I compared the Tamron 35-150 and Samyang for a couple of days. The Samyang rendered much cooler than the Tamron which I personally liked more (but this doesn't matter if you shoot raw). The Samyang was a little sharper from 35-100 (center). To see the difference I had to crop more than 100%, so nothing that you should worry about in daily use. The Samyang was even a little sharper than my Sony 35 1.8 FE at 2.0 (center) which is incredible. The Tamron was equally sharp with the Sony. From 100-150 the Samyang was weaker wide open, especially at 150. Not usable in my opinion at 150 f2.8 for far distance subjects. In normal and close distance the performance was good. I have no idea why though. Interestingly stopped down a little, it was even sharper than the Tamron. But only in the center. In midframe the Tamron was always better (at all focal lenghts). At 85mm both were as sharp as my Sony 85 1.8 FE (center). Astonishing! At the 35mm mark the Tamron covers a wider view. The Samyang looks more like 37mm. The build quality of the Samyang was good, the Tamron was great. The materials felt a bit more premium. The Tamron has one more button and they felt better. Also the USB-C port on the Tamron to connect it with a smartphone or computer to adjust settings is cool and more convenient compared to the seperate docking station you need with the Samyang (way too expensive for the cheap piece of plastic). But of course this is probably rarely in use. I found the bokeh with the Samyang a bit nicer and it has better macro capabilities. BUT the focus accuracy with the Tamron was a lot higher. The keeper rate was close to 100%, with the Samyang there were just too many miss-focused images, even with the new firmware update. This combined with the 5 year warranty (Tamron) vs 2 year (Samyang) made me buy the Tamron. Even though it was a little over 400€ more expensive.
I returned my lens to SamyangUS where I bought it. My copy was noticeably soft at 150mm, and the amount of veiling glare was atrocious. At 35mm it was excellent even wide open. Focusing was iffy, a lot of back focused shots. I think Samyang used a lot cheaper glass than Tamron, so optically it's nowhere as good, and of course, focusing totally sucks.
Thank you for your practical review. I'm looking for the first lens for A7 III - Tamron is too expensive for me, Samyang was very tempting but thanks to you I know that it's better to let go. I will buy a Sigma 24-70mm :)
@@PiotrekW91 You will love that Sigma 24-70! The Tamron is just more versatile, less lens swapping and getting dust on your sensor lol I bought mine used for $1600 using Affirm financing. Pay about $140/mo. Well worth it to me as the lens stays on my camera 95% of the time.
Hi Arthur, I’ve bought this lens and sent it back after a few days because I found it to be not sharp at all. Maybe i got a bad copy, and that’s the big issue with Samyang glass…you never know what you’ll get exactly. Anyway I decided to go with Tamron instead and as always, no better choise. I hope you do a comparison between the two, so we can have your opinion on that, cause as you said not many people has reviewed the Samyang lens. Thanks as always for your contents 👍🏼
Got mine for 1099€ in Europe and I am super happy. Had three sessions so far and it's a great versatile lens. My copy doesn't suffer from the lens creep mentioned in the video. It renders a bit cooler as my Tamron 28-75. Not shooting video, but for photo, the AF is on paar with all my other lenses.
A full frame zoom that I have used and appreciated was a 28-135 f3.5 Canon zoom. I would think that either a 24 or 28 mm lower end zoom would be more useful than the 150 mm and would reduce the size and weight.
just get the 24-120mm f4 Nikon , 0.5 aperture diff very little . But F2 to F3.5 are noticable Well if u said end zoom not that useful , why not get 24-105mm F4 RF/EF instead . Well its much better as it 'L' lens with Red Ring
For the price and that zoom range and that incredible range of aperture, it is worth all the money! A perfect outdoor lens may it be street, landscape, travel, casual or at times wildlife photography when paired with an APS-C! People who tend to lean a little towards smartphone photography and don’t prefer changing lenses, can pair this lens-camera combo alongside a decent smartphone, to cover all the essential focal lengths from 12mm upto 150mm!
No, dude. You don’t want bulky almost 1,5 kilo piece of glass when doing street photos. You want to be as light as possible and versatile same time. Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 will be perfect if you want zoom while shooting street, but not this “giant”
@@casualcoffeeshooter My favorite lens for street is Tamron 20-40/2.8, it's very compact, excellent optically, and the focal range is almost perfect indoors and outdoors.
Awesome video Arthur! One thing is good to mention, Sony partially owns Tamron, and there is a reason why Tamron autofocus works perfectly with Sony bodies... If I would go for this focal length range, I would get the Tamron and pay that extra $600. (Also Tamron warranty is 6yrs), but personally I rather have my Sigma 24-70 and Tamron 70-180. Since the Sigma 24-70 is a video beast and with the FX3's zoom rocker I get 105mm out of it, (or put it on the A7IV and crop mode 36-105mm) its just a more compact and travel friendly combo.
@@ezenglishwith because of the focal range 24-70 (105mm with clear image zoom) cost only $1100 compare to the GM $2300… and delivers %95 of the GM. Also focus breathing is literally non existing.
@@timgurr1876 no it works on my Sony GM 16-35 for sure because I use it a lot to get 52.5mm out of it. The only downsize is no more eye tracking if you use it, only center focus if I’m right.
One reviewer had to apologize for his first video that claimed that the Samyang was better. Turns out his Tamron was a faulty model. You are just the second TH-cam reviewer that I recognize/follow to review the Samyang. I own the Tamron and I could not be happier. It is a heavy lens but it covers so many focal lengths that it makes it so nice to shoot with. Plus the fact that the Tamron has the ability to customize the custom buttons and focus ring is awesome straight to the lens from a computer. I used it for the last 7 months on my a7c with a small rig cage with the grip. I just got an a7iv with the peak design hand grip/clutch and it feels great. It distributes the weight well and not all on your wrist. The Tamron is fantastic but it is not the cheapest. It is a fantastic value but it is good to have different price options. I’ve done a few paid jobs but still a hobbyists but I felt the Tamron was a good investements. I sold an FE 24-105mm f/4 lens to help pay for the Tamron. I really like the sony lens but I quickly saw and felt the difference with the Tamron. I also have an FE 20mm f/1.8 for wide shots.
