Nice! I don't think Sony is worried at all. Its these cheap, third party lenses that are keeping their cameras selling so well. Im one of many who got tired of waiting for 3rd party RF lenses, sold my R6 and got an a7IV with Sigma and Samyang lenses. These companies are still making Sony lots of money. Its a win/win.
Sony runs into trouble quicker than any competitors. It took Nikon and Canon each 40years to reach Sony's market position of today. What Sony does in the last 5years is not sustainable by any measure, selling only GM lenses for a profit and bodies for very slim profit at best, questionable. If you look at the body department alone, it doesn't make any business sense to do that other than killing competition, and hope for, down the track in the future, earn profit from future bodies.
@@frankluo230 Sony can afford to do this because they have something Canon and Nikon do not, the PlayStation. That’s Sonys bread and butter. They actually stopped producing the a7C and a6400 temporarily to be able to pump out more PS5s. Sony also has its film division with their own production company. They can easily afford to allow Sigma, Tamron and others to make these lenses that help sell their bodies. Besides, Sony owns 20% of Tamron, so they are still making a profit off those lens sales. They are doing just fine.
@@michaelbell75 And don't forget Sony's sensor & TV/cine camera division, where they have got huge chunks of the market. They sell tons of sensors to Nikon & Canon, too.
Thank you, Pav. I bought the lens a few months ago on your recommendation. Did a lot of homework before making the decision, but your review won the day. I love the model with the pale blue dress - not only good-looking but really spirited. Keep the videos coming; they’re really well done, Pav.
It is a great lens. I had the opportunity to use this lens, and I own the GM also. It is great, but when it counts and you need the shot, the GM still is the safer bet. The Samyang still missed some with its auto focus, and sometimes you don’t get another chance. Also, there is a significant difference with the bokeh. The GM is smoother when you shoot the same shot as a comparison. Again, it is a good lens, but even at the big price, the GM is with investing in for the long haul. Great video, thank you.
yes, I agree but .... GM bokeh is only better if you compare the images from both of these lenses side by side. Small AF issues could be improved with their future updates
I received my copy the other day. Stunning lens. I agree, a 135 is great for portraits, but yes, you really do need a lot of space to get full length shots. However, I purchased it primarily for weddings to get that extra reach. Amazing value.
Are you able to use this as you longest focal lens at weddings? I just bought one for that purpose. I’m accustomed to a 70-200 but chose to go with a prime this time around
@@jamalymall I struggled to get much use for it on the day. It is an amazing lens, and fantastic if you need that extra reach. In most cases, stepping in closer with an 85mm or even 50mm was sufficient and a lot more practical in a fast-paced situation. I would be interested to know how you get on if using it for a wedding.
@@PavSZ Indeed, especially who bought the GM. I was shocked of how much chromatic aberration the GM has vs Samyang's, which something I didn't expect. I love Sony, it's my favorite company every in everything, but in the end I would buy what I think is the better deal for me in quality and price.
@@Bo_Hazem Sony lens is way better built and has faster and more reliable autofocus. And I wouldn’t trust any youtube lens reviews ,eh advertisements, at all. The Sony lens is sharper wide open
@@hardywoodaway9912 Would take your word on that. I've come to dislike the color shift in the Sigma 24-70mm art lens that some youtubers kinda shrug it off like it's nothing. I like to manually white balance at times and it gives you a headache there. If you can stretch you budget more I think the GM is the better overall lens, especially in autofocus.
I have the older - tho more recent manual cine version & its optics is superb. So I was already expecting this lens to be more optimized for mirrorless & have stellar optics. Also it has better MFD than many of the 85 lenses and one can do a kind of semi macro - works very well for all kinds of photography. Samyang has come out with a variety of fe-mount lenses ranging from the tiny series to their faster primes - to their cine lenses & at great value
Nice review. By the way, I am curious about what lens you were using when you were talking to the camera. The colors and bokeh look fantastic. And, what video lights do you use? The setup looks wonderful 👌
Thank you! This was filmed with Sony a7IV and Sony 50mm f1.2 G Master wide open. I use Colbor C100 for my key light with a big soft box and at the back is one Botzen Came-TV RGB tube - I have reviewed both here on my channel previously
I do events for a living but I want to change my field and jump into portraiture and editorials... I am struggling so hard right now, because I can't decide whether to go with 105mm or 135mm. Sigmas old ''brick'' 105mm f1.4 is just pure perfection but watching this video is making me confused on what to get...
I got the lens from samyang usa site (no tax + 20off) got it for around $750. It mustve been the best $750 ive ever spent on camera gear. Only downside is that its not my fav focal length but I bought it for future events like my kid’s graduation, christmas play, zoo, etc.
My Samyang 135 f1.8 is arriving this week. I am getting the Samyang to shoot at f1.8 for a project that requires wide open apertures. My Tamron 70-180 is already beyond fantastic at 135mm at f2.8. It is tack sharp, even in the corners with no CA issues. I am hoping that the bokeh of the Samyang sets it apart. If the difference in bokeh and the "look" is not significant enough, I will stay with the Tamron 70-180 for its versatility.
