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I rarely subscribe or comment on videos, but as someone who has just purchased a new a7iii and has been looking for solid advice on new lenses, you have been the most helpful! I really appreciate your honest and unbiased approach that just deals with the facts of what's in front of you! thank you!
I like the colours from the Zeiss much more, the Samyang’s yellow cast looks ridiculous especially on the skin tones. Probably the second hand Zeiss vs new Samyang is much more interesting choice here. Thanks for the comparison, Dustin!
Great review, Dustin! I got my 1st FF, the Sony A7iv, along with Samy's 35 1.8 and 85 1.4 (had to return-waiting for exchange- this one because it would always reset to 1.4 after turning the camera back on). Nice that the 50 version 2 came out, but I might wait to see if Sigma comes out with a 50 1.4, as I would think it could end up being the next level up (at a price, but not as much as Sony). The 50 is the lens I'm craving to be the one to get that I would splurge on as it would be my most used lens, or at least most in need for critical work. I'm sure when/if it does, you'll do some good testing on it. I like that your videos are all about the review/testing and little to no fluff. ;)
These comparison videos are really interesting and helpful. I would LOVE a comparison (similar to the massive 85mm showdown you filmed awhile ago) between all of the Sony mid-range zoom options. There are so many options out there now -- between Sigma, Tamron, and Samyang -- that I think a video like that would be a huge hit. Thanks for all of the effort you put into these videos.
Hi Jason - I have done a bit of that, though not with all of the players together at the same time. Getting everything together takes a lot more effort, however.
I already have this lens for about 2 weeks now and it is really good. I also have the Samyang 85mm and 35mm f1.4 and I am so happy with how flipping sharp they are. They have never let me down in focus tracking and find the eyes and sticks to them great. I never expected Samyang to be this good. Boy was I wrong
@@LMActionsports I had samyang 85 1.4 af for few weeks but was a little bit disapointed in term of sharpness and focus accuracy in movement. Previously i had sigma 105mm f1.4, it's incredible but it's too heavy
@@y.h.4221 I’m wondering if you got a bad copy. I am super happy with the sharpness of my 85 mm Samyang. It was almost on par with the Sony 85 mm GM. But it wasn’t as sharp as a Sigma 105 art. But not that far from it. I have been really happy with all my Samyang lenses except the 50 mm F1.4 version one. I sent it back.
Samyang ticks a lot of boxes especially size and weight for a 50mm F1.4 I like their 85mm F1.4 for the same reason but Sigma new 85mm DGDN is a very strong contender. In 35mm space, Sigma new DGDN has left a lot to be desired And Sony 35GM is not as dominating as 50GM, so Samyang definitely has a chance there if they can land the same amount of improvement from I to II as this 50mm F1.4 while keeping the cost, size and weight at bay. Their stood up extremely well with their 24mmF1.8 and new 135mmF2 against rivals namely 24GM and 135GM from Sony, 24F2 i and 135F1.8 from Sigma respectively.
@@Donbros Samyang may not be fast enough for some scenarios, but it's definitely "cinematic" enough for video, thanks to its STM motor and little focus breathing.
Samyang is really doing a fine job - raising their lens standards & value for money. When the zeiss planar came out there was no competition. Now after a few years lighter modern - more in tune with mirrorless - design, a little better AF & the optical differences at pixel peeping hardly count with the development in software processing. Samyang started off in the 70s making cheap lenses for the Japanese - then they started making dslr-cine manual lenses with some high optics. Now they are really making some great AF lens while evolving their optics & coatings. Its still a relatively small company but committed to camera lenses. For Zeiss lenses are not their main thrust & difficult here to get good resale value.
I definitely like the direction that Samyang is going. It's interesting, but I look forward to their new releases probably as much as any lens maker at this point.
Nice video very helpful. Between the samyang 50 1.4 FE ii and the sony 55 1.8 fe, which of the 2 has a better focus system? Can you help me because I want to buy one of the 2. What would you suggest. I liked that you photographed the 100 drachma note. I have many of these as souvenirs.
Did the Sony 50mm 1.4 have ver. 02 firmware? Would a Sony from a more recent production run have improved AF? Mine was made in Jan 2023. I am very happy with it. The MSRP is now $998.
$1500 (Sony) vs $650 (Samyang). As you can find the difference in image quality by pixel peeping, I would go with a Samyang. It’s just too hard to justify the price difference for a hobbyist like me. If I really want to spend that much money, I would save a bit more and buy a Sony 50 1.2 gm.