Tom Carlton did indeed apologise about his tamron not being 100% but still said the Samyang was better as the fault in the Tamron was only minor. Plus you can customise the Samyang just as much as the tamron including the aperture ring.
And to carry both a 24-70 f/2.8 and a 70-200 f/2.8, what do you need... if not big muscles ? Or "double big", one set for each lens... because, even with the latest generations, there's no "compact" 70-200 f/2.8 to this date. You also forget the fact that this lens will not leave the camera, a huge plus for the photographer but for the camera too. Unless you are among the very few who love cleaning sensors once a week. A clever choice, when properly thought out, shall be done with all factors in mind. Forgetting too many, including some major ones (like having to swap lenses in the deep-middle of an event, just at the precise moment of the unmissable picture !), shall lead into a poor experience. And eventually poor results, then loss of activity. I don't mean this happens often, but I mean it can happen and it's always the worst moment when it does. We've all been through that, haven't we ? 😇
Thank you so much Arthur. This is THE comment I've been looking for. How this lens does in video AF performance for fast motion. I literally added every video that even mighttt cover this in a queue & skimmed them all. Only one of them covered it, and even then, I found that the guy wasn't running fast enough.... so many thanks bru
Sweet thanks! 🙏 Now I'm going to buy the 6700 because of your recommendation so please place the affiliate link in the description so I can thank you 😌🤌 I just really hope overheating on 4k120 isn't too much of an issue.
I really love Samyang! I have a bunch of their primes and really value them. Unfortunately, I had to return my Samyang 35-150mm. The Samyang was a good performing lens with two major issues, completely unacceptable lens creep, and poor battery life. If I pointed the lens downward, it felt as if the front element would spill out. I couldn’t do a shoot and keep the focal length consistent at all. Every time I would move the focal length would so easily change. Got the Tamron a few days later. Kind of the opposite. The zoom ring is tight to where I actually hope it slightly loosens after time. You can tell that you're not just working against the gearing, but also the weather sealing as you hear the whistle of air pumping in and out. I can pick a focal length and it stays there. Very helpful for photography where I'm moving around and I want to keep the same focal length "look". It feels like I can't move as quickly with the zoom ring. The one job (Bat Mitzvah) I had with the Samyang I took 3 shots of everything I wanted to capture. From a balcony: close up on the girl, girl + rabbi, girl + rabbi + parents in the front row, then finally girl + rabbi + guests. I think with the Tamron I'd be a little more deliberate. The Samyang KILLLLLED the battery life at the one event I used it at. Like, the Sony batteries are all day batteries for me but after 1,400 shots my battery was dead. The Tamron, after 800 shots, I was still at 70%. The Tamron is slightly lighter, and slightly thinner but feels smaller due to it's "narrower in the middle" profile. It has a more photography look where as the Samyang (with it's thicker rubber knurled focus ring) has a more cine look. The buttons on the Tamron are more prominent and easier to find, feel, and press, while on the Samyang the felt a little more flush like they were made to be harder to accidentally press. The grey on black lettering on the Tamron is much more subtle than the silver on black on the Samyang. The Tamron has a lens cap with a bright and shiny "TAMRON" logo, and the Samyang's lens cap clips on in a way that makes it get stuck on the thin ring of a UV filter. Both got replaced with a simple 3rd party lens cap. I prefer the Tamron, but not significantly. In the shots I took with it, the Samyang looks prettier. The Samyang looks warmer while the Tamron looks a little clinical in the way Sony's are often criticized for. The Tamron is sharper and I felt more comfortable cropping with it.. Regarding autofocus, this Tamron is a curse in disguise. I have so many more images to cull. I had a sunset engagement shoot at a rocky beach today. Lots of tricky lighting, lots of movement, maybe the shadows and rocks will look like faces/eyes to the AF. Usually, the missed focus images represent a good chunk of a shoot. Those are super easy to cull out. This Tamron has such a high hit factor that I can no longer rely on that. There was maybe 2 times where I had to refocus on a face. My Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 has good autofocus, but the Samyang 35-150mm is better. The Tamron 35-150mm is noticeably better than the Samyang. The Samyang focuses well and fast, but the Tamron is stupid fast. Like, I don't need it to move from it's minimum focus to infinity in like 1/32 of a second. It's cool, but overkill for me. Seriously, it moves in a flash. That being said, I have an about 5 Samyang primes and all of them have improved with updates. Samyang aggressively updates and improves the firmware of their lenses. Regarding the weather sealing, the lens, my camera, and I all got covered with the Pacific Ocean. I spent an hour and a half cleaning sand out of all the little crevices of of my gear, and making sure there’s no left over salt on anything. Since Tamron is known for their weather sealing I felt comfortable getting super close to waves with it. I would not have done that with the Samyang. I absolutely would not have been able to change lenses on this shoot so I really appreciated the focal length range All that being said, they mostly feel like the same lens. If my Samyang would stay at a particular focal length I would have kept it and been happy. I feel like I spent $500 just to tighten up a zoom ring, and get a firmware upgrade.
On-target review, based on my experience, and you are right to call out veiling flare with big, bright backlighting - it’s the only real weakness I’ve found with my lens. I’m an event photographer, I’ve had this lens for almost a year, and I only shoot stills, and I’m very pleased with every other aspect of this lens - sharpness, AF, build quality. Yeah, lens creep is a minor annoyance, but it doesn’t really get in my way. Paid $1099 for mine and considering it a fantastic bargain.
Your Sigma 85mm DG DN 1.4 is a beast of a lens, I have that and the Tamron 35-150. I would never get rid of my 85mm sigma! It’s one of the best for Sony FE
I had one, I was trying to find reason why I preferred the Tamron. After 8 month I wanted to have it fixed mostly autofocus related issues. No one took it for fixing under warranty so I contacted Amazon and without question they sent the money back.
I returned the Samyang due to focusing issues and got the Tamron. They won't be able to improve the Samyang through software updates because it uses a stepper motor instead of the VXD motors found on the Tamron. I wanted to love the Samyang, it is a great lens for the price, but I am much more confident with the Tamron.
