For anyone wondering, the size is practically the same as the 33 1.4. But about the weight of the 35mm f2. The Viltrox is rather 16-55 size and weight. I agree its a great lens to toss in a bag. Just like the 12mm AF f2. 56mm is nice, but 75mm is such a great APSC FL. I liked the idea of the Viktrox. But I know reality would bite hard as if I have a heavier lens (I do have the 16-55 and 50-140, and have travelled with both separately) it needs to offer me versatility beyond one spec or eventually it will end up in a drawer. 16-55 is 5 primes in one, for example. I wanted a lens for travel, as I dont always want to take the 90, which can be a bit long, or the 50-140 which is heavier and not very subtle. Lighter lenses mean they get used more often and you want to bring them. It also means they can be brought in addition to, not instead of other lenses. F1.8 is plenty for this lens. Its a lovely lens, with the perfect portrait qualities of being a bit softer wide open but very sharp corner to corner by f4 ahould you want that. Its rendering reminds me of the 35 1.4. Comparing against my 90mm amd there is a clear dofference in favour of the 90mm in terms of contrast, sharpness, separation and AF, where the Samyang could be faster. The 90 has rhe same depth of field as the Viltrox so it was nice to see I didnt need to scratch that itch afterall. Samyang supports its lenses well, so looking forward to formware to hopefully enable the custom switch for photography and to improve the AF a bit. So far so good, 3 weeks in though. My new travel tele prime. Dont forget to budget for the lens station.
The size of this Samyang is awesome. I bought the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 and have it on my x-e4. It does look crazy on the x-e4 but the results are amazing.
Great lens for such a small body. It's a shame Fuji never resolved their supply chain challenges for the X-E4 and their other smaller bodies, would have loved to have one as an alternate grab and go kit.
If this had aperture controls in stills as well as video, I'm in. Wonderful. I can get by without an aperture ring, so long as the control ring can handle it. But this doesn't quite do it, and the fact that it's halfway there is almost more frustrating than if it couldn't do so at all. The longer-portrait lens options for Fuji are both so great but so far off from what I'd want. The Viltrox has that really tempting f/1.2, but it's huge and heavy and the minimum focus distance is bad. This focuses noticeably closer, is much lighter, but you can't control aperture. The Fuji 90mm can focus very close and has the full aperture ring, but it's a lot more expensive. Sigma hasn't released their 90/2.8 for Fuji and probably won't, and it'd have magnificent size, build, close focus, if you can get by with f/2.8.
i own the viltrox 56 1.4 and the viltrox 85 1.8. i would to see comparisons with these lenses. i am rven thinking of replacing both the viltrox with this samyang 75mm 1.8. it sounds like the perfect compromise. the 85 is too big and the 56mm often still too wide. the samyang 75 might be perfect for me
I used to have the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 macro. I only owned it a brief time so never got to test it for portraits but if I recall correctly it had quite a nice warm rendering. Also brilliant for macro with max 2x magnification.
@@Ttjam1 that Laowa definitely fits my parameters! I love macro lenses or at least close focussing (as modern lenses tend to do no problem. Thanks for the heads up!
@@JHurrenPhotography Olympus Pen F 70mm f/2 F.Zuiko Auto-T half-frame lens from the late 1960s. But in November 2025, it sells for more than the Samyang 75/1.8.
could be alternative to viltrox 75/1.2 if it was significantly cheaper than it. But its not. If you want compact lens - get viltrox 56/1.4, again, much better value for money. Samyang still very nice lens to keep if samyang sent it to you for free) Otherwise viltrox all the way
The pricing and timing is unfortunate. Not mentioned also is the requirement to use the (€75) lens station for firmware upgrades but it does also allow you fine-tune the AF and MF responses. I guess I got lucky. I paid €380 for the lens and lens station together, while the Viltrox costs €200 more. I'm sure the price will drop in the coming months for everyone. In the US, 10% discount already ordering from samyangUS directly. Samyang Europe also has regular sales.
For anyone wondering, the size is practically the same as the 33 1.4. But about the weight of the 35mm f2. The Viltrox is rather 16-55 size and weight.
I agree its a great lens to toss in a bag. Just like the 12mm AF f2. 56mm is nice, but 75mm is such a great APSC FL.
I liked the idea of the Viktrox. But I know reality would bite hard as if I have a heavier lens (I do have the 16-55 and 50-140, and have travelled with both separately) it needs to offer me versatility beyond one spec or eventually it will end up in a drawer. 16-55 is 5 primes in one, for example.
I wanted a lens for travel, as I dont always want to take the 90, which can be a bit long, or the 50-140 which is heavier and not very subtle. Lighter lenses mean they get used more often and you want to bring them. It also means they can be brought in addition to, not instead of other lenses.
