I work as a flight attendant and I keep both the Samyang 35 mm f1.8 and 75 mm f1.8 and a Sony a7c in my suitcase because they are compact, light, versatile and fun. I am glad that I can easily keep the 75 mm handy as a companion for the 35 mm because I am excited to learn to compose with it since I have been accustomed to composing with wider focal lengths.
Thanks so much, Dustin! Just used your link to buy one! I've loved the Sony Compact G lenses on the a7c. Really a great combo, especially for all the walking and hiking I've been doing since the pandemic started. At 24, 40 & 50mm the Sony Compact G's are great, but there's nothing longer than normal. I've been dreaming of a Sony 85mm compact G. I've searched for other brands and found nothing. Then this morning I thought, OK, what if I search for "75mm compact Sony FE" and your review came up first. This is the lens I've been dreaming of to complete an a7c compact lineup. And at half the price and a stop or stop+1/3 faster than the Compact G's. Thank you for all the great info, Dustin!
Just received this lens. I use a Fuji X system, but I see it as something that complements a kit lens greatly. You will get tele photo and nice bokehs in addition to what you get with a kit lens. This way, you can have a very light and versatile setup.
Aloha from Hawaii Dustin! I appreciate the review, I've watched many of your videos, I enjoy the format with the tests on sharpness and your candid opinions. Long time watched, first time subscriber today! Based on your review I ended up buying the lens. Thanks!
When there is a certain kind of intimacy with a lens - one starts to compose through the lens's eye & it leads to a special kind of imagery. I think the tiny series lends itself to this quality.
Thanks for this review. You really convinced me to have purchased this lens, and since I bought it I have no regrets. It is currently the best solution for my lightweight compact & longer focal length setup. Using it with a7c, it is much more desirable than the other lenses I tried before. Sony's own 85f1.8 is impressive enough, but I would say this lens delivers 95% of its performace at 60% weight, 70% size, and 50% price used. Now I'm willingly traveling around with both of my cameras (rx1r2 &a7c) without complaining about their weight!
Great review! This is my favourite Samyang lens and my go-to lens for any kind of portraiture. Few times I've been temped to upgrade to something like 85mm 1.4, but this 75mm 1.8 does so many things right for a fraction of price and weight that I've quickly given up from upgrading.
I got my Samyang 85f1.4 RF mint used for $550 how much cheaper can 75f1.8 go? I think 85f1.4 is quite a bit more background separation than 75f1.8 plus the weight difference is next to nothing. Canon's own RF 85f1.4 is more than twice as heavy as Samyang 85f1.4
Picked this lens up on Dustin's recommendation a couple months ago on sale at Adorama for $249. Exceptional value and bang-for-the-buck. Couldn't be happier! Thanks Dustin. Btw, really enjoy your channel. Much appreciation for all you do!
I’ve had the Sony 85 1.8 for a long time, which is my go to for portraits, I do also have the Samyang 35 1.8 however which is really nice to get more of the environment in portraits
Sounds like a really cool lens. I thought about selling my Sigma 65 f2 for this lens, but after deeper thought decided to stick with what I have. For traveling light, I usually travel with my Tamron 24mm which I rarely use, then my Sony 35mm f1.4, Sigma 65 and Sigma 90. That keeps things light for me. I use it on my Sony a7riii. For events, I use the 28-75 G2 Tamron, and Tamron 70-180. For indoors, mostly, again, the 35mm, Sigma 85mm 1.4 and Samyang 135mm 1.8 . And use my new Laowa 90mm f.2.8 macro for close ups. For landscape, I use whichever lens suits me. Don't really shoot wildlife. Being in my 70s as a retired pastor, like to keep things light.
I have this lens and use it on my a6500 which makes it a handy 110mm f2.8. I really like the combo for it's focal and light weight and compactness. The only things bothers me is its build quality which feels too cheap plastic and I feel a slight but annoying vibration from its focus motor. It's a great value lens indeed
I've been using the 75mm f1.8 for a while now. I was thinking of selling it and get an 85m f1.8 lens but none can compete with its size. The Samyang is just tiny, light and sharp.