Thanks Arthur for the review! I believe that 35 -150 mm will be the new standard zoom range soon. I was interested in buying the Tamron 35-150, but suddenly found the similar lens with lower price from Samyang. I really wish to get it in Canada soon.
At my place, Samyang and Tamron have similar prices (Tamron is ~$100 more) so I chose Tamron instead but Samyang is still a good choice and it has better bokeh balls.
I’d have trouble putting more than a few hundred dollars into a Samyang AF lens. They make phenomenal glass but the overall package can be a crapshoot on reliability- both in engineering and quality control. I don’t have to worry when I use a Tamron or Sigma lens in the way I do about Samyang.
Sir, when you compare pictures side by side, it will help if you mention in bold letters which side picture was taken by what lens...its always confusing and hard to figure out.. thank you
Great video, thanks for the review. I'm wondering if you had a bad copy as I used it recently for a wedding (photos only) and the eye auto focusing was spot on for about 95% of the time and locked on very quickly. I was using an A7 IV.
Is this lens working with the sony ZVE10? Yeah I'm talking about the crop mirrorless camera. Just asking cause I wanted an all arounder with f2.0-2.8 and I read some posts that the FE lenses are not compatible with some E mount cameras😅 I wish someone could test this.
I was excited about this lens once but when I went to check it out at the local store which only ordered 1 set, part of the rubber of the zoom ring was not in place... sort of came off a little and I had to push it back in position. I was kind of shocked by the QC and worried that the build is not going to last...
Based on your review and some of the comments below I bought it. My hopes were very high. However, my copy had very subpar results. For STILL subjects, it was very sharp, but once my subject moved the auto focus missed often. Too often, in fact. When I introduced flash, the autofocus was worse. I bought the lens station and updated the firmware which did not fix the issue. Of 12 years of shooting weddings this is by far my worst performing lens. So I swapped it for a new one, once again with high hopes and same thing. Missing focus... a lot. I am extremely disappointed. Sent it back for a refund. In my opinion this lens is not for professional wedding photographers. Maybe I got 2 bad copies?
great review, as always :). I will be buying, again, the sony 18-135mm lens (my previous one was stolen). The Sony 18-135 lens is incredibly compact (1/3 the size/weight of this Samyang 35-150 lens). I love it! Size and weight incredibly matter. The sony 18-135mm lens is a great first lens for anyone trying out the Sony A6000 series cameras, and certainly is a bargain at only $400 new from Sony if you buy it as a bundle with the Sony A6700 camera ($1400 for body, $1800 for camera body plus the lens)
good concept from Rokinon or Samyang, but in my experience 2 lenses that I have bought from this company, both of them have failed at arrival. one 85mm f/1.4, just couldn't focus at all. one 11mm was focusing, but it stopped working when i was trying it on my camera.I can't say that I have a good experience, since this company has failed me, i can't say either that their lenses produce great images, because I didn't even had the opportunity to try them when I got them. I will prefer to spend the extra money and buy the Tamron
Why not test it with the a6x00? I think i remember when you bought a fullframe (i think it was a7m2 or m1) that you said you would still do apsc. I think the only one that does it now is Christopher Frost
In many of the sample images you showed, it looks like the deep edges are somewhat darker than the center of the frame. Is this truly the case? One of the most important things to me in lens performance is an image circle that is bright throughout the entire frame. It really sucks to have to use corrective software to make the corners bright enough.
Any recommendations for the tripod collar? I just grabbed this lens with BF sales directly from Samyang, boy it’s heavy. It’s good but heavy for a casual photography. Has anyone found any suitable tripod collar?
Something everyone fails to mention is that when you zoom out all the air of the barrel is pushed inwards instead of out with a result of dust being gathered inside. Very bad thing for a zoom lens to do.
I noticed two things with the 35-150 Tamron from my 6-7 months of use. Amazing lens but 2 drawbacks one is that up to 40 mils it has barrel distortion then at 40ish is good and after that starts a heavy pincussion distortion. Is that the case with the cheaper Samyang? Drawback number two is a super weird thing that under heavy use (commercial catalogue portrait session) and I mean heavy, 2 to 3 thousand images non stop work no turning off of the camera it has this weird issue with the Aperture, it binds for some reason and it is not always present. Basically it thinks it is in f7.1 but closes to f4 or goes from f7.1 and closes to f8. Tested and confirmed that with Tamron they did replace the whole lens for me and the brand spanking new one has the same issue. It goes away if I turn on or off the camera and I do not think anyone else has put ths beast through that rought and intense of a shooting schedule but that is that. Wonder how the Samyand would handle it na dif Sony will make a 35-150mm GM, now that would be sweet.
I’d rather have the dock than a dust-magnet uncovered port. My iPhone’s port regularly needs cleaning with a toothpick. The dock has worked perfectly for me with all nine of my Samyang lenses over the past 3 years.
What?! You "compared" this lens to a Tamron but not the Tamron 35-150 which created this option nearly 2yrs before Samyang? I'm rewarding the company that innovates and gives me new options -- Samyang gave me a "me too" lens that saturates the market. Why didn't Samyang innovate with a lens like 20-135mm or 50mm-200mm? Can you imagine a 20-135mm for wedding photography? the 35-150 is nearly perfect for concert photography.
@@sulev111 that's not what I've ment,ofc they do work, but there is a crop factor. I'm sure you ment FE(Full frame E-Mount), So let me reformulate again : EF( E - mount lens) mayabe this time you get a better understanding of what I've ment.........and by the way, full frame lenses are always more expensive.
@@bogdannecula You only have variable aperture super-zooms on aps-c. Something like 18-300/f3.5-6.3. The only company that is dedicated to aps-c is Fujifilm. They have 18-80 and 18-120 F4 zooms. (Tamron makes a 17-70 for aps-c.)
you absolutely need to test the Tamron one!. The Samyang is just a cheap clone. That comparison with better results than the Tamron had a faulty Tamron lense btw
I'm a full-time wedding videographer, I mainly use this lens for speeches and the ceremony, have zero issues leaving the camera just in AF, aisle shots, harsh light etc, no problems.