Hey, could I ask you for an update on your findings? Is the aperture ("look") significant enough to set it apart from your f2.8 lens? Did it make that much of a difference? Thanks!
@@spookeyboo9128 I got a bad copy of the Samyang 135 so I could not properly compare it to my Tamron. In testing a Sigma 85 f1.4 against my Tamron 70-180 at f2.8, surprisingly the bokeh difference it not significant enough. I am not going to get the Samyang 135 for now. I think my Tamron 70-180 is solid and will do the job. No need to go to f1.8 as I am totally happy with f2.8 at 135mm on the Tamron. The Tamron is tack sharp and has no CA. Images are crisp corner to corner at f2.8. Hope this helps.
shame you got a bad copy of this lens. I think all primes will give totally differently look and bokeh than zooms at the same focal lengths. This is probably even more so with anything over 85mm
@@PavSZ I am getting ready to launch my collection and in selecting the final images, as expected, I noticed a difference in the images shot with the Sigma 85 at f1.4 vs. my Tamron at f2.8 at the same focal length. I had to return the Sigma to my friend so I no longer have the lens. In order to duplicated the look of the Sigma 85 at f1.4, I started shooting the Tamron at 135mm or longer focal lengths. This way I get a shallower depth of field at f2.8 comparable to the look of the Sigma 85 at f1.4. If I continue expanding the project, I might get a copy of the Sigma 85 f1.4 and the Samyang 135 f1.8. You are absolutely correct that the primes shot wide open have a noticeably different look.
You take some beautiful shots? I’m sure they’re edited but done so perfectly! I have this lens and as you mentioned, it’s meant for a purposeful shooting occasion. Enjoy your videos! What’s your thoughts on the Sigma 16-28mm f2.8 contemporary lens?
Great video mate! I own this and my additional 2cents on this is that it does sometimes miss on the autofocus which sometimes can be a bit frustrating, when you try to use this lens for other shoots other than portrait. (You were right(one trick pony) it’s most dependable as a portrait lens. I also wanted to add that like their 24mm 1.8 AF lens when you turn on the camera while pushing down the focus lock button on the lens, it puts it at infinity focus but at the same time you can’t really use other features of your camera (it locks you out) you would need to switch it off and turn it back on as normal to make the changes. Finally it also drains your camera battery even when turned off, however they say it’s been rectified via a firmware update but for that you need to make an additional purchase of their dock to implement it.
Got this lens. It already hanged up my A7 IV twice. I had to remove battery. IQ is superb, but AF is not on par with Sony or Sigma DG DN 85mm. Colors from this lens are much cooler than from Sigmas or Sony lenses. Bokeh is a bit busy (but 135mm GM is almost the same). On APS-C camera bokeh is much busier (for some reason). Overall good value for the price.
@@kane4013 Personally I haven't. But now when you said it, I think it actually faster than with Sigma 85 DG DN for example. Although it's comparable to Sony 70-200 I think. I think it was especially the case when I got short sleep time on my A7IV. Cause this lens moves all the elements back and forth when it initialized. Seems that with new firmware it's not doing it anymore (v3). I will keep an eye on this case.
I have not heard a single negative comment or bad review about this lens. It is on my short list of lenses to get should I go with fixed focal lenses. Currently I have all Tamron f2.8 zooms and they are insanely good. If I choose to go with prime, it would primarily be to go beyond f2.8 not necessarily to get better performance. My f2.8 Tamrons are some of the best lenses I have ever used and I have shot with a lot of expensive glass in 40+ years!!
This is great news. I've been eyeing a 135 lens option because 105 felt too close to the 85 I already own and I was planning to trade that in for a 90mm. I couldn't justify the gmaster but I can definitely afford to save towards this
Has anyone used this lens for astrophotography? The manual focus F/2 version was a great performer and I’m curious as to how this edition stacks up. Cheers
Hi Pav, ok, you sold me. Many thx for this great video and wanted to ask about your video intro for your channel. I quite like it, is it a template that I can buy somewhere? Thanks so much again. Paul
These samyangs are great and work fine on mirrorless systems. Please note that AF does not work at all on the FX6 and FX9! Don't know why, but samyang is the only brand that somehow doesn't work (sigma, tamron etc same performance on mirrorless and FX6/9). Samyang doesn't respond to my questions about a possible firmware fix
I returned my lens after 14 days of use. It’s amazing Lens but after 2 week of use, I realized it’s consuming battery from my camera like crazy. Especially when the lens is mounted on my camera, but the camera is turned off. My A7iii would be charge-less after one day of use. None of my G master or other lenses does that.
Literally why I am watching these reviews too for my Z6II and Z7. Nobody seems to ever think of Nikon combos… if I get it before you I will let you know
on no, absolutely NOT but it's not a lens optimised for mirrorless cameras and it is HUGE and HEAVY, very heavy. When Sigma comes out with DG DN version, this will have another competitor
@@PavSZ I can absolutely confirm that it is very heavy :) But I think it is still a very serious contender. It does not have the AF of the 135 GM, but it has stupendous optical qualities. I actually prefer the look to the GM.