Often times it’s just photographers that can look at work and tell the difference. You’ll find that you can still achieve very professional work with budget lenses and the client won’t know the difference whatsoever ever. The type of work done also comes into play. For portraits there’s no reason to spend that much money until your income and business are at the level where buying the top shelf lens isn’t that big a deal and it becomes a choice of buying it for pleasure not necessarily because the results are that much better. Let’s face it if you’re a top professional portrait photographer you’re controlling the light level and you’re not even shooting close to wide open, most likely f5-f9 Other type of work the lens quality matters much more. Like sports photography. Where having a 600mm f4 will clearly give you better results than a budget 150-500 f6.3
For the price, it's an incredible performance from the Samyang. I was really surprised to see the quality of the bokeh and the transition zone. Normally you need to spend top money for such a bokeh. Also it's much lighter and smaller. This could be the best Samyang lens to date?
I was wondering about the bad reviews of the first Samyang 50... I'm a pro and it still happy on a 7RIII (and my clients) - performs better then my Nokton 1.2/50 on my Leica M240. Of course : new is better- looking forward to GM 1.2!
I'm not sure what to make of those. Part of the problem might have more to do with the a7IV that was used for some of those - people have reported some focus misses with a variety of lenses on it.
I like all the new wrinkles you've added to your testing. Amazing that your daughter doesn't mind all the pixel peeping of her face. I thought the Samyang's skin tones were a little yellow and low in contrast. The Samyang seemed to have no focus breathing in the good focus pull tests. Great stuff!
Thanks for a such a detail review Dustin. I own the 50mm GM but I am not so much into portraits. The GM is sharp as hell and gives that dreamy bokeh for sure and I love the pictures taken with it. But after watching this I am thinking that I might sell the GM as I am not using that to the right extent to get the samyang 1.4 or some other lens in that range. What will be your suggestion?
It would be really hard for me to tell anyone who owns the 50GM to move on from it. It is perhaps the most exceptional 50mm lens that I've ever reviewed.
I actually believe , more the zeiss 55, since such lens is closest in price to this samyang, specially when you can find it at around 600 on used market.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you. I was waiting for a G 50 mm 1.4 but it seems it will no be a reality… 😔. Will wait if April make such lens a reality and if not I’ll follow your suggestion :). By the way, once you put your hand on the 135, please test it with OcF too. I got one and it froze my camera 2 times, I took batterie out to bring the camera back to normal. I did update both( a7iv and lens) Seems to be ok now, so far.
I’m looking to replace my cheap sony 50/1.8 and this does seem like a nice one to go for given that I’m not a professional shooter. However I think I’ll get the sigma 85/1.4 dg dn art instead and stick to my zoom lenses for shorter focal lengths. Just waiting for the next sale.
The Sigma is definitely big and heavy at 910g but it's not 3x the 420g Samyang's weight... Any chance you might be reviewing the new Samyang 135/1.8 soon?
Hi Ian - here's the dirty little secret - the listed weight of the Sigma for FE is actually the Canon EF weight - the real weight of the lens is about 140g heavier...hence my comment. I'm hoping to cover the Samyang 135 soon, but I'm dependent on when Samyang can get me a reviewer copy.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Sure, the published weight is 815g, same as the EF which is pretty poor of Sigma. I pulled the 910g weight from a different review of the e-mount version. Hope you can get the 135 soon, quite curious how it will perform. Was hoping it would be cheaper, I can get the GM fir $1600 here while the Samyang will probably be around $1200. (I'm in Japan)
Wow - that's a surprisingly small gap between the prices of the two lenses. I own the GM and it is an amazing lens. I am curious to see if the Samyang can best it in the bokeh department, which is arguably the only (minor) vulnerability of the GM.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yeah, Samyang stuff tends to be a bit overpriced here while Sony stuff can be pretty reasonable if you know where to look. Even if I ordered from B&H I'd be paying $999 + $100 Japan sales tax + $50 in shipping, $1150. I suppose I could wait for the inevitable Samyang sales but it just really feels like they have overpriced this lens. It's still a Samyang with a single stepping motor, plastic construction, no parts available to third party repairers, probable less than great durability, and uncertain long term repairability.
Regions do make a huge difference. Here, the samyang is around 650 bucks (The planar sits at around 1350) and I personally prefer engineered plastics to metal, though I realize that a lot of photographers prefer the look and feel of metal over the more practical and functional aspects of a plastic build.
Perhaps, though two things: 1) Sigma hasn't yet made a dedicated design for mirrorless (the current model is just ported over from DSLR and doesn't behave 100% like a native lens. I will definitely do some comparison when Sigma does a DN version 2) I own the Planar, so I could do this video. I don't have immediate access to the Sigma, so that video probably wouldn't have gotten made.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I get where you're coming from. Just struck me as the better point of comparison because of price points being closer. I'm not sure how many people who can afford the planar will even consider 3rd party glass. I see your arguments though, of course.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Exactly I have no idea why Sony can not improve this their expensive lens line. Probably it is compromised to get some other better performances .....