Thanks for this review, very useful ! Just one thing... 600 USD or 550 Euro less than the competition, OK. But with its polymer construction, its one-year guarantee, its bad side of having a lose barrel when brand new... can anyone foresee the cost of a repair or maintenance ? One-year guarantee... seriously ? Samyang/Rokinon are great at inexpensive cine lenses, but they have some way to go when it comes to real-world pro gear for photographers. And I've used my first Samyang cine lens in 2013, so I know what they're made of. Those 600 coins (or 400 according to a recent comment, here) are "the price of tranquility". When a lens is MF there's not much to compare, but when two AF lenses are face-to-face it's a whole different story. You can have all the firmware updates in the World, an old(er) and weaker AF-motor system is a hardware issue and shall always penalize the lens. This one is meant for event coverage (and could be a very powerful tool for such purpose), but event photographers cannot afford to have a 85 or 90% focus-hit rate only. It is my main field in photography, and I need a miss-rate well below 5%... 2 to 3% being the maximum. With my old Sony RX10M4, now my B camera, I have much better results than this. In this instance, the similar Tamron lens brings peace of mind and steadier output quality. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I've read Sony has now entered the Tamron company, by owning shares, and this could bring interesting perspectives for specialty or niche lenses from Tamron such as their own 35-150... a true hit, in all aspects. And future lenses... cine lenses, new "trinity" based on this 35-150, who knows ?
I had three copies of the Samyang 35-150 and they all had issues. This lens is terrible. I got the Tamron and couldn’t be happier plus the build quality on the Tamron is so much better and 6 year warranty vs. the one year on the Samyang. I have been watching Arthur for a long time way back when he had a different channel name. But not now he is a larger TH-cam tuber and got a free lens and is saying wonderful things about it. He only had the one negative about focus in video mode. This lens has focus issues in photo mode also plus it can work smoothly with the dynamic active stabilizer on sony newest cameras. And yeah they will fix everything with firmware updates. Well, you have to buy an additional piece of hardware to do firmware updates. Arthur didn’t tell us about that
I mentioned the build being not as good. I mentioned the AF issues. I mentioned video AF issues. I also mentioned the price of the accessory to update firmware. Its all there.
Get the Tamron. This lens is very unreliable. When you buy something from Samyang/Rokinon, sometimes it's good, sometimes it's crap. and that 1 year warranty is a big red flag.
Would not be able to tell which brand is which these days. Does anyone make a bad f2.8 these days? I've seen the Tamron go as low as $1429 on ebay from prominent sellers. The Samyang looks more expensive and higher end vs the Tamron.
I have tried two different copies of this lens and neither of them fit on the Samyang Lens station. With the first lens it actually broke the pins on the lens station. Therefore I was unable to update the firmware or change the lens settings. It's possible I just had bad luck (twice), but I have decided to go for the Tamron lens instead. I also hope the build quality of the Tamron will to be significantly better.
I compared the Tamron 35-150 and Samyang for a couple of days.
The Samyang rendered much cooler than the Tamron which I personally liked more (but this doesn't matter if you shoot raw). The Samyang was a little sharper from 35-100 (center). To see the difference I had to crop more than 100%, so nothing that you should worry about in daily use. The Samyang was even a little sharper than my Sony 35 1.8 FE at 2.0 (center) which is incredible. The Tamron was equally sharp with the Sony.
From 100-150 the Samyang was weaker wide open, especially at 150. Not usable in my opinion at 150 f2.8 for far distance subjects. In normal and close distance the performance was good. I have no idea why though. Interestingly stopped down a little, it was even sharper than the Tamron. But only in the center. In midframe the Tamron was always better (at all focal lenghts).
At 85mm both were as sharp as my Sony 85 1.8 FE (center). Astonishing!
At the 35mm mark the Tamron covers a wider view. The Samyang looks more like 37mm.
The build quality of the Samyang was good, the Tamron was great. The materials felt a bit more premium. The Tamron has one more button and they felt better. Also the USB-C port on the Tamron to connect it with a smartphone or computer to adjust settings is cool and more convenient compared to the seperate docking station you need with the Samyang (way too expensive for the cheap piece of plastic). But of course this is probably rarely in use.
I found the bokeh with the Samyang a bit nicer and it has better macro capabilities. BUT the focus accuracy with the Tamron was a lot higher. The keeper rate was close to 100%, with the Samyang there were just too many miss-focused images, even with the new firmware update. This combined with the 5 year warranty (Tamron) vs 2 year (Samyang) made me buy the Tamron. Even though it was a little over 400€ more expensive.
Thanks for the mini review of both lens. I'm definitely leaning more towards the Tamron though it's good to see that it has competition now.
Nice review.
I returned my lens to SamyangUS where I bought it. My copy was noticeably soft at 150mm, and the amount of veiling glare was atrocious. At 35mm it was excellent even wide open. Focusing was iffy, a lot of back focused shots. I think Samyang used a lot cheaper glass than Tamron, so optically it's nowhere as good, and of course, focusing totally sucks.
Thank you for your practical review. I'm looking for the first lens for A7 III - Tamron is too expensive for me, Samyang was very tempting but thanks to you I know that it's better to let go. I will buy a Sigma 24-70mm :)
@@PiotrekW91 You will love that Sigma 24-70! The Tamron is just more versatile, less lens swapping and getting dust on your sensor lol I bought mine used for $1600 using Affirm financing. Pay about $140/mo. Well worth it to me as the lens stays on my camera 95% of the time.
Hi Arthur, I’ve bought this lens and sent it back after a few days because I found it to be not sharp at all. Maybe i got a bad copy, and that’s the big issue with Samyang glass…you never know what you’ll get exactly. Anyway I decided to go with Tamron instead and as always, no better choise. I hope you do a comparison between the two, so we can have your opinion on that, cause as you said not many people has reviewed the Samyang lens. Thanks as always for your contents 👍🏼
Yes, very hit and miss. I sent both of my copies back to B&H sadly.
