Is the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Lens Better than the Sony? 

You can get this lens and the Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 for the cost of the 85 GM and still have over $500 left. And THAT is amazing.

About the auto focus, are you just watching it on the back LCD? On a bigger screen it's clear that SONY keeps up better, but as you said, not scientific.

These lenses are primarily aimed at portrait photography, but you didn't take any portraits. It's important to understand how the lenses resolve facial features, how they render bokeh, how well they establish separation between a foreground subject and the background at different apertures, etc. The color cast is a significant issue if you do portrait photography, because you don't want someone's skin to have a yellow cast to it (as with the Samyang lens), nor do you want to have to color correct every photo you take. Based on this review, I can not tell how these portrait lenses compare for portrait photography.

I’ve watched at least a dozen reviews of the samyang/rokinon, and I think yours is my favorite so far. You mentioned a few times that your tests weren’t “scientific”, but that’s what made them great. If you’re not certain which one is focusing faster, or which one has the more accurate colors, that tells me everything I need to know. 👍

The only time I have noticed a lens producing better color is with astrophotography. This was the difference between a Samyang and a Sigma Art, the Art brought out more color in the milky way. With that said the Samyang was just as sharp as the Sigma Art, Samyang/Rokinon are amazing for the price. Also some lenses produce more contrast and more contrast means more saturation.

Do tamron 17-28 2.8 vs Sony 16-35mm 2.8

Samyang came out with an autofocus lens??? New World we living in

Thank you for doing these real world tests that are easy to understand and matter, I would never have thought to compare lens flare, but that's a huge issue. Amazing video

All of these features you said we'll probably never need (AF switch, shooting against the sun, shooting fast moving subjects, changing the aperture while shooting a video) I actually needed during the last couple of months. Keep in mind that not everyone's a youtuber who's mostly shooting with a tripod or simple handheld stuff.

I haven't tried out the 85/1.4 from Samyang but I did try the 35/1.4 on the a7III on several occasions (a friend has it) and the lens is built well, focuses amazingly and at all distances and f stops, and it's sharp at any f stop you choose. Can't really beat it for the price.

oh wow, I never thought the color different lenses could produce would be that much different in camera. an interesting followup experiment would be to use a color-checker (the ones you take a photo of to do the whitebalance) and compare them after calibrating the color corrected shots.

I got the Samyang 24mm a few months ago for my A7ii, and I was impressed by look of the images, and the quiet focusing was a boon. This 85 looks like a bang for buck winner. The GM would be great, if I had more green to throw around.

Not just videography but more cinematography is what that smooth ring is for. Creative and controlled filmmaking where you plan your aperture rack for effect.

That seems like too much of a difference in focal length on the color test. Is the software cropping out the edges for lens correction?

Did you shut of de lenscorrections in de camera ???? for the native lens sony camera corrects these

Why was your aperture closed when doing the autofocus test on the Sony lens? Wouldnt that make a difference considering your lens was wide open during the samyang test?

Just started using Sony, with Rokinon lenses. Coming from 10 years with my old Canon DSLR. I do notice that better glass produces better colour separation, less muddy bleeds, etc... But again, I'm doing video, which isn't raw colour. Great video, thanks so much for doing this :)

Nice video! The inconsistency you mentioned in the sharpness in the corners is probably because your camera was tilted slightly down and it wasn’t parallel to the wall. It shows on the video against the lines of the side wall when you had the camera on the tripod but it’s not really a lens issue since you did the same for both lenses. Where the focus stopped is down to the tolerances and by the output differences are negligible.

Optics can capture different amount of different wavelengths so perceptive color can be different. This was probably more important with film cameras. Sony's advantage is its built in auto corrections (I think Sony only supports its own lenses - raw files might not be corrected) I would go with Samyang if I don't plan on using it for videos (wouldn't zoom lens be better for videos?)

I have that lens (manual version) for my Pentax and it diffidently has color correction issues. Other then that, the Samyang has good sharpness and contrast. I used it for B&W shots.

How can we see the original photos you've clicked by those tow lenses? Please provide us plzzz

Curious, would you mind sharing the brand / model of the chair used when sitting at your desk?

The contrast thing with backlit situations actually makes a pretty big difference even when not shooting directly into the sun, any backlit subject will suffer a loss of contrast that is next to impossible to correct in post. Try it with sunset backlit portraits. Thats imho the biggest reason to go for the more expensive lenses and it can really ruin shots. The focusing might change if you shot at lower than f8 XD

2:06 ... not a feature the reviewer's not personnally using, but makes that lens a Cinema-lens worthy. For that price, it's cheap for such a feature not many lenses have.

