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Samyang announced a new 35mm f/1.4 manual lens that will also be available for Alpha-mount. The lens should be available this month for 389 Euro. The lens is very interesting because 1) it is a full frame lens 2) because Samyang is known for his high quality lenses!
You don’t believe the Samyang is a good lens? Photozone tested two lenses on a Canon full frame camera. The Samyang 14mm f/2.8 IF ED (Click here to read the review) and the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical (Click here to read the review). The only thing you miss on those lenses is autofocus. If you don’t want to spend $1,369.00 for the Sony 35mm f/1.4 (Click here to see that lens on Amazon) the Samyang could be an interesting alternative.
All Samyang lenses can be found on eBay under seven different brand names (Click on it to see all lenses from the specific brand):
[shoplink 5759]Samyang[/shoplink]
[shoplink 5755]Walimex[/shoplink]
[shoplink 5756]Rokinon[/shoplink] (Also availbale on Amazon.com)
[shoplink 5757]Opteka[/shoplink]
[shoplink 5758]Falcon[/shoplink]
[shoplink 5760]Vivitar[/shoplink]
[shoplink 5761]Bower[/shoplink]
26 Responses
Interesting….with A700, I do not quite dare to try out any manual focus lens. But with A55 or upcoming A77 where there is EVF magnifying check function.. i will definitely try out one of samyang prime lens.. 85mm F1.4! For shooting video too
Focusing is actually pretty easy with a bright lens, you just need to practice 🙂
I want this lens, but for my Pentax/NEX setup. For Sony, I’ll just be keeping an eye out for the 35/2 instead. If there’s one thing Pentax models teach you anyway, it’s to appreciate old glass and manual focus.
Hello SAR! You spelt “Smayang” instead on the first line!
not much different. lol
but, this lens for A mount old system. it is not optimize for SLT right..
pancanikonpus – theyre the same mount, so yes it will work 🙂 there is no old A mount system – although the E mount is for the NEX 😉
As long as same A mount it work…this i know.
What i mean is does the lens optimized for video shooting in SLT technology? Existing A mount bodies are not SLT, therefore, how much light travel into sensor are different amount right for these 2 non SLT & SLT. Somemore is using phase detection AF.
Wonder this lens just work as common lens in SLT bodies compare if this lens work Superb in non SLT A mount. apologies if my question sound stupid 🙂
Existing a-mount bodies *are* SLT – A33/A55 🙂
Problem with SLT was almost only with Sigma lens and their ability to focus. This lens cant have problem with SLT, as it doesnt have AF. 😀 It should be actually quite easy to focus via EVF or LCD on A33/55.
What’s the purpose of having a 1.4 lens with a 35mm range ? I clearly see the advantage for a portrait lens (from 50 to 100 mm) but what do people shoot with a 35mm that would need this aperture ?
35mm x1.5crop = 52mm ~50mm portrait! good lens …. lol
We can read in the article “it is a full frame lens”.
When shooting portraits with my NEX, I’m nearly always at 55mm = 82.5mm FF.
I don’t see myself being at less than 1 meter from my portrait subject.
Is there any other use than portraits ?
It’s lens made for Full Frame.
On APS-C it works well as 50mm equiv. but nothing more – so it’s a multi-purpose lens though price to possibilities on APS don’t look very promising.
Fast wide/normal for low-light shooting. It’s pretty much one of the standard Photojournalist lenses and has been since the 1970’s (1960’s for Leica shooters).
“2) because Samyang is known for his high quality lenses!”
They make high quality glass, that can easily be argued with their latest lenses. But beyond that, not really, the build quality is not ‘high quality’ on these, but generally more than adequate.
High quality also could be appropriate quality control and whatever else… It is high for the price. Compared to Zeiss it is also optically far behind.
High quality for it’s price? I think something is either high quality or not, and you can great it down into different areas like you mention, although I haven’t read many reports of QC with Samyang lenses.. Good value for money is another thing.
*break it down 🙂
I hope this lens kicks Sony’s 35mm 1.4 ass. Then Sony should make a CZ version.
I have the Minolta 35/1.4, and it’s an excellent lens. In fact, probably the best lens I have.
Sometimes internet measurebaters completely miss the point that lenses are designed to make photos and not to show off to people on the internet how high your MTF50 graphs are wide open.
In real world use, rather than shooting test charts, it leaves little to be desired.
Completely agree!
“I have the Minolta 35/1.4, and it’s an excellent lens. In fact, probably the best lens I have.” – And I always thought it was one of worst lenses Minolta committed…..
Nope, it’s a very good lens, but a very specialized one. It’s superb within its abilities but not the generalist that most other fast 35’s are.
Their worst lenses were some of the 28-80 zooms. Minolta made very few primes for the alpha mount, and all of them are varying degrees of good. Among them, the 35/1.4 is one of the best ones.
The internet is an excellent place for acting like an echo chamber, where everyone just repeats what everyone else says without actually trying things themselves. Sometimes we’re all the poorer because of that.
Again, well said!