I have the A7IV and have the kit lens and the 200-600G lens. Not ready to jump ship from my R6 and my RF lenses but wouldn't mind buying an affordable lens to see what this sensor can do. Native or 3rd party. Was thinking the new Sigma 85 or this Samyang. Basically looking for primes. 20/35/50/85/135.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I sold my Planar some months ago and I just bought the 50mm GM. The GM is razor sharp (as sharp as my Lumix 50mm S Pro) with far better AF, better contrast and smooth bokeh. But there is something on the Planar, I don't know if it is the microcontrast, the colors or something else ... The GM makes the pictures "pop", it's like the subject was cut and past inside a background, but the Planar gives better depth. It is an hard choice because depending of the situation, the 50mm GM will be better and vice versa. I hesitate to send back the GM and buying the Planar again.
in last 6 years , I have purchased almost all my gear after watching DA's review .. but for the very first time , I am disappointed with my decision of buying a Samyang 85-1.4 RF The first thing was it had a minimum focus distance of a meter ..kept hunting for focus all time , no macro capability and then to make it worst Very poor build quality - One day The Rear-end remained in Camera , rest of the lens came out hanging , I sent it back to SAMYANG , and they asked for 400$ , well Samyang keep the filthy lens , Lessons learnt ., that was my first and last Samyang , Dear #DA , its a dent on your reputation too
I've owned the Samyang RF 85mm F1.4 since its launch, and I haven't had any problem with the build on it...or with any of the other Samyang lenses I own. Not quite sure it's a dent on my reputation if you have an issue with an individual lens. I can only report on what I've seen...
I'd say it comes down to budget Because the performance is similar. However the Sony having a little bit older focusing technology is a slight knockback against it. I think most photographers would probably go with the Samyang between these two. Even if the budget wasn't a huge factor. Oh my.... $2000 for the Sony? I actually maybe like the San rendering a tiny bit better. Because of the way it handle Bokeh. How has that Sony price not come way down at this point? that's really out of touch... Sigma Also makes some really pretty rendering. Likely sweeter than both of these. Definitely not $2000. That's obscene for what it is
I had the first version of 50 1.4 from Samyang and it was horrible. I've said that I will never consider buying anything from Samyang but this one looks tempting.
I was not a fan of the first 50mm F1.4, either, but Samyang has really won me over the last few years. I've actually got about 6 Samyangs in my kit now.
I'm sorry, but NEITHER lens will stand up to the old Rokkor-X f1.4 50mm lens made for the M-mount Minolta SLRs! The Zeiss Planar 6 element design optically is FAR inferior to the Gauss 7 or 8 element design (the late Rokkor-X was an 8 element design with a "floating" element for improved close-focus performance). The Rokkor-X for the "A" mount bodies is far superior to any Planar design optically and that lens (I also own) is almost 40 years old! I used to own a Hasselblad, but got rid of it because of the limitation of having to use Zeiss lenses. Strange isn't it that Phase One allows you to use Mamiya-Sekor lenses on their bodies? I still use Mamiya 645 film cameras and Mamiya RZ 67's along with large format view cameras and Rodenstock lenses.
Hi Ricky, that may be true (I'm not familiar with the lens), though I have spent time with a number of older lenses, and, while I often like their character, they don't hold up technically to modern designs. The Planar was (at the time I reviewed it) the best 50mm lens that I had ever reviewed.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I had the lens & also owned and still own several slr 50/1.4 & 1.2 lenses - wide open they don't hold up compared to the lenses now. I prefer some of the slightly slower 1.8/2 lenses (voigtlander, zeiss, yashica Cy), helios on newer sensors for the character but they were made for a different context and now the mirrorless lens design is really coming into its own. Also companies like sigma, tamron etc have a long history in lens design and sony bought the entire lens knowhow of the konica-minolta merger. So a lot of the earlier designs have been really evolved in line with the new technology.
Sorry but basically everything you write about the Minolta lenses is wrong. Don't get me wrong. Minolta is my favourite vintage lens brand and I own more than 150 lenses made by them but the Sony Zeiss 50mm F1.4 is by far superior compared with any Minolta 50mm F1.4. First of all, the Minolta M Mount is for rangefinder cameras like Minolta CL and CLE and is identical to the Leica M mount. The manual focus mount for Minolta SLRs is called SR Mount (even though on the lenses is written "MC" or "MD"). There isn't even a 50mm Minolta M Mount lens. Rokkor-X was just the name for the north american market SR Mount lenses from 1973-1980. In the year 1980 they abandoned the name "Rokkor", so none of the Minolta A Mount (Autofocus and built starting in 1985) is called like that. Every single Minolta 50mm F1.4 lens is a 7 element design and none of them is designed with a floating system. Even the optical construction of the A mount version is identical to the last SR Mount one. And last of all, the Sony Zeiss 50mm F1.4 lens reviewed in Dustins Video is a 12 element lens which differs significantly from the original 1897 Planar design.