Got mine for 1099€ in Europe and I am super happy. Had three sessions so far and it's a great versatile lens. My copy doesn't suffer from the lens creep mentioned in the video. It renders a bit cooler as my Tamron 28-75. Not shooting video, but for photo, the AF is on paar with all my other lenses.
A full frame zoom that I have used and appreciated was a 28-135 f3.5 Canon zoom. I would think that either a 24 or 28 mm lower end zoom would be more useful than the 150 mm and would reduce the size and weight.
just get the 24-120mm f4 Nikon , 0.5 aperture diff very little . But F2 to F3.5 are noticable
Well if u said end zoom not that useful , why not get 24-105mm F4 RF/EF instead . Well its much better as it 'L' lens with Red Ring
I love my sony 24-240, but the aputure is not great
The Tamron 35-150 has been stuck to my camera since I bought it. But its so heavy!
For the price and that zoom range and that incredible range of aperture, it is worth all the money! A perfect outdoor lens may it be street, landscape, travel, casual or at times wildlife photography when paired with an APS-C! People who tend to lean a little towards smartphone photography and don’t prefer changing lenses, can pair this lens-camera combo alongside a decent smartphone, to cover all the essential focal lengths from 12mm upto 150mm!
No, dude. You don’t want bulky almost 1,5 kilo piece of glass when doing street photos. You want to be as light as possible and versatile same time. Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 will be perfect if you want zoom while shooting street, but not this “giant”
Lens For walkaround and street photography camera apsc, best sigma 18-50 f2.8, tamron 17-70 f2.8 and sony 18-105mm f4
I got the lens from SamyangUS at 10% discount and I still had to return it because it's terrible.
@@casualcoffeeshooter My favorite lens for street is Tamron 20-40/2.8, it's very compact, excellent optically, and the focal range is almost perfect indoors and outdoors.
@@casualcoffeeshooterI think so. 1.5Kg+ is not suitable for street photography. It’s too heavy.
I've bought 3 Samyang lens to my ZV-E1.
That's Samyang 14mm f/2.8 FE, Samyang 24-70mm f/2.8 FE and Samyang 35-150 f/2-2.9 FE.
Samyang has that dreamy wedding photography look. So this is an easy buy for that. Or for a glamor/headshot studio.
Yup, but I rather take an infocus picture. The Af performance kills this lens.
Awesome video Arthur! One thing is good to mention, Sony partially owns Tamron, and there is a reason why Tamron autofocus works perfectly with Sony bodies... If I would go for this focal length range, I would get the Tamron and pay that extra $600. (Also Tamron warranty is 6yrs), but personally I rather have my Sigma 24-70 and Tamron 70-180. Since the Sigma 24-70 is a video beast and with the FX3's zoom rocker I get 105mm out of it, (or put it on the A7IV and crop mode 36-105mm) its just a more compact and travel friendly combo.
Why sigma is a video beast?
@@ezenglishwith because of the focal range 24-70 (105mm with clear image zoom) cost only $1100 compare to the GM $2300… and delivers %95 of the GM. Also focus breathing is literally non existing.
@@g_lantosDoes clear image zoom work on “zoom” lenses? I thought it was only for prime lenses? I have the a6500. Thanks.
@@timgurr1876 no it works on my Sony GM 16-35 for sure because I use it a lot to get 52.5mm out of it. The only downsize is no more eye tracking if you use it, only center focus if I’m right.
One reviewer had to apologize for his first video that claimed that the Samyang was better. Turns out his Tamron was a faulty model. You are just the second TH-cam reviewer that I recognize/follow to review the Samyang.
I own the Tamron and I could not be happier. It is a heavy lens but it covers so many focal lengths that it makes it so nice to shoot with. Plus the fact that the Tamron has the ability to customize the custom buttons and focus ring is awesome straight to the lens from a computer.
I used it for the last 7 months on my a7c with a small rig cage with the grip. I just got an a7iv with the peak design hand grip/clutch and it feels great. It distributes the weight well and not all on your wrist.
The Tamron is fantastic but it is not the cheapest. It is a fantastic value but it is good to have different price options. I’ve done a few paid jobs but still a hobbyists but I felt the Tamron was a good investements. I sold an FE 24-105mm f/4 lens to help pay for the Tamron. I really like the sony lens but I quickly saw and felt the difference with the Tamron. I also have an FE 20mm f/1.8 for wide shots.
Tom Carlton did indeed apologise about his tamron not being 100% but still said the Samyang was better as the fault in the Tamron was only minor. Plus you can customise the Samyang just as much as the tamron including the aperture ring.
A wedding photographer with big muscles will love that lens.
I plan on ordering two of them so I can do bicep curls inbetween sessions with them.
And to carry both a 24-70 f/2.8 and a 70-200 f/2.8, what do you need... if not big muscles ? Or "double big", one set for each lens... because, even with the latest generations, there's no "compact" 70-200 f/2.8 to this date.
You also forget the fact that this lens will not leave the camera, a huge plus for the photographer but for the camera too. Unless you are among the very few who love cleaning sensors once a week.
A clever choice, when properly thought out, shall be done with all factors in mind. Forgetting too many, including some major ones (like having to swap lenses in the deep-middle of an event, just at the precise moment of the unmissable picture !), shall lead into a poor experience. And eventually poor results, then loss of activity.
I don't mean this happens often, but I mean it can happen and it's always the worst moment when it does.
We've all been through that, haven't we ? 😇
I hope you can do a comparison between this and the tamron's
Thank you so much Arthur. This is THE comment I've been looking for. How this lens does in video AF performance for fast motion. I literally added every video that even mighttt cover this in a queue & skimmed them all. Only one of them covered it, and even then, I found that the guy wasn't running fast enough.... so many thanks bru
Sweet thanks! 🙏 Now I'm going to buy the 6700 because of your recommendation so please place the affiliate link in the description so I can thank you 😌🤌 I just really hope overheating on 4k120 isn't too much of an issue.
I have this lens and It holds up well with my a7 rv
I really love Samyang! I have a bunch of their primes and really value them. Unfortunately, I had to return my Samyang 35-150mm.
