These 3 episodes is going to be a life saver for a lot of Sony portrait shooters. Jumping from video to video to make an informed decision has been my nightmare. This will save time and coming from the trusted Dustin Abbott, no one is going to make a wrong decision after watching the 3 episodes. Please make an ultra wide angle for sony as well. My suggestion is to compare the 16-35 Zeiss and GM, 12-24 Sony, 14-24 Sigma (the new 2.8 for sony), 17-28 Tamron and perhaps a comparison of wide angle primes (such as Laowa, Sigma, Samyang, etc). Thanks again for the time and effort you put into these videos.
kudos for such a comprehensive work with so many lenses. Your analysis is laced with real world shots. Not just we your audience should be thankful for this video but the lens makers should appreciate as well. Thanks so very much for the great work you have been doing. My best.
@@DustinAbbottTWI You deserve much more than just a feedback. I hope these lens maker's look at the effort you make and give you what you deserve. Thanks for all you do. May God be with you and your family.
I was imagining the conversation prior to shooting. "Son, I need you to sprint your tail off, I'm testing AF" "But dad I'm photosensitive" "Just one sprint up the yard, son" *son complies* *while son is still panting, Dustin detaches lens* "Son, I need you to do that 5 more times" *Dustin calmly attaches next lens* **click**
Great video as always!! I've used that 85 1.8 to shoot dance recitals and it is so quick and accurate it is nuts! I hardly ever miss a shot and if I do it's usually me and not the camera or the lens. I'm still VERY intrigued by the Samyang for it's extra depth of field option and it's creamy bokeh along with those warm tones it produces. Can't wait to see the next episode!!
@@DennisMoncla explore other lens first... I can't afford expensive lens yet... Samyang might be a good option for your case besides GM, if you wish to upgrade... >.
Oh man! Your reviews are SO good, Dustin! I tried the Sony 85 GM, FE 85 1.8 and the Sigma 85 and eventually decided that the Sigma was the best. The Samyang seems like an extremely amazing lens especially for the price; kudos to them for competing with Sony!
great work! I recently decided to get the Samyang over the GM (after I owned the FE 85 1.8) and I am very happy so far with the AF;: shooting my younger kids while playing outdoors and moving around. is a blast and eye-af works really well too.
That is a tough one, both are very good. Sold the 1.8 as I had the Batis 135 for outdoor & kids, but then got some studio lights and *needed* another 85 and based on the reviews i decided to give the Samyang a try. If it was my only (short) telelens, I likely would have kept the 1.8, it is hard to beat on value and size.
Thank you for such in-depth guide. I watched the videos of this series multiple times. This has been a very valuable guide to let me decide on what 85mm lens I will buy next (the Samyang). very much appreciated.
Really looking forward to the image quality test for sure, this af result went how I thought it would for the most part. I own the Sony 85mm 1.8 and I know it’s superb for AF. I was pleasantly surprised by the Samyang here.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I think too that it is overpriced. It should have been around $600 . Hoping to see a review from you. I already pre-ordered it but will return if it doesn't turn out to be good. I really need a good 35 mm for everyday photography.
I can't wait for the final review about the IQ. I returned my Samyang 85 1.4 due to not being sharpe enough/not focusing correctly at 1.4 for fully body shots.
Another extremely informative review! I would love an 85mm that was good at tracking subjects walking toward the camera in video mode. I know the Samyang was not great at this when it first came out. Wonder if the updates have made it more of a contender in this respect.
I hope you get to the other GMs and compare against Canon equivalents EF and RF. I also like your focus scoring system. Way more informative of the focus test then just hit or miss. Because in the real world sometimes we have to use what we get. Sometimes the shot is slightly off because of the heat of the moment. Great job as always!
Thanks for the feedback. I don't often do cross-system comparisons, as it is very hard to separate lens performance from camera performance. It's rare, for example, that two cameras have the exact same resolution, which obviously impacts performance.
Thanks Dustin. I’ve decided to finally sell my 105mm sigma ART for the Samyang 85 mm f1.4. Love hate with the lens. Hate to lose it because of the IQ, but I think is the right choice to allow me to capture more event shots without standing out with the ginormous lens. Thanks for your review that ultimately helped me to purchase the Samyang 45 and 85.