Very nice review and lens! i'm on fuji apsc, street and travel photography, i own the fuji 50 f2 that is great, but sometimes i miss some reach and bokeh... In your opinion this lens and the 50 can be together or they are too close?
Thanks for alway bringing the most detailed reviews Dustin, you and Gerald Undone are doing a great and very helpful job. These Samyang/Rokinon lenses are amazing... I recently got the Rokinon 24mm f1.8 for video work (it was a better deal than Samyang, but its the same optics), because it has no FOCUS BREATHING at all, and all I can say, I am about to buy the entire prime line up or at least the 45mm and the 75mm. I use an FX3 and A7IV as I am a video shooter first then a photographer, so for me focus breathing is a big issue with my Sony GM 35 f1.4. That's a beautiful and all time favorite lens for travel/street photography, but not for video work. I usually shoot all my videos with the FX3+Sony GM 16-35 f2.8 combination or a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 art, but they are all f2.8 lenses and they aren't the best low light and they don't give you that really good separation between subject and background, which makes everything so cinematic. These lenses will really change the game for me. I can use a smaller gimbal, less weight to carry and they produce amazing quality, yes at 1.8 the corners aren't super sharp like my GM lenses, but in video work is really not a big issue. Also buying 3 lenses for around a $1000 is an amazing deal, even if you own other lenses with the same focal lengths for photos.
Either will fit your bill, you just need to decide what focal length works better for you. I would probably go the 45mm just because that focal length is so useful.
Just ordered this on Black Friday - $280. I got the 45 1.8 based on your recommendation and love it. Also got the 24 1.8 - so now will have a bit of a trifecta of Samyang tiny lenses - 24 / 45 / 75. Loving the size and weight - so easy to use and results are very nice. Between Samyang for primes and Tamron for zooms - it really makes Sony great value compared to other brands.
Dustin, if size isn't too much of a difference, would you personally get the samyang 75 or the sony 85 f1.8 at $100 more? Currently owning a sigma 35/2 and a samyang 18/2.8 (both thanks to you!)
That's a tough one. Both are good lenses. The Sony might have better resell value if you ever decide to sell it, but they are both pretty similar in terms of performance.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Do I lose something more then a little less background separation and a little slower AF when replace my Sony 85 1.8 with this 75? Other question is about bokeh blur of 75 1.8 Vs Samyang 50 1.4 II. 75 has better compression and bigger "balls" in oof but 50 1.4 is brighter lens so should have more blur. Is big difference in subject separation and which one you would prefer more (in term of image look not versatile of lens)?
Fantastic review, thank you Dustin! I’ve found the 85 just a tad too tight for indoor events (and even outdoor sometimes), and also excludes the environment just a bit more than I’d like. 75mm seems like a really nice alternative. I also have the 45mm f/1.8 which I love for the perspective it gives. Rather than the classic 35, 50 and 85, I think 45 and 75 should be able to cover a lot of ground in just two lenses. And really, really small ones too in this case. While I don’t love the plasticy feel of the 45mm f/1.8, the red ring that doesn’t match the orange of the full frame E-Mount, and I really hate the fact that they printed some writing on it in Arial (pet peeve of mine and a real eye sore to me), everything else about it is just great.
Another extraordinary review, Dustin! Balanced, informative, detailed, but not too detailed. Thank you! One question: How would you compare this lens to the Sony 90mm F2. 8 Macro (other than for macros of course)?
Hmmm, both lenses are very sharp. The Sony obviously has the better build and feature set, but at the cost of much larger size and weight (and actual cost). They are hardly comparable in many ways, so it really depends on your priorities. This Samyang is not very "macro" at all, so if you need a macro lens, you probably need to look at the Sony.
I cannot agree more with your conclusions !! This lens has become on of my very favorite lenses for its great combination of quality of results and very-very good compacity.
