| Author: | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 1,006
15 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 11, 2009 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | see review | | Cons: | see review | |
Note to Moderators - this review is for the Samyang 85mm F1.4 Aspherical IF lens. It is to be released as a Vivitar or Vivitar Series I lens as well, so I am putting the review here. If you disagree, then kindly move it to the appropriate category.
This review and ensuing questions & answers is at pentaxforums in this thread https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/46479-review-s...erical-if.html
SAMYANG 85MM F1.4 ASPHERICAL IF REVIEW
In keeping with the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” I’ve included images in my review much as possible. Pictures of the lens are taken on a point & shoot so they aren’t the world’s greatest images. I don’t own a d-SLR.
I’ve never done a lens review so some of you may not be happy with this. I've focused (pun) on how I evaluate a lens, namely (a) how is the handling and appearance (ergonomics) and (b) does it take nice pictures? Your mileage may differ.
As near as I can tell from pictures on the internet and the Vivitar/Sakar press release, this lens is the same as the Polar, Sakar, Walimex and new Vivitar Series 1 lenses.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND SPECIFICATIONS
1) If you are used to the petite FA77 you may be surprised at how big and heavy this lens is (I mean this in a good way). Check out the relative sizes. The Samyang is a bit smaller than Pentax’s 85/1.4’s and the Nikon 85/1.4D, but they are all similar in size as dictated by the laws of physics.
You see a FA77 Limited, FA*85, Samyang 85, A*85 and Nikon 85/1.4 AFD. Not shown is a silver FA77 and another 85/1.4D. Yes, I like fast lenses. Did you notice?
2) What’s in the box? It comes with a hood, cloth lens bag, and instruction sheet/manual.
The hood is round and is not a screw-on hood. It is not very deep. If you want something with better shading maybe we can use hoods that fit on other lenses since the hood is a simple snap-on type. Or you can get a metal screw-on hood.
3) This is a P/KA mount. Some of the internet pictures don’t show the “A” setting but it does have one. Here are the specs that came with the lens. The minimum focus distance is about 1 meter/3 feet, so this is not a macro lens. This lens can be used for “full frame” and 35mm film cameras. There is an aperture ring.
This lens is mostly metal and glass. What is plastic is the hood and the front filter threads. But the body looks metal. If you are concerned with the plastic collar cracking or breaking, a UV/skylight filter will mitigate this risk. If you don’t like using filters, just get a cheap 72mm filter, remove the glass and screw the metal filter ring onto the lens – simple and easy. If this causes any angst, let me point out my Tamron 90mm F2.8 Macro also has a plastic front collar (albeit thicker) and I’ve never read any complaints about it.
The aperture ring’s click stops snap in place. The aperture blades move freely. The “A” setting locks in place nicely and unlocks with a metal pin where it’s easy to access. The focus ring stops nicely and firmly at infinity, unlike some modern lenses that go a bit past infinity.
This lens is internal focus. The front optical element does not rotate and the body does not rack in/out when you focus. A very nice feature. We’ll come back to this shortly.
This is a manual focus lens. As you can see from the first pictures there is a nice, wide rubberized grip that is 2cm wide for turning the focus ring. All the fast 85s have this rubber grip.
The throw from closest focus distance (1m/3ft) to infinity is almost half a turn, which is quite acceptable. By this I mean the lens barrel has a large diameter, approximately 21-22cm, so the focus throw is about a pretty decent 9cm.
The focus ring is nicely damped; if you have used any of the Pentax manual focus lenses you’ll know what I mean. So if you are concerned it’s not autofocus, don’t be – manual focus is easy with this optic, especially with that large F1.4 aperture.
Let’s compare the design of the Samyang to my existing lenses. But as you can see there is nothing to complain about.
• A*85/F1.4 has a focus throw of about 10.5cm (1/2 turn). But it does rack in & out for focusing. Front optical element doesn’t rotate. There is also a nice rubberized grip for manual focus.