Absolutely LOVED this lens… until it stopped being recognizable on my cameras out of nowhere… and it was on version 3 never dropped. Just decided it didn’t want to be recognized on my a7iv anymore
Tempted to get it but the only lens I've ever had crap out on me was a SY/Rokinon. MF froze out of the blue. Ring would not work at all. Optically these are great but they are finicky.
On a7IV you can select which eye camera focuses on, auto, left or right and programme this button (on any custom button) to change from left to right eye when needed
Unfortunately mine stopped focusing. I tried to update the firmware on samyang dock .. the dock couldn't Recognize the lens and kept saying lens isn't connected.. after that I tried to use the lens and it was not working not focusing and the camera was freezing.. I returned it today .. samyang is junk
Has anyone that owns this lens Experianced a lens hood that doesent lock? Mins spins if I shake the camera. Not inconceivable I could shake it off if I tried. Is mine broken or is this a design flaw?
"a lot of these brands from Far East come up with lenses or the gear that are equally good as major brands" Just FYI most major brands have been from Japan for decades (not sure if Leica/Hasselblad still counts as "major brands"), which is about as "far east" as it can get. South Korea and China are west of Japan.
I meant Chinese and Korean - brands from the countries that used to be associated with cheap and cheerful products. Kind of obvious when I say it in the review of a Korean lens 😉
@@PavSZ Japan was associated with cheap/low quality products not so long ago either. Fwiw it has been over two decades since South Korea was associated with cheap/low quality products.
Sony should NOT be worried. Unlike Canon, Sony should realize the value of competition in driving up quality and realizes that the availability of quality third party lenses encourage people to buy Sony cameras instead of Canon cameras. They know that there will be people who would buy Sony lenses no matter what third party lenses are available. They should not follow the short sighted fear model that Canon is adopting.
yes, I totally agree but not everybody can afford Sony GM lenses and there is no other modern 135mm available now. This does the job well (if you don't get a bad copy)
Hi Pav! I know you have used the Sigma 105mm F1.4 also, could you see selling that for this? I absolutely love the photos out of my 105mm F1.4 but after several years using it, I am sick of packing it around. Do these 135mm compare?
I'm not really convinced that Sony should be worried at all. I've had so many issues with Samyang lenses, bad AF, build quality and rather poor after sales support that I stopped even considering their lenses. 85/1.4 AF is top of the line trouble maker.
I heard few people saying that they had quality issues with Samyang lenses in the past. I only have experience with the current or mrkII lenses and I had no issues with them at all. This lens was as well build as any Sony lens that I have ever used
I purchased this lens directly from Samyang a few weeks ago. It's truly a killer lens! Today I not only used it for some portrait work but some landscape work as well. Because of its compression and sharpness, it took some amazing landscape images! The other day I decided to do a day's trip with just 3 lenses (none Sony). Took the Tamron 24mm, Sigma 65mm and the Samyang 135mm. It handled all of my desires and then some. I've handled the GM lens before. No question it's a great lens but it's a tad heavier and cost twice as much. I have found the Samyang just as sharp as the GM lens. So paying another, almost 800 dollars to have the GM again just isn't worth the difference to me.
@@PavSZ So true! I'm 72 years old and on a budget so I always have to be careful. Plus, I do this as a hobby, not professionally. I do some free Event work and also some volunteer photographer work for the city and the school district. I find my Tamron 28-75 G2 and 70-180 handle the Event work fairly well. My Sigma 85mm 1.4 and this Samyang lens do well for some indoor events in the gym. But if I'm really traveling light, I will take the Tamron 20mm, old Sony Zeiss 35mm f2.8, Sigma 65mm and Sigma 90mm and it's a really light kit. I only have two Sony a7riii cameras but they work fine.
Samyang used to be a really good alternative but in MF back in days (2015-2020) now they delivers really great budget alternative. I mean putting in a 900e or 1500€ just to gain micro af. Specially on a sony body camera i would put that 900€ without a doubt , maybe get a great filter pro mist for it or ND . It's one of gems lens :"better this one that the official" .
I have the Samyang 85mm f1.4 and the video autofocus its bad! I asume this one have the same problem! So, for pics its ok, but for video! Sucks! I had to buy an other 85mm f1.4, the Sigma! Works greats! If you can make a video about video performance i will be verry awesome! Buy the way, i like how you say Focus! :)
I don't think there is that much overlap in the market between this and Sony's own GM, perhaps only in the "advanced amateurs/part-time pro" segment. Full pros will not trust the build quality (including QC variation) & AF issues (and the camera freezing that Samyang seems to occasionally do). They'll stick to the GM. And conversely hardly any 'merely hobbyist' will fork out that much money for a niche GM lens. But as others have remarked, this lens does help sell Sony sell more bodies to hobbyists & enthousiasts. Do Nikon & Canon have anything like this lens at this price point in their mirrorless systems? I don't think so.
