Samyang AF 35mm f/2.8 FE lens review with samples 

Tip: Remember to update your FW with Samyang lenses...I just checked the FW version on my Samyang AF 35mm f2.8 FE on my lens station (on 18/11/2022) and found it was on FW V0.3, so I updated it thinking it would now have FW V0.4, but it it actually updated the FW to V0.7! Too early to know what difference this will make as it's already an absolutely amazing little lens. BTW, without the hood and caps fitted it actually only weighs 84g, and that officially makes it the lightest full frame AF lens in the world! The so called lens hood that comes with it is completely useless though...More of a lens cap than a hood. So I searched for something more suitable on ebay and found an old Dixons plastic lens hood with a metal 49mm screw thread, so it can screw it straight onto the front of the lens, for about £5 It has straight parallel sides and it's approximately 22mm deep and 60mm diameter, so it matches the lens perfectly and it does not vignette in the corners. The lens is 60mm long with it fitted, so still tiny in comparison with it's competitors. The hood weighs 16g, so when fitted the lens weighs exactly 100g without the caps. So that I don't have to keep taking the hood on and off every time I use it, I use slip on on front lens cap I found that's a perfect fit on the end of the hood (I think it probably came from an old pair of binoculars). It weighs 5g and with the rear cap fitted as well the total weight of the lens is 117g...An ultralight beauty!

This is by far the best review on this lens online right now. Christopher does such an amazing job by fully tested the lens.

I bought This lens after watching this review and can totally recommend it after using it for half a year. For that kind of money you get a very sharp, fast and precise focusing lens that is feelingly weightless. It was my first lens for my sony a7iii which cut down my personal money tree to the size of a bonsai. By now i also got the Sony 24-105 f4and the Sigma 85 f1.4, but I will keep this lens no matter what. For going out and shooting effortlessly with great results it is perfect. And my camera still fits into my side pocket if I want. Greets from Germany

money tree shot = priceless :)

For the Sony APS-C mirrorless cameras there two e-mount pancakes lenses. Which are very convenient. However for the Sony full frame a7 series mirrorless cameras there aren't any FE pancake lenses. The smallest and lightest autofocus full frame mount lens used to be the Sony Zeiss Sonnar T* FE 35mm f/2.8 with 120gr weight and 36.5 mm depth. Actually it was one of the first FE e-mount lenses. Now the equivalent 35mm f/2.8 autofocus FE e-mount Samyang/Rokinon is even lighter 85gr and slightly smaller with 33mm depth. After Sony and its partner Zeiss the Rokinon/Samyang is the only third party company who manufactures full frame autofocus e-mount lenses. The other full frame autofocus e-mount lenses by Samyang/Rokinon are the 14mm f/2.8 and the 50mm f/1.4. Both are quite expensive but much cheaper of similar Sony or Zeiss e-mount lenses. At last Korea challenges the Japan monopoly of full frame autofocus lenses. I wonder why Tamron and Sigma don't bother with full frame autofocus e-mount lenses. They have autofocus e-mount lenses for Sony aps-c mirrorless cameras but none for Sony full frame e-mount cameras. I guess that they don't want to make unhappy their long term Canon and Nikon relationship.

This is an excellent review. You cover all of the important technical aspects of the lens. Furthermore, you get to the point. In short: informative and brief. Bravo.

Chrissss. I'm korean and you are the first person on youtube to ever pronounce Samyang right. Props to you bro lol

One of the most professional reviews I've seen so far. Other content seems just unprofessional after this.

I've been searching for a 30-ish full frame lens for a while now for A7 III. FINALLY THIS VIDEO APPEARED GOD BLESS.

Amazing review Chris. Thank you!! I just ordered one for my Sony a7ii and I'm VERY excited to get it!! Thank you in advance for putting it through the ringer!! I really appreciate it.

*Sees new Chris Frost video *Stops everything to watch

Thanks for this review! As you mentioned you mainly use your a6300 for video, it would be nice if you would also review the video autofocus performance of e-mount lenses. Like, does it track a face well, does the continuous autofocus make so much noise that a camera mounted microphone would pick it up etc.

have this lens for a year.. rarely used as I shoot mostly portraits, but quite useful for holidays... slightly warmish tone on sony FF

I feel you on that money tree, man.