Looks and sounds like barely any difference to me! The Samyang's drop in contrast doesn't seem significant enough that it couldn't be equalised simply by bumping either a contrast or texture/clarity/dehaze slider up a notch. And if the AF is a little more reliable _and_ it saves a bit of cash, that's not a waste at all.
How so? Half the weight with more accurate autofocus and superior light transmission beats corner sharpness at 200% wide open (for twice the price) for me
@@acouragefann Look at the sharpness in the corners etc. It is not there so you are better off to safe some extra money for the better lens. And since when is low weight a measure for quality of good imagery ? And lesser quality of autofocus is also of minor importance. I often shoot manual focus but with superb quality.
I shoot a lot of moving subjects (dancers), so a softer corner is far less important to me than accurate autofocus - having about 1/3 better light transmission also helps in keeping my shutter speed at the minimum of 1/250 I need while maintaining normal ISO levels. Wide open corner sharpness is irrelevant unless you are actually focussing into the corner (otherwise depth of field won't extend to whatever's there) and I can't think of a situation where this is the case. For landscapes and multiple smaller subjects, one has to stop down to get sufficient DOF anyway. What real life situation do you envision where the corner sharpness difference at F1.4 becomes relevant? Low weight and size also means it is more likely to be brought on long distance hikes and rural travels where a car is impractical, which is a plus for me.
You'd be surprised. She loves doing it. I actually asked her to keep a straight face and hold a consistent pose for this series so the focus could be on as consistent a subject as possible without movement. I am going to lose her this fall, though, as she's heading off to university. I'll lose a huge asset.
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I rarely subscribe or comment on videos, but as someone who has just purchased a new a7iii and has been looking for solid advice on new lenses, you have been the most helpful! I really appreciate your honest and unbiased approach that just deals with the facts of what's in front of you! thank you!
I really appreciate the feedback, as that is certainly my goal.
I like the colours from the Zeiss much more, the Samyang’s yellow cast looks ridiculous especially on the skin tones.
Probably the second hand Zeiss vs new Samyang is much more interesting choice here.
Thanks for the comparison, Dustin!
My pleasure - color accuracy is almost always a Zeiss strength.
I bought used for $900 locally, which I think makes it a great lens for the price.
loved the zeiss color rendition..my weapon for the last 2 years
Color rendition definitely tends to be a Zeiss strength.
Great review, Dustin! I got my 1st FF, the Sony A7iv, along with Samy's 35 1.8 and 85 1.4 (had to return-waiting for exchange- this one because it would always reset to 1.4 after turning the camera back on). Nice that the 50 version 2 came out, but I might wait to see if Sigma comes out with a 50 1.4, as I would think it could end up being the next level up (at a price, but not as much as Sony). The 50 is the lens I'm craving to be the one to get that I would splurge on as it would be my most used lens, or at least most in need for critical work. I'm sure when/if it does, you'll do some good testing on it. I like that your videos are all about the review/testing and little to no fluff. ;)
I would think it is a safe bet that Sigma is going to produce a DN version of their 50mm F1.4, and yes, I suspect it will be very good.
Been waiting for this one 🙏🏻
Glad to help out
These comparison videos are really interesting and helpful. I would LOVE a comparison (similar to the massive 85mm showdown you filmed awhile ago) between all of the Sony mid-range zoom options. There are so many options out there now -- between Sigma, Tamron, and Samyang -- that I think a video like that would be a huge hit. Thanks for all of the effort you put into these videos.
Hi Jason - I have done a bit of that, though not with all of the players together at the same time. Getting everything together takes a lot more effort, however.
I already have this lens for about 2 weeks now and it is really good. I also have the Samyang 85mm and 35mm f1.4 and I am so happy with how flipping sharp they are. They have never let me down in focus tracking and find the eyes and sticks to them great. I never expected Samyang to be this good. Boy was I wrong
Samyang has REALLY stepped up their game over the past couple of years.
What Sony body do you use? :)
@@markosd7950 I use the a7riv and the A9. You won’t get the full 20fps usin these lenses on the a9 but they truly have impressed me.