Disagree for telephoto lenses. Lens variance is much much higher mostly for normal to wide angles (and even worse on ultra wides). Wider it is, more lens variation regardless of maker including Zeiss, Sony, Nikon or Samyang. With 100mm+ lenses you are pretty safe to get a good specimen of the lens regardless of maker.
yes, I agree but ..... not all pros shoot weddings. I do portrait and food photography mostly. These problems would not stop me from getting pro results from this lens. They might be a little frustrating sometimes but not deal breakers for me. On the other hand, if you only have one chance to nail that focus or shoot that photo, GM is a safer option.
it's almost identical to what Sony 135mm GM creates. It's the zoom compression that makes it look more unnatural that the optics themselves in my opinion
Thank you! You are right. it's pretty much identical to what Sony 135mm produces. I have been shooting with both side by side for the last few days. I won't bother anymore
Nice! I don't think Sony is worried at all. Its these cheap, third party lenses that are keeping their cameras selling so well. Im one of many who got tired of waiting for 3rd party RF lenses, sold my R6 and got an a7IV with Sigma and Samyang lenses. These companies are still making Sony lots of money. Its a win/win.
True! and this is as good as GM lens
Spot on, variety only helps the landscape
Sony runs into trouble quicker than any competitors. It took Nikon and Canon each 40years to reach Sony's market position of today. What Sony does in the last 5years is not sustainable by any measure, selling only GM lenses for a profit and bodies for very slim profit at best, questionable. If you look at the body department alone, it doesn't make any business sense to do that other than killing competition, and hope for, down the track in the future, earn profit from future bodies.
@@frankluo230 Sony can afford to do this because they have something Canon and Nikon do not, the PlayStation. That’s Sonys bread and butter. They actually stopped producing the a7C and a6400 temporarily to be able to pump out more PS5s. Sony also has its film division with their own production company. They can easily afford to allow Sigma, Tamron and others to make these lenses that help sell their bodies. Besides, Sony owns 20% of Tamron, so they are still making a profit off those lens sales. They are doing just fine.
@@michaelbell75 And don't forget Sony's sensor & TV/cine camera division, where they have got huge chunks of the market. They sell tons of sensors to Nikon & Canon, too.
Thanks for the vid and info. Thinking of getting this and 85 1.4 II
thank you for watching! I'd go 135mm and 50 or even 35mm to give you wider focal range
@@PavSZ well I have 24-70 GM 😉
Thank you, Pav. I bought the lens a few months ago on your recommendation. Did a lot of homework before making the decision, but your review won the day.
I love the model with the pale blue dress - not only good-looking but really spirited. Keep the videos coming; they’re really well done, Pav.
It's an amazing lens.
Thank you so much for watching and very kind words
It is a great lens. I had the opportunity to use this lens, and I own the GM also. It is great, but when it counts and you need the shot, the GM still is the safer bet. The Samyang still missed some with its auto focus, and sometimes you don’t get another chance. Also, there is a significant difference with the bokeh. The GM is smoother when you shoot the same shot as a comparison.
Again, it is a good lens, but even at the big price, the GM is with investing in for the long haul.
Great video, thank you.
This is an important point, I shoot a7riv and it can be unforgiving if focus isn’t spot on.
Thank you for this comment, really helpful
yes, I agree but .... GM bokeh is only better if you compare the images from both of these lenses side by side.
Small AF issues could be improved with their future updates
Lens review aside, I’m impressed by the lighting used for the image presented at 2:17 !!!
that one is actually all natural light - I was just lucky at the right place and at the right time of day
I appreciate the artistic photos and detail in your reviews! Thank you
Thank you so much!
beautiful photos thank you for this review
Thanks for watching!
Your review gave me the courage to buy this amazing lens ❤️❤️ I was confused. Thanks buddy
Glad I could help!
This is a wonderful lens and I truly wish Samyang made stuff for Leica L mount.
Apparently they will be making L-mount lenses
I received my copy the other day. Stunning lens. I agree, a 135 is great for portraits, but yes, you really do need a lot of space to get full length shots. However, I purchased it primarily for weddings to get that extra reach. Amazing value.
It really is!
Are you able to use this as you longest focal lens at weddings? I just bought one for that purpose. I’m accustomed to a 70-200 but chose to go with a prime this time around
@@jamalymall I struggled to get much use for it on the day. It is an amazing lens, and fantastic if you need that extra reach. In most cases, stepping in closer with an 85mm or even 50mm was sufficient and a lot more practical in a fast-paced situation. I would be interested to know how you get on if using it for a wedding.
This lens is a MUST for portrait! And seen many other reviews and overall it's much better than GM in image quality!
a lot of people would disagree with you
@@PavSZ Indeed, especially who bought the GM. I was shocked of how much chromatic aberration the GM has vs Samyang's, which something I didn't expect. I love Sony, it's my favorite company every in everything, but in the end I would buy what I think is the better deal for me in quality and price.
@@Bo_Hazem Sony lens is way better built and has faster and more reliable autofocus. And I wouldn’t trust any youtube lens reviews ,eh advertisements, at all. The Sony lens is sharper wide open
@@hardywoodaway9912 Would take your word on that. I've come to dislike the color shift in the Sigma 24-70mm art lens that some youtubers kinda shrug it off like it's nothing. I like to manually white balance at times and it gives you a headache there. If you can stretch you budget more I think the GM is the better overall lens, especially in autofocus.
