As you will have noticed by now, I got so excited to have a lens close to the one I wanted from Fujifilm (the 105mm equivalent) that I talked about this 75mm as if it was exactly that. Not considering the 5mm difference! So, apologies for that, totally my bad. The equivalent focal length on full frame for this 75mm is in fact 112.5mm. Silly me.
Thanks Antonio! I love it and I'm so happy that Samyang filled the void left by Fujifilm at this focal length. I don't enjoy shooting at 56mm and 90mm is often too much, so now I have it my way! 😁 And maybe I rushed the review a bit, but the quality of the lens is really good
Just got this one with a great deal and it’s an awesome lens. I would use this mainly for travel so the size and weight is perfect! The performance is brilliant!
I'm so glad! So far, it's one of the best lenses I own, without a doubt. Like you say, it's great for travel and I myself always take it around with me. You will have many good times with it so enjoy! And send me a link to your photos ☺️
@@creativepicnl and that 85mm is a great lens so it is remarkable indeed. One thing that amazes me about Samyang lenses is how good is the colour rendition on the Fujifilm system, sometimes even better than original Fuji lenses! I recently shot a sunset in Florence and it came out 10x better with this lens. So good 😊
@@fabienb Nice! I didn’t have the opportunity yet to thoroughly take it for a spin but I’m planning to do so on my next trip soon. I’m doing photo and video on my Fuji system so I’m curious how the 75mm will perform on a video level. I know that I shouldn’t rely too much on the AF in videomode though. 😄
@@creativepicnl oooohhhh that would be interesting, I haven't tried it with video yet. As I don't use a gimbal, I'm always concerned that longer focal lengths may shake a tad too much. But the quality will surely be there
It's a fantastic lens indeed. I'm sure all that rave about the competitor have their reasons, but I'm so in love with the results I get with this one that I can't believe there's anything better (so far) :)
If you have any influence with Samyang as an ambassodor, could you ask them to release the compact 35mm f1.8 FE for Fuji X? There is a gap between 12 and 75mm which needs to be filled.
Thanks a lot Dan, glad you enjoyed it. I sent the photos to Samyang as they will be used for their marketing purposes, so I can't share them (for now, at least). I have seen one is already in the product page... But I'm planning to make another video in which I will compare this lens with the Fujifilm 80mm and 90mm and I will provide the RAW files then. Just hang in there :)
I'd like that too! Viltrox seem to be ignoring me so it may not happen on this channel unless I decide to invest in a lens I don't really need... we'll see, maybe :)
I think it's too early to see such comparison video but I'm sure it will happen soon ;) You can start by checking the technical specs to see if there's anything you lean more towards to: the Viltrox is f/1.2 rather than f/1.8 so maybe it's something you would like to have; The Samyang is lighter and cheaper but doesn't have an Aperture ring; the minimum focusing distance on the Viltrox is 91cm (though pal2tech says it's actually more) while on the Samyang it's 69cm; one is weather-sealed, the other is not... So, I would start with that. It should already be a good indicator of how either lens can fit into your photography. And then let's wait for a comparison :)
This lens looks very impressive for my needs. Now i have fujinon 50 f2 (sharp, quick, compact, colors, contrst - beautiful lens, but misses something) and viltrox 85 (sharp, interesting compression and separation, but a bit slow and very big and heavy). If i sell both of them, ths samyang could be the one lens, wchich can replace them both. Finally i could bring my viltrox equivalent everyvere and anytime, because 50mm doesnt give me what i want from fast tele prime lens :) viltrox 75/1.2 isn't the option as well because of size. More i watch viedeos about this samyang, more i want it :)
Hey Vainius! Sorry I missed your comment and didn't reply in a timely manner... To be honest, I never tried any Viltrox lens, so I can't really compare, but from most of the videos I watched it seems that size and weight are the main downsides. Considering that people often buy Fujifilm because they like how light and compact the system is, it kind of defeats the purpose. Samyang may be equivalent in term of quality (again, can't compare - can only say the Samyang quality is amazing) but at least they focus on keeping everything small and light (and weather sealed). I'm not a fan of the 50mm focal length myself. I have a Samyang 50mm f1.2 (manual) only to have the option to shoot with it, but I rather jump to 70-75mm and the marvellous Fuji 90mm f2. That's more my style, with portraits at least. If this is the focal length you like to shoot at, this lens will not disappoint :) Thanks for your comment!