• FA*85/F1.4 has a focus throw of only a short ¼ turn since it is autofocus. But it does not rack in/out (internal focus design). Front element does not rotate. There is a rubberized grip for manual focusing. It has the handy AF/MF clutch none of the others have.
• FA77 Limited/F1.8 has focus throw about ½ a turn. But it’s an autofocus lens so the manual focus ring is small and a bit harder to use. It does rack in/out when focusing. Front element does not rotate.
• Nikon 85/1.4D has a focus throw of 1/3 a turn. It does not rack in/out (internal focus). Front element does not rotate.
4) The seller said this has 9 blades but I count 8, I think. See for yourself. We’ll take a look at the bokeh in another picture but 8 (or 9?) blades should make for nice, smooth out of focus backgrounds.
5) At f1.4 it lets in lots and lots of light...
6) It is multicoated. Obviously it isn’t Pentax’s SMC. I can’t comment about flare control. It has been snowing all week and the sun hasn’t made an appearance.
TEST PICTURES
7) Sample pictures are below. Here are the technical details: MZ-S film camera, tripod mounted, mirror lockup, ISO400 film. Scanned to jpg via Epson V500. Lens hood used for all images, no filters (except as noted below).
There are 2 things to draw your attention to. Firstly, apologies for the dust in the photos. It’s the middle of winter and it is extremely dry, dust sticks to everything. In the interests of getting this review out, some dust got left in.
Secondly, all three 85/1.4’s clearly demonstrate their awesome ability to handle low/difficult lighting. It was very dim (early morning) when I took the photos of the colored markers. Yet I could still use a 1/250 second shutter speed and manual focusing was easy. Cool. Very cool.
Test Pictures - Part 1
Here is a brick wall at minimum focus distance, taken at 1/3000 sec @ F1.4 (wide open).
For larger photo click here: User Photo Gallery - Miscellaneous
Now let’s look at corner performance. Taken at infinity distance at F1.4. The sky was overcast and (relatively) evenly lit. That’s pretty good performance, in fact it is better than I expected, so I am impressed. Don’t forget that with the digital crop factor corner performance isn’t much of an issue (if it bothers you). Obviously if you stop down a bit the dark corners will be gone. EDIT: Upon re-reading my notes, the sky was not completely even, the bright spots you see in the middle of the image were actually there in the sky and not some artifact.
1/6000 second @ F1.4
For larger picture click here: User Photo Gallery - Miscellaneous
Test Pictures - Part 2
Now let’s look at bokeh, color, contrast. The next pictures have all been gray carded, all taken at minimum focus distance, all at wide open apertures. I have focused on the RED MARKER, 2nd from the left.
Samyang lens - 1/250 sec, F1.4
For larger image click here: User Photo Gallery - Miscellaneous
Pentax A*85 – 1/250 sec, F1.4
For larger image click here: User Photo Gallery - Miscellaneous
Pentax FA77 LIMITED – 1/125 sec, F1.8. (Oops. Made a boo boo. I left a KR1.5 filter on the lens, so the color cast may be a touch warm.)
For larger photo, well you know... User Photo Gallery - Miscellaneous
Pentax FA*85 - 1/250 sec, F1.4
Larger photo here... User Photo Gallery - Miscellaneous
Summary of test shots:
I am looking at the prints in front of me (I told the photo lab to not make any adjustments). To be bluntly honest I can’t tell much difference between any of the 4 lenses. If I didn’t keep detailed notes I would have a hard time telling you which lens took what picture. In other words, this Samyang takes very nice pictures.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
8) So, is this a lens you should buy? That’s your call, not mine. It is your money after all. But as someone who owns a small flock of fast portrait lenses, here is my opinion.