I have the Sony 135 1.8 GM and I beg to differ. Nothing compares to that Sony lens.
I have this baby 😍😍😍😍😍😍 50mm f1.4 II too. Both lenses are very good.
YES! I love the 50 as well
I have exactly the same 2 lenses. Very happy with both :)
As always great review Pav! 😉
Thanks again!
I have the older - tho more recent manual cine version & its optics is superb. So I was already expecting this lens to be more optimized for mirrorless & have stellar optics. Also it has better MFD than many of the 85 lenses and one can do a kind of semi macro - works very well for all kinds of photography. Samyang has come out with a variety of fe-mount lenses ranging from the tiny series to their faster primes - to their cine lenses & at great value
Once again a great review! I love your photos! Have you considered selling your Lightroom presets? I would definitely buy them!
thanks! The presets are coming next week (hopefully)
@@PavSZ nice! Looking forward to it!
Nice review. By the way, I am curious about what lens you were using when you were talking to the camera. The colors and bokeh look fantastic. And, what video lights do you use? The setup looks wonderful 👌
Thank you!
This was filmed with Sony a7IV and Sony 50mm f1.2 G Master wide open.
I use Colbor C100 for my key light with a big soft box and at the back is one Botzen Came-TV RGB tube - I have reviewed both here on my channel previously
I do events for a living but I want to change my field and jump into portraiture and editorials... I am struggling so hard right now, because I can't decide whether to go with 105mm or 135mm. Sigmas old ''brick'' 105mm f1.4 is just pure perfection but watching this video is making me confused on what to get...
What do you shoot your events with?
I'd go with 50 or 85mm as they are a little bit more versatile when it comes to editorial work than 135mm
I got the lens from samyang usa site (no tax + 20off) got it for around $750. It mustve been the best $750 ive ever spent on camera gear. Only downside is that its not my fav focal length but I bought it for future events like my kid’s graduation, christmas play, zoo, etc.
Nice one!
My Samyang 135 f1.8 is arriving this week. I am getting the Samyang to shoot at f1.8 for a project that requires wide open apertures. My Tamron 70-180 is already beyond fantastic at 135mm at f2.8. It is tack sharp, even in the corners with no CA issues. I am hoping that the bokeh of the Samyang sets it apart. If the difference in bokeh and the "look" is not significant enough, I will stay with the Tamron 70-180 for its versatility.
Hey, could I ask you for an update on your findings? Is the aperture ("look") significant enough to set it apart from your f2.8 lens? Did it make that much of a difference? Thanks!
@@spookeyboo9128 I got a bad copy of the Samyang 135 so I could not properly compare it to my Tamron. In testing a Sigma 85 f1.4 against my Tamron 70-180 at f2.8, surprisingly the bokeh difference it not significant enough. I am not going to get the Samyang 135 for now. I think my Tamron 70-180 is solid and will do the job. No need to go to f1.8 as I am totally happy with f2.8 at 135mm on the Tamron. The Tamron is tack sharp and has no CA. Images are crisp corner to corner at f2.8. Hope this helps.
shame you got a bad copy of this lens.
I think all primes will give totally differently look and bokeh than zooms at the same focal lengths. This is probably even more so with anything over 85mm
@@PavSZ I am getting ready to launch my collection and in selecting the final images, as expected, I noticed a difference in the images shot with the Sigma 85 at f1.4 vs. my Tamron at f2.8 at the same focal length.
I had to return the Sigma to my friend so I no longer have the lens. In order to duplicated the look of the Sigma 85 at f1.4, I started shooting the Tamron at 135mm or longer focal lengths. This way I get a shallower depth of field at f2.8 comparable to the look of the Sigma 85 at f1.4. If I continue expanding the project, I might get a copy of the Sigma 85 f1.4 and the Samyang 135 f1.8. You are absolutely correct that the primes shot wide open have a noticeably different look.
You take some beautiful shots? I’m sure they’re edited but done so perfectly! I have this lens and as you mentioned, it’s meant for a purposeful shooting occasion. Enjoy your videos! What’s your thoughts on the Sigma 16-28mm f2.8 contemporary lens?
Thank you very much!
I have reviewed the Sigma 16-28mm in the past and I'm an owner too. Love it
Great video mate! I own this and my additional 2cents on this is that it does sometimes miss on the autofocus which sometimes can be a bit frustrating, when you try to use this lens for other shoots other than portrait. (You were right(one trick pony) it’s most dependable as a portrait lens.
I also wanted to add that like their 24mm 1.8 AF lens when you turn on the camera while pushing down the focus lock button on the lens, it puts it at infinity focus but at the same time you can’t really use other features of your camera (it locks you out) you would need to switch it off and turn it back on as normal to make the changes.
Finally it also drains your camera battery even when turned off, however they say it’s been rectified via a firmware update but for that you need to make an additional purchase of their dock to implement it.
interesting. Thanks for sharing this
it costs $684 on US Amazon, purchased it few days ago, this lens is the best lens I've ever had!
awesome!
