Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 Autofocus Lens for Sony FE

Product Information

The scale on the left side is an indication of actual image resolution. The taller the column, the better the lens performance. Simple.

Regardless of the brand name and barrel style, the optics are the same. And Samyang sells the 85mm for every major camera system. You can get it for Canon, Four Thirds, Nikon, Pentax, or Sony SLRs, as well as for Canon, Fuji, Micro Four Thirds, Samsung, and Sony mirrorless cameras. The Nikon version of the lens, which we received for review, supports electronic aperture control, but other mounts only support mechanical aperture control. The lens is not optically stabilized, but it's not a feature that's usually found in 85mm prime lenses.

Globally the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art wins hands down and cost only 300 euros more than the new Samyang (800 euros) Optical stabilization isn't included, but it's an uncommon feature in this focal length, and most full-frame Sony cameras have it built into the body. If you absolutely must have it in an 85mm lens, the pricey Zeiss Batis 1.8/85 is your only option in E-mount. Strong Resolution, With Caveats In real life , the results obtained are very good, we can however notice sometimes some slight missed focus for walking subjects A flimsy shallow circular plastic hood comes supplied with the lens. It fits loosely on a bayonet fitting and has a habit of detaching itself, so may be more trouble than it's worth. Flare isn't much of an issue, but contrast does take a hammering when shooting into the light, which may be a good thing if shooting portraits. The best standpoint from which to appreciate the full view of a subject is the distance of the diagonal length of the subject frame. This wider angle is superior to standing closer at a 50 degree angle to get a more detailed view.

We’ll work through the chart results by first looking at distortion and vignette. As of yet there isn’t a correction profile available in Lightroom, but you can use the first generation profile without issue since the two lenses are essentially optically identical (with one caveat that I’ll discuss in a moment!) Rokinon doesn't include f/22 as an option—it's not typically included in f/1.4 lenses. If you're pairing the lens with a sensor with less resolution, like the 42MP a7R III or the 24MP a7 III, we expect you to see less of a drop in clarity at f/11 and f/16. I'd feel comfortable using it down to f/11 on pretty much any camera if I was going for a shot with a wide depth of focus.

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test. Milky smooth bokeh at 1.4, the falloff is almost unreal! Feels quite solid, even though it's a bit plastic-y. I really love this lens... it's currently my favourite in my collection. I'm taking fantastic portraits, and stopping the aperture up really brings out the sharpness in the lens. However even at f/1.4 I'm blown away by the results and sharpness, especially in the middle of the frame. It's bulky, but that's acceptable and expected given it's an 85mm 1.4. Stopped down to F11, the results are similarly complicated. The Tamron produces more of a pattern with shafts of light, while the AF85 remains more localized though slightly more intense. It seems like the Samyang retains a bit more contrast across the image.