• This lens is a quality optic that represents good value. When it comes to photo gear, you can have it cheap or good – pick one. Once in a while you get both and I think this is one of those times. Don’t be put off if this is an unfamiliar brand, there are some Asian names that produce high quality gear at good prices. My 2 excellent Feisol tripods are made in Taiwan. I own 2 superb Markins ballheads made in Korea. My Cosina made 180mm F4 is a jewel.
• Is it as good as the A*85 or FA*85? Well, probably not. But you have to pay 2 to 3 times more (at least) for one of the fast Pentax 85s, and they are no longer made. So the point is kind of moot.
• The closest Pentax lens still available is the FA77. Is it as good as the 77? Well, the Samyang is almost a stop faster (note shutter speed of 77 in test pic), slightly longer in focal length, is manual focus. The FA77 is autofocus, has Pentax’s SMC, is smaller, is all metal, but is more expensive. I can make a case for owning both as they can have different applications but really this is a decision you need to make for yourself.
• What I can say is this. Under normal usage most people will be happy with this lens. If you have never used a F1.4 short telephoto lens you are going to be in for a very pleasant surprise. They are fantastic low light optics (where you will often be manually focusing anyway) and they offer tremendously creative shallow depth of field opportunities (remember, the longer the focal length the more shallow the DOF).
• I’m not a pixel peeper. If I were inclined I’m sure I can torture any lens until it fails. How often have we seen someone on the ‘net proclaiming XYZ lens is bad and they can prove it with a picture of dark tree branches against a bright white sky? So if you buy this lens, use it, enjoy it, and have fun taking pictures.
• Ergonomic summary: The overall feel of the lens is solid with a nice hefty feel in the hand. There is nothing loose or wobbly (helped by the internal focus design). Manual focus is smooth and easy, helped by the large F1.4 aperture and design.
• A final suggestion. If you get this lens, mount it onto a tripod and take a head & shoulders portrait wide open. Focus either on the bridge of the nose or slightly in front of the eye. This way the zone of sharp focus ends right at the eyes and everything quickly blurs immediately thereafter. Nice, isn’t it?
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2018 Posts: 1
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 24, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness; price | | Cons: | weight; heavy focus ring; soft at f1.4 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-70
| |
Everything as professional and customer reviews said, I have no regret buying this lens! Sharp across the whole field. Image is soft at f1.4 but improves from f2.0 and achieves maximum sharpness at f3.5. Minimal CA only in high contrast situation. Focus ring is a bit heavy.
The most amazing thing I discover it that it works with my Pentax AF 1.7X teleconverter perfectly! The lens have "A" setting on the aperture ring which works with the TC and camera - I can control aperture in Av mode. AF works flawlessly - with this autofocus teleconverter, you need to roughly pre-focus manually before letting the autofocus function of the teleconverter determine the precise focus. This works better in longer distances (> 10 ft) because you practically don't need to do fine adjustments after you set the manual focus to close to (but not at) infinity. The TC does not degrade image quality, and you get a maximum aperture of f2.8. Image quality improves from f3.2 and achieves best result from f5.0. With this 1.7X TC, I get 145mm focal length (or 217mm in FF), at f2.8 (3.5 for useful images). The coolest thing is that the TC converts the manual lens to an AF lens.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2014 Location: Galway - Ireland Posts: 213
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 23, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $220.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, IQ, build quality | | Cons: | light flare, purple fringing | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1, K-3
| |
WHO IS IT FOR ?
The 85mm is THE lens for portrait in my opinion. This one has an amazing aperture, with a great image quality for a very very low price.
HANDLING
Heavy glass, built like a tank. It is a great quality lens. The only 'cheap' thing about it is the hood. Maybe the focus ring is a bit hard.
FOCUSING
To focus with this lens is not that easy wide open. It is not a surprise but at 1.4 your depth of field is really tiny so beeing in focus is not easy. I used it mainly for portrait shooting in controlled conditions, I don't think it is usable in field conditions.
IMAGE QUALITY
>SHARPNESS
This lens is very sharp. The result is a bit soft at f/1.4, but starting at f/2 the sharpness is impressive. The overall image rendering is on a top level for portrait.