@@LMActionsports I had samyang 85 1.4 af for few weeks but was a little bit disapointed in term of sharpness and focus accuracy in movement. Previously i had sigma 105mm f1.4, it's incredible but it's too heavy
@@y.h.4221 I’m wondering if you got a bad copy. I am super happy with the sharpness of my 85 mm Samyang. It was almost on par with the Sony 85 mm GM. But it wasn’t as sharp as a Sigma 105 art. But not that far from it. I have been really happy with all my Samyang lenses except the 50 mm F1.4 version one. I sent it back.
Samyang ticks a lot of boxes especially size and weight for a 50mm F1.4 I like their 85mm F1.4 for the same reason but Sigma new 85mm DGDN is a very strong contender. In 35mm space, Sigma new DGDN has left a lot to be desired And Sony 35GM is not as dominating as 50GM, so Samyang definitely has a chance there if they can land the same amount of improvement from I to II as this 50mm F1.4 while keeping the cost, size and weight at bay. Their stood up extremely well with their 24mmF1.8 and new 135mmF2 against rivals namely 24GM and 135GM from Sony, 24F2 i and 135F1.8 from Sigma respectively.
I too would like to see a MK II version of the 35mm F1.4 - a lens that had a lot of potential but retained some vulnerabilities.
Sigma 35mm and 85mm dg dn are the best lens now,sigma beat sony gm
It's interesting that your AF comparison favors Samyang, which is different from some UA-camrs' complaint on its AF performance.
I think most of them complained that its not good enough for almost sport shooting scenarious
@@Donbros Samyang may not be fast enough for some scenarios, but it's definitely "cinematic" enough for video, thanks to its STM motor and little focus breathing.
hi Frank, I'm aware of that, but I can only report on what I personally see, not what others say.
Samyang is really doing a fine job - raising their lens standards & value for money. When the zeiss planar came out there was no competition. Now after a few years lighter modern - more in tune with mirrorless - design, a little better AF & the optical differences at pixel peeping hardly count with the development in software processing. Samyang started off in the 70s making cheap lenses for the Japanese - then they started making dslr-cine manual lenses with some high optics. Now they are really making some great AF lens while evolving their optics & coatings. Its still a relatively small company but committed to camera lenses. For Zeiss lenses are not their main thrust & difficult here to get good resale value.
I definitely like the direction that Samyang is going. It's interesting, but I look forward to their new releases probably as much as any lens maker at this point.
@@DustinAbbottTWI agree fully!
Dustin, thank you for this one. I've been waiting for it.
My pleasure!
I think for me the conclusion on this comparison is that we really need Sigma to come up with their 1.4/50 DG DN asap.
Agreed
Nice video very helpful. Between the samyang 50 1.4 FE ii and the sony 55 1.8 fe,
which of the 2 has a better focus system? Can you help me
because I want to buy one of the 2. What would you suggest.
I liked that you photographed the 100 drachma note.
I have many of these as souvenirs.
The 55mm will focus a bit faster, though the Samyang does have a more modern, slightly smoother focus motor.
Would you buy this Samyang lens or the 55 f1.8 Zeiss? I’m stuck, My local store has 55 on sell for $600.
Thank you very much for this very informative and professional review/comparison, Dustin. You just gained a new follower :)
Welcome aboard!
@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you :)
Did the Sony 50mm 1.4 have ver. 02 firmware? Would a Sony from a more recent production run have improved AF? Mine was made in Jan 2023. I am very happy with it. The MSRP is now $998.
Mine would have been older than that in terms of the build but was running the most recent firmware.
$1500 (Sony) vs $650 (Samyang). As you can find the difference in image quality by pixel peeping, I would go with a Samyang. It’s just too hard to justify the price difference for a hobbyist like me. If I really want to spend that much money, I would save a bit more and buy a Sony 50 1.2 gm.
I would agree that the GM is worth the extra investment if you're going down that path.
Often times it’s just photographers that can look at work and tell the difference. You’ll find that you can still achieve very professional work with budget lenses and the client won’t know the difference whatsoever ever.
The type of work done also comes into play. For portraits there’s no reason to spend that much money until your income and business are at the level where buying the top shelf lens isn’t that big a deal and it becomes a choice of buying it for pleasure not necessarily because the results are that much better.
Let’s face it if you’re a top professional portrait photographer you’re controlling the light level and you’re not even shooting close to wide open, most likely f5-f9
Other type of work the lens quality matters much more. Like sports photography. Where having a 600mm f4 will clearly give you better results than a budget 150-500 f6.3
I was waiting for this! Thanks for the review!
My pleasure.
For the price, it's an incredible performance from the Samyang. I was really surprised to see the quality of the bokeh and the transition zone. Normally you need to spend top money for such a bokeh. Also it's much lighter and smaller. This could be the best Samyang lens to date?