The Samyang was a good performing lens with two major issues, completely unacceptable lens creep, and poor battery life. If I pointed the lens downward, it felt as if the front element would spill out. I couldn’t do a shoot and keep the focal length consistent at all. Every time I would move the focal length would so easily change.
Got the Tamron a few days later. Kind of the opposite. The zoom ring is tight to where I actually hope it slightly loosens after time. You can tell that you're not just working against the gearing, but also the weather sealing as you hear the whistle of air pumping in and out. I can pick a focal length and it stays there. Very helpful for photography where I'm moving around and I want to keep the same focal length "look". It feels like I can't move as quickly with the zoom ring.
The one job (Bat Mitzvah) I had with the Samyang I took 3 shots of everything I wanted to capture. From a balcony: close up on the girl, girl + rabbi, girl + rabbi + parents in the front row, then finally girl + rabbi + guests. I think with the Tamron I'd be a little more deliberate.
The Samyang KILLLLLED the battery life at the one event I used it at. Like, the Sony batteries are all day batteries for me but after 1,400 shots my battery was dead. The Tamron, after 800 shots, I was still at 70%.
The Tamron is slightly lighter, and slightly thinner but feels smaller due to it's "narrower in the middle" profile. It has a more photography look where as the Samyang (with it's thicker rubber knurled focus ring) has a more cine look.
The buttons on the Tamron are more prominent and easier to find, feel, and press, while on the Samyang the felt a little more flush like they were made to be harder to accidentally press.
The grey on black lettering on the Tamron is much more subtle than the silver on black on the Samyang. The Tamron has a lens cap with a bright and shiny "TAMRON" logo, and the Samyang's lens cap clips on in a way that makes it get stuck on the thin ring of a UV filter. Both got replaced with a simple 3rd party lens cap. I prefer the Tamron, but not significantly.
In the shots I took with it, the Samyang looks prettier. The Samyang looks warmer while the Tamron looks a little clinical in the way Sony's are often criticized for. The Tamron is sharper and I felt more comfortable cropping with it..
Regarding autofocus, this Tamron is a curse in disguise. I have so many more images to cull. I had a sunset engagement shoot at a rocky beach today. Lots of tricky lighting, lots of movement, maybe the shadows and rocks will look like faces/eyes to the AF. Usually, the missed focus images represent a good chunk of a shoot. Those are super easy to cull out. This Tamron has such a high hit factor that I can no longer rely on that.
There was maybe 2 times where I had to refocus on a face.
My Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 has good autofocus, but the Samyang 35-150mm is better. The Tamron 35-150mm is noticeably better than the Samyang.
The Samyang focuses well and fast, but the Tamron is stupid fast. Like, I don't need it to move from it's minimum focus to infinity in like 1/32 of a second. It's cool, but overkill for me. Seriously, it moves in a flash.
That being said, I have an about 5 Samyang primes and all of them have improved with updates. Samyang aggressively updates and improves the firmware of their lenses.
Regarding the weather sealing, the lens, my camera, and I all got covered with the Pacific Ocean. I spent an hour and a half cleaning sand out of all the little crevices of of my gear, and making sure there’s no left over salt on anything. Since Tamron is known for their weather sealing I felt comfortable getting super close to waves with it. I would not have done that with the Samyang.
I absolutely would not have been able to change lenses on this shoot so I really appreciated the focal length range
All that being said, they mostly feel like the same lens. If my Samyang would stay at a particular focal length I would have kept it and been happy. I feel like I spent $500 just to tighten up a zoom ring, and get a firmware upgrade.
On-target review, based on my experience, and you are right to call out veiling flare with big, bright backlighting - it’s the only real weakness I’ve found with my lens. I’m an event photographer, I’ve had this lens for almost a year, and I only shoot stills, and I’m very pleased with every other aspect of this lens - sharpness, AF, build quality. Yeah, lens creep is a minor annoyance, but it doesn’t really get in my way. Paid $1099 for mine and considering it a fantastic bargain.
just got my copy yesterday and im loving it. now i have a little problem i dont know what to do with my samyang 24-70 and sigma 85dgdn
Your Sigma 85mm DG DN 1.4 is a beast of a lens, I have that and the Tamron 35-150. I would never get rid of my 85mm sigma! It’s one of the best for Sony FE
I went with a used Tamron 35-150, but I do have and like some Samyang glass, so it doesn't surprise me that this a good lens.
I had one, I was trying to find reason why I preferred the Tamron. After 8 month I wanted to have it fixed mostly autofocus related issues. No one took it for fixing under warranty so I contacted Amazon and without question they sent the money back.
I returned the Samyang due to focusing issues and got the Tamron. They won't be able to improve the Samyang through software updates because it uses a stepper motor instead of the VXD motors found on the Tamron. I wanted to love the Samyang, it is a great lens for the price, but I am much more confident with the Tamron.
Thanks Arthur for the review! I believe that 35 -150 mm will be the new standard zoom range soon. I was interested in buying the Tamron 35-150, but suddenly found the similar lens with lower price from Samyang. I really wish to get it in Canada soon.
At my place, Samyang and Tamron have similar prices (Tamron is ~$100 more) so I chose Tamron instead but Samyang is still a good choice and it has better bokeh balls.
Hi, what Tamron you got please? Could you please give some insights?
@@Dotnetawy of course it's Tamron 35-150mm. It's has top-of-the-line image quality and AF capabilities but the bokeh quality is average.
@@Dotnetawy this lens is literally a copy of the tamron version
Hello arthur.. please provide information in the photo you shot like aperture, iso, ss, etc. so that we can get more references, thanks alot...
I’d have trouble putting more than a few hundred dollars into a Samyang AF lens. They make phenomenal glass but the overall package can be a crapshoot on reliability- both in engineering and quality control. I don’t have to worry when I use a Tamron or Sigma lens in the way I do about Samyang.
I have some more recent samyang AG glass, and so far so good. But I agree - its a risk.
Sir, when you compare pictures side by side, it will help if you mention in bold letters which side picture was taken by what lens...its always confusing and hard to figure out.. thank you
It is shown in the top left of the images
Either watch the video in full screen or get your eyes checked out my a license professional.