On FF : I am making an edit on this review to include FF feedback. On FF the sharpness is even better. At f/1.6 the results are already mindblowing. see additional pictures below.
>BOKEH
Bokehs are great and soft. Perfect for portrait.
>CHROMA ABERRATIONS
Not flawless wide open (purple fringing and axial), almost gone by f/2-f/2.8. It is normal for such a bokeh monster, the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G is even worse...
>FLARE
Against the sun, there is a lot of flare. In other conditions is it correct.
>COLOR RENDITION
Neutral ! Maybe slightly on the blue side.
>DISTORSION
Nothing to be noticed.
>VIGNETING
A little bit, still acceptable. Should be worse on FF sensor...
COMPARING TO SIMILAR LENSES
>85mm SMC f/1.8 Pentax
Not the same age and technology inside, but usually around the same price tag. The Pentax lens is really softer from f/1.8 to f/2.8. Starting at f/2.8 the image result is really good. The bokeh of the Pentax is slightly better but the Samyang is great too.
The Pentax has the advantage of focusing as close as 85cm while the Samyang is at 1m. It can be usefull !
Appart from this the Samyang provides cleaner results.
>85mm f/1.4G Nikon
I usually don't compare with non K mount lenses, but I tested the 85mm from Nikon during a shooting on a D3X. The Nikon has really more CA than the Samyang. The flare is maybe better controlled. Excepting the MF vs AF issue, both lenses are on the same level in my opinion.
CONCLUSION
If you love portrait, buy this lens you will really enjoy it (focus peaking and catch in focus options should help you with focusing, don't be afraid). For other applications (landscape, journalism...) it will not fit, but it is normal.
Edit : On FF, the lens field of view is natural for portraits and the lens just feels great together with the K-1. The combo delivers amazing results with great sharpness and details.
SAMPLE PICTURES
APSC
https://www.flickr.com/photos/134793426@N02/21030098414/in/album-72157656665255184/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/134793426@N02/21641166812/in/album-72157656665255184/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/134793426@N02/21030018694/in/album-72157656665255184/
https://500px.com/photo/120310689/sweet-lavander-by-tcognard?from=user_library (Bokeh testing)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/134793426@N02/21030266854/in/album-72157656665255184/ (Night shot testing)
FF
https://500px.com/photo/170959659/desperation-by-t-cognard?ctx_page=1&from=u...er_id=15710727 (f/1.6)
https://500px.com/photo/171764739/let-it-rain-by-t-cognard?ctx_page=1&from=u...er_id=15710727 (f/1.8)
https://500px.com/photo/170288157/on-the-coast-by-t-cognard?ctx_page=1&from=...er_id=15710727 (f/1.4)
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2013 Location: Kansas City, KS Posts: 1,612
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 31, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharp, good contrast and color, fast | | Cons: | Heavy, difficult to focus, CA/PF | |
My lens for the Single in October (2014) was the Rokinon 85/1.4. I had been wanting a lens like it since I saw the "Brenizer method" images and wanted to recreate the effect. I have the Rokinon 8/3.5 fish-eye, so I was confident in the quality of the lens. I missed the $199 sale from the online stores, but managed to find it second-hand for that price here on the forums! (My gratitude to a timely work bonus.)
My first time out with the lens the aperture lever began sticking wide open instead of stopping down with the shot... The problem seemed worse with the aperture ring set to Auto, so I used it manually, which I am very comfortable doing, but I was disappointed. I spent the first two weeks of October using the lens with a manual ring, living in constant fear of a sticky lever. Never happened. So I got bold and put the ring on the A setting and spent days switching between Av and M, enjoying adjusting the aperture in-camera with the K-30's wheels. Until the morning of the 25th, when it started sticking again. Since the 25th I've had to remove the lens and physically push the aperture lever free at least a half a dozen times, and several shots have been rendered blazing white because selected aperture may have been 5.6, but the lens stuck at 1.4. Grrr.