@@fabienb i already sold 50mm. It was too close to 35mm, which is my most used lens. Longer lens gives me different look and perspective. Viltrox 85 (mk1) is good, but not great in IQ. It does strange with highlights sometimes, colors also isn't everytime spot on, and doesn't mach fuji color vibe, if i can say that 😀 plus its size and weight (about 600g!). So Samyang should be good replacement. Another choice may be Sigma 56, but this lens doesn't attract my attention much 🙂 thank you for response and guidelines!
@@vainius37 Anytime! If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know. Can also DM on Instagram. I usually reply in a few hours or the next day, I don't know how I missed your first comment (sorry again)
Define better. Most important is what your needs are and how you plan to use it. I think more people will like the idea of the viltrox than the reality. I've already seen several posts by people with buyers remorse - related to the size, AF or both. Such a Tele with 1.8 could be seen as the much better lens because you cannot overlook the negative aspects of the viltrox, which are strongly related to that aperture. The obvious one is weight at 3x heavier than this lens, and also significantly heavier and bulkier than the 90mm f2. But the Autofocus also suffers and really it probably needs more or more powerful motors - but given the price that's the trade off. It can't tick every box for €600. The minimum focus distance is also important. Obviously neither is a macro lens, but the shorter MFD of the samyang opens up more possibilities for use in indoor environments. I've used a 70mm 2.4 with a MFD of 70cm indoors without pause for thought. Adding an extra 20cm can make quite a difference not only for practical reasons, but to the types of shots. These trade offs might all be worth it to have f1.2 for some people. People shooting weddings or concerts, who are quite far back from the subject and who still want more subject separation (just not for critical moments - but one lens doesn't have to do it all), or to obliterate environmental information, or just for art's sake... But the novelty does where off for personal use! But case in hand, I was shooting portraits of my daughter at the Weekend (head shots). I was able to manage this indoors with the 90mm. And at f2 I still had out of focus ears, hair, eyeballs or sometimes one eye only as she was not staring straight down the lens. To get the shots I wanted I stopped down to f3.6 and I could have gone further. Outdoors, I tend to do full body with this lens, so f2 is fine, but I would still stop down a little to aid the ibis for slower shutter speeds and to avoid subjects moving out of the plane of focus for less cooperative subjects, who you might be posing from twice your arm's length. A lens where assistants would be a an asset then. So the question is, is the weight, AF, and close focussing cons worth it for an f1.2, if you are stopping it down most of the time. And if it's for portraits, this will often be the case. Additional pros for the Viltrox are the IQ (both seem just as good though), and the ability to blur out more busy backgrounds more. But I manage busy backgrounds with the 50-140 (a known weak spot) by applying camera craft, and that's f2.8. And of course the aperture ring - the more important factor between these lenses than aperture for some. So to have a lens you can slip in your pocket between lens changes, could still have a light carry even if pairing with a heavier lens, and where you want to retain more environmental information, would likely stop down to around f2 anyway the samyang would be the better choice. Even if they were the same price, which they're not. So this makes a great street and travel lens (the raison d'être of fujifilm cameras, excluding perhaps the x-h2). Buy what you need, not because you like that idea of the specs. I own the old 56 which I got incredibly cheaply and the 90mm. The 90 gives me all the performance the viltrox cannot, and even then gets stopped down often. I could imagine swapping the slow 56 with the slow viltrox. But I'd still lust after the samyang for street and travel to combine with 23/33 and the Samyang 12 AF, or maybe just the 18 1.4. If I were to consolidate the 56 and 90, 70/75 would be perfect - either flavour. Combined my 56+90 cost me €750 for mint condition used though. Head ruling heart giving both up for either lens doesn't make sense.The samyang I could add and consider the future of the 56 over time. The 90mm isn't breaking a sweat over the viltrox though, and it's nice to have at least one fast focussing lens at wide, normal and Tele. But everyone needs to decide for themselves. I actually have viltrox sat in a shopping cart for €498.I just can't pull the trigger as I know it will probably get sent back the way thr viltrox 13mm 1.4 did.
Ian, fantastic comment! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this. Personally, I'm not discounting the Viltrox. I just never tried it and could not make a comparison. I'm all for telling people to buy what helps them achieve the photos they want, not the photos other decide they should take. If it makes sense. I use Samyang and can vouch for them and I am very happy with my choice as it suits me well. But I guess these days every discussion is a polarising factor 🤷🏻♂️ Regardless, your comment must be the best thing that came out of making this (slightly rushed) video. So, again, thank you very much! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
@@fabienb thanks! Both do indeed look like great options. Love my 12mm AF, although not too many seem to understand my decision to return the viltrox 13! I have a number of bigger faster lenses, and although no doubt also of a high quality, what samyang encapsulates for me is the enjoyment factor.
