Junior Member Registered: June, 2015 Location: Százhalombatta, Hungary Posts: 37 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: September 9, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Excellent optics, handling, build-quality | Cons: | Focus throw is a little-bit short | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
| | I just got this lens right now. I had to wait for about 8 weeks to get it... Samyang is rare in my country, so is Pentax and this combination is extra-rare, so mine had to be ordered from Korea. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely! The lens came with front and rear caps, a reversible lens hood and a cloth sack to protect it in the bag. The lens is an internal focusing design, so it doesn't change its length. Of course the front element doesn't rotate either.
The lens has an aperture ring with an "A" setting and the image circle is full-frame/leica film compatible. And that was the main reason for choosing this over the excellent Pentax D-FA 100. Since I not only use my K-5, but also a Pentax MX and a Pentax Super-A, I needed a lens that is compatible with them all. This lens fills in that role perfectly. Focusing is well dampened, yet smooth. The aperture diaphragm is almost round, the bokeh is smooth. My only "concern" is that the focus throw is somewhat short for a macro lens, so one has to be very precise and pay attention.
Focusing this lens with a split-screen/microprism is a breeze of course and I have one installed in my K-5 as well. Using LiveView + zooming in is also a nice option. On newer bodies, there's also focus peaking, which is also a huge help. However I would think twice about this lens, if I had anything older, without a split/microprism focusing screen OR liveview, as focusing it in a stock focusing screen might be pretty hard. The cameras' feedback isn't always spot on and simply relying on your eyes isn't really working in a small, dark APS-C cameras' viewfinder. So consider your options before buying in.
For me, because of my modified K-5 and my film SLR's, manual focus isn't a lack of feature, but rather a feature itself, one that I require. It might not be the case for you however, so think it over.
The colors are excellent, with deep contrast, very few (if any) aberrations and this lens is already very sharp from f/2.8, which only improves when stopping down. Over f/22 some diffraction kicks in and when going full macro, it matters, if you want proper depth of field.
The lens doubles as an excellent portrait glass too! Here, a split/microprism focusing screen helps again!
Build and optical quality are both perfect. There's no wobbling of any kind. This is a solid build. The lens comes to a hard stop at infinity, so no need to worry about focusing beyond infinity.
All in all, I can highly recommend this beast of a lens! It's an excellent one and I think my copy might be a pretty good one too, because compared to internet-found samples, mine seems a bit better. Add to the fact that you can stabilize it on a Pentax body and it's a super-win. But then again, the Pentax D-FA 100mm f/2.8 WR Macro is just as good, with WR and AF.
Therefore I'd only consider this one, if you need one with an aperture ring. That being said, I love this lens from day one. Recommended!
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New Member Registered: June, 2018 Posts: 6 | Review Date: June 18, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $280.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Great sharpness and bokeh | Cons: | Pricey, heavy and very huge, lens hood is bulky | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 7
Value: 7
Camera Used: Sony A7
| | Bought this lens second hand because I wanted to try it on my A7. I found it very sharp with great bokeh and no visible chromatic aberration or other optical flaw.
I didn't like the fact it is quite huge and heavy (even if plastic), and the lens hood is simply too big.
It's a very good lens but the value is not the best since it is not that much better than a a lot of other vintage lenses. I think prices for a new one are too high. Otherwise, the lens is great, if you can live with it's size and weight.
The main difference with a vintage macro lens is that the Samyang's bokeh stays quite round when stopped down, thanks to the 9 aperture blades.
Price I paid is given in € for a second hand lens in good conditions.
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