Probably the new 135mm F1.8 will take that crown, but this is definitely a very strong lens for the money.
Tnx dustin for the reviews!!!
Il go for samyang for budget wise sory sony world has changes 😆
You're welcome.
I was wondering about the bad reviews of the first Samyang 50... I'm a pro and it still happy on a 7RIII (and my clients) - performs better then my Nokton 1.2/50 on my Leica M240. Of course : new is better- looking forward to GM 1.2!
I'm not sure what to make of those. Part of the problem might have more to do with the a7IV that was used for some of those - people have reported some focus misses with a variety of lenses on it.
I like all the new wrinkles you've added to your testing. Amazing that your daughter doesn't mind all the pixel peeping of her face. I thought the Samyang's skin tones were a little yellow and low in contrast. The Samyang seemed to have no focus breathing in the good focus pull tests. Great stuff!
There's definitely some give and take there.
why didn't you also test landscape shots. Especially at infinity you can see big differences with fast 50mm lenses.
I did plenty of those in the individual reviews. These are not intended to cover every possible scenario, but rather a quick comparison.
Thanks for a such a detail review Dustin. I own the 50mm GM but I am not so much into portraits. The GM is sharp as hell and gives that dreamy bokeh for sure and I love the pictures taken with it. But after watching this I am thinking that I might sell the GM as I am not using that to the right extent to get the samyang 1.4 or some other lens in that range. What will be your suggestion?
It would be really hard for me to tell anyone who owns the 50GM to move on from it. It is perhaps the most exceptional 50mm lens that I've ever reviewed.
Nice review. Something I should mention is that the Samyang almost has no focus breathing.
That is a nice advantage.
I thing the GM 50mm f1,2 should have been included in this comparison..
Perhaps, but I don't own the GM so didn't have it on hand.
I actually believe , more the zeiss 55, since such lens is closest in price to this samyang, specially when you can find it at around 600 on used market.
Would you trade the zeiss 55 for this Samyang? or keep the sony zeiss 1.8?
I personally would choose the Samyang. The 55mm is a good lens, but a rather boring one in my opinion.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you. I was waiting for a G 50 mm 1.4 but it seems it will no be a reality… 😔. Will wait if April make such lens a reality and if not I’ll follow your suggestion :).
By the way, once you put your hand on the 135, please test it with OcF too. I got one and it froze my camera 2 times, I took batterie out to bring the camera back to normal. I did update both( a7iv and lens) Seems to be ok now, so far.
I’m looking to replace my cheap sony 50/1.8 and this does seem like a nice one to go for given that I’m not a professional shooter. However I think I’ll get the sigma 85/1.4 dg dn art instead and stick to my zoom lenses for shorter focal lengths. Just waiting for the next sale.
You really can't go wrong with either the Samyang or the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DN - both are excellent lenses.
Samyang 1.4 Sucks . . . pay more but never buy a samyang
The Sigma is definitely big and heavy at 910g but it's not 3x the 420g Samyang's weight...
Any chance you might be reviewing the new Samyang 135/1.8 soon?
Hi Ian - here's the dirty little secret - the listed weight of the Sigma for FE is actually the Canon EF weight - the real weight of the lens is about 140g heavier...hence my comment. I'm hoping to cover the Samyang 135 soon, but I'm dependent on when Samyang can get me a reviewer copy.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Sure, the published weight is 815g, same as the EF which is pretty poor of Sigma. I pulled the 910g weight from a different review of the e-mount version.
Hope you can get the 135 soon, quite curious how it will perform. Was hoping it would be cheaper, I can get the GM fir $1600 here while the Samyang will probably be around $1200. (I'm in Japan)
Wow - that's a surprisingly small gap between the prices of the two lenses. I own the GM and it is an amazing lens. I am curious to see if the Samyang can best it in the bokeh department, which is arguably the only (minor) vulnerability of the GM.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yeah, Samyang stuff tends to be a bit overpriced here while Sony stuff can be pretty reasonable if you know where to look. Even if I ordered from B&H I'd be paying $999 + $100 Japan sales tax + $50 in shipping, $1150.
I suppose I could wait for the inevitable Samyang sales but it just really feels like they have overpriced this lens. It's still a Samyang with a single stepping motor, plastic construction, no parts available to third party repairers, probable less than great durability, and uncertain long term repairability.
Regions do make a huge difference. Here, the samyang is around 650 bucks (The planar sits at around 1350) and I personally prefer engineered plastics to metal, though I realize that a lot of photographers prefer the look and feel of metal over the more practical and functional aspects of a plastic build.
Thank you Dustin! Greetings from Germany
You're welcome
Great video, although I feel like most people would decide between the Sigma 50 1.4 and the Samyang.