I saw that too. My information came directly from the source but I guess it missed VAT... Professionals of course can claim VAT back, but this indeed will set back everyone else some more money
This lens just got released, the viltrox is older and discounted, isn't weather sealed, and still weighs nearly 3x as much. And more importantly, it isn't a 75mm. Personally I would even have preferred 70mm. The thing to do is to compare the price at launch with the Sony version price at launch. Yes the Fuji version is more expensive - on the face of it at least. But factor in inflation, and they have been launched at practically the same price, despite the samyang being the second generation with the addition of weather sealing. And depending on your market, the price is not so different. B&H has the 85mm viltrox on sale for $400. Buy the samyang direct from SamgyanngUS however, and right now you can apply a 10% discount to all their lenses, included reduced lines and this very lens, which you can get for $449. Even at $100 difference you can afford to buy the lens that best suits your needs. Either of them. At $50 difference who cares.
Thanks Ian 🙌🏻 Let's keep wishing a 70mm will be released eventually ✊🏻 As you saw in the video, with my constant referring to 105mm rather than 112.5mm, I'd be the first to rejoice when that happens 😏
As you will have noticed by now, I got so excited to have a lens close to the one I wanted from Fujifilm (the 105mm equivalent) that I talked about this 75mm as if it was exactly that. Not considering the 5mm difference! So, apologies for that, totally my bad. The equivalent focal length on full frame for this 75mm is in fact 112.5mm. Silly me.
Love the vibe of this channel. Thanks for the great video. Looking forward to more content 🙂👍🏼
Thanks a lot Lazhar! I hope you got good value from this and to see you again soon 🙌🏻
Great review, Fabien. Very interesting lens!
Thanks Antonio! I love it and I'm so happy that Samyang filled the void left by Fujifilm at this focal length. I don't enjoy shooting at 56mm and 90mm is often too much, so now I have it my way! 😁
And maybe I rushed the review a bit, but the quality of the lens is really good
Just got this lens..loving it! So fricken small. Sharp wide open.
I'm glad! This lens is very often in my bag when I go out in the streets because it's too good (and light) to leave it :)
Excellent video 😊!
Thanks a lot Stephan. Hope it helped 😁
Just got this one with a great deal and it’s an awesome lens. I would use this mainly for travel so the size and weight is perfect! The performance is brilliant!
I'm so glad! So far, it's one of the best lenses I own, without a doubt. Like you say, it's great for travel and I myself always take it around with me. You will have many good times with it so enjoy! And send me a link to your photos ☺️
@@fabienb I compared it with the sigma 85mm I use on my canon and it comes very close! Its remarkable for its price!
@@creativepicnl and that 85mm is a great lens so it is remarkable indeed. One thing that amazes me about Samyang lenses is how good is the colour rendition on the Fujifilm system, sometimes even better than original Fuji lenses! I recently shot a sunset in Florence and it came out 10x better with this lens. So good 😊
@@fabienb Nice! I didn’t have the opportunity yet to thoroughly take it for a spin but I’m planning to do so on my next trip soon. I’m doing photo and video on my Fuji system so I’m curious how the 75mm will perform on a video level. I know that I shouldn’t rely too much on the AF in videomode though. 😄
@@creativepicnl oooohhhh that would be interesting, I haven't tried it with video yet. As I don't use a gimbal, I'm always concerned that longer focal lengths may shake a tad too much. But the quality will surely be there
lens so sharp that I can see the contacts in that mans eyes
It's a fantastic lens indeed. I'm sure all that rave about the competitor have their reasons, but I'm so in love with the results I get with this one that I can't believe there's anything better (so far) :)
Happy to share your thoughts! :)
Always! I hope you got good value from this, even if maybe I rushed it a little bit 😅
Thank you!
If you have any influence with Samyang as an ambassodor, could you ask them to release the compact 35mm f1.8 FE for Fuji X? There is a gap between 12 and 75mm which needs to be filled.
I can always try! 🤞🏻
Myself, I'd like the AF version of the 50mm f1.2 (fits in that gap too). Let's see ☺️
Thanx Fabien, great review. Are the sample pics shown available online at original resolution ?