I will be looking into having the lens repaired or adjusted...
The lens itself feels good. Solid and heavy (I like that kind of thing). There aren't any loose bits and it doesn't feel cheap. It did come with a bayonet-mounting hood, but I didn't find myself using it. The lens is internal-focus and the front ring does not rotate; both small treats that I appreciate! The aperture ring has nice clicks, f/1.4 to 2, and then half-stops from 2 to 22. The focusing ring is well-dampened, but smooth. I might like it if it were a little tougher, then the focus that I set for my Brenizer-style shots would feel more secure. :-)
I immediately noticed that the lens has SIGNIFICANT chromatic aberrations/fringing. This is especially noticeable wide open and up through f/4, but never really went away, no matter how stopped down I went. If you cannot tolerate CA/PF, this is NOT the lens for you. Fortunately, that's not how I judge lenses, so it didnt really bother me. When it was obtrusive in an image, it was easy to edit out using Lightroom. There's no barrel distortion, not that I expected to see any, but I did notice rather disappointing vignetting. This was especially noticeable on the days I used the hood, but after that I was looking for it and couldn't stop seeing the vague shadow. For an average snap it's no big deal, but because I bought this lens to do the Brenizer style stitches, I think this is very uncool. Sharpness, color and contrast are all excellent, very satisfying. I didn't test for flare and didn't notice any.
Focusing. OMG. This is the fastest lens I have (next being the Vivitar/Promaster 50/1.7), which makes the viewfinder nice and bright, but, my god. Guys, all I have are manually focusing lenses. All of them. I can do it. I have knowledge and skill and experience... But I could not find focus at f/1.4 to save my life. I resorted to using live view (with the zoom-in feature) for every shot under f/3.5. And, when I want to do Brenizers, I wanted f/1.4. That means live view for 40-some shots. Do you know how obnoxious it is to listen to the "flip/click" "flip/click" 40-some times? Yes, I could have turned live view off, but then I wouldn't see the image and know which "patch" of the stitch I was shooting or if it overlapped sufficiently... and I couldn't turn live view off and put the camera to my eye, because the distance moved from live-viewing to view-findering would have lost the DoF.
Minimum focusing distance is a terribly disappointing three feet/one meter. One foot would have been a dream. Engineers: Let's do this.
Obviously, I'm sure my technique is lacking. I haven't perfected my skills with such a fast lens as this one... I presume time will only improve my performance and I'm nowhere near giving up the ghost on this glass, especially if/when I can resolve the issue with the aperture lever.
Here's my Flickr album of shots I have taken with this lens. | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2010 Location: California Posts: 2,223
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 17, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $279.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Everything is wonderful about this lens | | Cons: | None (I am a MF guy) | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
| |
One image is worth 1,000 words (I have 15 more images that you can see in FLickr, just follow this link). Check my flickr account to compare why I have this lens.
Rokinon85-1.4@f-1.4-Bougainvillea1-1 by Palenquero, on Flickr
Rokinon85-1.4@f-1.4-HojasdeParra1-1 by Palenquero, on Flickr
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2012 Posts: 14
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 14, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $230.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Very sharp, Cheaper than other primes at its class, Very nice bokeh, Sharp at wide open | | Cons: | Heavy, Hard to nail subject due to very shallow depth of field, Hard (or its me) focusing ring, Lens cap cannot be placed without removing the hood | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 9
| |
Enjoyed so much using this lens. I find it hard to nail at first but when you get used to it, its magic in every shot. Nice color redention but sometimes the background tend to be too bright or over exposed. Not for sports type of lens. Best for portraits. Most of the time it will take 5-10 seconds to focus your subject. One thing I like with this lens, it gives you so much detail. Occasional CA/PF in wide open.