Perhaps, though two things: 1) Sigma hasn't yet made a dedicated design for mirrorless (the current model is just ported over from DSLR and doesn't behave 100% like a native lens. I will definitely do some comparison when Sigma does a DN version 2) I own the Planar, so I could do this video. I don't have immediate access to the Sigma, so that video probably wouldn't have gotten made.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I get where you're coming from. Just struck me as the better point of comparison because of price points being closer. I'm not sure how many people who can afford the planar will even consider 3rd party glass. I see your arguments though, of course.
Focus breathing performs wayyyy better than Sony.
yeah that was very surprising in the video AF pull test
Focus breathing has surprisingly not been a strength for many of Sony's higher end lenses.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Exactly I have no idea why Sony can not improve this their expensive lens line. Probably it is compromised to get some other better performances .....
I have the A7IV and have the kit lens and the 200-600G lens. Not ready to jump ship from my R6 and my RF lenses but wouldn't mind buying an affordable lens to see what this sensor can do. Native or 3rd party. Was thinking the new Sigma 85 or this Samyang. Basically looking for primes. 20/35/50/85/135.
Either option is a good one. The Sigma 85mm DN is a very strong value
What firmware version does your Zeiss Planar have?
Version 2, which is the newest, I believe.
fantastic comparison. thank you
You're welcome!
I think I'm going to wait and see what Sigma does with the 50mm focal length for mirrorless.
Fair enough. I too am interested in what they come up with.
Did you sold your 50mm GM and only kept the 50mm Planar ?
I never owned the 50mm F1.2 GM, though I hope to. I’ll probably sell my planar and another 50mm lens to make up the difference in price.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I sold my Planar some months ago and I just bought the 50mm GM. The GM is razor sharp (as sharp as my Lumix 50mm S Pro) with far better AF, better contrast and smooth bokeh. But there is something on the Planar, I don't know if it is the microcontrast, the colors or something else ... The GM makes the pictures "pop", it's like the subject was cut and past inside a background, but the Planar gives better depth. It is an hard choice because depending of the situation, the 50mm GM will be better and vice versa. I hesitate to send back the GM and buying the Planar again.
It hurts my soul everytime you show the close up of the Sony Zeiss 50mm 1.4 aperture ring and it's set BETWEEN f16 and A. 🥴🥴🥴
Don’t worry - its never there in real world use ;)
Thanks for your the great content.😁
My pleasure.
there should be a "little bit" counter in the corner of your videos :P
LOL - but I don't have that extra little bit of time to make that happen ;)
Awesome Samyang
It is a very nice lens.
A Laowa shirt ?!? 😀
That's being neutral :)
"Funny" how tha many "a little bit better" diplomaically stands for "very obviously better.
I'm not sure exactly what section you're referring to or which lens - they both have some advantages and disadvantages relative to each other.
in last 6 years , I have purchased almost all my gear after watching DA's review .. but for the very first time , I am disappointed with my decision of buying a Samyang 85-1.4 RF
The first thing was it had a minimum focus distance of a meter ..kept hunting for focus all time , no macro capability and then to make it worst Very poor build quality -
One day The Rear-end remained in Camera , rest of the lens came out hanging ,
I sent it back to SAMYANG , and they asked for 400$ , well Samyang keep the filthy lens , Lessons learnt ., that was my first and last Samyang ,
Dear #DA , its a dent on your reputation too
I've owned the Samyang RF 85mm F1.4 since its launch, and I haven't had any problem with the build on it...or with any of the other Samyang lenses I own. Not quite sure it's a dent on my reputation if you have an issue with an individual lens. I can only report on what I've seen...
이 영상을 보고 samyang 렌즈를 사기로 하였습니다. 고마워요~
thats exactly what i been courise about！
Glad to help out.
I'd say it comes down to budget Because the performance is similar. However the Sony having a little bit older focusing technology is a slight knockback against it. I think most photographers would probably go with the Samyang between these two. Even if the budget wasn't a huge factor. Oh my.... $2000 for the Sony? I actually maybe like the San rendering a tiny bit better. Because of the way it handle Bokeh. How has that Sony price not come way down at this point? that's really out of touch... Sigma Also makes some really pretty rendering. Likely sweeter than both of these. Definitely not $2000. That's obscene for what it is
I think the price is starting to drop now.
I had the first version of 50 1.4 from Samyang and it was horrible. I've said that I will never consider buying anything from Samyang but this one looks tempting.
I was not a fan of the first 50mm F1.4, either, but Samyang has really won me over the last few years. I've actually got about 6 Samyangs in my kit now.
No one, did love that lens, for sure used copies out there, have a minimum of 10 owners :D . I'm thinking of getting this one too.
