Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 Long Term Review: The Plastic Fantastic
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- Опубліковано 15 лип 2024
- Looking for an inexpensive, high performing "normal" lens for Sony FE? Look no further than the true "plastic fantastic" on Sony - the Samyang (or Rokinon) AF 45mm F1.8. Find out why this remains one of Dustin's favorite little lenses on Sony after more than three years of use. | Visit bit.ly/lethelightinTV for the new channel | This video is sponsored by Fantom Wallet. Visit fantomwallet.com/ and use code DUSTIN15 to get 15% off | Read the text review: bit.ly/AF45review | Visit the image gallery: bit.ly/AF45photos | Purchase the Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 @ B&H Photo | Amazon amzn.to/2JWX7hA | Amazon Canada amzn.to/30YgkoQ | Amazon UK amzn.to/2SJBHr7 | Amazon Germany amzn.to/2ymfGoM | Ebay bit.ly/AF1845
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Table of Contents:
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0:00 - Intro and Concept
2:36 - Build and Design
4:40 - Autofocus
7:09 - Image Quality
16:25 - Conclusion and Pricing
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Keywords: Samyang AF, Samyang AF 45mm, Samyang AF 45mm F1.8, 45mm 1.8, AF 45mm 1.8, Samyang 45 1.8, Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 FE, Sony, Samyang AF 45mm Review, Samyang AF, 45, 45mm, 45mm 1.8, 85 1.8, Dustin Abbott, AF 45mm Review, Portrait, Linear Motors, Sony a7RIII, Sony a7III, Eye AF, Bokeh, Sharpness, Resolution, Rokinon, Rokinon 45mm, Rokinon AF 45mm, AF 45mm F1.8, Video Test, Sample Images, Real World, Sony Alpha 1, Sony A1 - Наука та технологія
I shoot commercial product photography. I recently transitioned from a Phase One P45 medium format back on an Arca Swiss camera with a Schneider Digitar 80mm lens to a Sony A7R4 using either a Sigma 70mm Macro or Sony FE 50mm 2.8 Macro, both of which are very high performing lenses. I was shooting a product and needed just a touch wider than what the 50mm could offer. I had the little Rokinon 45mm, that I had recently purchased (based partially on your review) and thought, "what the hell, it doesn't hurt to try". I was flabbergasted at how well the cheap little Rokinon performed! It performed so well that I ended up shooting a whole series of very demanding product shots for a very demanding national client with that cheap little lens! I almost felt guilty, but I look at the photos and my eyes don't lie. This is a great lens period and by far one of the best values out there! Thanks for your in depth reviews Dustin!
That's a great anecdote about how surprisingly good this lens is.
Old video and review, but: just got one of these, much thanks to your review. Wanted to get something really small to put on my retired A9 for walkarounds. Love the photos coming out of it, punchy contrast in particular, but calling the AF silent is a real stretch :) Thanks for your great work reviewing so many lenses!
Thanks for the feedback, and I'm glad you are enjoying the lens. I do find the autofocus on my copy fairly quiet, but remember with older videos that the standards change. Even cheap lenses today have the kind of autofocus I would have really praised even five years ago.
Have both the Samyang 45mm and 75mm and your glowing reviews were one of the reasons I got them!
Their unrivaled compactness coupled with their more than good enough sharpness and beautiful rendering make them a no-brainer for anyone prioritizing portability - just really wish they had weather sealing because I love taking them on hikes!
Good points all around
If you have to choose one, which one would you choose? 45mm or 75mm?
Looking for a small lens that I can use with the Sony a6100 while traveling and use with the Sony a7Riii when doing landscape along with a zoom lens.
When I got my Sony back jn 2019 thanks to your recommendation this was one of the first lenses I bought for it. Maybe even the first. Never regretted that. Extremely useful lens even if I rarely shoot it these days. This was my go to family lens and I even used it for a studio portrait session at my brother's wedding (space made it grad to use a more Tele lens) and it performed perfectly. I took nice looking portraits where any faults were solely mine with his little thing. The ever reliable nifty plastic almost fifty!
Exactly!