Got this lens.
It already hanged up my A7 IV twice. I had to remove battery.
IQ is superb, but AF is not on par with Sony or Sigma DG DN 85mm.
Colors from this lens are much cooler than from Sigmas or Sony lenses.
Bokeh is a bit busy (but 135mm GM is almost the same). On APS-C camera bokeh is much busier (for some reason).
Overall good value for the price.
probably because pretty much any lens would have less background melting power mounted on APSC compared to full-frame
@@vuquylam93 That's my guess too. But it's much more pronounced for this particular lens.
There is new v3 firmware, which is supposed to prevent camera hangups ... installed it. Will see if this helps. So far so good ....
@@JoATTech Have you noticed this lens draining the camera battery much faster than other lenses?
@@kane4013 Personally I haven't. But now when you said it, I think it actually faster than with Sigma 85 DG DN for example. Although it's comparable to Sony 70-200 I think.
I think it was especially the case when I got short sleep time on my A7IV. Cause this lens moves all the elements back and forth when it initialized. Seems that with new firmware it's not doing it anymore (v3).
I will keep an eye on this case.
I have this lens and many high level sigma lenses this 135mm is beyond belief for sharpness
it really is very sharp
I have not heard a single negative comment or bad review about this lens. It is on my short list of lenses to get should I go with fixed focal lenses. Currently I have all Tamron f2.8 zooms and they are insanely good. If I choose to go with prime, it would primarily be to go beyond f2.8 not necessarily to get better performance. My f2.8 Tamrons are some of the best lenses I have ever used and I have shot with a lot of expensive glass in 40+ years!!
Tamrons are great but .... this is certainly in a different league
@@PavSZ I agree.
This is great news. I've been eyeing a 135 lens option because 105 felt too close to the 85 I already own and I was planning to trade that in for a 90mm. I couldn't justify the gmaster but I can definitely afford to save towards this
Great lens for the price
@@PavSZ lol it’s strange coming back to my old comment because I ended up going with the 135 GM
@@sneakingelephant good choice. Can't go wrong with GM
Hello. I have a question. Does the 200mm f2.8 manage to get a better bokeh than the 135mm 1.8? Thank you very much.
probably no. The perspective and compression will be different though due to a different focal length
I found the bokeh a bit distracting in certain photos, A bit harsh I guess is the term.But for $950, not bad at all.
I have used Sony 135mm GM for awhile (I have reviewed it awhile back) - to me the bokeh this produces is very, very similar
Great video Paz!
Thanks!
Did you use a gimbal or hold it in your hand for the video?
all hand held
Has anyone used this lens for astrophotography? The manual focus F/2 version was a great performer and I’m curious as to how this edition stacks up. Cheers
good question
Great review, thanks 👍
Thanks for watching!
Hi Pav, ok, you sold me. Many thx for this great video and wanted to ask about your video intro for your channel. I quite like it, is it a template that I can buy somewhere? Thanks so much again. Paul
Thanks for watching!
I have made the intro in Adobe After Effects. It's not a template and unfortunately it can't be templatized
thank you for the video♡
from South Korea
thank you for watching
Did someone use a collar tripod adapteur with this Samyang 135 f1.8?
Ugh. Debating this or the older f2 MF. The older one seems to have a more gradual and smoother fall off. It also looks less flat. Am i crazy?
nothing wrong with manual lenses but it is soooooo much easier and quicker to have that AF
These samyangs are great and work fine on mirrorless systems. Please note that AF does not work at all on the FX6 and FX9! Don't know why, but samyang is the only brand that somehow doesn't work (sigma, tamron etc same performance on mirrorless and FX6/9). Samyang doesn't respond to my questions about a possible firmware fix
Samyang just informed me they are aware of this issue and will fix it in a firmware update
has this been fixed yet? do you know?
Samyang are really putting out some amazing glass at prices that should absolutely worry the likes of Sony Tamron and Sigma
yep, that's what I am saying
Unbelievable, I've been thinking about buying this exact lens for a few days now.. Exactly at the right time .. Thanks
have you bought it in the end?
@@PavSZ Thank you very much for the question, but I bought the Sigma 85 lens and I think it is the best for portraits
@@nawar9261 can't go wrong with the Sigma 85mm
@@PavSZ I am very happy with it
I returned my lens after 14 days of use. It’s amazing Lens but after 2 week of use, I realized it’s consuming battery from my camera like crazy. Especially when the lens is mounted on my camera, but the camera is turned off. My A7iii would be charge-less after one day of use. None of my G master or other lenses does that.
It’s apparently been fixed by a firmware update! But you need to buy their dock to implement it
Yeah, they fixed that issue with firmware
Apparently that is fixed with the new firmware update
I wonder how it will work with a Megadap on a Nikon Z.
Actually I’m searching for a nice 135mm with AF for my Z5.
Literally why I am watching these reviews too for my Z6II and Z7. Nobody seems to ever think of Nikon combos… if I get it before you I will let you know
You're selling it well.... very intrigued
It's a very good lens - I don't need to sell it
Thx for the recommendation 👋
No problem 👍 Thank you for watching!
are you not forgetting the godly sigma 135 1.8?
on no, absolutely NOT but it's not a lens optimised for mirrorless cameras and it is HUGE and HEAVY, very heavy.
