These mkiis are excellent for me. They aren't focal lengths I use a lot but at that price I don't feel I am wasting cash. The images are gorgeous and they feel really great in the hand. Excellent alternatives to GMs for serious amateurs.
I have a number of Samyang/Rokinon lenses and the most annoying thing about them is the strong LoCA, visible in so many pictures. The only lens that is good in that regard is the 135/1.8, which I don't really need.
Love their lenses! Firm believer in 3rd party for FE mount lenses. Had 3 of the 1st gen AF levels (35, 50, 85) of which the 35 85 had better AF which was the only issue with these lenses. I'd say it was 90% accurate on well let and good contrast subjects. Cannot complain at the price point especially.
I can only talk about the 145mm 1.8 it’s amazingly sharp not that heavy too, I just love it. I’m glad Sony let 3rd party lenses into their lineup. I also have the Sigma 24mm art lens it’s great, but does have some focus breathing issues not all the time, just sometimes. I just wish I didn’t have to buy the lens dock to get updates.
When i pre-ordered the samyang 135 f1.8 AF i did get the lens dock with it at no extra cost. Of course having the lens station means you can update any samyang AF lens with the same mount as the dock. Just make sure you have the latest software program for the lens dock as well as firmware when doing firmware updates 👍
I bought the Canon 85mm based on your review, I am worried it may get disabled by a future firmware update, but it is a great lens. I shoot a lot of live music with it and have never found the AF too slow. My only complaint is it takes a minute after you turn the camera on for the af to kick in but once it kicks in it has never been too slow. I hope at some point we will see the newer lenses in a RF mount. I cant imagine at some point Canon doesn't open up the lens protocol. The look of the images from the lens is great, you are right it has almost an analog look but it is more than sharp enough for my use cases.
Thank you for all the reviews and the effort, I value your opinion highly. I got a MKI version of the 85mm f/1.4 partially because of your review, and I'm really happy with the images I get from that one. I did encounter minor AF issues, especially after updating the firmware on my Sony A7III, but I just got the lens station and updated the firmware on the lens, too, so hopefully that will smooth things out a bit. Still, the image quality is excellent, it's a really nice portrait lens
To be honest, I wish they had tried to refine the dual motor they put on the MK 1 of the 85mm 1.4 for their bigger lenses - I found with the latest firmware it clearly outperformed the 135mm 1.8 when I used them side by side on my a7r IV when it comes to tracking speed. I assume there might be bigger glass to move, but it feels like this was a bit of a step back. I can see it being easier to put the same type motor system in both the tiny series and their larger lenses (only one type to develop that way), but it adds that constant caveat of "these are excellent BUT...." whereas had they continued down the dual motor route, I think that might not be the case today.
I'm not seeing a lens profile in Lightroom under either Samyang or Rokinon for this lens. I'm not seeing one on either the samyang or rokinon sites either...
Samyang is excellent, but I have chossen a mix of Samyang and Sigma as My primary primes. I have the Samyang 24mm f 1.8 and the Samyang 135 f 1.8. Sigma 35mm f 1.4 and 85mm f 1.4 both DG DN. The next on My wishlist is the New Sigma 50mm f 1.4 DG DN.
I can't say for certain, as I havent' done the the controlled tests in the same way. I have found as a general trend that Samyang glass has been getting more neutral.
After reading all comment I am little confuse so.... Please tell me which one should I buy? Samyang 35mm f/1.4 D OR OR Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN video is my priority while choosing a lens auto focus and focus breathing is my first priority. I can afford sigma 35mm 1.4 dndn as well as samyang 35mm 1.4 II but can not afford sony gm 35mm my priority is samyang because in india samyang is little bit cheaper so i spend rest amount for other accessory please reply me as soon as possible I want to buy very soon so u please reply🙏🙏🙏
hi Dustin... thanks for the detail review... please advice ... i do have tamron 28-75 and i'm looking for a good portrait lens confused between sony 85 1.8,Samyang 85,135,35-150. i do like the 35mm-150 range but i do have tamron 28-75 g2 which is pretty awesome. even i'm buying 35-150 i do not want to rid off tamron because i do have 6300 i can pair the tamron.