I have this little one and the Sony ZA 50/1.4. The rendering is surprisingly similar, although ZA has better Zeiss color but 4 times higher price and weight! Excellent review!
Thank you!
I don’t have this lens, now I want it. Thanks again for all the great reviews you do.
My pleasure!
Thanks for your recommendation, Dustin. I took it out for the first time this past weekend. The optical effects are astonishing for its size, weight and price. This lens, along with the Samyang 75 mm f1.8 and an a7c will be my kit to keep in my suitcase for my work trips and excursions as a flight attendant.
I really enjoy the rendering from the lens. It’s a special little lens lens optically.
Thank you as always for this review, it’s really helping me out to understand how to build the perfect kit for me!
I bought it used a week ago (nice price for less than 240$), and apart from a couple of scratches on the barrel and the lens hood just a tiny bit loose, I found it to be the perfect companion for my f/4 travel lenses. Lightweight enough that you don’t have to think about and compact enough to hike easily with it, or get into a museum!
Perfect. I love it for travel for a wide aperture option with something like a zoom.
You are doing a remarkable work man! greatings from Peru
Thank you very much.
After good results with the Samyang 24, and watching these reviews, I now have the 45 Samyang on order. Some days I just don't want to lug the big zooms around, and this lens will be perfect, with the 24 and an 85. Thanks for the well produced and executed video review, Dustin.
I'm confident you'll enjoy it.
It's even mathematically perfect middle between 24/85, you should like it :) often recommend it for this reason too when people don't have strong 35mm fixation and one 45 works well instead of 35+55.
Received the lens yesterday. It came with FW version 3, so I checked and the latest version is 6. Updated the FW and everything is fine. I think I'm going to like this lens. Focus is very smooth, fast, and quiet. The notes on the firmware mentioned improved autofocus for video, which is what I will be using the lens a bunch for.
Yes this is a great lens. I bought this off your recommendations in the first video as with most of my lenses for Sony FE. The images from this are very pleasing and it does have a different look to most lenses. Samyang have come a long way since their first AF lens for Sony. Looking forward to the 135mm review as from other reviews it is very comparible with Sony's offering but Sony's 135mm is the AF king between them on fast moving subjects.
I can't wait to cover the 135mm, too.
Amazing review, thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
I fully concur with your review(the first as well). I bought the lens as soon as it first came out & it was the first lens that I tried when I purchased the sony a7r4. I was just amazed at the detail and rendering. It is a very discrete lens & because of its form factor a real joy to use in a variety of different contexts. I also like the 45mm fl. last year I also got the sigma 45nn f2.8 at a flash price (almost a 100$ less than the samyang). The sigma gives a very special close focus rendering & also has a very unique rendering. However for the kind of intimate portrait work the samyang is one of the best lenses & your images testify to this
Thank you, Giti
I bought this lense to pair it with my Sony A7C. The bundle is very compact, it looks like an APS-C kit lens format.
Very happy with the results: AF is solid, sharpness is very good in my opinion for my needs. I use it for everything: portrait, landscape, street. What I like the most is the focal lenght itself: 45mm is, what appears to me, the closest thing that we have to the human angle of view. When I look at through the EVF, I see the same thing. So before composing, I already know what will be in the frame or not.
Exactly. It's a great lens for traveling light.
I bought it after seeing your initial review and I LOVE IT! It’s just amazing💜
Glad to hear it.
Do You only keep the GM for the 2 - 3 stops wider open shots, and You keep the 45 only for it's lightweight ?
(Me I'd like my GM to be a 46mm - but I seem to forget that. Me and the Samyang : I think I would constantly wish I had taken the 3 excellent wide stops along 'aswell'.)
I know I've said it before but this a a fantastic lens - ultra light, very sharp, nice bokeh, minimal CA if any. Have used it on my Sony A7rii and A6000. Great for portraits, landscapes, close ups and just about everything. The only lens I'd take with me if I could only take one to a desert island!
It really is a lot of fun and produces some great looking images.