I'm sorry, but NEITHER lens will stand up to the old Rokkor-X f1.4 50mm lens made for the M-mount Minolta SLRs! The Zeiss Planar 6 element design optically is FAR inferior to the Gauss 7 or 8 element design (the late Rokkor-X was an 8 element design with a "floating" element for improved close-focus performance). The Rokkor-X for the "A" mount bodies is far superior to any Planar design optically and that lens (I also own) is almost 40 years old! I used to own a Hasselblad, but got rid of it because of the limitation of having to use Zeiss lenses. Strange isn't it that Phase One allows you to use Mamiya-Sekor lenses on their bodies? I still use Mamiya 645 film cameras and Mamiya RZ 67's along with large format view cameras and Rodenstock lenses.
Hi Ricky, that may be true (I'm not familiar with the lens), though I have spent time with a number of older lenses, and, while I often like their character, they don't hold up technically to modern designs. The Planar was (at the time I reviewed it) the best 50mm lens that I had ever reviewed.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I had the lens & also owned and still own several slr 50/1.4 & 1.2 lenses - wide open they don't hold up compared to the lenses now. I prefer some of the slightly slower 1.8/2 lenses (voigtlander, zeiss, yashica Cy), helios on newer sensors for the character but they were made for a different context and now the mirrorless lens design is really coming into its own. Also companies like sigma, tamron etc have a long history in lens design and sony bought the entire lens knowhow of the konica-minolta merger. So a lot of the earlier designs have been really evolved in line with the new technology.
Sorry but basically everything you write about the Minolta lenses is wrong. Don't get me wrong. Minolta is my favourite vintage lens brand and I own more than 150 lenses made by them but the Sony Zeiss 50mm F1.4 is by far superior compared with any Minolta 50mm F1.4.
First of all, the Minolta M Mount is for rangefinder cameras like Minolta CL and CLE and is identical to the Leica M mount. The manual focus mount for Minolta SLRs is called SR Mount (even though on the lenses is written "MC" or "MD"). There isn't even a 50mm Minolta M Mount lens. Rokkor-X was just the name for the north american market SR Mount lenses from 1973-1980. In the year 1980 they abandoned the name "Rokkor", so none of the Minolta A Mount (Autofocus and built starting in 1985) is called like that. Every single Minolta 50mm F1.4 lens is a 7 element design and none of them is designed with a floating system. Even the optical construction of the A mount version is identical to the last SR Mount one. And last of all, the Sony Zeiss 50mm F1.4 lens reviewed in Dustins Video is a 12 element lens which differs significantly from the original 1897 Planar design.
Good video.
You are being quite gentle towards that Samyang lens.
In my book we call that 'a waste of good money' .
Looks and sounds like barely any difference to me! The Samyang's drop in contrast doesn't seem significant enough that it couldn't be equalised simply by bumping either a contrast or texture/clarity/dehaze slider up a notch. And if the AF is a little more reliable _and_ it saves a bit of cash, that's not a waste at all.
How so? Half the weight with more accurate autofocus and superior light transmission beats corner sharpness at 200% wide open (for twice the price) for me
@@acouragefann Look at the sharpness in the corners etc. It is not there so you are better off to safe some extra money for the better lens.
And since when is low weight a measure for quality of good imagery ?
And lesser quality of autofocus is also of minor importance.
I often shoot manual focus but with superb quality.
I shoot a lot of moving subjects (dancers), so a softer corner is far less important to me than accurate autofocus - having about 1/3 better light transmission also helps in keeping my shutter speed at the minimum of 1/250 I need while maintaining normal ISO levels. Wide open corner sharpness is irrelevant unless you are actually focussing into the corner (otherwise depth of field won't extend to whatever's there) and I can't think of a situation where this is the case. For landscapes and multiple smaller subjects, one has to stop down to get sufficient DOF anyway. What real life situation do you envision where the corner sharpness difference at F1.4 becomes relevant? Low weight and size also means it is more likely to be brought on long distance hikes and rural travels where a car is impractical, which is a plus for me.
Hmmm, it feels like calling the Samyang a "waste of good money" is at the least an overstatement.
Dustin, sorry to break the news, but your daughter does not want to model for you! It shows in her facial expressions 😉
You'd be surprised. She loves doing it. I actually asked her to keep a straight face and hold a consistent pose for this series so the focus could be on as consistent a subject as possible without movement. I am going to lose her this fall, though, as she's heading off to university. I'll lose a huge asset.
The MSRP for the Sony 50mm f1.4 Planar is now $1000.00.
That’s a better price to give it some market separation from the new F1.4 G Master, which is the superior lens.
I like your shirt :)
Thanks :)