[SpecialK]

The Samyang can be had for about $210 in the marketplace. Buy it, try it, then sell it if not what you want. You lose little if anything and gain experience.

I wanted one but I'm not a manual focuser, nor do I have a good focusing screen installed. Another forum member posted that he liked the lens but was only getting about 20% in focus, and sold it.

[aurele]

the keeper rate really depends of the shooter : with the 55/1,4 i have a 80% keeper rate, and i only have the stock focusing screen !!
If you are use to MF you can be pretty good with it.
But don't fool yourself, you will almost always stop down the samyang to F2 if you want the whole face in focus.

[zbrueningsen]

It is just rumor so far.. Currently we do not know anything about their autofocus.

I have no experience on the catch-in-focus function for Samyang. Basically I am in the same situation as you. I am also considering a portrait lens among Samyang 85/DA 70/FA 77. It is a hard decision but I am not in hurry as I find DA 50 1.8 is a very sharp lens and also good for portrait (especially indoor!). And for indoor portrait, I just doubt Pentax's standard portrait lens DA*55 can do better than DA 50 as the former is very soft at 1.4.

You mean the FA 50 1.4 is very soft at 1.4? My DA*55 is light years optically better than the DA 50 1.8. The DA*55 is the APS-C clone of the FA* 85. It is sharp wide open, has the best bokeh anybody can get, and its colors are perfect. You either had an offset focus or you have never used the DA*55. And for indoor portrait, I promise you, the DA*55 is as good as it gets.

As far as the OP - I love the Samyang/Rokinon 85 1.4. It takes magnificent portraits. It isn't just about 1.4, it is about smooth rendering of skin, beautiful colors and bokeh. I have owned one, and I would probably rate it as good as the DA*55 as far as portrait quality. If you are doing indoor and need wider - look at their 35 1.4. If you are still between the 70 2.4 and the 85 1.4 - easily the 85 1.4. I had the 70 2.4 and sold it because I was disappointed in how it wasn't optimized for portraits (as I assumed). The way it rendered skin could be a bit harsh. It was sharp, fast, light, and colorful. It makes a great portrait lens in the end, but not like the 85 1.4. If you can handle manual focusing - the Rokinon 85 1.4 at F/2.8 is consistently a dream. Absolutely beautiful!

[zbrueningsen]

OK, so my last post might show how picky I am. I think the DA 70 2.4 does everything right except skin rendering.

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[zbrueningsen]

This is a picture I took a few months ago, indoor, no flash, natural lighting at F 1.4. The DA*55 1.4 is terribly slow AF compared to anything else, but as a portrait lens, it is the best Pentax makes. And at F 1.4 it resolves at least to the 24x36 print without resolution loss. I think 85 rokinon does pretty similarly with skin tones and what not. I wish I still had mine (and probably will be getting one soon).

[WPRESTO]

I have not read through all these comments, but my impressions would be:
1) either of these lenses will give satisfactory results, IQ and bokeh;
2) can you deal with MF? AF has some advantages if the subject is moving;
3) do you need f1.4? Even f2.4 at these focal lengths and at portrait distances will have extremely narrow DOF;
4) does size/weight matter? The 70mm is TINY and LIGHT.
5) OVERALL: The 85 f1.4 definitely offers less DOF, higher shutter speed at same ISO, questionable/doubtful difference in IQ and bokeh; the 70mm f2.4 offers convenience of AF, at portrait distances an insignificant difference in DOF, questionable/doubtful difference in IQ and bokeh, smaller & lighter.
6) IMHO it comes down to which do you want more, or would miss more: AF versus f1.4 instead of f2.4?

[formercanuck]

I agree on your comment about f/1.4 - at 85mm its VERY thin, and with MF, is only somewhat usable for portraits. Better have a still subject, tripod and remote, or you'll miss.
It 'can' be done, but it can be a chore shooting MF, f/1.4 subjects at 85mm.

Here's a thought - if you currently have a 70-200'ish lens. Set your camera to MF, Av mode wide open and try it for a while to see how you do in the 70-100mm range.

[clackers]

Here's a thought - if you currently have a 70-200'ish lens. Set your camera to MF, Av mode wide open and try it for a while to see how you do in the 70-100mm range.

That would only test f4 or so, FC, rather than DoF of 1.4/2.4.

[WPRESTO]

FYI: 85mm, @ f1.4, distance of 6~7 feet, DOF is less than one inch (about 2cm - but there's a little subjective judgement v-a-v what is acceptably in focus). If camera and/or subject move more than that between manual focusing and shutter click, you miss the precise point where you wanted the focus (mostly likely the eyes). Not impossible, but touchy.

[zbrueningsen]

I shot my 85 at 2.8-3.5 and it was money at those points. I was doing still pictures for the 1.4 and had a pretty good success rate. Portraits at 1.4 - pretty hard.

[Ikarus]

Here's a portrait I took with my Rokinon/Samyang 85mm at f/2.0. I agree that there's rarely a reason to go with wider apertures for intimate portraits, but if the subject is a bit further away, it can come very handy.

[zbrueningsen]

That is dreamy!

[Buceemie]

Get the 70mm limited. Having autofocus, with quick shift manual focusing, is super useful! One of my all time favorite lenses and worth every penny. I don't have the Samyang but other legacy glass, manual focus, and I just don't enjoy shooting it as much.

[starjedi]

This is a picture I took a few months ago, indoor, no flash, natural lighting at F 1.4. The DA*55 1.4 is terribly slow AF compared to anything else, but as a portrait lens, it is the best Pentax makes. And at F 1.4 it resolves at least to the 24x36 print without resolution loss. I think 85 rokinon does pretty similarly with skin tones and what not. I wish I still had mine (and probably will be getting one soon).

Amazing.... I really regreted that I did not bought a DSLR or even knew the existence of DSLR when my daughter was born :-(

[Zafar Iqbal]

I too own both the 70mm Ltd and Samyang 85mm, and though I love them both, I rely mostly on the 70mm for portraits, mainly because of the ability to autofocus.

I've changed the focusing screen on my K30 and it helped *a lot*, but I still focus too slow and inaccurate lot's of times when it comes to people/portrait photography. I've used the 85mm in studio environment as well where I have more time to focus, but the light level on the other hand makes it difficult again.

My recommendation goes towards the 70mm Ltd.

---------- Post added 29-03-14 at 11:00 ----------

OK, so my last post might show how picky I am. I think the DA 70 2.4 does everything right except skin rendering.

That is in all fairness a bad example. Your focus is on the back of their heads.