Awesome video! Quick question. I am torn between getting the Sigma 56mm F1.4 or this Sam 75mm F1.8 lens for my Sony camera (ZV-E10 - so an APSC). When talking about background blur and the 'quality' of the bokeh - which lens would give more do you think? Would the longer focal length of the 75 actually be better than the 56 despite being F1.8? Also, when using the 75mm, how far back would you have had to stand to get a full body shot? I assume very far! Thank you in advance.
I think the Samyang has nicer bokeh. The Sigma is very sharp, but the blur isn’t exceptional. As for distance for a full length portrait - about 20 feet or so.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you very much Mr Abbott, that's very helpful. I'm an enthusiast and looking for a nice portrait lens to get in to taking some family/wedding pictures etc. When you say the Sigma is very sharp, would you say the Samyang would do a more than good enough a job for someone like me? Your images seemed to be plenty sharp!
I shot this review on the Sony a7IV. If you are referring to the background of the video, of course there is some difference between myself (in the shade) and the background (in direct sun). I was using only available light for this filming location.
@@DustinAbbottTWI nice, thanks. I plan on taking my A7Siii on travel and use this lens. How do you feel about 85 vs 70? I want to take street videos of me walking with my girlfriend.
So, this or the sigma 65 f/2 on a full frame camera? I have the 35 GM & 135 GM. Even though the Zeiss 55 1.8 is a very good lens, it's too close to the 35mm for my taste. Hence I am not willing to consider the 50-ish focal length.
I know people say the build isn’t great on these Samyangs but they appear to have a similar minimalist plastic feel to the original Sony Zeiss 35mm f2.8 and 55mm f1.8. The plastic might feel cheap but low weight is an advantage for a lot of amateurs like me
Now that this is out for Fuji, I’m somewhat tempted. The dial can control aperture, and it’s a lot smaller with a better minimum focus distance than the (optically amazing) Viltrox 75/1.2. Most FF lenses don’t really interest me as an APS-C shooter, they tend to be either too big or too dark compared to native options, but some of these short telephoto lenses do. This is the only Samyang FF lens I’d consider, and I’d also be fascinated if Sigma ever brought their tiny 90/2.8 to Fuji, where the small size and excellent MFD would make it a decent alternative to Fuji’s 90. But since that seems unlikely, I’ll have to think long and hard about this.
Just did a family photo shoot on Sunday with this lens on my A7RIV and was very impressed with the results. The only notable flaw being some mild softness when a face was close to the edge of frame, but we're talking wide open with 61MP so that would be the case with a lot of lenses... I downsized from the Samyang 85mm F1.4 and most of the time the tradeoff for size is worth it for me.
Hi Dustin :) Hope this message finds you & family healthy, happy & well :) Like you, I have owned and used this lens for a huge variety of shooting purposes, over quite a long period, with it being the second lens (out of 4) I purchased from the tiny series Being so impressed with my 45mm, I then purchased the 75, 35, and lastly the newer 24mm I agree with all you say regarding this excellent series of optics, but, although image quality is truly lovely from the 75mm, even updated, & 3 examples in total tested, whereby any sinerio can be brilliantly photographed using the 24, 35 & 45mm, the 75mm needs to be used with stationary or slower moving subjects! As stated, the results from a motor racing shoot, using the tiny 45mm were truly outstanding! Far greater image quality than the sum of its components would suggest- The 75mm with landscapes, portraiture & stationary wildlife have been outstanding! Although with fast subjects such as racing cars, motorcycles, animals etc. The lens, for all its truly brilliant attributes and image quality, it, unlike the other three, can produce a number of shots in a range, that are out of focus (lacking the speed of the other three, also brilliant lenses) - I do Not consider this a fault! - It is not only amazing value, but the 75mm is a truly great optic. Thanks again Take good care God bless :)