When Sigma comes out with DG DN version, this will have another competitor
@@PavSZ I can absolutely confirm that it is very heavy :)
But I think it is still a very serious contender. It does not have the AF of the 135 GM, but it has stupendous optical qualities. I actually prefer the look to the GM.
$663 Amazon Cyber Monday
Mine gets delivered Sunday!
Nice!!
I haven’t been able to find it used for $800 and I looked all the time.
hey what lens do you use for recording these videos, thanks, Love the video
Thank you! I use Sony 50mm f1.2 GM most of the time
I was trying to watch the review but blownaway by the model's look @4.26. who is she? 😍
@ncgmodel on instagram
Absolutely LOVED this lens… until it stopped being recognizable on my cameras out of nowhere… and it was on version 3 never dropped. Just decided it didn’t want to be recognized on my a7iv anymore
Were you able to fix this? Stuff like this is why I just might spend the money for the GM
@@holdmyown32 nope I had to return it sadly
Tempted to get it but the only lens I've ever had crap out on me was a SY/Rokinon. MF froze out of the blue. Ring would not work at all. Optically these are great but they are finicky.
that's a shame. I hate that this happens. They really need to address this issue asap
You mentioned that you use the button on the side to swap which eye is being focused on, can you expand on that?
On a7IV you can select which eye camera focuses on, auto, left or right and programme this button (on any custom button) to change from left to right eye when needed
Unfortunately mine stopped focusing. I tried to update the firmware on samyang dock .. the dock couldn't Recognize the lens and kept saying lens isn't connected.. after that I tried to use the lens and it was not working not focusing and the camera was freezing.. I returned it today .. samyang is junk
it's a shame that their quality control isn't better
Has anyone that owns this lens Experianced a lens hood that doesent lock? Mins spins if I shake the camera. Not inconceivable I could shake it off if I tried. Is mine broken or is this a design flaw?
sounds like it is broken
Zeiss Batis 135mm. The best I used so far.
and how much is it?
@@PavSZ Around 1700$ At least in the US. Over here in Switzerland it’s about 1100 Swiss Francs
Have you tried the 135GM? I’ve tried both (and own the 135GM) and while the Batis is good, the GM is still on another level
@@moritzzoellner yes and I have reviewed it here on my channel. I also had one on load during reviewing this lens
"a lot of these brands from Far East come up with lenses or the gear that are equally good as major brands"
Just FYI most major brands have been from Japan for decades (not sure if Leica/Hasselblad still counts as "major brands"), which is about as "far east" as it can get. South Korea and China are west of Japan.
I meant Chinese and Korean - brands from the countries that used to be associated with cheap and cheerful products. Kind of obvious when I say it in the review of a Korean lens 😉
@@PavSZ Japan was associated with cheap/low quality products not so long ago either. Fwiw it has been over two decades since South Korea was associated with cheap/low quality products.
Can this lens be a macro?
it's not a macro lens
just grabbed this for $540 on prime day :)
NICE!
Sony though are better built and have an aperture ring which I always use. Samyang should have made an aperture ring.
maybe it is better build but it is also much more expensive.
I never personally use aperture ring on lenses
Sony should NOT be worried. Unlike Canon, Sony should realize the value of competition in driving up quality and realizes that the availability of quality third party lenses encourage people to buy Sony cameras instead of Canon cameras. They know that there will be people who would buy Sony lenses no matter what third party lenses are available. They should not follow the short sighted fear model that Canon is adopting.
yes, I totally agree but not everybody can afford Sony GM lenses and there is no other modern 135mm available now. This does the job well (if you don't get a bad copy)
Only reason I wouldn’t buy it is that I already own the Sony. Otherwise it would be a no brainer.
same here
Hi Pav! I know you have used the Sigma 105mm F1.4 also, could you see selling that for this? I absolutely love the photos out of my 105mm F1.4 but after several years using it, I am sick of packing it around. Do these 135mm compare?
lol I have the 135gm and the 105 sigma.. Sigma is just better in every way besides weight.. I never use my 135gm anymore..
How this lens compare with Ef135mm f2?
it does not - it is only available in Sony E-mount
I'm not really convinced that Sony should be worried at all. I've had so many issues with Samyang lenses, bad AF, build quality and rather poor after sales support that I stopped even considering their lenses. 85/1.4 AF is top of the line trouble maker.
I heard few people saying that they had quality issues with Samyang lenses in the past.
I only have experience with the current or mrkII lenses and I had no issues with them at all.
This lens was as well build as any Sony lens that I have ever used
@@PavSZ Few or a few?
@@Gjuby you were 3rd
I purchased this lens directly from Samyang a few weeks ago. It's truly a killer lens! Today I not only used it for some portrait work but some landscape work as well. Because of its compression and sharpness, it took some amazing landscape images! The other day I decided to do a day's trip with just 3 lenses (none Sony). Took the Tamron 24mm, Sigma 65mm and the Samyang 135mm. It handled all of my desires and then some. I've handled the GM lens before. No question it's a great lens but it's a tad heavier and cost twice as much. I have found the Samyang just as sharp as the GM lens. So paying another, almost 800 dollars to have the GM again just isn't worth the difference to me.
nice selection of lenses!