Dustin Abbott yes it is. And I believe it comes head to head with the zeiss 55 instead of Sony’s nifty fifty. It’s an awesome light weight lens, sharp enough really for real life use and love the case they threw in. Really very useful.
Yeah right i saw that one just wasnt in my mind but i would have loved it to see it with the sony 1.8 and the canon (because you can get it for so little money )
I know I am two years late to this party lol, but just to double check, the Sigma in this review was the HSM version, not the newer Sigma 85mm 1.4 DG DN Sony, correct? My understanding, which cld very much be wrong, is that the second version with the DN designation was specifically designed for Sony mirrorless. The DN one probably wasn't out yet at the time of this video. Trying to decide between the Samyang and the Sigma DN. I already have the Sony 85mm 1.8 though. Maybe I need neither, I'm all set? But there is just something abt that 1.4. Buttery bokeh and just the tiniest bit more 3D. Or I am imagining it?
What camera body are you using? If you are using one of the newer, better focusing cameras, and have the current firmware update on the Samyang, I believe it to be just fine.
Great review! Much thanks for all that labor! Does anyone know where to find out which Samyang lenses have weather sealing? I failed to find anything that looked like a spec sheet on their site... And we have some serious downpours where I live.
Thank you very much for reviewing these 'competitors' from the point of view of shooting action/continous autofocussing/tracking, that's something I very rarely come across in reviews overall. I was very surprised though with your excellent results of the Sony 85 F1.8 - I recently bought a Sony a 7C camera for his good action stills and that was the first lens I bought for it........to return it the next day because of it's disappointing results in the tracking area : it was slow to find the subject (if it even did find it at all), eg. locked on to the railing of a bridge where my dogs came running over to me and so on. Now you made me very confused with this results : I was considering the Batiss 85 instead, but should clearly buy the 85 1.8 again and hope for a better specimen?
Hmmm, it could be the fault of the lens, but considering you are new to the camera, there's also a chance you didn't have things set up properly yet. A big issue can be if you have human eye af engaged when trying to track animals and vice versa
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for your reaction :-) . I don't think the settings could have been the problem because after returning the lens I didn't have any ff lens yet so I used my 18-105 F/4 apsc lens (which I had from my former Sony a6300) and that lens did a perfect focussing and tracking job in the same circumstances (also with animal eye tracking on). But anyway, I'm very glad with your review, I certainly want to purchase an 85mm ff and I had the Zeiss Batis in mind but might have to reconsider.
I like the test. But as you pointed out all of them did pretty well. Would have been a bit more interesting with some more challenging AF tests. Like AF in a heavy backlit scene, AF in very low light, Eye-AF with a continously moving model. Or combine them all into AF with a moving model, in low light with heavy backlighting. Basically how do they perform when you need great AF the most
Quick question; I heard you talking in another video about stops of stabilization when talking about lenses with no Internal stabilization. What is exactly stops of stabilization and how do we measure that?
A stop of stabilization is measured by a stabilizers ability to provide steady results at one stop less than the shutter speed/focal length relationship. Let's say that the ratio for a 100mm lens is 1/100th second. A stabilizer with one stop of stability would allow you to shoot 1/50th second instead (provided your subject is still). Two stops would be 1/25th, etc...
so the tokina 85 1.8 looks very impressive. would love for you to review it. i got the rokinon after watching this video but i updated the firm ware and it fully bricked the lens. dock and camera have no idea its there. and rokinon says itll be 250-350 to fix it. i wont be buying rokinon ever again. tokina though looks like itll be the new best 85.
I knew from day 1 the Sony FE will be a great lens. I got it as a gift from my sister and I think it is performing as my best lens. I never thought I would love shooting portraits until I had this lens.
No...most of them were loaners. I own two 85mm lenses - the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 for Canon RF and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DN for Sony (neither of which are featured in this review)
Dustin Abbott I have A7III + mc11+ 85Art. Fw 2.0 with face detect was much faster then fw 3.0 with forced eye detect. for me is a big big disappointment and is intendet to sell more a9. I ca not downgrade to 2.0 or to disable eye detect and use only face detect.