Christopher! You make great content. I wish you more success the 2nd part of the year and I hope your money tree grows HUGE! So we can get even MORE great content :D

This lens is great for street photography

Have you thought about doing some kind of crowdfunding thing to save up for an a7R or some other FF sony? With all the adapters, you be able to test not only Sony lenses, but Nikon, Pentax and all other vintage and obscure sorts too. Not to mention having a higher res sensor for Canon lenses too. I know you have a patreon page, but I think a once-off indiegogo type thing would be more successful for this. 2nd hand a7R looks to be about £1000

Not the same focal length exactly, but the voigtlander SL 40mm is one of the sharpest prime lenses I have ad the pleasure of using, it would be interesting to see your review of it.

I currently own the sony a7ii (i'll be upgrading to the Sony a7rii very soon) & the Sony A6300. I must point out the statement you made about Sony's A7 cameras + lenses being to large, isn't really the case. If you look at the first generations of the a7s, they're roughly the same size as the a6000 (maybe slightly larger, but not a huge difference) Secondly, most of the sony lenses (at least the ones that i recommend) are roughly the same size as the samyang 35mm. Just look at the Sony 28, 50 or 55, 85, and even 24-70 f4 are all about the same size. I mean, they're definitely smaller than canon or nikon

Chris, You are the first one to review this lens that I know of, cheers to you. You can now find Sony A7ii in the second market at a good price, fyi in terms of image quality it is not that far away from A6000, however you get at least 1 stop better over the A6000 in low light performers. With all your Canon EF L lenses and mid price adapter you can produce beautiful images surely better Canon 6D.

We need more pancake lenses where are they

I'm really glad to find out that you are using Sony system. I've been in the blind for months coz I want to buy 50mm equivalent for my a5100 but the prices are rather uninteresting. Hope you can make other reviews on the Sony system. (and I don't mind if it is only for APS-C coz my camera is also APS-C xP)

Excellent review, as usual. I was just considering that lens. Thank you.

a fresh review on FF would be nice. This lens still sells OR even a comparison to the Zeiss 35mm 2.8 za

Great review ... I like reviews with a nice mix of specs, humor but most of all: samples! well done, you have a new subscriber :)

Your videos are a pleasure to watch, and very informative. Keep up the good work!

The edge at the top of the out of focus balls is an effect of the electronic first curtain shutter. You can turn it off on the A7RII, you should be able to on the A6300 also I think.

The main problem of samyang af lenses is not the focus speed, it's the af accuracy that concerns me. I bought the samyang 24 f2.8. Many people said it was soft. Actually it's not soft if u use manual focus but the AF is always off focus (especially when the focus point is on the LHS of the fame ). I tested 2 copies if this lens and I see the sane problem. Ironically no one picks up this issue

Every friday is better if it starts with a Chriss video :) By the way, I have a list of lenses I'd really like you to review: 1. Tamron 70-200mm G2 2. Mitakon 85mm 1.2 3. Samyang 35mm 1.2 (for mirrorless) 4. Samyang 21mm 1.4 (for mirrorless) 5. Samyang 12mm f2 (for mirrorless) I've got a Canon 6D and a Fuji X-M1 and your reviews have helped me a lot when I buy lenses. Thank you very much!

Hey Chris could you kindly compare this to the Sony f/2.8 35mm Sonnar for video AF performance?

there is nothing we can do about lens size...optic are optic physic are phyisc....... review wise, this lens is absolutely a champ for the price

They getting better with every iteration of their lenses. Great review. You should team up with photozone and contribute to their lens reviews.

I did find it surprising that you think that an a7 series camera is too big. I have an a7s with a battery grip because (partly) otherwise it is too small for my liking. I hope that money tree grows up into an a7r one day.

It would be interesting a comparison with the Sony Zeiss 35 f2.8. In particular, on an APS-C camera due to their compact size..

There really needs to be a small 1.8 35mm made for Sony FE. All these 1.4 ones are too big and then it goes straight to these 2.8 ones. Thanks for the review as always Chris!