Here are my takes:
 | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2016 Location: Euless Texas Posts: 271
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 17, 2020 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Low light, easy to focus | | Cons: | no auto focus by design | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-S2
| |
This was a Christmas gift from my wife last year. I really wanted a good low light lens and this is it. Manual focus is smooth and there is a long enough focus throw so that you can make small adjustments. Bokeh is sweet. The low light pictures have a nice magical quality to them. Although good wide open if it is stopped down a little the whole frame is wonderfully sharp.
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2011 Location: Maine Posts: 3,081
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 2, 2015 | Not Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 5 |
| Pros: | Fast, Smooth Focusing, Amazing Bokeh | | Cons: | Won't Work in Cold Weather (Seriously!), Focuses past infinity | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-3
| |
I have the 'new' model of this lens.
I absolutely love the bokeh and seperation this lens provides. Its smooth, it takes amazing photos.... and it locks up when the temps start getting towards freezing.
Edit: By "getting towards freezing", I mean anything much below 40 degrees.
Seriously.
I suspect the huge aperture blades have a nice bit of grease employed to help them operate, and said grease can't stand the cold. It could just be my copy, but it really is a problem when 90% of your shots are taken outdoors, and you live in the Frozen Wastes of Maine. We see near-freezing to "Sweet mercy, let it warm up to 10 today" weather around these parts from October through May. That means for 6 months out of the year the lens is relegated to 'indoor only' use.
The lens is awesome, the lens takes fantastic shots - and the lens is the first one Ive seriously considered reselling for something else.
If you live somewhere warm, I can't recommend the lens enough, but if you're an outdoor shooter who lives somewhere where you see ice and snow... move on.
If the lens didn't lock up in the cold, I'd easily give it a 10. Since I can't use it for 50% of the year, I'm docking 50% off the grade and 'not recommending it' with the caveat that if you don't need to worry about cold weather the lens should be an amazing buy.
(One other quibble - Samyangs QC blows. Both the 85mm and 35mm focus well past infinity, which can slow you down having to backtrack for infinity shots)
Here are some shots from this amazingly frustrating lens.
 The Boys by Jody Roberts, on Flickr
 June 1, 2015 - Duck Weather; Vassalboro, Maine by Jody Roberts, on Flickr
 June 4, 2015 - King of Kings (Tyrannus tyrannus - Eastern Kingbird) by Jody Roberts, on Flickr
 Earth, Air and Water; Winslow, Maine by Jody Roberts, on Flickr
 Exploring by Jody Roberts, on Flickr
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2012 Posts: 205
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 20, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $185.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | It is a f/1.4 & inexpensive. | | Cons: | A little soft wide open. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5
| |
You buy a lens like this to generally shoot wide open or close to it. It is decent wide open (certainly good enough for portraits) and very, very sharp after f/4. There is a learning curve due to the razor thin depth of field. You can literally have only one of two eyes in focus with close-up portraits. Be sure to use live view with stationary objects when shooting wide open to ensure you are in focus. Here is an example using it for landscape (yeah, I didn't buy it for that but wanted to see what it could do).
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2009 Location: Edmonton Posts: 314
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 7, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $290.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharp, light-weight, great MF feel | | Cons: | Shoddy hood and included caps | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5, ME Super
| |
This is a fabulous lens, not quite as sharp as I would like at f/1.4, but amazing from f/2.0 and beyond. There is one thing you need to be aware of since this is a manual-focus only lens, focusing with wide apertures (f/2.8 and larger) is very difficult - I have good eye-sight AND own a split-prism focusing screen and still struggled to get properly focused pictures. The most reliable way to get razor-sharp focus at f/1.4 is to set the camera on a tripod and focus via live-view.
However, one cannot fault the lens too much, it is difficult to focus ANY 85mm f/1.4 lens wide open, whether an auto or manual focus design. At least with the Rokinon you get to keep over $700 in your pocket. 
There is some chromatic aberration visible when shooting closer to wide open, but they are easily removed in Lightroom, overall I was very happy with this lens.
