85mm 1.4, which one?

I had the Samyang 85mm, the Sigma 85 and the Canon 85 f1.8. The Samyang had a non working aperture out of the box. So I send iot back and got a new one. That had fungus. I did not tried a thrid one.

The Sigma is a great lens: sharp from f1.4 up. I had no focus issue, everything was perfect aout of the box. The only thing I did not like were colors. Everthing seems to be a little bit to yellow and without really great contrast. So I sold it and get a Canon 85mm f1.8 A very solid performer. Shaprenss compared to the Sigma @f1.8 is alittle bit better at the Sigma, but @f2.8 and above the Canon wins. And it has better colors (in my eyes). Maybe 85L is even better, but out of my reach.

Lombardi wrote in post #17050011
I had the Samyang 85mm, the Sigma 85 and the Canon 85 f1.8. The Samyang had a non working aperture out of the box. So I send iot back and got a new one. That had fungus. I did not tried a thrid one.

The Sigma is a great lens: sharp from f1.4 up. I had no focus issue, everything was perfect aout of the box. The only thing I did not like were colors. Everthing seems to be a little bit to yellow and without really great contrast. So I sold it and get a Canon 85mm f1.8 A very solid performer. Shaprenss compared to the Sigma @f1.8 is alittle bit better at the Sigma, but @f2.8 and above the Canon wins. And it has better colors (in my eyes). Maybe 85L is even better, but out of my reach.

Where did you order your Samyang 85mm from? Sounds like a bad seller to me. I got one copy with an intermittently sticky aperture, but the second copy has been completely free of issues. Having fungus in a new lens is in no way the fault of the manufacturer, wherever that thing had been stored had to have been flooded or something, fungus doesn't grow in a sealed box in a dry warehouse.

That said, I'm surprised to hear you thought the Canon was sharper and had better contrast than the Sigma, you're literally the first person I've seen state that, but I suppose that could come down to copy variation.

I bought both Samyangs from a big seller in Germany where the Samyangs are labeled as "Walimex". May be it was a bad seller and I do not blame Samyang for this.

And yes, contrast on my 5D was better with Canon f1.8 than with Sigma f1.4. That said, I realised that my 5D tends to underexposes a little bit with the Sigma. So the images were a little bit darker. Maybe transmission is little bit better at the Canon so the Sigma. That is also what DXoMark tells us:

http://www.dxomark.com …Mark-II___241_436_322_483

Lombardi wrote in post #17050021
I bought both Samyangs from a big seller in Germany where the Samyangs are labeled as "Walimex". May be it was a bad seller and I do not blame Samyang for this.

And yes, contrast on my 5D was better with Canon f1.8 than with Sigma f1.4. That said, I realised that my 5D tends to underexposes a little bit with the Sigma. So the images were a little bit darker. Maybe transmission is little bit better at the Canon so the Sigma. That is also what DXoMark tells us:

http://www.dxomark.com …Mark-II___241_436_322_483

Actually, DXO says the opposite, 1.6 stops vs 2.0... so they both lose the same amount of light.

I'm not denying your claim, just finding it odd.

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #17050022
Actually, DXO says the opposite, 1.6 stops vs 2.0... so they both lose the same amount of light.

Well, then maybe my camera just did it that way...

+1 for sigma 85, great lens.

Here's a comparison between the Sigma and Samyang/Rok. Personally I have the sigma and love it. I haven't tried to the samyang, but for the price you can't go wrong. Make no mistake though, both of these lenses will be much larger and heavier than the Canon. The canon was great for ultra fast focusing for basketball, though I can use my sigma just as well. My vote is sigma just to have the AF though.

Kethean wrote in post #17054481
Here's a comparison between the Sigma and Samyang/Rok. Personally I have the sigma and love it. I haven't tried to the samyang, but for the price you can't go wrong. Make no mistake though, both of these lenses will be much larger and heavier than the Canon. The canon was great for ultra fast focusing for basketball, though I can use my sigma just as well. My vote is sigma just to have the AF though.

Actually the Samyang is only slightly heavier than the Canon 1.8 and the same size if not smaller

Kethean wrote in post #17054481
Make no mistake though, both of these lenses will be much larger and heavier than the Canon.

Heya,

Not really.

I have the Samyang and Canon side by side right now, and they're very close to being similar. The Samyang is a wee bit bigger (it's bigger in diameter, maybe 2 centimeters total at best, and pretty much the same length). Weight wise, the Samyang is 100g more heavy. But in my hands, they feel nearly the same.

Just a note, since it's exaggeration to say "much larger & heavier" as that's just not true.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/os8V​XV

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oqoh​M9

MalVeauX wrote in post #17054507
Heya,

Not really.

I have the Samyang and Canon side by side right now, and they're very close to being similar. The Samyang is a wee bit bigger (it's bigger in diameter, maybe 2 centimeters total at best, and pretty much the same length). Weight wise, the Samyang is 100g more heavy. But in my hands, they feel nearly the same.

Just a note, since it's exaggeration to say "much larger & heavier" as that's just not true.

Very best,

My mistake then, could've sworn the Samyang was smaller, maybe because of the way the Canon is wider in the middle it just felt that way in my hand.

My mistake,

I've only held the samyang once or twice. The sigma is quite hefty though!

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #17054511
My mistake then, could've sworn the Samyang was smaller, maybe because of the way the Canon is wider in the middle it just felt that way in my hand.

Kethean wrote in post #17054516
My mistake,

I've only held the samyang once or twice. The sigma is quite hefty though!

Quoted me too fast! I posted images for folk to see the difference.

Weight is ... 520g and 420g or something like that. It's about 100g difference. But they feel the same at the end of the day, I find the difference insignificant. The Sigma is nearly twice the weight of the Canon, so it definitely is noticeable. The Samyang, being an F1.4 prime as well, conserves weight very nicely, as it's over 200g lighter than the Sigma, if weight is a true concern. Weight shouldn't matter at this focal length though. Your camera still weighs more no doubt.

The Canon is longer with the hood on, than the Samyang (Canon's hood is longer).

And on the subject, the Samyang 85mm F1.4 shot this today, at F1.4:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oaSk​Y7

Ok, thanks for that, actually i don't care about the weight and dimensions of the lens, i just care about optical and results quality.

MalVeauX wrote in post #17054507
Heya,

Not really.

I have the Samyang and Canon side by side right now, and they're very close to being similar. The Samyang is a wee bit bigger (it's bigger in diameter, maybe 2 centimeters total at best, and pretty much the same length). Weight wise, the Samyang is 100g more heavy. But in my hands, they feel nearly the same.

Just a note, since it's exaggeration to say "much larger & heavier" as that's just not true.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/os8V​XV IMG_3868 by Mwise1023, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oqoh​M9 IMG_3867 by Mwise1023, on Flickr

Very best,

Strange! I exactly have the same pair, Canon EF 1.8 and Rokinon 1.4

To me these are two totally different beasts.
I use Canon 1.8 primarily for portraits and Rokinon 1.4 for deep sky wide angle astrophotography.
I just can't see in me to part from one, in favor of the other.
The only reason I may part from Canon is to go for L 1.2 (Budget condition doesn't indicate much chance in near future) and I am going to keep Rokinon till I am alive or lens is not lost.