I believe your test shows that the most important thing for AF performance is the system inside the camera body. I mean, 76% hit rate of a moving subject from a no-name, wide aperture lens is THE WORST result lol... Just think about it :)
That's 100% true. Sony has done a great job of continually tweaking their AF systems (even via firmware) to produce cameras with truly excellent focus.
@@DustinAbbottTWI - Personally, unless I shoot full-body, I don't like going lower than 2. There's only so many ultra hi-def eyebrows with blurry eyed photos a man can stomach. In other words: For me, 1.4 would probably just be an exercise in frustration.
Which lens? I've now tested most all of their AF lenses and I've not found that to be the case other than some focus inconsistencies with the 35mm F1.4.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Samyang AF 85 F1.4. My copy has issues - it cannot focus at infinity and struggles with AF.C. I went to a local shop and did some tests comparing it to another working Samyang AF 85. ( I have the latest firmware on both the A7-III and the lens.)
I think ure son ran faster when u shot with the sigma - pls make new testing and let him run again^^ - When he ran for the sony 1.8, he was already tired, so u could take more photos and AF had an easy game - just kidding. thanks for all ure testing. greetz from germany
These 3 episodes is going to be a life saver for a lot of Sony portrait shooters. Jumping from video to video to make an informed decision has been my nightmare. This will save time and coming from the trusted Dustin Abbott, no one is going to make a wrong decision after watching the 3 episodes. Please make an ultra wide angle for sony as well. My suggestion is to compare the 16-35 Zeiss and GM, 12-24 Sony, 14-24 Sigma (the new 2.8 for sony), 17-28 Tamron and perhaps a comparison of wide angle primes (such as Laowa, Sigma, Samyang, etc). Thanks again for the time and effort you put into these videos.
We'll see if I can coordinate something like in the future.
kudos for such a comprehensive work with so many lenses. Your analysis is laced with real world shots. Not just we your audience should be thankful for this video but the lens makers should appreciate as well.
Thanks so very much for the great work you have been doing.
My best.
Thanks for the kind feedback.
@@DustinAbbottTWI You deserve much more than just a feedback. I hope these lens maker's look at the effort you make and give you what you deserve. Thanks for all you do. May God be with you and your family.
lol can we just take a moment to appreciate dustin's son for putting up with his dad's random request
He's pretty accommodating!
I was imagining the conversation prior to shooting.
"Son, I need you to sprint your tail off, I'm testing AF"
"But dad I'm photosensitive"
"Just one sprint up the yard, son"
*son complies*
*while son is still panting, Dustin detaches lens*
"Son, I need you to do that 5 more times"
*Dustin calmly attaches next lens*
**click**
Really appreciate your straightforward, no nonsense approach. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!
Great video as always!! I've used that 85 1.8 to shoot dance recitals and it is so quick and accurate it is nuts! I hardly ever miss a shot and if I do it's usually me and not the camera or the lens. I'm still VERY intrigued by the Samyang for it's extra depth of field option and it's creamy bokeh along with those warm tones it produces. Can't wait to see the next episode!!
High Five... I owned the Sony 85mm f1.8..
@@neohsoonsien4007 And now??? Samyang?
@@DennisMoncla explore other lens first... I can't afford expensive lens yet... Samyang might be a good option for your case besides GM, if you wish to upgrade... >.
thank you for all the time you spend on these reviews
You're welcome!
Oh man! Your reviews are SO good, Dustin! I tried the Sony 85 GM, FE 85 1.8 and the Sigma 85 and eventually decided that the Sigma was the best. The Samyang seems like an extremely amazing lens especially for the price; kudos to them for competing with Sony!
Glad this helped.
great work! I recently decided to get the Samyang over the GM (after I owned the FE 85 1.8) and I am very happy so far with the AF;: shooting my younger kids while playing outdoors and moving around. is a blast and eye-af works really well too.
Felix Morsdorf do you prefer it over the 85 1.8?