I really like your quick paced, thorough reviews. On this lens however, it seems like it’s a bit of a waste on APS-C. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 e-mount lens is a very significant 2 stops faster, it’s $10 less than the Samyang you review here (at B&H), and it only weighs 265g. Shooting at f/2.8 on APS-C can be really boring in a prime lens. Also, Sigma makes another APS-C 35mm f/2.8 Art lens in e-mount for $199 or less, if 2.8 somehow does it for you. Keep up the good work. 👍

That Lens will do what Itzhak Perlman did for the Violin

Waiting for it !! Gotna grab this as my 1st native lens ....

After one year using this lens: It is sharp, it is slow focus in lowlite. Its good for portrait (still subject) but not for street photography (moving subject). Its superlight...but again I dont really satisfied bringing for traveling.

The lens has one important flaw, and it's even described in the manual. Which makes it hard to understand, why NO reviewer mentions it: "Use the SteadyShot function after setting it manually. If automatic is set, the product may malfunction." This makes the lens worthless for street photography for me, because I often have to change lenses quickly.

waiting on that 85 1.4 fe samyang review...

Hi Chriss, looking forward to see you reviewing Meike / Neewer , cheap lens (with great built quality), 28mm f/2.8, 35mm f/1.7, 50mm f/2.0 (each about 60USD), and one of their expensive one 25mm f/0.95... available for most mirrorless mount (EF-M, NEX, FUJI, m43)

Thanks you for the lovey overview. Appreciate the info. Is there a chance you can do a video where you test autofocus in video modes? Mainly interested in what I think many wants to see, how does it perform in continues autofocus modes. It would need be an extensive test since there is so much auto focus scenarios and options as well as the excellent AF on a6300. thanks

Please review the Sigma 30mm E-Mount !!!

Thanks for a good review! I wonder if it's possible to attach slr magic anamorphic adapter to this lens.

Does it work with eye focus from Sony? Thank you!

which is the sharpest canon 40mm F2.8STM or this lens ?

I can't wait for the new 24mm Samyang - I was going to buy the 28mm F2 with my first Sony the A73.

Good review. Have you tested the lens on a Sony S7R camera now 5 years later?

yes Chris. please make a review of your Sony a6300! thanks

Great review 👏 Please do more review on sony lenses 😊 Thank you 🙏

What a good show from this lens!

Because the Zeiss FE 35/2.8 is too expensive for myself, i'd get hopefully this fall this lens, for my A7 I then, 35mm is my prefered focal length, i am not so much into 50mm.

The bokeh was softer on the bottom because of the EFCS settings on your camera :) it will be tha same with any lens when shooting on shutter speeds 1/1000 and higher. You have to turn it off.

Love the tiny pancake lens

great review ! Thanks

Great video! I just recently purchased the Sony a6000 after using Canon T3i for about 5 years. It's what I started on and I am ready for an upgrade. I have shoulder issues so sometimes it's difficult to get certain shots but the articulating screen makes it easier plus I just love the way Canon renders their colors. I am still deciding if I like the Sony enough to keep it. I really do love Canon but Sony does a pretty good job also. I bought a $30 CCTV lens and it takes superb and interesting images! I couldn't do that on my Canon. However, I might find some vintage glass that could. I like this lens very much and since lens selection for the E series ( native ) is limited, this looks great! I really don't know what to do or which Canon I would go for. Can only spend about $800 U.S.

Nice review. Thanks.

Can you make another video on this lens and your Sony A7Rll?

i can't wait for this to come to market :)

Hi, I've been watching a lot of your videos and I really like your style. May I ask did you use manual focusing most of the time during your video recording? Thanks.

Very interesting lens i own the sigma 19mm f2.8 Art on the a6500 and it's a good combination since the a6500 has build in stabilization, but this lens is for aps-c only, and has focus issues on video (background shaking) it´s the only e-mount i own all my other lenses are a-mount with adapter. I think i would like more the samyang 14mm for replacing the sigma, do you know if it has the same sacking issue on video? Is the 14mm as sharp as the 35mm ? thanks.

Hello ! Awesome review :) Considering buying this lens myself for the a6300. How did you find the focus speed for pictures of moving objects? And did you compare its sharpness to the sigma 30mm f2.8 ? :) Thanks again and happy shooting!