F1.8 is plenty for this lens. Its a lovely lens, with the perfect portrait qualities of being a bit softer wide open but very sharp corner to corner by f4 ahould you want that. Its rendering reminds me of the 35 1.4.
Comparing against my 90mm amd there is a clear dofference in favour of the 90mm in terms of contrast, sharpness, separation and AF, where the Samyang could be faster. The 90 has rhe same depth of field as the Viltrox so it was nice to see I didnt need to scratch that itch afterall.
Samyang supports its lenses well, so looking forward to formware to hopefully enable the custom switch for photography and to improve the AF a bit.
So far so good, 3 weeks in though. My new travel tele prime.
Dont forget to budget for the lens station.
The size of this Samyang is awesome. I bought the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 and have it on my x-e4. It does look crazy on the x-e4 but the results are amazing.
I think Fuji needs to make a 75mm F2 R WR to fit with the other F2 lenses. Compact, light, weather sealed, and aperture ring.
Yeh, or a 70.
Fully agree, I sold my 50mm f2 because it just wasn't long enough or different enough from a 33/35mm so wasn't using it enough
Looks like a very useful and lovely little lens and clearly fits beautifully on the X-E4. And some great expositional images, thanks Benji.
I ordered this lens for my X-T50, because it reminds me of the classic Canon EF 85/1.8. Loved that lens in my early DSLR days on the EOS 350D.
I love Samyang lens , hope they make 16,35,56 version for Fuji x
Pairing it with my old xm1 would be cool
Or a xe2
My X-M1 loves this lens!
That is crazy small for 75mm. Very cool.
If it had an aperture ring it'd be perfect
This was great, Benj! Love this lens!
this and the sigma 56 1.4 are the portrait lens I'm looking at for my xe4!
Did you end up purchasing either lens?
Great lens for such a small body. It's a shame Fuji never resolved their supply chain challenges for the X-E4 and their other smaller bodies, would have loved to have one as an alternate grab and go kit.
I hope fuji release the xe 5 soon.
Amen. Been looking for an X-E4 for weeks. Used prices are super inflated thanks to Fuji Fever.
If this had aperture controls in stills as well as video, I'm in. Wonderful. I can get by without an aperture ring, so long as the control ring can handle it. But this doesn't quite do it, and the fact that it's halfway there is almost more frustrating than if it couldn't do so at all.
The longer-portrait lens options for Fuji are both so great but so far off from what I'd want. The Viltrox has that really tempting f/1.2, but it's huge and heavy and the minimum focus distance is bad. This focuses noticeably closer, is much lighter, but you can't control aperture. The Fuji 90mm can focus very close and has the full aperture ring, but it's a lot more expensive. Sigma hasn't released their 90/2.8 for Fuji and probably won't, and it'd have magnificent size, build, close focus, if you can get by with f/2.8.
very nice lens and video, I saw you have a grip on the x e4, it work's also with the x e3? Which models it is?
I’m not sure tbh. It’s actually the OEM one from fujifilm.
i own the viltrox 56 1.4 and the viltrox 85 1.8. i would to see comparisons with these lenses.
i am rven thinking of replacing both the viltrox with this samyang 75mm 1.8. it sounds like the perfect compromise.
the 85 is too big and the 56mm often still too wide. the samyang 75 might be perfect for me
I just want 67-70mm to give that sweet 100mm or 105mm equivalent. It's an ideal angle of view. Can anyone even think of a vintage lens to adapt?
I used to have the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 macro. I only owned it a brief time so never got to test it for portraits but if I recall correctly it had quite a nice warm rendering. Also brilliant for macro with max 2x magnification.
@@Ttjam1 that Laowa definitely fits my parameters! I love macro lenses or at least close focussing (as modern lenses tend to do no problem. Thanks for the heads up!
I'm bit late to the party, they're a bit shorter in FL but Nikkor 55 or 60 mm micros come to mind. I used my 55 3.5 a lot before getting this lens
@@JHurrenPhotography Olympus Pen F 70mm f/2 F.Zuiko Auto-T half-frame lens from the late 1960s. But in November 2025, it sells for more than the Samyang 75/1.8.
could be alternative to viltrox 75/1.2 if it was significantly cheaper than it. But its not. If you want compact lens - get viltrox 56/1.4, again, much better value for money. Samyang still very nice lens to keep if samyang sent it to you for free) Otherwise viltrox all the way
Yeah, I sort of just see them as for different people. And 75mm is definitely different from 56, but I get it :)
The pricing and timing is unfortunate.
Not mentioned also is the requirement to use the (€75) lens station for firmware upgrades but it does also allow you fine-tune the AF and MF responses.
I guess I got lucky. I paid €380 for the lens and lens station together, while the Viltrox costs €200 more.
I'm sure the price will drop in the coming months for everyone. In the US, 10% discount already ordering from samyangUS directly. Samyang Europe also has regular sales.