The aperture ring can be declicked on the Sony primes, however the aperture actuation is electronic and rasterized/quantized (just look at the movement of the blades while adjusting the declicked ring). So if you declick it to rack expose you will still get a noticeable stutter. You can't set the aperture to for example 4.7, you can only set it to 1/3 increments, just like you would from the camera.

Very minor detail but I love the red ring on Samyang lenses, it really matches with the red ring of Sony full frame lenses, very elegant little touch. I have the Samyang 24mm 1.8 and it's been one of the best lenses I've ever owned, especially for video.

I think it's worth noting the 'Autofocus Lock' button on the Sony lens is programmable. I have mine set to eye autofocus. Can't understate how useful this is once you've tried it.

What do you mean when you say one lens might be more adversely affected by diffraction than the other while operating at the same F#?

I would love to see the Samyang compared to the Sony 1.8, since their closer to the same budget!

I loved that radio static sound actually my view points it’s like when radio has no frequency reception kind of sound...

Sony was definitely better in video focus racking, it was smoothly pulling it off. Whereas in Samyang it pulled focus in stacks (look at the bokeh to get a clear idea).

Thanks for the informative comparison. One thing you didn’t mention which doesn’t matter for stills shooters but critical for motion picture capture is focus breathing. Did you happen to notice if the Samyang was breathing and if so, was it subtle or pronounced?

The garden you're filming in is incredibly beautiful.

Does anyone know if this review was using the latest firmware update for the Samyang? It apparently has made big strides in AF.

Your test around 11:00 with the Sony lens wasn't correctly done: The aperture was visibly closed. I don't know if the A7 can open up the aperture for focusing even if set on the aperture ring (it did not move in the video). This way the camera gets less light, and the Sony lens would be at a disadvantage compared to the Samyang. But maybe we just can't see the aperture opening up …

Love that Lee does not give a shit about micro-macro things. Stop buying expensive gear as an excuse not to create.

Thanks for the review. I own the Samyang 85mm (since release day) and used the GM several times. I am extremely happy with the Samyang. It is very sharp for normal portrait conditions (studio and outdoors). I don't care much about the lens flare resistant, on that focal length I am never shooting sunrises or sunsets (I care more on my 16-35 for landscapes). AF works very well on firmware version 4 and has improved significantly since its release on low light conditions. Samyang updates their firmware frequently so investing in their Lens Station is a good idea. I really like the way the lens renders, especially wide open. If you step it down to f/2.0 it is very sharp across the entire frame. I have no doubt I made the right choice with this lens. My other favorite 85mm is the Batis (it has Optical Image Stabilization) which is also quite expensive but a better value than the GM, imho.

interesting comparison. I would have loved to see an eye-af comparison in a portrait shooting. Also waiting to see a comparison against the Sony 1.8/85 Keep up the good work!

hey, what's the tripod were you using in for taking photos in the video?

Every video I see about the Samyang makes me glad I bought it.

Was the focussing test done during videography with Eyes AF? Maybe both lenses work better under normal test conditions in the eye AF mode and error free?

ok question it seems you know what you talk about wich lense is the same as the Sony FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G OSS? any brand like ronikon, Zeiss or any other lens that is exactly the same with the same 28-135mm movie for 4k? i want to buy the FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G OSS but is a big cost breaker anything that is the same with the same specifications?

What about the adjustment in the samyang. Could you do a video on the port to adjust the lens?

15:00 about different factors that do affect continuous auto-focus performance. It would be really nice to try to play with some of these factors. Different contrast, different overall lighting conditions, dusk, dimly lit scenes (say, when you need ISO 3200 to keep shooting at exposure 1/60 s). How do these lenses compare say at 2.8 instead of f1.4? What lenses keep focus better at the moving subject -- zoom lenses in particular, say, how good is Tamron 28-75 at f2.8? Looking for some good lens to use this way in dimly lit space -- in circus, with artists moving fast across substantial distance range, like from ~4m to ~20m away.

If you're gonna do an autofocus test, why not record through the Atamos Ninja to show what you're seeing for focus?

In the AF speed test, the aperture of the Sony lens was quite small, this blocks light to the AF-points. Don't know how much this makes a difference with daylight, but it could make a difference.

I have a Sony A73 camera and Samyang is a Sony company lens that does not have an auto focus mode on which the message comes on the screen - the lens is not attached correctly or is not supported Can anyone help me?