Well I definitely have a few Samyang lenses. I have the 35 and 85 mm f1.4 version 1 models that I had zero issues that took beautiful images. I picked up the samyang 50 mm F1.4 V2 and another remarkable lens. So even though I have the Sony 135 mm GM I couldn’t pass up the deal on the samyang 135 mm F1.8 AF. Unfortunately I had to return it. Even though I bought the docking station and updated the firmware. It would not focus on the eyes hardly at all. Maybe two out of 10 times the photo would be in focus using eye AF. Now will that stop me from buying another Samyang lens absolutely not. You can go through everyone’s reviews of all the lenses and you will see they have issues just like every manufacture. But I will just stick with my Sony 135 mm at this time. My lens bag contains mostly Sigma’s and Samyang lenses. I do have two Sony lenses but it all depends on the budget
@@DustinAbbottTWI yeah I was definitely bummed about it not hitting focus. I heard of people having issues in the past with quality control and try another copy and their second copy is usually good. But I didn't want to go through the hassle again seeing I already had the 135 mm GM. I actually planned on keeping both of them and using the GM for my Sports Photography seeing you get 20 frames per second using my A9 and I was going to use the samyang for portraits. I am in some real Dusty conditions and muddy conditions while using my Sony GM out doing ATV racing so just in case it broke I had a backup. Because I can't go without 135 mm
In my experience these three lenses are not of equivalent optical performance. The Samyang 135/1.8 is physically light, has accurate colors, excellent sharpness and is an outstanding value making it a viable alternative to the GM version. The Samyang 35/1.4 does not deliver the same IQ and is plagued by a strong yellow color cast, a field of view noticeably wider than 35, is very heavy and sharpness that while OK does not match that of the 35/1.4 G-Master nor that of its 135 sibling.
Agreed. The 35mm is my least favorite of the bunch. The 135mm is the best optically, though I'm quite a fan of the rendering from the 50mm F1.4 and 85mm F1.4 II.
I have a Sigma 24-70, I wanted to add either the Samyang 135 or 85 as my second lens. Would you (or anyone in the comments) recommend one more than the other? Thanks!
135/1.8 is optically superb lens, but I didn't buy it even when B&H was selling it at about $600. I just can't foresee any circumstances where I would need a 135mm prime. I already have a 85/1.4 and 70-180/2.8, which would be preferred for portraits and more.
I so want to pull the trigger on the 135mm but have read horror stories about the last few firmware updates ruining the lens? Making it noisy and really slow to focus? Anybody got any experience with this? I know there was a battery drain issue on first firmware but it’s V3-V4 that have apparently caused issues?
I totally get that the length of a lens matters to some but why does anyone care about the weight. A tin of Baked Beans is 400 gms. Features yes but you can't carry a tin of beans you got bigger problems. Just say light weight and leave it at that. Great content as always
@@richrollin4867 I understand if it was a fully fledged cinematic lens. But as a grown man or woman carrying a tin of beans about should not be that problematic. It’s the same with cameras like the Fuji X100v. Oh it’s a few grams heavier or lighter than the last one. Who really cares. You pick it up, use it and then put it down. If you can’t carry the thing around all day then as I said you might have bigger problems
I couldn't agree more with you. I think if they started making 5lb lenses the new norm. People wouldn't have a problem with the 400gm lenses. The same people that complain about a measly 400gms would be praising how light they are compared to the 5lb lenses. With that being said imagine the current telephoto wildlife zooms and primes being made out of solid brass.
@@princeharbinger having owned a 200-400 f4 and a 200 f2 both from Nikon I can say your arms to tend to drop a bit after a while but that is why man invented a tri/mono pod.
