for example the Sony 85/1.8 lens. Thinking about adding the Mark II and at the same time keeping the Mark I. 85mm is my most used focal length so it would probably be a worthwhile addition. Thanks.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You could always try out the new lens and then decide if you actually end up using the old one

[@JackieSemple]

Thanks. That sound good advice.

[@closedclosed3798]

Thank you for an Excellent Review!!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

My pleasure!

[@TheReallyBadChannel]

I want to get this lens, but I can't help but think that Sony will release a MKII 85mm; that will be the best on the market by a wide margin. Sony's lens will likely be $2k, but I'm sure it will be a killer.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Probably both of those statements are true.

[@djrease7354]

Do you think Sony will release the 85mm MKii in Both F1.2 and F1.4?

[@TheReallyBadChannel]

@@djrease7354 From what I've seen on "Sony alpha rumors", a very credible Sony affiliate site. Sony has filed a patent for an 85 f/1.2. That's confirmed. There are rumors of a smaller lighter 1.8 G series, with updated motors, but that's not been confirmed.

[@djrease7354]

Another Great review … you and your team are definitely my favorite lens reviewer ever.. keep it up… I know I’m getting ahead of myself but when are you going to review the Sony 85mm 1.2 GM…lol .. Just kidding .. No need to respond to that!!😂

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

When it exists, I most likely will review it

[@YowieWowie_Fireflies]

Hi Dustin, We kindly request you to review Samyang 24-70 F2.8 lens for Sony E mount system. As usual this review videos is awesome as always. Thanks..

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'll have to ask Samyang about that.

[@ryanjreyesvlogs]

Thank you for this review old friend, bought the lens yesterday because of your opinions and samples

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Enjoy!

[@NoRegret08]

I have an Canon EOS R with RF 24-105 F4L and RF 14-35 F4. I also bought 6 and 10 stop B&W ND filters and Manfrotto travel carbon tripod. I really want to get RF 70-200 F4 and it is on sale now. However, I want to keep it 2 lenses only for travel (Going to Iceland in December). I think I can buy RF 70-200 F4 and sell RF 24-105 F4L. However, RF 24-105 F4L is such a good lens! I find using using RF 14-35 much more often though because of the close focusing distance for selfies with the significant other. RF 24-105 F4 has a minimum 45cm focusing distance and my arms are not that long LOL. What a dilemma - or just forget about RF 70-200 F4 and stick with what I have. I also noticed that I don't really use 50mm to 70mm that often. The advantage of RF 24-105 F4L over RF 70-200 F4 is that you can still take a selfie without changing lens to RF 14-35 F4 and if you need to zoom out a little, you do not need to change lenses too.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The 70-200 would certainly be a tempting lens in your scenario. It is a challenge to try to invest your money in the lenses that you will use the most.

[@CelestialTrieye]

thanks for your effort. seems like a good lens. Never tried a Samyang before.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

They've been on a roll recently. I really enjoy their lenses.

[@pierrenj79]

Dustin .. you are simply great . Thank you sir 🙏

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Well that is very kind!

[@ramspencer5492]

I really like what Samyang is doing. Thanks for the review.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Agreed. These are pretty impressive lenses and a great value.

[@constantinnow]

great

[@petrstefek4438]

Thanks for the review, Dustin. I am first? ))

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

One of the weird byproducts of my channel getting hacked this last weekend was that after restoration some videos have (at least for now) lost all their comments.

[@probabyphotos]

great nice

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thanks

[@NeilSnapePhotography]

As always your contribution to all of us is formidible. Your portraits of your daughter, for me the bokeh is funky, I didn't like that at all. For me a 85mm is a portrait lens first. If the bokeh comes out like that for me it is unusable.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Bokeh is a subjective measure, for sure. That’s why it’s great that we have options