I ended up selling this lens after a couple years, mainly since I got a DA* 50-135 f/2.8 to take over portrait and "bokehlicious!" duties.
Wide-open, some purple-fringing I neglected to remove around his shoulder pads.
Works on FF just fine, this is from an ME Super - MAYBE f/2.8...I don't remember.
Bokeh and sharpness displayed at f/2.
You can look through some more images I've taken with the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 here: https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=rokinon+85&m=tags&ss=2&ct=0&mt=all&w=48503330%40N08&adv=1 | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: December, 2009 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 2,437
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 19, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $259.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Very sharp, fast, huge value for money, good build, very nice bokeh | | Cons: | Hood fiddly to attach, 1 m minimum focus distance, can purple fringe | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
| |
I got this lens for general shallow depth of field and also low light photography so I was looking for a lens that was usable wide open at f1.4.
The Bower (Samyang) 85mm delivers good sharpness images (frame center) wide open at f1.4 and so is exactly what I was looking for. Also stopped down to f5.6 it is very sharp across the frame. There is softness in the corners wide open at f1.4 but border sharpness is surprisingly good (even the contrast is Ok) - look at second f1.4 example below to see how good they are wide open. Corner sharpness comes right by f2.8 on my copy. In fact this lens wide open at f1.4 beats my (very nice) Pentax A 50 f1.4 at f2.4 - amazing!
Its not a perfect lens (none are really). If you don't like manual focus then this lens is not for you. If you are looking for a lens with close focus it is also not for you. If you need a lens that is sharp corner to corner wide open (something thats very rare for f1.4 lenses anyway) it may not be for you. Also in high contrast conditions you may see some purple fringing (sometime I can see quite a bit) - to clarify this further it appears to be bokeh fringing (fringing is in out of focus areas) but I have been able to correct it fairly easily with PP. Also I find the lens hood a bit fiddly to fit (especially if you try to reverse stow it on the lens - which is at least possible) but I'm getting used to fitting it. While talking about the hood, its better than I thought it would be after reading other reviews. Sure its not solid but its certainly perfectly functional. Lens cap could be better but its usable (except you can't fit it with hood in place).
Overall I absolutely love it and its a bargain!
Update (June 2016): Had not used it for a while (since getting a DA 70) but recently rediscovered this lens and using it a lot. It makes pretty much anything you point it at look good and find I use it mostly at f1.4. Adding a magnifying viewfinder cup to K-5 had made focusing a lot easier too. Added sample.
Some sample images: | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Posts: 12,285
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 9, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $230.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Stunning images, f1.4, built like a tank (or a Tak), smooth focus ring | | Cons: | flimsy hood, hard to focus (like all MF lenses) <2.8 | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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There are some really intense reviews in this section with lots of great information. That is part of why I wanted to get the Vivitar 85/1.4. From a purely petty perspective the Vivitar version of the Samyang lens is much more attractive to me. It has that red stripe that reminds one of those Canon lenses but otherwise its very attractive. It also does NOT have that horrible gold plack on it - which is a definite plus for me.
On to more important features of the lens. The focus ring is buttery smooth in operation and has a long throw. This is important for a MF lens with an f of less than 2.8 IMHO. The lens is big and heavy - just look at that light funnel front element! It's got an "A" aperture setting which really helps when you're trying to focus this beast at less than f2.8.
I've got the DA70 Limited and it's a very nice lens. But when I am not being lazy and want an amazing portrait I put the Vivitar 85/1.4 on my camera and take my time. The results are well worth it.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: September, 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Posts: 3,327
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 7, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Large aperture, smooth (manual) focus, low price, A-setting | | Cons: | Big front element, heavy, shorter focus throw | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 6
Value: 10
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Owned and used the Bower variant for a few months. As others have mentioned, forget about the very cheap & useless "extras" (hood, bag, even the caps!), the lens itself is very well built and nicely finished with quite good glass inside. Physically and mechanically similar to the Sigma 85mm for Pentax, which is a good thing, except manual-focus.