Be still my beating Bank account. Question, can I survive with no kidneys. I sold the first one to get all my current gear. From a damp 25 miles north of London, be lucky stay safe.
1:44 we need more of that please !
More Nala? She'd happily oblige!
These mkiis are excellent for me. They aren't focal lengths I use a lot but at that price I don't feel I am wasting cash. The images are gorgeous and they feel really great in the hand. Excellent alternatives to GMs for serious amateurs.
Exactly.
I have a number of Samyang/Rokinon lenses and the most annoying thing about them is the strong LoCA, visible in so many pictures. The only lens that is good in that regard is the 135/1.8, which I don't really need.
Love their lenses! Firm believer in 3rd party for FE mount lenses. Had 3 of the 1st gen AF levels (35, 50, 85) of which the 35 85 had better AF which was the only issue with these lenses. I'd say it was 90% accurate on well let and good contrast subjects. Cannot complain at the price point especially.
For sure.
Nala deserves credit for the action/drama bit of the video!
She definitely does.
I can only talk about the 145mm 1.8 it’s amazingly sharp not that heavy too, I just love it. I’m glad Sony let 3rd party lenses into their lineup.
I also have the Sigma 24mm art lens it’s great, but does have some focus breathing issues not all the time, just sometimes.
I just wish I didn’t have to buy the lens dock to get updates.
That's fair.
When i pre-ordered the samyang 135 f1.8 AF i did get the lens dock with it at no extra cost. Of course having the lens station means you can update any samyang AF lens with the same mount as the dock. Just make sure you have the latest software program for the lens dock as well as firmware when doing firmware updates 👍
I bought the Canon 85mm based on your review, I am worried it may get disabled by a future firmware update, but it is a great lens. I shoot a lot of live music with it and have never found the AF too slow. My only complaint is it takes a minute after you turn the camera on for the af to kick in but once it kicks in it has never been too slow. I hope at some point we will see the newer lenses in a RF mount. I cant imagine at some point Canon doesn't open up the lens protocol. The look of the images from the lens is great, you are right it has almost an analog look but it is more than sharp enough for my use cases.
I was actually pleasantly surprised to find that my two RF mount Samyang lenses both worked on the newest Canon R6 MK II.
Thank you for all the reviews and the effort, I value your opinion highly. I got a MKI version of the 85mm f/1.4 partially because of your review, and I'm really happy with the images I get from that one. I did encounter minor AF issues, especially after updating the firmware on my Sony A7III, but I just got the lens station and updated the firmware on the lens, too, so hopefully that will smooth things out a bit. Still, the image quality is excellent, it's a really nice portrait lens
The newer lens is definitely better for autofocus, but I do hope the firmware update helps you.
To be honest, I wish they had tried to refine the dual motor they put on the MK 1 of the 85mm 1.4 for their bigger lenses - I found with the latest firmware it clearly outperformed the 135mm 1.8 when I used them side by side on my a7r IV when it comes to tracking speed. I assume there might be bigger glass to move, but it feels like this was a bit of a step back.
I can see it being easier to put the same type motor system in both the tiny series and their larger lenses (only one type to develop that way), but it adds that constant caveat of "these are excellent BUT...." whereas had they continued down the dual motor route, I think that might not be the case today.
That's fair. The 50mm F1.4 II could also benefit from a dual motor setup.
i wish they would give canon the bird by releasing the 135mm in a manual rf mount.
Their old 135/2 was available on EF and is a fantastic MF lens. Should work well adapted onto RF.
Here's hoping Canon smartens up soon.
had the 1st gen 85 1.4 for Sony and it was a fantastic lens...produced great images.
Exactly. Very nice rendering.
1:42 🐱 hello
She'd like to say "hello" multiple times every video!
Cat! at 0:01:41
Yup! She tries to get in EVERY video.
I have them all and I am completely satisfied. Sony A7R IV A and Sony A7R III.