Good voice, I think we just need Photoshop's raw profile, right?

i really wish samyang could do AF lenses for Fuji X mount and aps-c sony mount.. since sony and zeiss dont care about them they could find a market. and fuji could need some third company lenses, so they will have more competition so they start making lenses again

Chris, I dont know why samyang didnt bother to offer you to keep the lens, even maybe after paying half of its price? I just imagine their hustle trying to ship it back, sell it used etc. Surely offering you to buy it for half price is fair ? ahahaha maybe ask next time?

I love the a6300

Great review

nice! classic weight scale

Ah but is the focus motor audible on video? It sounds like it would be but would like to be sure

Nice review! I'd buy this but I already have a 35mm lens: the Loreo lens in a cap :D

shame its not available in EF-m mount

how does it compare to the zeiss 35mm f2.8?

Will you review the Kit lens from Sony? What are your thoughts on it? It is so small that I even consider it besides the Sigma 19 or 30mm f2.8 but on the other hand the quality in raw is not so appealing. Too sad there is no lens like the samyang 35mm f2.8 for asp-c with 24mm. Compact aps-c + pancake 24mm would be stellar.

Hi,can you compare this lens with sigma 30-2.8?

I love your videos :D Allready got the Canon 50 mm f1.8 STM and the Canon 28 mm f2.8 IS USM :) Can you review the 70-200 G2? I dont find any reviews for that lens that are as good as yours :/ Hope you see this :) Keep it up!

YAYY !!! You're back !!! :D

Hey thanks for you videos will this lens be good for video do you have a video that explains which focal length suit which photoshoot ? I do portrait and model videos

Nice lens

I just bought this lens and the hood is very loose. It doesn't get locked when screwed. Is that normal or my hood is not right? Thanks for your review

Ha ha, my money tree growth has been stunted for a while now.

Everyone's moving to Sony's cameras ... :O

Zeiss 35mm f2.8 please ❤

God bless you! i owe you channel so much...

Thanx again for another great video. Did you try it out with video? I just returned the 28mm Sony FE and looking for a replacement but I mainly shoot video and need focus tracking:-) Any words of advice is appreciated :-)

Beside the FE vs E mount difference, why no one compares this great Samyang with even cheaper, Sigma Art 30mm F2.8?

Great videos! Can you repeat with a full frame?

This lens is crop?

Does this lens cause vignetting on a FF camera?

Hi Chris, any chance to see a collection of the pictures you took with this lens? Tried your Flickr account, but couldn't find them! Thanks!

Will you review this lens on your new sony a7rii?? (by the way, tell me which kind of fertilizer did you use :P )

I suspect the Samyang would suffer more on a full frame in terms of corner sharpness.

hi christopher!! could you do a review on the sigma 30mm f1.4 contemporary with the sony a6000 camera?

How do you determine that a lens is capable of delivering 24mp in resolution to the sensor? Also do you think that the the full frame lenses lose some resolution when their image circle is being cropped to APS-C sensor size vs something like a sigma 30mm Art with an APS-C sized image circle? Thanks

Can you please review the Samyang 10mm f/2.8? I would love to know how it compares to the 14mm on aps-c! :)

Thank you for a good review, always very informative. How does this lens compare to sonys own 35mm f1.8 on a Sony A6000, 6300, camera? For a amature photagrapher/videographer (that mostly shoot in jpeg and mp4/avchd) I think the 35mm f1.8 has the advantage since it has OSS, especially for filming. You have any thoughts on that?

Hi! Thanks for the review! I have a6300 and I want to buy this lens, it seems that will be very suitable for me. Do I need to buy the new firmware with improvents? how do I do this? Could you please advise? Thanks a lot!

hi @Christopher Frost Photography I am getting a sony a6300, which prime lens should I get first the sony sel 50mm f1.8 or the Samyang AF 35mm f/2.8 FE? or is there a much better prime lens within the price range?

How do you switch between autofocus and manual focus mode? Is it like some of the Canon lenses where you simply override autofocus or do you have to switch inside the camera menu? I think the lens doesn't have a switch button itself, right?

The kit lens is not 5.6 at 35mm, it's more like f/4.0. Misinformation here...