Hi Fede Thank you for your question :) Obviously, only my personal thoughts :) The 35mm is a great walkabout lens - 35mm has the ability to capture a wider prospective, telling the story of "where you were" rather than just the subject - it's a super, crystal clear, fast focusing all rounder & one I almost always carry with me :) The 45mm seems quite unique - many people have commented favourably from seeing quite a number images produced on the 45mm - the colours & unique quality produced by this lens have perhaps a vintage unique colour (that I find very attractive), but with the ability to produce some very sharp, crystal clear photographs - from woodland shots, almost emphasising the greens, brown's & the natural beautiful colours captured within the image, from beautiful clear racing cars even at a distance, clearly showing the facial details of the driver through the vehicles glass, to some lovely portraiture- they are both excellent, but although close in focal length, I use them for very differing purposes:) The 35mm has produced some amazing shots of churches, buildings, facanating detailed architecture, street use, and landscapes- a brilliant 'all purpose little lens' I wouldn't want to have to choose- being low cost, light and small, I often have 1 on each camera & 2 in a bag - leaving an incredible Sony 135mm for the tasks these tiny wonders were not built for :) Hope this helps :) Kind regards & God bless:)
You are my go to guy for camera reviews. I am very interested in this lens as I suffer from health problems and weight is an important factor for me. What would you personally choose for portrait work between this and the Sony 85mm f1.8? Thank you
I'm not sure I would find it better, but probably equally as good. If you already have the Sony, however, I don't think I would swap. The loss involved with selling one lens to purchase another would essentially erode the value of the Samyang.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Which of this both lens has better AF speed/accuracy (75 vs Sony 85 1.8)? I have Sony 85 and like it so much but sometimes preferring little shorter focal length. Primary I'm using lens for taking photos of 4-5 years old kids so AF speed is very important for me. As I understood from your comments You found IQ similar for both lens.
I got this lens early after its release. Didn't enjoy Sony 85mm 1.8 so much. But i don't find the af is very quiet. I can hear little noise in af-c. and some more 'scratching' sound in af-s, as i know it from my other low budget lenses ;).
@@DustinAbbottTWI Very good. At least as good as the Sony, maybe even a bit better. + i prefer the 75mm vs 85. + the min. foc. distance of the 75 Samy. is closer. Sony has a bit better built qual. And it's a bit faster, so prob. better for sports. ;)
Thank you! Does the camera body go into MF mode when you set the custom switch to Mode 1 or do you have to set the camera to MF first? I own the Samyang AF FE 85 1.4 which is great, but the 75 would be a nice complement for travel.
The mode switch on the Samyang lens is for changing the function of the “focus” ring on the lens. It requires using the Samyang/Rokinon lens base station to connect the lens to a computer to assign other functions to the focus ring on the lens (like aperture, shutter speed or ISO control- similar to what Canon does with the control ring on some of their RF mirrorless lenses). But the switch is not designed to turn on/off manual focus- that’s still something that you have to do through your camera’s function/menu system.
@@MathiasLundin I checked the Samyang website and downloaded the manual for this lens. By default, when the Custom Mode switch is set to “Mode 1” and your camera is set to MF/DMF focus mode, the ring on the lens functions as a focus ring. And if you set the switch to “Mode 2” and your camera is set to autofocus mode, then the ring functions as an aperture control ring (but as there are no aperture markings on the lens, you would have to check the screens on your camera to see the current aperture setting). Their site says that more functions may be added in future firmware updates, but near as I can tell, the firmware updates that have been released so far are primarily updates to improve autofocus performance and compatibility with newer camera models. None of them appear to offer different functionality to the Custom Mode switch. But maybe you could send them a hint about adding AF/MF switching in a future firmware update? 😉
How is this sammy compare to sony 85/1.8 in terms of sharpness and AF speed? Would like to change to smaller and lighter lens, but AF is my main concern because catching fast little kids is difficult with slow AF :D
The Samyang is definitely as sharp, and I've found the AF to be snappy (but there's no question the Sony is very good and probably a bit faster in the AF department).