I alway change the autofocus lock button to super 35 mode, but you can change it to whatever you want.

My samyang 85mm EF paired with a 6d misses focus a lot. The ratio of hitting focus is almost 50-50. Has anybody encountered this problem ? Anyone with a solution ?

Amazing review, just subbed :) One question: can I use this Samyang lens with my Sony a6400 ? It's an e-mount camera. Or do I need an extra lens mount to convert it to E?

Hi I have samyang 85 1.4 for canon ef can I use it to sony body using mc11 adapter?

I don't think the Samyang lens is "wider". It's just not being corrected automatically for distortion by the Sony Camera RAW app.

Could you do a behind-the-scenes of what you're shooting video on? I think you were using the GH5 in the studio, is that still true for field work? Are you mostly just using footage with settings that make it good "in camera", or are you grading, etc? It would be nice to hear what you guys are doing and any tips or tricks you'd recommend for video.

Amazing video with opinions clearly presented from different user's perspective. I am just watching lens reviews for fun, but this is by far the most comprehensive comparison video.

Why do you have the beep turned on? I turn that off right after I first hear it.

Anyone notice that during the autofocus test the iris of the sony stayed the same size, and the samyang 11:40 opened larger when the button was pressed? Different modes?

On the subject of shooting directly into the sun, I wish you had created some low light tests where you were shooting into street lights, birthday candles, wedding candles, etc. That is something a videographer might be more likely to do. If you do those tests at some point, you might want to try some wide open (typical in a low light situation) and try some stopped down 1 or 2 f/stops. Thank you. Terry Thomas... the photographer Atlanta, Georgia USA

About the noise with the Sony focusing, my Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm makes the exact same sound. I always thought it was weird, but at least mine isn't not the only one doing it😂

That was a great test! I learned a ton.

You are just 👍! Very comprehensive review which covered every of my doubts thank you so much!

Good video with good insights. I would suggest that when testing for sharpness, you photograph something with sharp edges to begin with, such as lettering. Brick wall comparisons with irregular edges and erose texture leave me cold.

Look at the walking test and look at the greenery area to the right. The Sony's focus motors seems to be way smoother where as the Samyang motors seems to be adjusting in steps.

Can you use this kendr for canon M50 with canon adapter

I have the Sony 85 1.8 and love it. The color rendition is almost identical to the 1.4. On a lot of shots I do like the cool colors they produce but 85 is primarily a portrait length and I do primarily shoot portraits with it. For that the warmer tones of the Samyang look great to me! It is just one more step in LR I don't have to take that I'm taking now to fix it.

Great comparison fellas, I'd love to see how the Sigma Art 85mm compares in this line up, its a little more than the Samyang, but much less than the Sony. My experience with Sigma on Sony so far has been pretty incredible, so I'd love to see it compare to these two 85s.

Great video! Ive been looking for a new portrait lens. Think i figured out what i want to try!

It is already firmware update for samyang or not yet? Plss i need yo know. Thank you

I'm actually looking at the manual focus version of one of these lenses right now to use in video shooting... From what I have been able to find it's for the most part the exact same design and lens set up... Including the aperture contacts and the ability to confirm focus electronically..It just does not have the autofocus motor...just wondering if you realized while you were putting this together what a cool shot at 12:40.. that shallow depth-of-field but such a precise sharp focus on him...One of the reasons why I started looking at this lens seriously. Very nice review and I like how you use tons of illustration and make that effort rather than just sitting and talking at the camera. I think I agree with you a lot,, having shot with Nikon lenses and Sony , Rokinon and especially the Leica lenses on the micro four-thirds about the color issue.... All lens formulas are different based on what the manufacturer wants to create as an end product... And in the end it's always a compromise between performance and cost..I will say though that using the Leica prime lenses on a camera like the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K vs many other micro 4/3 lenses... Or adapted Rokinon or Canon lenses... The Leica lenses do have a "pop".. especially in the area of contrast that other lenses don't display. In the end it's not necessarily better always...it's just a different characteristic of that lens line.

How about the autofocus in lowlight..

Nice, does the both have OIS For stabilisation

For video the Sony looks like it's the better lens. For now I'll just stick with the Tamron 28-75mm

When I heard the Sony lens I though that was my stomach lmao

At 1.4 on a 85 mm having the sharper edges isn’t such a big deal because you are most likely looking to put that area out of focus anyway. So a tiny difference won’t even be noticed.