I'm not seeing a lens profile in Lightroom under either Samyang or Rokinon for this lens. I'm not seeing one on either the samyang or rokinon sites either...
Samyang is excellent, but I have chossen a mix of Samyang and Sigma as My primary primes.
I have the Samyang 24mm f 1.8 and the Samyang 135 f 1.8. Sigma 35mm f 1.4 and 85mm f 1.4 both DG DN. The next on My wishlist is the New Sigma 50mm f 1.4 DG DN.
Those are all nice lenses.
Mr. Abbott, do you think the 135 would hold up on the 60MP sensor? I have no telephoto prime and wonder about this one.
Absolutely. I actually own the 135mm and it is pin sharp on my a7RV.
Great review. I've been following year 135 review because I don't want to spend the money for the Sony but the simaa looks too heavy
I doubt you'll find a high quality 135mm with that big of an aperture that will be lighter.
I really enjoy your reviews. Thank you for your efforts.
My pleasure!
Great video as always! Thanks Dustin
Thank you.
i got 135 , i love this lense
It's very nice.
i'm obsessed with the photo at 08:45
Isn't it a riot! I find him in the garage, laying on the hood of my new truck. Instead of getting off he gives me a big yawn. Very cat behavior.
I got really impressed by color rendition of samyang v-af , but it’s t1.9 just wanted to know if these mk2 series has same colors like v-af
I can't say for certain, as I havent' done the the controlled tests in the same way. I have found as a general trend that Samyang glass has been getting more neutral.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks for replying. Your videos are so detailed and informative. Appreciate all your effort 👍🏻
After reading all comment I am little confuse so....
Please tell me which one should I buy?
Samyang 35mm f/1.4 D OR OR Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN
video is my priority while choosing a lens auto focus and focus breathing is my first priority. I can afford sigma 35mm 1.4 dndn as well as samyang 35mm 1.4 II but can not afford sony gm 35mm
my priority is samyang because in india samyang is little bit cheaper so i spend rest amount for other accessory
please reply me as soon as possible
I want to buy very soon
so u please reply🙏🙏🙏
I would lean towards the Sigma
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for your valuable reply
hi Dustin... thanks for the detail review... please advice ... i do have tamron 28-75 and i'm looking for a good portrait lens
confused between sony 85 1.8,Samyang 85,135,35-150. i do like the 35mm-150 range but i do have tamron 28-75 g2 which is pretty awesome.
even i'm buying 35-150 i do not want to rid off tamron because i do have 6300 i can pair the tamron.
The Samyang 135 would be a good compliment to what you already have.
thanks a lot@@DustinAbbottTWI
Well I definitely have a few Samyang lenses. I have the 35 and 85 mm f1.4 version 1 models that I had zero issues that took beautiful images. I picked up the samyang 50 mm F1.4 V2 and another remarkable lens. So even though I have the Sony 135 mm GM I couldn’t pass up the deal on the samyang 135 mm F1.8 AF. Unfortunately I had to return it. Even though I bought the docking station and updated the firmware. It would not focus on the eyes hardly at all. Maybe two out of 10 times the photo would be in focus using eye AF. Now will that stop me from buying another Samyang lens absolutely not. You can go through everyone’s reviews of all the lenses and you will see they have issues just like every manufacture. But I will just stick with my Sony 135 mm at this time. My lens bag contains mostly Sigma’s and Samyang lenses. I do have two Sony lenses but it all depends on the budget
That's too bad about the 135mm. Mine works quite well (I too have both the GM and the Samyang and have to make a decision for the future).
@@DustinAbbottTWI yeah I was definitely bummed about it not hitting focus. I heard of people having issues in the past with quality control and try another copy and their second copy is usually good. But I didn't want to go through the hassle again seeing I already had the 135 mm GM. I actually planned on keeping both of them and using the GM for my Sports Photography seeing you get 20 frames per second using my A9 and I was going to use the samyang for portraits. I am in some real Dusty conditions and muddy conditions while using my Sony GM out doing ATV racing so just in case it broke I had a backup. Because I can't go without 135 mm
Beautiful kitty!