Thanks a lot Dan, glad you enjoyed it. I sent the photos to Samyang as they will be used for their marketing purposes, so I can't share them (for now, at least). I have seen one is already in the product page... But I'm planning to make another video in which I will compare this lens with the Fujifilm 80mm and 90mm and I will provide the RAW files then. Just hang in there :)
@@fabienb Excellent, that will be super useful. Thanks.
Cheers! I've had requests for RAW files in other videos as well, so it's definitely something I want to give you 👌🏻
Love to see a samyang vs Viltrox 75mm review
I'd like that too!
Viltrox seem to be ignoring me so it may not happen on this channel unless I decide to invest in a lens I don't really need... we'll see, maybe :)
Viltrox also making the same focal lenght but slight more expensive for the price. Viltrox or Samyang anyone had or try both?
I think it's too early to see such comparison video but I'm sure it will happen soon ;)
You can start by checking the technical specs to see if there's anything you lean more towards to: the Viltrox is f/1.2 rather than f/1.8 so maybe it's something you would like to have; The Samyang is lighter and cheaper but doesn't have an Aperture ring; the minimum focusing distance on the Viltrox is 91cm (though pal2tech says it's actually more) while on the Samyang it's 69cm; one is weather-sealed, the other is not...
So, I would start with that. It should already be a good indicator of how either lens can fit into your photography. And then let's wait for a comparison :)
This lens looks very impressive for my needs. Now i have fujinon 50 f2 (sharp, quick, compact, colors, contrst - beautiful lens, but misses something) and viltrox 85 (sharp, interesting compression and separation, but a bit slow and very big and heavy). If i sell both of them, ths samyang could be the one lens, wchich can replace them both. Finally i could bring my viltrox equivalent everyvere and anytime, because 50mm doesnt give me what i want from fast tele prime lens :) viltrox 75/1.2 isn't the option as well because of size. More i watch viedeos about this samyang, more i want it :)
Hey Vainius! Sorry I missed your comment and didn't reply in a timely manner... To be honest, I never tried any Viltrox lens, so I can't really compare, but from most of the videos I watched it seems that size and weight are the main downsides. Considering that people often buy Fujifilm because they like how light and compact the system is, it kind of defeats the purpose. Samyang may be equivalent in term of quality (again, can't compare - can only say the Samyang quality is amazing) but at least they focus on keeping everything small and light (and weather sealed).
I'm not a fan of the 50mm focal length myself. I have a Samyang 50mm f1.2 (manual) only to have the option to shoot with it, but I rather jump to 70-75mm and the marvellous Fuji 90mm f2. That's more my style, with portraits at least.
If this is the focal length you like to shoot at, this lens will not disappoint :)
Thanks for your comment!
@@fabienb i already sold 50mm. It was too close to 35mm, which is my most used lens. Longer lens gives me different look and perspective. Viltrox 85 (mk1) is good, but not great in IQ. It does strange with highlights sometimes, colors also isn't everytime spot on, and doesn't mach fuji color vibe, if i can say that 😀 plus its size and weight (about 600g!). So Samyang should be good replacement. Another choice may be Sigma 56, but this lens doesn't attract my attention much 🙂 thank you for response and guidelines!
@@vainius37 Anytime! If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know. Can also DM on Instagram. I usually reply in a few hours or the next day, I don't know how I missed your first comment (sorry again)
Aside from the size, seems like the Viltrox is a much better option.
Could as well be, I never tried any Viltrox lenses. Size and minimum focusing distance matter to me
Define better. Most important is what your needs are and how you plan to use it. I think more people will like the idea of the viltrox than the reality. I've already seen several posts by people with buyers remorse - related to the size, AF or both.
Such a Tele with 1.8 could be seen as the much better lens because you cannot overlook the negative aspects of the viltrox, which are strongly related to that aperture. The obvious one is weight at 3x heavier than this lens, and also significantly heavier and bulkier than the 90mm f2. But the Autofocus also suffers and really it probably needs more or more powerful motors - but given the price that's the trade off. It can't tick every box for €600. The minimum focus distance is also important. Obviously neither is a macro lens, but the shorter MFD of the samyang opens up more possibilities for use in indoor environments. I've used a 70mm 2.4 with a MFD of 70cm indoors without pause for thought. Adding an extra 20cm can make quite a difference not only for practical reasons, but to the types of shots.
These trade offs might all be worth it to have f1.2 for some people. People shooting weddings or concerts, who are quite far back from the subject and who still want more subject separation (just not for critical moments - but one lens doesn't have to do it all), or to obliterate environmental information, or just for art's sake... But the novelty does where off for personal use!