I found that I really liked the 45mm focal length after using the Sigma 30mm f1.4 on APS-C. So, I picked this one up after watching Dustin's Sony FF Budget Guide video. This lens has been a perfect substitution for that lens on Full Frame, albeit with some differences in overall character. The big one for me: Depth of Field is similar given the APS-C 1.4 to FF 1.8 but I find that I like the fall off on the Samyang more than the Sigma. Also, at times, subject separation on the Sigma can feel a bit stark. Other than that, the maximum magnification is similar (0.12x vs 0.11x). The price is similar ($299 vs ~$270 new).The Samyang even weighs far less (162g vs 265g), which was really surprising. Amazing lens for a bargain price!
That's a great summation
I had many different Sony FE lenses, including one of the very best Sigmas DG DN version. I still find this lens to be my favourite (along Zeiss 55) in Sony's mount. There is just something special about it for me :)
It is a special little lens.
Another great review. This Samyang 45mm is so tempting compared to the sony fe 50mm and 55mm za. Thanks for the great details!
My pleasure.
Excellent review Dustin, agreed this is an brilliant lens. And further, it has very good Coma correction and makes a great astro lens behind only the Sigma 40mm for a fraction of the price.
That's very cool.
I own the 45mm Tamron, and the images you shared remind me of the ones I get from that lens. 45mm is often overlooked and dismissed, but it's really a nice sweet spot.
Just forwarded the link to this video to a friend who is getting into Sony full frame and wants a compact prime for travel and general purpose usage.
By the way, this Samyang lens only has about 7 elements, which is very low by today's standards and might be a factor to why it has such amazing pop. It is believed by many that the more lens elements are added (generally), the harder it is for the light to reach the sensor, and thus, data is lost along the way. Colors become less saturated, the gradations of light between highlights and shadows are lost, etc... That's when people start accusing a lens of being clinical and flat. I like the old school approach adopted by Samyang here.
Agreed
You are my goto guy on lens reviews by far!! Thanks man for all you do. If I get one off amazon or BH does it come with the new firmware? I do not want to deal with any docking stations.
It should have the most recent firmware as the lens has been out for a while.
I didn't buy it based on your recommendation but simply tried it for the focal length and I can fully confirm what you are saying. It definitely became my always-on lens. I use it everywhere and don't bother to bring anything else, as travelling light is my main motivation. Still on an A2 but once the prices go down a bit I'll go for the 7C. Kinda miss the old A6000 travel behavior. Can recommend.
It's a lot of fun
First of all I can't brag enough how good and useable are these videos!!! 👏Second of all... These lenses are very effective, portable and reliable when it comes to using them with a Sony body. Yes focus is not as fast as a GM lens, but if I have to deal with a little bit slower AF transition (which is kind of cinematic) compare to the amazing (zero) focus breathing performance I prefer these lenses over the Sony GMs for video work. I owned the 24 GM and sold it, because I couldn't use it for videos, then I got the Rokinon 24 f1.8 and I'm happy. I have the Sony 35 GM too and the only reason I'm not selling it, because I use that for photos compared with an A7IV. For that is the best in class, but I can't wait to get the Rokinon 45 f1.8 and 75 f1.8 for video work and have the full set of these tiny almighty primes for my FX3.
I'm glad you are enjoying them.
Back in the day I used to have a a 35mm L on a Canon 1D mk II and I loved it. This lens on a A7II has the same angle of view and depth of field and is better in almost every way (price, weight, optical quality).
That's pretty high praise.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Well, I guess that's progress, everything in digital photography is so much better today than 20 years ago
I bought this lens a couple years ago based on Dustin's recommendation, and I couldn't be happier. This is one of the lenses that made me switch to Sony FE, so it's also a system seller in a way. The price/size/performance ratio for this lens is unbelievable and it's one of those lenses that make APS-C seem obsolete.
That's very true.
Thanks so much for this recommendation. I have the a7iv (and formerly the a7iii) and I was unhappy with my Sony 50m 1.8 and recently sold it. In my opinion, that lens wasn't that sharp and the field of view was a little close for my taste - which was disappointing because everyone always raves about the nifty fifty. I fantasized about the new 50 1.2 GM, but sadly in reality, my wallet isn't that deep. Then I saw your review of the Samyang 45m - which I didn't even know existed. So I tried it, updated the firmware and I like it. I'm getting much better results than with the old lens. I'm no expert, but I can see when something is sharp and when it's not. I agree the rendering of the 45m is beautiful, can't really explain it. But this lens is better, just like you said. Add me to your list of converts! :D
There's just something very appealing about the images this little lens produces. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Thanks!