That is a tough one, both are very good. Sold the 1.8 as I had the Batis 135 for outdoor & kids, but then got some studio lights and *needed* another 85 and based on the reviews i decided to give the Samyang a try. If it was my only (short) telelens, I likely would have kept the 1.8, it is hard to beat on value and size.
Nice to hear. I really like the Samyang, too
Thank you for such in-depth guide. I watched the videos of this series multiple times. This has been a very valuable guide to let me decide on what 85mm lens I will buy next (the Samyang). very much appreciated.
You're very welcome!
Really looking forward to the image quality test for sure, this af result went how I thought it would for the most part. I own the Sony 85mm 1.8 and I know it’s superb for AF. I was pleasantly surprised by the Samyang here.
The Samyang really was the surprise performer.
Congrats (and thank you) for your awesome work. You're setting the bar very high.
You're welcome.
Man! what a great work you are doing with this review.So much time and effort you put in there,i really appreciate!!!you killed it!!!
Thanks!
Great video of the 85mm comparision. 🙏
Thank you!
Thanks Dustin...looking forward to part 3
Coming tomorrow!
Great job! Dustin Abbott.
Thank you!
I love my Sony 85mm 1.8 and looking forward to getting the 35mm even though it seems a little over priced.
It is overpriced, but if it performs as well as the 85mm (and to a lesser extent, the 55mm), it will probably be a great lens.
Dustin Abbott the 55 is Zeiss though, right?
It's a Sony but with Zeiss input.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I think too that it is overpriced. It should have been around $600 . Hoping to see a review from you. I already pre-ordered it but will return if it doesn't turn out to be good. I really need a good 35 mm for everyday photography.
What a thorough test!
That's the goal!
Most excellent! I do live my rokinon 85 1.4. Can't wait to see the next video.
Next week!
Thank you Mr Abbott
You're welcome.
Awesome. My big question, and I hope someone can answer here, is how well the newcomers Samyang and Viltrox Eye-AF is working on A7R2.
dopamining Better buy the Sony 85mm 1,8
Very Nice Comparison, Appreciate the effort that you have put on this Video , Well Done :) , Looking for more.
You're welcome.
I can't wait for the final review about the IQ. I returned my Samyang 85 1.4 due to not being sharpe enough/not focusing correctly at 1.4 for fully body shots.
Interesting. That wasn't my experience at all.
Was it v4 ?
I can't wait to hear the conclusion of this for I'm about to buy my own 85mm.
Good timing!
Once again, you are clutch with these videos🤘
My pleasure.
Thanx!
Another extremely informative review! I would love an 85mm that was good at tracking subjects walking toward the camera in video mode. I know the Samyang was not great at this when it first came out. Wonder if the updates have made it more of a contender in this respect.
I think it is pretty clear from this test that it has been dramatically improved.
Been waiting on this video ! Thank you!!!!
My pleasure.
fantastic Dustin ... great work
My pleasure.
Could we get a low light focus performance both speed and reliability test?
Probably not, as I've already moved on.
Great as always! Thanks!
You're welcome.
Incredibile work
Tahnk you!
I hope you get to the other GMs and compare against Canon equivalents EF and RF.
I also like your focus scoring system. Way more informative of the focus test then just hit or miss. Because in the real world sometimes we have to use what we get. Sometimes the shot is slightly off because of the heat of the moment.
Great job as always!
Thanks for the feedback. I don't often do cross-system comparisons, as it is very hard to separate lens performance from camera performance. It's rare, for example, that two cameras have the exact same resolution, which obviously impacts performance.
Thanks Dustin. I’ve decided to finally sell my 105mm sigma ART for the Samyang 85 mm f1.4. Love hate with the lens. Hate to lose it because of the IQ, but I think is the right choice to allow me to capture more event shots without standing out with the ginormous lens.
Thanks for your review that ultimately helped me to purchase the Samyang 45 and 85.
I've just started my review of the 45mm. It's a pretty sweet little lens from what I've seen so far.
Dustin Abbott yes it is. And I believe it comes head to head with the zeiss 55 instead of Sony’s nifty fifty.
It’s an awesome light weight lens, sharp enough really for real life use and love the case they threw in. Really very useful.
The little case is sweet, for sure!