Optically, it is a mixed bag for portraits (which is what I use a fast 85mm for). At f/1.4 it isn't razor sharp but has that "glow" that is actually desirable in portraits, especially of women and children, but overall has mushy, slightly colored (purply-green) transitions to the nice 1.4 bokeh. Stopped down to f/2.8 it is very sharp in the center and the bokeh and OOF transitions improve. From f/4-8 it is a solid performer and the wider DOF makes it much easier to nail focus (see below), while the bokeh only gets a little harsh around highlights.
The focus throw (distance to turn the focus ring to go from infinity to close focus) is, IMHO, way too short for the wide aperture and typical working distances of portraits with this lens. While it is a nice, bright view in the viewfinder, tweaking the focal plane requires a very delicate touch, and, after missing more shots than nailing them, frequently stopping down beyond f/2 to further widen the focal plane to improve. This will depend on the eyesight, hands and viewfinder of each individual, so take that with a grain.
So, the main reason for getting this lens is the value for the (very low) price compared to the alternatives. Most modern alternatives are AF and 3-10 times more expensive (think FA77 Ltd, FA85, Sigma 85) or slower without the portrait-shallow DOF (DA70, DFA100). While there are lots of similarly-priced "old, used, legacy" lenses for Pentax in this focal length (beyond the various fast 50's), not many have this wide of an aperture, or if they do are not at this price point. Also, no older lens will come with a warranty, and many without even an A-setting for auto-aperture control and therefore full metering capabilities.
A solid lens for getting started with shallow-DOF portraits, but not recommended for those new to manual-focus.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Posts: 2,902
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 8, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $329.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Tack Sharp @ 1.6 and above, Outstanding IQ, Bokeh, Build Quality | | Cons: | None Really (Maybe Lens Hood) | |
There is two other threads rating this lens and referring to the samyang variants (bower, rokinon, etc..), I figured I would post my review here as I have the Vtar Series 1.
Starting rant in ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...
First, I see reviewers on the other two threads marking the lens as a negative for being manual focus and not auto - how on earth could these guys mark it as a negative when they bought it as a manual focus lens? Quite a bit silly if you ask me.
Second, a few marked it as a negative for being hard to focus because of the shallow depth of field, again - how on earth could these guys mark it as a negative when they bought a 1.4 max aperture lens? Again, Quite a bit silly if you ask me.
Ok, that is out of the way, now for my take on this lens.
Since I got this piece (almost 2 months ago) it has quickly jumped to the top as one of my main lenses. Everything about this piece has well exceeded what I had hoped for when I originally purchased it; outstanding image quality, super sharp from 1.6 and above, absolutely superb portrait softness at 1.4 for low light portrait work, fantastic build quality, looks and feels great (cosmetics of the Vivitar branded one is much more appealing than the others), and absolutely perfect focus ring tension (others call it tight, IMHO it is actually perfect). Here are a couple shots:
Indoor night shoot, Shot @ 1.8 using K-X
Outdoor, Shot @ 3.5 using K5
The only thing bad I can say about this piece thus far is the hood, very thin plastic - other than that, a phenomenal lens for it's price!
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| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2010 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 813
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 16, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $260.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Very sharp / usable from 1.4 onwards | | Cons: | Getting focus spot on | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
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I got the Rokinon branded one, and overall am pretty happy.
My copy has excellent sharpness from corner to corner.
Centre sharpness approaches the sharpness you get with Pentax DA Limited lenses.
Build is solid.
Distortion is negligible. Vignetting is evident from F1.4-2.0 only. CA is negligible. There is some minor purple fringeing from F1.4-2.0 as well, but easily dealt with in software.
Flare is evident when pointing anywhere near the sun.
Focusing takes some practice.
At the price, there is really nothing to complain about.
It makes a very good portrait lens, and landscape lens.
Cheers, John
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