You're welcome, and thanks for the support.
Have it, love it.
That seems to be the consensus!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
After reading your review I selected this lens for a specific purpose. I like to take action portraits of members of my table tennis club. I needed a wide aperture to avoid extreme ISO, good eye AF, and a low price. I experimented with a zoom lens to find a focal length that would capture most of the images I wanted without too much crop, and determined that 45mm works on my a6700.
This lens has worked splendidly for the purpose, keeping focus locked on my subject during fast action and providing good background separation. Edge sharpness is not relevant in this application. When shooting doubles, the out of focus player is pleasingly rendered.
I'm happy with the lens and look forward to to trying it for the secondary purpose of low light candid photography.
Also, finding it used for 200 usd helped.
That's great, as that is a pretty demanding autofocus environment.
Very cool lens, thanks for the detailed review... this might fit into my budget, but I'm still on APSC... would you recommend it for that (at 67.5mm equivalent FOV) while saving up for a full frame body (I'm eyeing a gently used A7r III)?
Why the Riii? Why not the Rii and use the extra money on a great lens or two?
@@charmerci The Rii is definitely still in the running... but the difference in used prices is not that great and there are definitely some features that I'd like to have in the Riii. If I find an exceptional deal on the Rii, I'd probably go for it though...
The short answer is yes, it is still an interesting lens on APS-C. And yes, go for the a7RIII - it is a FAR better camera even though it shares a sensor with the RII. Focus, battery life, etc... is much better.
Thanks!!
Welcome!
I have been using this Samyang 45 with my new Sony A7IV. I originally thought I would save up for the 35 mm GM, but this 45 is so good that I don’t know if it’s worth it now. I’m sure for professionals the GM is superior, but I just make amateur videos for my school and church, so I’ll probably just stick with the 45. I really don’t want it to be any sharper, as that will just emphasize more signs of aging on my face 😄.
LOL on your last comment!
I have watched your several videos and I really appreciate your review! It is like reading a scientific report, unbiased and concise, just what I need!
I recently ordered a Sony A7C and I would like to pair it with a compact lens for daily shooting (city, street, food, etc.), and I am choosing between Samyang 35/1.8 or 45/1.8. Both are of the same size and same price. Which one would you recommend? Thanks!
Although the 35mm F1.8 has more features, I optically prefer the 45mm. It's the one I kept of the two.
I don't have anything against the built quality, and like that it's lightweight though I'm not a fan of how it looks on camara, but its images... this is my most used and favorite lens from 8 or 10 other lenses I own.
And I do concur, I wish it would focus a tad closer, it would be magical, but still, love it the way it is
Agreed all around.
Thank you for a great review. I’m tempted but I already have the Sony Zeiss 35mm 2.8 and I can’t justfy adding another lens. What is your oppinion on 35 2.8?
The Sony Zeiss 35mm was an early lens that came long before I was using Sony as a platform, and I never got back to reviewing it.
this is my fav lens! thanks! can you do one on the samyang 75mm F1.8 as well?
that's my 2nd fav lens! thanks :D
I do plan to do one on the 75mm when I have a lull from new releases.
@@DustinAbbottTWI :D thanks so much!
Thank you very much for the text review ! I do not like 50mm focal length, to me it is useless, any Lens shorter or longer than a 50mm Lens, so 45mm and shorter and 55mm and longer are the best focal length to use. The diagonal of a 24x36mm sensor are 43mm, so a 45mm are much more a "normal" Lens than a 50mm Lens. I like the size and the style of the Samyang 45mm 1.8 AF, but I will like it to have a real aperture ring.
I like an aperture ring, too.
Hi, your videos are super helpful. I would be very interrested in a comparison of Sigma 30/1.4 on a 24MP sensor vs a Samyang 45/1.8 on a FF 24MP sensor. I think that it really would make sense.