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you for your response! I will keep the Sony lens then, maybe I will swap to the samyang in the future when my kid slows down a bit :)
While Samyang has started to bring a few lenses to X-mount, the problem is that this Tiny series is designed for full frame. You are more likely to see future APS-C lenses available for both Sony and Fuji.
Great reviews! Makes me glad I've started to buy in to Samyang. But..."bo-ket"? In case you didn't know, it's "bokeh" or "boke", from Japanese. Nothing to do with flowers.
Yes, I’m familiar with the term, and after consulting with Japanese sources, I pronounce it bow-Keh, which is the closest Anglicized pronunciation of the word.
Maybe I'm not that smart but where is this lens a Compact Telephoto.... I would consider this a prime lens... since it's a set MM at 75 and a f1.8. What am I missing here ?
I think you’re confusing the term “compact telephoto” as a reference to a zoom lens. “Telephoto” usually refers to any lenses (both primes or zooms) that have focal lengths beyond 50mm (the “nifty fifty” standard). “Compact” refers to the fact that this Samyang/Rokinon lens that Dustin is reviewing is very small and lightweight. So by being a lightweight lens beyond the 50mm focal length qualifies this lens as a “compact telephoto” lens.
The Rokinon/Samyang 75mm 1.8 are a very good Lens, I just wish it had an aperture ring. I like Lenses that are compact and handy, but I want the very best optical performance and a solid built, I hope that there will be made more compact Lenses, fx Voigtländer APO-Lanthar Lenses like their 35mm 2.0, a Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 135mm 2.8 will be very nice !
@@evenatienzaart That is NOT the same as an aperture ring, what you mention you can also do on the Camera, I want a REAL aperture ring so I can see which aperture the the are at when I pick the Lens up !
The very first APS-C crop sensor and full frame Sony lenses didn’t have aperture rings- those were introduced with the G Master line and eventually some of the G lenses. So I’ve grown accustomed to changing aperture on my camera body. Just understand that Samyang/Rokinon have eschewed a lot of those kinds of features (like a dedicated aperture ring, weather sealing, or more durable metal bodies) to help keep their lenses as a cheaper alternative which appears to be their targeted market. You’re not likely to see apochromatic lenses like the Voigtländer Lanthar line from Samyang. But Zeiss does offer a 135mm f/2.8 APO lens in their Batis line (although, like the other Batis lenses, there is no aperture ring, but I imagine the price would be comparable to whatever Voigtländer would offer if they decided to make such a lens). However, since Voigtländer already has their 110mm f/2.5 Lanthar, it might be a while before they decide to make a 135mm lens- they went the other direction and made wider angle APO Lanthars with their 35 and 50mm f/2 lenses.
Grreetings from Europe! I have this lens and the Tokina 85mm f1.8. Tokina is sharper with better contrast, better AF and the bokeh is amazing. Cat eyes only in the corners and they are not that bad even in the corners!!! . Incredible. But everyone ignore this lens from Tokina. But it is better even than sigma 85 f1,4 and yes even the bokeh. Sigma and Tokina is the top but only Sigma have coverage. This 75mm lens is amazing for it size and 75mm is much useful for everyday shooting. But i love my Tokina because the sharpness and contrast. Thank you for your videos Dustin but please keep eye on Tokina 85mm f1,8 you will be surprised.
@@sulev111 Then someone should test it for sure. There are several tests comparing Samyang 75mm 1.8 and Viltrox 85mm 1.8, and Samyang was pretty much superior in all of those tests (though not by a big margin).
I'd be interested in 110mm in this series. Sigma has a compact 90mm, so it seems possible. F1.8 is nice, but in my experience these are not super sharp wide open anyway. Thats ok, not everything has to be. But if they do a 110mm, it might just as well be f2.8. The main thing is to keep it small. Would be great for event video, as I've noticed that a small light lens can out-perform an OSS lens for hand-held video stabilization.
I don't know what camera you use, but the crop/APS-C mode on a full frame camera gives you almost exactly what you are asking for - 112,5mm focal length and f/2.7 (let's round that off to 110 and 2.8 :) ) That would still be wide open of course, but you get the center which is sharper. You do give you up megapixels but maybe that's not an issue?