@@Faded.Visuals lol
@@Faded.Visuals yo easy bro.. i think someones gotta go check their vision based on their profile name..lmao
It’s in very small print. I pause video to check which is which.
Everyone and their mother was talking about it 🌚
I didn’t think my mother was. But her friend told me she did.
It's reviewed the 35-150 Tamron on my channel. It's my favorite lens I've ever used
hello Arthur! If possible, test the Tamron 35-150. I'm thinking of buying it, but would like your opinion first. Excellent content! congrats!
Great video, thanks for the review. I'm wondering if you had a bad copy as I used it recently for a wedding (photos only) and the eye auto focusing was spot on for about 95% of the time and locked on very quickly. I was using an A7 IV.
I hope they make a 24-105mm 2.8 like canon did. That is a better focal lenght IMHO.
I swear I thought you were the guy from Hoovees Garage for a min! Great vid and you've got a new subscriber now❤❤
This lens has a great look to it!
The rf mount dont have cool lenses like that😭 im really starting to regret choosing the R7
Is this lens working with the sony ZVE10? Yeah I'm talking about the crop mirrorless camera. Just asking cause I wanted an all arounder with f2.0-2.8 and I read some posts that the FE lenses are not compatible with some E mount cameras😅 I wish someone could test this.
I was excited about this lens once but when I went to check it out at the local store which only ordered 1 set, part of the rubber of the zoom ring was not in place... sort of came off a little and I had to push it back in position. I was kind of shocked by the QC and worried that the build is not going to last...
Based on your review and some of the comments below I bought it. My hopes were very high. However, my copy had very subpar results. For STILL subjects, it was very sharp, but once my subject moved the auto focus missed often. Too often, in fact. When I introduced flash, the autofocus was worse. I bought the lens station and updated the firmware which did not fix the issue. Of 12 years of shooting weddings this is by far my worst performing lens. So I swapped it for a new one, once again with high hopes and same thing. Missing focus... a lot. I am extremely disappointed. Sent it back for a refund. In my opinion this lens is not for professional wedding photographers. Maybe I got 2 bad copies?
I keep seeing ads about this lens but I need an ef mount
great review, as always :). I will be buying, again, the sony 18-135mm lens (my previous one was stolen). The Sony 18-135 lens is incredibly compact (1/3 the size/weight of this Samyang 35-150 lens). I love it! Size and weight incredibly matter. The sony 18-135mm lens is a great first lens for anyone trying out the Sony A6000 series cameras, and certainly is a bargain at only $400 new from Sony if you buy it as a bundle with the Sony A6700 camera ($1400 for body, $1800 for camera body plus the lens)
Compare this vs the 18-135 from Sony? - An APSC shooter
No comparison here. The 18135 is a F3.5-5.6. 2 stops light difference
The appropriate 35mm-format comparison to the 18-135 is Tamron’s 28-200.
Love my Tamron lens. Heavy but awesome. Sold my 70-200 2.8. Find the range of this much more useful.
A Few steps towards bankruptcy😂😂😂😂well said...and excellent video as usual.
good concept from Rokinon or Samyang, but in my experience 2 lenses that I have bought from this company, both of them have failed at arrival. one 85mm f/1.4, just couldn't focus at all. one 11mm was focusing, but it stopped working when i was trying it on my camera.I can't say that I have a good experience, since this company has failed me, i can't say either that their lenses produce great images, because I didn't even had the opportunity to try them when I got them. I will prefer to spend the extra money and buy the Tamron
Hah, I had an similar exp with my 85/1.4. AF was crazy faulty - maybe 20% keeper rate when shooting. Constantly missed critical focus.
Watched the video and went out and bought the lens. Thanks for a great video.
Thanks for the great content!
i thought you'd compare it to the tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8
Why not test it with the a6x00? I think i remember when you bought a fullframe (i think it was a7m2 or m1) that you said you would still do apsc.
I think the only one that does it now is Christopher Frost
The tamron is way smaller easier on your back. Need something like this for fuji..
Is that compatible to Canon R50?
In many of the sample images you showed, it looks like the deep edges are somewhat darker than the center of the frame. Is this truly the case? One of the most important things to me in lens performance is an image circle that is bright throughout the entire frame. It really sucks to have to use corrective software to make the corners bright enough.
Do you recomend this lens for mi a6100 aps-c? :)
Would this lenses work with the new Sony A6700?
would it be good to pair this lens with a6400 or any apsc cameras?
Any recommendations for the tripod collar? I just grabbed this lens with BF sales directly from Samyang, boy it’s heavy. It’s good but heavy for a casual photography. Has anyone found any suitable tripod collar?
has there been a update regarding AF speed/accuracy?
Something everyone fails to mention is that when you zoom out all the air of the barrel is pushed inwards instead of out with a result of dust being gathered inside. Very bad thing for a zoom lens to do.
But when you zoom in it gets pushed out.....
Thanks for the review
I noticed two things with the 35-150 Tamron from my 6-7 months of use. Amazing lens but 2 drawbacks one is that up to 40 mils it has barrel distortion then at 40ish is good and after that starts a heavy pincussion distortion. Is that the case with the cheaper Samyang?
Drawback number two is a super weird thing that under heavy use (commercial catalogue portrait session) and I mean heavy, 2 to 3 thousand images non stop work no turning off of the camera it has this weird issue with the Aperture, it binds for some reason and it is not always present. Basically it thinks it is in f7.1 but closes to f4 or goes from f7.1 and closes to f8. Tested and confirmed that with Tamron they did replace the whole lens for me and the brand spanking new one has the same issue. It goes away if I turn on or off the camera and I do not think anyone else has put ths beast through that rought and intense of a shooting schedule but that is that.
Wonder how the Samyand would handle it na dif Sony will make a 35-150mm GM, now that would be sweet.
Damn. The price per performance looks good. Dock is a stupid cashgrab compared to usb ports, but hatever.
I’d rather have the dock than a dust-magnet uncovered port. My iPhone’s port regularly needs cleaning with a toothpick. The dock has worked perfectly for me with all nine of my Samyang lenses over the past 3 years.