As on your request, I don't own a 24MP camera or the 30mm F1.4, so I don't really have the opportunity to do that review.
Dustin, did you ever use this lens on an A7ii? I'm interested in how well the AF performs on that body but your various videos and articles are all on newer and higher-spec models. Thanks again for another thoughtful piece on this lens.
I didn't. The a7II came before I started using Sony at all.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for following up.
Wonder the new cine v-af version has any optical improvement or it is maimly for build quality and other difference.
I haven't tested the 45mm V-AF (I'd love to!), but at the least the minimum focus distance and magnification is improved.
While I have no experience with this lens, I've travelled the world with a Sigma 30 1.4 on my Sony a6000, so a 45mm equivalent.
While I had the Sigma 16 and Sonys 18-105 with me, I shot 98% of my pictures with the 30mm.
I shoot portrait sessions with it, I shoot events with it. The focal length is really so versatile.
I'm considering upgrading to a A7C with tis Samyang 45, which would be the same size and actually a lighter setup then my old one lol
I think you'll love the 45mm. It has very special rendering.
Thanks for sharing!
Do u think this lens is sharper than the Sony 35mm 2.8 Zeiss?
I actually haven't tested that lens. It's an older one, and I wasn't on Sony when it was released.
Can you do a compare with Sony 55mm F1.8?
Possibly in the future if I happened to have a 55mm on hand.
I bought the Samyang 18mm f/2.8 after seeing Dustin’s review. A good, plastic, little lens. I ordered the 45mm as well. When I got to the store to pick it up, the lens was making weird sounds, and couldn’t focus. It was a bad copy. I know the statistics are not enough to base my opinion on one subject. Having said that, I was instantly emotionally detached from this lens. In the store, there was a box with the 55mm f/1.8 Zeiss and I decided to buy it on the spot. Once I touched this lens, I instantly discovered that the tactile feeling of a well-made lens is sometimes more important than its optical qualities. The differences with the Samyang were very substantial. The one felt like a toy, the other like an optical instrument. Plastic fantastic lenses can be a good option for many. Not for me
55 is great of course and we all like solidly(ish) built lenses - but the point here I think is that if there's one lens that doesn't suffer from the extremely small plastic body and provides great combination of real world shooting properties at perfect FL at the same time, it's this one.
I understand the copy issue and it's easy to make you feel bad instantly, but since this is the lightest and smallest f/2-or-less Sony FE lens with AF, the 'construction' is almost like a positive feature for this reason :)
Sometimes a bad experience can really turn you off, but I can say that I've had about 7 of the modern Samyang AF lenses and I've had a good experience with 6 of the 7.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Don’t get me wrong. I love my Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 lens even though it feels a bit plasticky. But after that incident I can tell you with certainty that I value more build quality that I used to. Before the only thing I was interested about was image quality. Not anymore
I purchased this lens, and I love it. There was one problem. I updated the firmware on the first copy of the lens I received, and the lens locked up and was unrecoverable. I eventually received a replacement from the giant online retailer after a battle. I'm nervous about updating the firmware again.
Interesting. If it is any consolation, I've never had that happen over several dozen firmware updates across about ten Samyang lenses.
How did end up at the end? Did you manage to update the firmware without any issue?
Same happened to me. Amazon replaced it.
Is the Samyang and Rokinon version of this 45mm, and the new 135mm, identical in specification and performance?
That's correct. It is only badging differences.
Great
Thanks!
After watching this, I wonder if I made a mistake buying the Sony 85mm 1.8 over the Samyang 85mm 1.4. It's bugging me enough to possibly returning it. I saw your videos on them and I would love your opinion
I am not Mr. Abbott, but I have owned the Samyang 85mm 1.4, the Sony 85mm 1.8 and now the Sigma 105mm 1.4 :
I absolutely do not think the Sony will hold you back, it's an excellent tool; BUT suffice it to say that even when I own the colossal Sigma 105mm 1.4, I often wish I had the Samyang 85mm 1.4 back instead - it was just that well balanced (weight, handling, sharpness, rendering) a lens and in the forest when my subject was surrounded by leaves and shooting wide open, I found its bokeh very reminiscent of the Helios 44-2 in the best possible ways (but obviously tack sharp in the area of focus, which old soviet lenses never are). For the price it retails at, it is an excellent value for money, though again, I don't think you'll regret the Sony either.