Yes she is.
No wide angle option for Real Estate, Milky Way Astrophotography, or Landscape? Great budget options to Sony GM primes nonetheless.
Not in the series II, though the 14mm F2.8 remains a solid choice for those things.
The 18/2.8 punches above its class when stopped down to f5.6. Sharp right to the edges.
In my experience these three lenses are not of equivalent optical performance. The Samyang 135/1.8 is physically light, has accurate colors, excellent sharpness and is an outstanding value making it a viable alternative to the GM version. The Samyang 35/1.4 does not deliver the same IQ and is plagued by a strong yellow color cast, a field of view noticeably wider than 35, is very heavy and sharpness that while OK does not match that of the 35/1.4 G-Master nor that of its 135 sibling.
Agreed. The 35mm is my least favorite of the bunch. The 135mm is the best optically, though I'm quite a fan of the rendering from the 50mm F1.4 and 85mm F1.4 II.
I have a Sigma 24-70, I wanted to add either the Samyang 135 or 85 as my second lens. Would you (or anyone in the comments) recommend one more than the other? Thanks!
the 85mm isnt the best when compared to the other available 85mm lenses, however the 135 is superb with zero compromise.
I would say the 135mm would be a good compliment to what you have in terms of focal length, and definitely in terms of performance.
135/1.8 is optically superb lens, but I didn't buy it even when B&H was selling it at about $600. I just can't foresee any circumstances where I would need a 135mm prime. I already have a 85/1.4 and 70-180/2.8, which would be preferred for portraits and more.
Really good lenses. I personally really like their rendering.
I'm a fan, too.
I so want to pull the trigger on the 135mm but have read horror stories about the last few firmware updates ruining the lens? Making it noisy and really slow to focus? Anybody got any experience with this? I know there was a battery drain issue on first firmware but it’s V3-V4 that have apparently caused issues?
I don't have any issues about firmware updates .
@@HalesN9 Thanks, definitely not seen worse AF performance with newer version?
I've got one updated to the newest version, and it AF's just fine.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you Dustin 👍
I totally get that the length of a lens matters to some but why does anyone care about the weight.
A tin of Baked Beans is 400 gms.
Features yes but you can't carry a tin of beans you got bigger problems.
Just say light weight and leave it at that.
Great content as always
@@richrollin4867 I understand if it was a fully fledged cinematic lens. But as a grown man or woman carrying a tin of beans about should not be that problematic. It’s the same with cameras like the Fuji X100v. Oh it’s a few grams heavier or lighter than the last one. Who really cares. You pick it up, use it and then put it down.
If you can’t carry the thing around all day then as I said you might have bigger problems
I couldn't agree more with you. I think if they started making 5lb lenses the new norm. People wouldn't have a problem with the 400gm lenses. The same people that complain about a measly 400gms would be praising how light they are compared to the 5lb lenses. With that being said imagine the current telephoto wildlife zooms and primes being made out of solid brass.
@@princeharbinger having owned a 200-400 f4 and a 200 f2 both from Nikon I can say your arms to tend to drop a bit after a while but that is why man invented a tri/mono pod.
I appreciate where you're coming from, but I can tell you that there are many, many people who care a LOT about the weight.
1:42 It suddenly switched from a photography channel to a wildlife channel.
LOL - you should see all the ones I edit out!!
Samyang 135mm awesome.
Definitely.
Be still my beating Bank account.
Question, can I survive with no kidneys.
I sold the first one to get all my current gear.
From a damp 25 miles north of London, be lucky stay safe.
LOL.
Canon may open a door for MF lenses according to gossips.
MF or AF lenses?
1:43 that naked intruder was quickly catched and kicked out of the field.
LOL - exactly