What?! You "compared" this lens to a Tamron but not the Tamron 35-150 which created this option nearly 2yrs before Samyang? I'm rewarding the company that innovates and gives me new options -- Samyang gave me a "me too" lens that saturates the market. Why didn't Samyang innovate with a lens like 20-135mm or 50mm-200mm? Can you imagine a 20-135mm for wedding photography? the 35-150 is nearly perfect for concert photography.
Wait what?! All praise samyang! Is Samyang going to release this to all systems unlike Tamron? In that way they would really win the market
I want it for Pentax
I love Samyang lenses
Which Firmware is on the lens? Samyang released a new a few weeks ago.
Version 2.0
Thank you for the review. Is there a version of it for Aps-C bodies?
Every FF lens works on aps-c.
@@sulev111 that's not what I've ment,ofc they do work, but there is a crop factor.
I'm sure you ment FE(Full frame E-Mount), So let me reformulate again : EF( E - mount lens) mayabe this time you get a better understanding of what I've ment.........and by the way, full frame lenses are always more expensive.
@@bogdannecula You only have variable aperture super-zooms on aps-c. Something like 18-300/f3.5-6.3. The only company that is dedicated to aps-c is Fujifilm. They have 18-80 and 18-120 F4 zooms. (Tamron makes a 17-70 for aps-c.)
Did you end up buying one?
Preorder early version with huge discount. Good lens, but bulky and too heavy. Better to have couple primes in my bag instead. Returned
In Europe it as a 5 year warranty
you absolutely need to test the Tamron one!. The Samyang is just a cheap clone. That comparison with better results than the Tamron had a faulty Tamron lense btw
Finally!
i am RATEFUL for your video
I thought long about purchasing a Samyang 35-150 but I stuck with my Sigma 24-70mm Art instead.
How is the autofocus for video?
I'm a full-time wedding videographer, I mainly use this lens for speeches and the ceremony, have zero issues leaving the camera just in AF, aisle shots, harsh light etc, no problems.
Is this Hoovie's Garage? xD Love the lens tho
im actually impressed nice
The size alone would disqualify it for me.
Thanks for this review, very useful !
Just one thing... 600 USD or 550 Euro less than the competition, OK.
But with its polymer construction, its one-year guarantee, its bad side of having a lose barrel when brand new... can anyone foresee the cost of a repair or maintenance ?
One-year guarantee... seriously ?
Samyang/Rokinon are great at inexpensive cine lenses, but they have some way to go when it comes to real-world pro gear for photographers. And I've used my first Samyang cine lens in 2013, so I know what they're made of.
Those 600 coins (or 400 according to a recent comment, here) are "the price of tranquility".
When a lens is MF there's not much to compare, but when two AF lenses are face-to-face it's a whole different story. You can have all the firmware updates in the World, an old(er) and weaker AF-motor system is a hardware issue and shall always penalize the lens. This one is meant for event coverage (and could be a very powerful tool for such purpose), but event photographers cannot afford to have a 85 or 90% focus-hit rate only. It is my main field in photography, and I need a miss-rate well below 5%... 2 to 3% being the maximum. With my old Sony RX10M4, now my B camera, I have much better results than this.
In this instance, the similar Tamron lens brings peace of mind and steadier output quality.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I've read Sony has now entered the Tamron company, by owning shares, and this could bring interesting perspectives for specialty or niche lenses from Tamron such as their own 35-150... a true hit, in all aspects. And future lenses... cine lenses, new "trinity" based on this 35-150, who knows ?
It seem no one think that Tamron is worse than Samyang, even Tamron is release nearly 2 years ago.
thanks for sharing 😍😍
the 150mm has never been a popular focal length. 135mm sure, 180mm sure, 200mm sure, but there isnt' even a 150mm prime lens.
actually sigma makes a 150mm macro, and there are 150m to 600mm zooms, but I still content 150mm is not a popular focal length.
Daymmmm not bad
I had three copies of the Samyang 35-150 and they all had issues. This lens is terrible. I got the Tamron and couldn’t be happier plus the build quality on the Tamron is so much better and 6 year warranty vs. the one year on the Samyang. I have been watching Arthur for a long time way back when he had a different channel name. But not now he is a larger TH-cam tuber and got a free lens and is saying wonderful things about it. He only had the one negative about focus in video mode. This lens has focus issues in photo mode also plus it can work smoothly with the dynamic active stabilizer on sony newest cameras. And yeah they will fix everything with firmware updates. Well, you have to buy an additional piece of hardware to do firmware updates. Arthur didn’t tell us about that
I mentioned the build being not as good. I mentioned the AF issues. I mentioned video AF issues. I also mentioned the price of the accessory to update firmware. Its all there.
Would be more useful if it was a 24-120
It won't be f/2.8
Get the Tamron. This lens is very unreliable. When you buy something from Samyang/Rokinon, sometimes it's good, sometimes it's crap. and that 1 year warranty is a big red flag.
해상력, F조리개에 몰빵한 렌즈, 무겁고, 광각없고, 망원도 애매한 렌즈. 제 취향은 아니에요.
I WANT FE 24-240 REVIEW
Would not be able to tell which brand is which these days. Does anyone make a bad f2.8 these days? I've seen the Tamron go as low as $1429 on ebay from prominent sellers. The Samyang looks more expensive and higher end vs the Tamron.
The $1429 Tamron is probably international version which doesn't offer USA warranty
Samyang ... ramen
9:10 where? Worse AF, worse sharpness, worse flaring, no warranty, have to buy a dock...
In sharpness comparisons ive read. I dont have the Tamron to test.
Samyang is AF bad in Video mode
bro by this time you should take a photography class, great content tho. !
Indeed.
Im just watching. Im poor. 😢😅
buy tamron,don't buy samyang
Does this counts as BARBIE Content 7:02 ???
Samyang ..... at this price .....???? NO thank you.
Why?
im too early i guess
I have tried two different copies of this lens and neither of them fit on the Samyang Lens station. With the first lens it actually broke the pins on the lens station. Therefore I was unable to update the firmware or change the lens settings. It's possible I just had bad luck (twice), but I have decided to go for the Tamron lens instead. I also hope the build quality of the Tamron will to be significantly better.