The Sony is a very good lens, but I do think the Samyang is a little more special in terms of the rendering.
Hello, Dustin! Thank you for so interesting review! I cant choose between Samyang 45, 1.8 , Sigma 56, 1.4, Sigma 30, 1.4. for Sony 6400. I have Sigma Art 50mm 1.4, Sigma Art 24mm 1.4 and Sony 16-50mm 3.5-5.6. for my photo work. But i want to have light weight lens for every day, for walks and street photo. What lens can you recomend to me? I will be very grateful for the answer
I do love this little Samyang lens, though I wonder if 45mm will be too long on your APS-C camera for a walkaround lens.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you! Maybe Sigma 30mm, 1.4? Is it good?
And also i think about Samyang 35mm 1.8
I was torn between getting a 50mm lens or a 35mm lens. When I heard about this lens, I went for it, instead. More space than a 50mm and less distortion than a 35mm. What's not to like?
Sounds good to me
How would you compare this samyang to viltrox 50mm?
I like the Samyang a little better optically, the Viltrox better for build.
I sold this long ago… and guess what, I’m getting it back. I miss the fov, and it is 1.8!. Sigma fail us here with their 2.8 one and I’m done waiting for a compact sigma 50 f2 . I own the gm but sometimes you just don’t want / need to carrie such big and heavy lens
That's true. I have both a big 50mm (Planar) and the smaller 45mm, and I actually reach more often for the little one.
Is this the same as the rokinon? There is a price difference, so just wondering.
It is the same. Rokinon and Samyang are just naming (I'm not sure why they do that).
@@DustinAbbottTWI Much appreciated. Thanks!
If you could stay only with one lens, do you prefer Samyang 45 or 55 1.4 II and why? Is AF similar in both lenses and what about bokeh characters?
That's a good question. I do have a video episode coming in about a month focusing on comparing the two lenses.
What about the 75?
I'll do a long term review of it like this in a couple of months. I've got a big pile of new releases to work through right now.
Look nice 📸⚡️ i keep my Tamron 45mm 1.8 sp 💎
Also a nice lens.
@@DustinAbbottTWI similar ?!
"How would it compare to..." Voightlander 40mm f1.2 ?
(Yes I DO know : all the obvious differences one can simply read, even the price difference.)
The Samyang is sharper/higher contrast wide open, though the Voigtlander has nicer bokeh, color, and build quality.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank You !!!
I think it has a bit of a swirly bokeh. This makes it look vintage amonst other things.
Agreed.
I prefer the sigma 45mm 2.8 any day
Fair enough, though I don't share that opinion.
I bought this 45mm lens - based on Dustin’s review - for my carry everywhere with the young kids. I am absolutely delighted with the sharpness and contrast & you can rely on the Eye-AF with it, in my experience
I'm loving all the anecdotal responses on how much people enjoy the lens.
Agree with everything, went through similar 'journey' and sold my 55 years ago. Only now I use the 50/1.4II a lot so 45 stays behind a bit.
But your 55/zeiss remarks reminded me how I often wondered how much is it a coincidence, that the 45 has almost exactly the same Sonnar 55 optical construction, including the inverted front element - only it's miniaturized for different FL and has differen material of those elements I'm sure. I remember comparing 45/55 bokeh just a bit with no strong difference/conclusion, but non-bokeh parts of the same scene looked overall like a 55 crop from a 45 view with just a minor WB shift.
It's just the best lens body cap ;)
How do you compare 50 1.4 II with 45? Which AF is faster and more accurate and which bokeh do you prefer more and why?
@@odin1983 They are both accurate in my experience, 50 feels faster and seems to "drive" the AF somewhat more "actively" I'd say. And there's more bokeh too of course - partly because of the 10% longer FL and of course because it's 1.4.
That's an interesting conclusion.
Sorry at what 55 1.4 II are you referring?, O though you miss-type it but after you say longer fov.