I do architecture photography and sometimes landscape and it quite often happens that you need to shoot against the direction of the sun with wide-angle lenses. Flares and sun stars do play a role in these cases. You can not simply turn around the building to get the building with the light source from a different direction, neighboring buildings or a narrow street limit your possible shooting angles, and it is not always possible to lure around for hours just to wait till the sun has moved on. However 85mm is not a wide-angle lens, but you might need to shoot against light sources in event photography. As for the colors: I have the feeling that some cheaper lenses filter out some blue light, while for example, Zeiss lenses tend to almost exaggerate blue colors. Almost all the Samyang lenses ad little orange/yellow/red to the picture, that is the contrast color of blue. They might do it unintentionally or to reduce chromatic aberration, or because the can not do better coating, don´t know. But when you switch between these brands all the time you see immediately even in the thumbnails which lens took which foto. The difference between different brands and lenses of similar focal length and f stops is in most standard cases not very obvious, but you´ll get more difference the more you go to the extremes: very low light, very bright light, stray light, backlight, high contrasts, extreme colors, fluorescent lights, monochromatic light, then you might see the differences popping out more. And to be honest, sometimes it is the extremes that make a picture either a case for the trashcan or for popping out photos.

I've watched videos from astrophotographers who have used a number of camera lenses for wide field AP, and there's a bit of a consensus that the Samyang and Rokinon lenses tend to have a bit of a green color cast

I wonder if the Samyang is using the latest firmware. They are notorious for updating the AF lenses overtime. Thank you for doing this.

Was face detection switched on? Does the Samyang work with Eye-AF, which is the most important feature of the Sony cameras for portrait photography, that these lenses are "made for"?

coming back into photography and recovering after covid bankrupting my business im switching from canon to sony and getting a a7 ii and the rokinon 85 1.4 excited to start watching your content again

what's name this tripod?

Thank you so much for this video dude !!! I am at a point right now where want to get a good portrait lens for my a7 iii and I had some mixed feelings on the samyang 85mm but after watching this video I know I won't make a mistake by buying it !!! Thank you for saving me a lot of money !!!

I have only one question... Why do you have two lavs on?!

"I have all these incredible brick wall photos stacked on top of one another" HAHA

which camera do you use

My Sony 24-105 makes the same noise in AF-S mode, but the sound is only noticeable in a very quiet room.

Can you test focus breathing? It usually is the Achilles heel of cheaper but still decent lenses when compared to the top of the line OEM ones. It seems the Sony has a better T number (better transmitancy).

Sony 1.8 or Samyang 1.4? what about AF acquisition & tracking, and eye AF? Sony 1.8 or Samyang 1.4?

Autofocus sound may vary from copy to copy. For example my Canon 24-70 II is a bit noisy compared to some other copies... But autofocus performance is great for stills so...

Hi Morris, please do the same thing with their 35mm f1.4, Sony vs Samyang...! I really² need to complete compare of these two..thanks in advance.🙏

focus beep should be default to off and hidden so well inside some obscure menu that no one could ever find it.

You did the auto focus test with a closed aperture on the Sony didn't you?

What is that tripod? TY

You taught me a lot specially as a rookie like myself. I'm thinking of getting a Sony a6600 or the Fuji xt4 or the Sony a7iii. Peace and love from East Harlem NYC...

pity you didn't do a panning auto focus in video mode. that would have been an interesting test

Colour cast is more noticeable when you get into things like Old Zeiss/Soviet gear. Some of the Sonnar/Jupiter lenses had this greenish bias to them that was VERY noticeable. Some of the old Olympus Cine lenses have noticeable peaks in the spectrum that you can definitely see. But with modern, computer designed glass, the chances of getting some odd colour spike that makes something more pronounced is basically zilch.

Why you didn't try the eye auto focus at the both of these lenses .

Does this lense work with a Sony ZV-E10??

I DO ALOT OF MULTICAMERA VIDEO SHOOTING, ONE THING NOTICES LENSES HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE PICTURE QUALITY N COLOUR N SAY TEMPRERATURE, WHEN I SHOOT WITH MY SIGMA LENSES N THEN SHOOT WITH MY CANON LENSES I STRUGGLE TO MATCH THEM ON MULTICAMERA EDITTING, SO I PREFER USING 1 LENSE TYPE N THAT IS SIGMA

You can use an external monitor/recorder to test autofocus speed.

What's your take on the tamron 28-75 2.8

Great work, keep it 🆙 . & Thanks 🙏.