Hi Benjamin, I too have been interested in something a bit longer. I think that a compact 135mm F2.8 is doable, for example, and would be a great addition to the tiny series.
I have it and think it's pretty good overall. But I'm not really pleased the so called rendering and warm tones it makes and want to try a Pentax 77mm 1.8 instead. In the meantime I have adapted a Wollensak Oscillo-Anastigmat 75mm f/1.9 that makes less perfect but more interesting photos. It can even do soap bubble bokeh.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yes I agree on most objectively measurable aspects. I watched your review before buying and you did a very good job testing it. No question about that. It was after testing myself and comparing that I realized that I prefer less optical corrections.
Pentax 77 is very nice lens and is exceptional for it size and built-in lenshood, however after switch to Sony and using Sony 85 1.8, I am missing nothing (IQ, 3D pop) but I got much better AF. Is Sammy 75 has simillar IQ like Sony 85 1.8, for sure is not worse than Pentax 77.
@@odin1983 The Sony 85mm 1.8 seems good too. But I think I'm not looking for IQ alone, more of a subjective look with 3D pop. I still have the Samyang but have also picked up a C/Y Planar 85mm 1.4. It's a bit heavy. The rendering is sweet but I think this lens is in a different class than a 75mm 1.8. The search continues. I really like photos from the RO2-M 75mm cine lens.
I traded my samyang 75mm 1.8 for the 85mm 1.4. I'd say the 75mm is sharper than the 85mm on my a6000. Amazing lens and definitely a tad warmer than sony or sigma lenses. If you can get past the build quality it's a fantastic lens.
I am not a fan of Samyang. The build is very simple and they have no aperture ring. All my primes have exept the Sony 85 1.8 that I bought 7 years ago.
It’s okay to not be a fan of Samyang/Rokinon but just understand that they’re trying to offer a cheaper, budget alternative to the first party Sony lenses. They might sacrifice build quality (light but cheaper feeling plastic lens bodies) and special features (no dedicated aperture ring though as Elmer Atienza stated, you can program the “focus” ring on this lens to perform other functions like aperture or ISO control with the Samyang/Rokinon lens base station), but they make up for that with generally good optics that are not far behind Sony or better known third party lens makers like Sigma, Zeiss or Tamron (as stated in another comment, Samyang lenses tend to render photos with a warmer color temperature, but this is easily remedied with RAW editors like Adobe Lightroom/Camera Raw, Capture One, etc.- if you shoot in Raw). I think that these generally good (or at least respectably decent) third party lenses have helped keep Sony active in making lenses of various focal lengths and prices (just look how expensive the native, first party Canon RF and Nikon Z lenses are compared to Sony because Canon and Nikon have not officially endorsed third party development).
Samyang lenses are getting progressively better. I own both this 75 mm f1.8 and the newer 24 mm f1.8. The newer 24mm has better build quality. I can not say for sure about the newer ones, but from what I saw on reviews, the new bigger Samyang primes (like 50 f1.4 FE II) have also better build quality.
I work as a flight attendant and I keep both the Samyang 35 mm f1.8 and 75 mm f1.8 and a Sony a7c in my suitcase because they are compact, light, versatile and fun. I am glad that I can easily keep the 75 mm handy as a companion for the 35 mm because I am excited to learn to compose with it since I have been accustomed to composing with wider focal lengths.
Great point.
Thanks so much, Dustin! Just used your link to buy one! I've loved the Sony Compact G lenses on the a7c. Really a great combo, especially for all the walking and hiking I've been doing since the pandemic started. At 24, 40 & 50mm the Sony Compact G's are great, but there's nothing longer than normal. I've been dreaming of a Sony 85mm compact G. I've searched for other brands and found nothing. Then this morning I thought, OK, what if I search for "75mm compact Sony FE" and your review came up first. This is the lens I've been dreaming of to complete an a7c compact lineup. And at half the price and a stop or stop+1/3 faster than the Compact G's. Thank you for all the great info, Dustin!