It's absolutely true - this lens is is as good as GM lens for half of the money
@@PavSZ So true! I'm 72 years old and on a budget so I always have to be careful. Plus, I do this as a hobby, not professionally. I do some free Event work and also some volunteer photographer work for the city and the school district. I find my Tamron 28-75 G2 and 70-180 handle the Event work fairly well. My Sigma 85mm 1.4 and this Samyang lens do well for some indoor events in the gym. But if I'm really traveling light, I will take the Tamron 20mm, old Sony Zeiss 35mm f2.8, Sigma 65mm and Sigma 90mm and it's a really light kit. I only have two Sony a7riii cameras but they work fine.
Samyang used to be a really good alternative but in MF back in days (2015-2020) now they delivers really great budget alternative.
I mean putting in a 900e or 1500€ just to gain micro af.
Specially on a sony body camera i would put that 900€ without a doubt , maybe get a great filter pro mist for it or ND .
It's one of gems lens :"better this one that the official" .
damn right - if I was buying 135mm today - this would be my choice (and something else with the change left over)
Next week: Sony announces 20% stock purchase of Samyang...
very unlikely
i wonder how this lens will perform on a7r iv wide open
just the same as it did on my a7IV
I have the Samyang 85mm f1.4 and the video autofocus its bad! I asume this one have the same problem! So, for pics its ok, but for video! Sucks! I had to buy an other 85mm f1.4, the Sigma! Works greats! If you can make a video about video performance i will be verry awesome! Buy the way, i like how you say Focus! :)
I have address the video AF in this video and shown samples. It works very well in general
no l mount? for panasonic s5
nope :(
It would be nice if they beat Sony to the punch with a 200 f/2.0.
yes!
can you hear noise from the AF? Let's say at a very quiet play at a theatre ?
no, it's almost completely silent
The bokeh looks like pastel painting.
is that a good thing?
спасибо 👍
thanks
What about this vs somy 85mm
Two completely different lenses
Whats a cheaper version
that's the cheapest AF 135mm you are going to find
@@PavSZ what about an 85 af
top!
it totally is!
I don't think there is that much overlap in the market between this and Sony's own GM, perhaps only in the "advanced amateurs/part-time pro" segment.
Full pros will not trust the build quality (including QC variation) & AF issues (and the camera freezing that Samyang seems to occasionally do). They'll stick to the GM. And conversely hardly any 'merely hobbyist' will fork out that much money for a niche GM lens.
But as others have remarked, this lens does help sell Sony sell more bodies to hobbyists & enthousiasts. Do Nikon & Canon have anything like this lens at this price point in their mirrorless systems? I don't think so.
Disagree for telephoto lenses. Lens variance is much much higher mostly for normal to wide angles (and even worse on ultra wides). Wider it is, more lens variation regardless of maker including Zeiss, Sony, Nikon or Samyang.
With 100mm+ lenses you are pretty safe to get a good specimen of the lens regardless of maker.
yes, I agree but .....
not all pros shoot weddings. I do portrait and food photography mostly. These problems would not stop me from getting pro results from this lens. They might be a little frustrating sometimes but not deal breakers for me. On the other hand, if you only have one chance to nail that focus or shoot that photo, GM is a safer option.
What is the indian price
Mr Google will tell you
SONY GMASTAAAA ONLY FOR MEEEE
yeah, great lens with a great price tag too. Not everyone can afford it and this is a very good alternative
Good lens, but keeping my GM
good choice
Something about the bokeh looks off somehow.
it's almost identical to what Sony 135mm GM creates. It's the zoom compression that makes it look more unnatural that the optics themselves in my opinion
@@PavSZ Ah, I guess I'm just not used to the look. Thanks for clearing that up!
I tested Sony gm and Samyang..
Finally, end up keeping Samynang,
Nice one!
Viltrox the Best 135mm
does Viltrox do 135mm?
First!!!
thanks dude!
you're aware the major brand (Sony) comes from a place even further to the East than both Korea and China right? 😂
Every brand with a significant market share outside of maybe Zeiss is from the "Far East."
didn't know that 😉
Do people ever tell you you sound like Alexi Sayle?
no, but that could be because:
1. Nobody knows who he is (I had to check)
2. I do not sound like him at all (he has London accent - I am Polish!)
😂😂😂
Oh please! The Bokeh is ridiculously hideous, oh god it looks like the Bokeh is from a mirror lens.
Thank you! You are right.
it's pretty much identical to what Sony 135mm produces. I have been shooting with both side by side for the last few days. I won't bother anymore
that bokeh is jarring though :(
but is it?
Sony should not be worried because samyang is trash.
yeah, your phone camera lens is better
@@PavSZ relevance?
@@mohammadalanazi4977 I'm just agreeing with you. You are totally right
@@PavSZ I could care less samyang fanboy