Im loving this series, would be nice to get that same series with some 50mm lenses, great job :)
I did one like that comparing the 1.4/50 Planar, 1.8/55mm Sonnar, and the 1.4/50 Samyang AF. I later compared the Sigma 1.4/50 ART.
th-cam.com/video/IK0Zou85PCs/w-d-xo.html
Yeah right i saw that one just wasnt in my mind but i would have loved it to see it with the sony 1.8 and the canon (because you can get it for so little money )
I know I am two years late to this party lol, but just to double check, the Sigma in this review was the HSM version, not the newer Sigma 85mm 1.4 DG DN Sony, correct? My understanding, which cld very much be wrong, is that the second version with the DN designation was specifically designed for Sony mirrorless. The DN one probably wasn't out yet at the time of this video. Trying to decide between the Samyang and the Sigma DN. I already have the Sony 85mm 1.8 though. Maybe I need neither, I'm all set? But there is just something abt that 1.4. Buttery bokeh and just the tiniest bit more 3D. Or I am imagining it?
That's correct. The DN lens is fantastic. I bought one myself.
The only question I have about the Samyang lens is, if I buy it today, will i get the updated version?
I would definitely think so at this point.
Excelente Review!
Thank you!
How do I update my 85gm? Love your reviews, this is another winner!!
Check out this link: www.sony.com/electronics/support/lenses-e-mount-lenses/sel85f14gm/downloads
These are beautiful images Dustin! Are you using your color presets you designed for the a7riii with these or are they unedited? Thanks!
Typically only minor edits, though I do sometimes use some basic color calibration presets on import.
Dustin, did you have the updated firmware on the Sigma installed that came out on 7/18?
This was shot prior to that.
Is the samyang reliable for weddings compared to the Sony 1.8?
What camera body are you using? If you are using one of the newer, better focusing cameras, and have the current firmware update on the Samyang, I believe it to be just fine.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I just ordered the a7 iii. Thank you☺️
Thank you for making this.
My pleasure
Very informative and thorough. Love your reviews. I have the Sony FE 85 1.8 on my Sony a6000 and I love it. By the way, do you still keep your 55-210?
I didn't. I just didn't use it much, and it wasn't really up to my optical standards.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Ok, thanks.
I have Sony 85mm 1.8. Awesome lens. I've been very happy. Now thinking also Sigma 105mm.
The Sigma 105 is a sweet lens...though it is huge!
Great review! Much thanks for all that labor!
Does anyone know where to find out which Samyang lenses have weather sealing?
I failed to find anything that looked like a spec sheet on their site...
And we have some serious downpours where I live.
The Samyang 85mm F1.4, 35mm F1.8, and then I know the 14mm F2.8 on Canon RF does. There might be one or two others I'm not thinking of.
As far as the AF goes, I'd go for the Samyang. For the price is just a sweet spot.
I really like the Samyang, actually. It works great for my purposes.
Thank you very much for reviewing these 'competitors' from the point of view of shooting action/continous autofocussing/tracking, that's something I very rarely come across in reviews overall.
I was very surprised though with your excellent results of the Sony 85 F1.8 - I recently bought a Sony a 7C camera for his good action stills and that was the first lens I bought for it........to return it the next day because of it's disappointing results in the tracking area : it was slow to find the subject (if it even did find it at all), eg. locked on to the railing of a bridge where my dogs came running over to me and so on.
Now you made me very confused with this results : I was considering the Batiss 85 instead, but should clearly buy the 85 1.8 again and hope for a better specimen?
Hmmm, it could be the fault of the lens, but considering you are new to the camera, there's also a chance you didn't have things set up properly yet. A big issue can be if you have human eye af engaged when trying to track animals and vice versa
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for your reaction :-) .
I don't think the settings could have been the problem because after returning the lens I didn't have any ff lens yet so I used my 18-105 F/4 apsc lens (which I had from my former Sony a6300) and that lens did a perfect focussing and tracking job in the same circumstances (also with animal eye tracking on).
But anyway, I'm very glad with your review, I certainly want to purchase an 85mm ff and I had the Zeiss Batis in mind but might have to reconsider.