But case in hand, I was shooting portraits of my daughter at the Weekend (head shots). I was able to manage this indoors with the 90mm. And at f2 I still had out of focus ears, hair, eyeballs or sometimes one eye only as she was not staring straight down the lens. To get the shots I wanted I stopped down to f3.6 and I could have gone further. Outdoors, I tend to do full body with this lens, so f2 is fine, but I would still stop down a little to aid the ibis for slower shutter speeds and to avoid subjects moving out of the plane of focus for less cooperative subjects, who you might be posing from twice your arm's length. A lens where assistants would be a an asset then.
So the question is, is the weight, AF, and close focussing cons worth it for an f1.2, if you are stopping it down most of the time. And if it's for portraits, this will often be the case.
Additional pros for the Viltrox are the IQ (both seem just as good though), and the ability to blur out more busy backgrounds more. But I manage busy backgrounds with the 50-140 (a known weak spot) by applying camera craft, and that's f2.8. And of course the aperture ring - the more important factor between these lenses than aperture for some.
So to have a lens you can slip in your pocket between lens changes, could still have a light carry even if pairing with a heavier lens, and where you want to retain more environmental information, would likely stop down to around f2 anyway the samyang would be the better choice. Even if they were the same price, which they're not. So this makes a great street and travel lens (the raison d'être of fujifilm cameras, excluding perhaps the x-h2).
Buy what you need, not because you like that idea of the specs.
I own the old 56 which I got incredibly cheaply and the 90mm. The 90 gives me all the performance the viltrox cannot, and even then gets stopped down often. I could imagine swapping the slow 56 with the slow viltrox. But I'd still lust after the samyang for street and travel to combine with 23/33 and the Samyang 12 AF, or maybe just the 18 1.4.
If I were to consolidate the 56 and 90, 70/75 would be perfect - either flavour. Combined my 56+90 cost me €750 for mint condition used though. Head ruling heart giving both up for either lens doesn't make sense.The samyang I could add and consider the future of the 56 over time. The 90mm isn't breaking a sweat over the viltrox though, and it's nice to have at least one fast focussing lens at wide, normal and Tele.
But everyone needs to decide for themselves. I actually have viltrox sat in a shopping cart for €498.I just can't pull the trigger as I know it will probably get sent back the way thr viltrox 13mm 1.4 did.
Ian, fantastic comment! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this.
Personally, I'm not discounting the Viltrox. I just never tried it and could not make a comparison. I'm all for telling people to buy what helps them achieve the photos they want, not the photos other decide they should take. If it makes sense.
I use Samyang and can vouch for them and I am very happy with my choice as it suits me well. But I guess these days every discussion is a polarising factor 🤷🏻♂️
Regardless, your comment must be the best thing that came out of making this (slightly rushed) video. So, again, thank you very much! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
@@brownbear100 ☠️
@@fabienb thanks!
Both do indeed look like great options. Love my 12mm AF, although not too many seem to understand my decision to return the viltrox 13! I have a number of bigger faster lenses, and although no doubt also of a high quality, what samyang encapsulates for me is the enjoyment factor.
Ugh I wish it really was £395. Seems £475 everywhere I look
I saw that too. My information came directly from the source but I guess it missed VAT... Professionals of course can claim VAT back, but this indeed will set back everyone else some more money
expensive... i can get viltrox 85mm 1.8 almost half the price.
Yeah, go for it. 👍🏻
This lens just got released, the viltrox is older and discounted, isn't weather sealed, and still weighs nearly 3x as much. And more importantly, it isn't a 75mm. Personally I would even have preferred 70mm.
The thing to do is to compare the price at launch with the Sony version price at launch. Yes the Fuji version is more expensive - on the face of it at least. But factor in inflation, and they have been launched at practically the same price, despite the samyang being the second generation with the addition of weather sealing.
And depending on your market, the price is not so different. B&H has the 85mm viltrox on sale for $400. Buy the samyang direct from SamgyanngUS however, and right now you can apply a 10% discount to all their lenses, included reduced lines and this very lens, which you can get for $449.
Even at $100 difference you can afford to buy the lens that best suits your needs. Either of them. At $50 difference who cares.
Thanks Ian 🙌🏻
Let's keep wishing a 70mm will be released eventually ✊🏻
As you saw in the video, with my constant referring to 105mm rather than 112.5mm, I'd be the first to rejoice when that happens 😏