85mm 1.4, which one?

If you have to choose a lens that is 85mm f1.4, which one will you get?

I am not planning on f/1.2 yet, so i will am thinking about f1.4 version, i have 1.8 but looking for slightly faster one for more bokeh and low light, they are cheap 1.4 there to get and i can sell my 1.8 if 1.4 is fast enough, but AF speed is not main purpose here to me.

The rokinon is a great manual lens at 1.4, it call depends on what type of shoot your doing, it takes a little practice but I shoot mainly in manual for all my lenses now. However I don't think 1.4 from 1.8 will make a huge difference.

I would go for Sigma's. Sigma are great when comes to primes.

+1 for Sigma.. I've heard amazing things about their primes

Tareq wrote in post #17045471
If you have to choose a lens that is 85mm f1.4, which one will you get?

I am not planning on f/1.2 yet, so i will am thinking about f1.4 version, i have 1.8 but looking for slightly faster one for more bokeh and low light, they are cheap 1.4 there to get and i can sell my 1.8 if 1.4 is fast enough, but AF speed is not main purpose here to me.

I owned the 85 1.8 and sold it and bought a sigma 1.4. IQ was good from the sigma but the lens was bigger and heavier. I sold the sigma due to inconsistence focus issues and bought another 85 1.8. If I was to buy another 85mm canon mount lens it would be the 1.8. Its light, small and focusses quick.

+1 Sigma. Feel bad for selling mine.

For me always manual lenses
The Samyang 85 has no good mechanical quality, and I do not like onion-bokeh, so I prefer the Zeiss Contax 85mm f/1.4. But this lens is not as sharp as probably the Samyang.
I have a converted Canon FD 85mm/1.2L too, but I use it only rarely.

1.8 contra 1.4 is not that big difference as others wrote already. But it is a bigger mathematical difference than f/1.4 and 1.2 - and I prefer at ~50mm focal length f/1.2 much more than 1.4

You can always use AF lens as a MF lens. Personally I suck at MF at f1.2 or even f2.0 so rely in AF.

KeenanRIVALS wrote in post #17045525
The rokinon is a great manual lens at 1.4, it call depends on what type of shoot your doing, it takes a little practice but I shoot mainly in manual for all my lenses now. However I don't think 1.4 from 1.8 will make a huge difference.

+1. The Rokinon is really something special. I returned my 85/1.8 in favor of the Rokinon.

ZoneV wrote in post #17045725
For me always manual lenses
The Samyang 85 has no good mechanical quality, and I do not like onion-bokeh, so I prefer the Zeiss Contax 85mm f/1.4. But this lens is not as sharp as probably the Samyang.
I have a converted Canon FD 85mm/1.2L too, but I use it only rarely.

1.8 contra 1.4 is not that big difference as others wrote already. But it is a bigger mathematical difference than f/1.4 and 1.2 - and I prefer at ~50mm focal length f/1.2 much more than 1.4

I have only seen the "onion" effect once in all the shots I've taken with my Rokinon, and even then it was barely noticeable. The Zeiss is definitely a nice lens, but I don't think it's worth 4 times what the Rokinon costs.

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #17045970
+1. The Rokinon is really something special. I returned my 85/1.8 in favor of the Rokinon.


I have only seen the "onion" effect once in all the shots I've taken with my Rokinon, and even then it was barely noticeable. The Zeiss is definitely a nice lens, but I don't think it's worth 4 times what the Rokinon costs.

Id never considered the Rok 85 before but just had a look at some sample images there and it seems to be a nice lens. How does it handle CA? My first 85 1.8 was terrible for this but my second not so bad. Also is the focus scale accurate? (My Rok 14 was not straight out the box)

So it comes down to Sigma and Samyang/Rokinon ones, hmmmmmmmm, i look at both lenses samples, both are great, one is manual and the other is AF, for Sam/Rok i can always buy as they are very cheap, but i want to ask, did someone buy the new Samyang 85 that has a red line? i did read that they improved its optical, but not sure about it.

Just i will not sell Canon 85 1.8 yet until i buy 1.4 version and try it first, if it is good enough then i may think to sell my Canon one, but honestly speaking, i haven't to as i can afford another lens f1.4 without sacrificing Canon 1.8 one.

xpfloyd wrote in post #17045986
Id never considered the Rok 85 before but just had a look at some sample images there and it seems to be a nice lens. How does it handle CA? My first 85 1.8 was terrible for this but my second not so bad. Also is the focus scale accurate? (My Rok 14 was not straight out the box)

The CA is far less an issue with the Rokinon even at f1.4 compared with the Canon at 1.8, by 1.8 on the Rokinon I don't see any CA at all. My focus scale seems accurate, if it's off then it isn't by much. It's less of an issue with this lens though since the throw is so long.

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #17046294
The CA is far less an issue with the Rokinon even at f1.4 compared with the Canon at 1.8, by 1.8 on the Rokinon I don't see any CA at all. My focus scale seems accurate, if it's off then it isn't by much. It's less of an issue with this lens though since the throw is so long.

Thanks Lucas. Sorry to hijack your thread tareq

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #17046294
The CA is far less an issue with the Rokinon even at f1.4 compared with the Canon at 1.8, by 1.8 on the Rokinon I don't see any CA at all. My focus scale seems accurate, if it's off then it isn't by much. It's less of an issue with this lens though since the throw is so long.

What about Sigma, has CA issue?

xpfloyd wrote in post #17046304
Thanks Lucas. Sorry to hijack your thread tareq

How did you hijack it? I am happy with any comments/posts as long it can serve the thread, and it is normal here sometimes to go off-topic

Heya,

Samyang 85mm F1.4 if you are ok with manual focus.
Sigma 85mm F1.4 if you need autofocus and you're ok with missing focus here and there.

I use the Samyang 85mm F1.4 on full frame. I manually focus at this kind of depth of field because even if I had autofocus, I'd still manually focus it. This level of depth of field is always tricky for cameras, so manually focusing tends to be the way I handle it. So it made my choice clear in regards to which F1.4 lens I was going to go with. I use the EF 85mm F1.8 for things where I want autofocus that is fast. Personally I have no need for a lens that is slow to autofocus. If it's going to do it for me, I want it to do it faster than I can manually. So I use the 85 F1.8 for that, as it's very fast, and still quite sharp. I use it as an "action" lens or for moments where I can't take time with focus. Otherwise, for portraits and typical walk around, I use my manual Samyang.

Very best,