Please include this AF analysis in all your definitive lens reviews in the future
Tracking action isn't always practical, but I do typically do it with sports oriented gear.
Great review. Love those sample shots of the Samyang, 19:02.
Yes - I've had a little longer to shoot with it, so I have a few more strong images.
I like the test. But as you pointed out all of them did pretty well. Would have been a bit more interesting with some more challenging AF tests. Like AF in a heavy backlit scene, AF in very low light, Eye-AF with a continously moving model.
Or combine them all into AF with a moving model, in low light with heavy backlighting. Basically how do they perform when you need great AF the most
Thanks for the feedback. Creating these scenarios and testing six lenses simultaneously is very time consuming.
Quick question; I heard you talking in another video about stops of stabilization when talking about lenses with no Internal stabilization. What is exactly stops of stabilization and how do we measure that?
A stop of stabilization is measured by a stabilizers ability to provide steady results at one stop less than the shutter speed/focal length relationship. Let's say that the ratio for a 100mm lens is 1/100th second. A stabilizer with one stop of stability would allow you to shoot 1/50th second instead (provided your subject is still). Two stops would be 1/25th, etc...
Photographers are totally spoilt for choice these days, whether it be lenses or cameras, looking forward to the image tests!
That's so true!
Thank you man!!!
You're welcome.
so the tokina 85 1.8 looks very impressive. would love for you to review it. i got the rokinon after watching this video but i updated the firm ware and it fully bricked the lens. dock and camera have no idea its there. and rokinon says itll be 250-350 to fix it. i wont be buying rokinon ever again. tokina though looks like itll be the new best 85.
That's very strange regarding your Rokinon. I've never seen that, and your lens should be under warranty.
Cool.
I preferred the Sony GM for the video racking test because it zooms the least when you change focus. On many of the others it was very distracting.
That's a definite consideration for those whose priority is video.
I knew from day 1 the Sony FE will be a great lens. I got it as a gift from my sister and I think it is performing as my best lens. I never thought I would love shooting portraits until I had this lens.
It's a great lens for the money.
0:30 omg you have all of those 85mm lens.
No...most of them were loaners. I own two 85mm lenses - the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 for Canon RF and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DN for Sony (neither of which are featured in this review)
Cool video nice
Thanks!
best test of the year. with a9 will be diferent
That's probably true, though there are many more people with an A7 body than an A9 body.
Dustin Abbott I have A7III + mc11+ 85Art. Fw 2.0 with face detect was much faster then fw 3.0 with forced eye detect. for me is a big big disappointment and is intendet to sell more a9. I ca not downgrade to 2.0 or to disable eye detect and use only face detect.
I believe your test shows that the most important thing for AF performance is the system inside the camera body. I mean, 76% hit rate of a moving subject from a no-name, wide aperture lens is THE WORST result lol... Just think about it :)
That's 100% true. Sony has done a great job of continually tweaking their AF systems (even via firmware) to produce cameras with truly excellent focus.
Samyang for me - cuz I'm poor lol
The native Sony 1.8 isn't that much more expensive, is it?
It's less...but it's also F1.8
@@DustinAbbottTWI - Personally, unless I shoot full-body, I don't like going lower than 2.
There's only so many ultra hi-def eyebrows with blurry eyed photos a man can stomach. In other words: For me, 1.4 would probably just be an exercise in frustration.
SAMYANG has bad QC. My copy goes back to the shop. AF.C misses all the time. :(
Which lens? I've now tested most all of their AF lenses and I've not found that to be the case other than some focus inconsistencies with the 35mm F1.4.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Samyang AF 85 F1.4. My copy has issues - it cannot focus at infinity and struggles with AF.C. I went to a local shop and did some tests comparing it to another working Samyang AF 85. ( I have the latest firmware on both the A7-III and the lens.)
That's too bad. I own a copy of that lens, and mine is very reliable.
I think ure son ran faster when u shot with the sigma - pls make new testing and let him run again^^ - When he ran for the sony 1.8, he was already tired, so u could take more photos and AF had an easy game - just kidding. thanks for all ure testing.
greetz from germany
LOL.
@@DustinAbbottTWI i have good sigma speed when i go jogging.
First