Samyang 75mm f1.8 is a great lens. But now TTArtisan's new 75mm f2 with an aperture ring has me intrigued. Any thoughts?
They are both nice optically. The TTArtisan has a slightly nicer build, but it is also heavier.
Just received this lens. I use a Fuji X system, but I see it as something that complements a kit lens greatly. You will get tele photo and nice bokehs in addition to what you get with a kit lens. This way, you can have a very light and versatile setup.
Exactly.
Aloha from Hawaii Dustin! I appreciate the review, I've watched many of your videos, I enjoy the format with the tests on sharpness and your candid opinions. Long time watched, first time subscriber today! Based on your review I ended up buying the lens. Thanks!
Thank you for the support!
When there is a certain kind of intimacy with a lens - one starts to compose through the lens's eye & it leads to a special kind of imagery. I think the tiny series lends itself to this quality.
That's an interesting observation.
Excellent video 😊!
Thanks for this review. You really convinced me to have purchased this lens, and since I bought it I have no regrets. It is currently the best solution for my lightweight compact & longer focal length setup. Using it with a7c, it is much more desirable than the other lenses I tried before.
Sony's own 85f1.8 is impressive enough, but I would say this lens delivers 95% of its performace at 60% weight, 70% size, and 50% price used. Now I'm willingly traveling around with both of my cameras (rx1r2 &a7c) without complaining about their weight!
It's a perfect fit for the compact cameras.
Great review! This is my favourite Samyang lens and my go-to lens for any kind of portraiture. Few times I've been temped to upgrade to something like 85mm 1.4, but this 75mm 1.8 does so many things right for a fraction of price and weight that I've quickly given up from upgrading.
I got my Samyang 85f1.4 RF mint used for $550 how much cheaper can 75f1.8 go? I think 85f1.4 is quite a bit more background separation than 75f1.8 plus the weight difference is next to nothing. Canon's own RF 85f1.4 is more than twice as heavy as Samyang 85f1.4
That's the conundrum. You do get a little more separation on your subject, but the size of the lens definitely grows.
its a lens I fell in love with for both video & portraits ...
Definitely
Picked this lens up on Dustin's recommendation a couple months ago on sale at Adorama for $249. Exceptional value and bang-for-the-buck. Couldn't be happier! Thanks Dustin. Btw, really enjoy your channel. Much appreciation for all you do!
Thank you very much all around. Glad you are enjoying the lens.
I’ve had the Sony 85 1.8 for a long time, which is my go to for portraits, I do also have the Samyang 35 1.8 however which is really nice to get more of the environment in portraits
Sounds like a really cool lens. I thought about selling my Sigma 65 f2 for this lens, but after deeper thought decided to stick with what I have. For traveling light, I usually travel with my Tamron 24mm which I rarely use, then my Sony 35mm f1.4, Sigma 65 and Sigma 90. That keeps things light for me. I use it on my Sony a7riii. For events, I use the 28-75 G2 Tamron, and Tamron 70-180. For indoors, mostly, again, the 35mm, Sigma 85mm 1.4 and Samyang 135mm 1.8 . And use my new Laowa 90mm f.2.8 macro for close ups. For landscape, I use whichever lens suits me. Don't really shoot wildlife. Being in my 70s as a retired pastor, like to keep things light.
The Sigma is a very nice lens as well.
I have sigma 65mm f2 its a great lens
I have this lens and use it on my a6500 which makes it a handy 110mm f2.8. I really like the combo for it's focal and light weight and compactness. The only things bothers me is its build quality which feels too cheap plastic and I feel a slight but annoying vibration from its focus motor. It's a great value lens indeed
It is interesting on APS-C as well...and the size translates perfectly.
I've been using the 75mm f1.8 for a while now. I was thinking of selling it and get an 85m f1.8 lens but none can compete with its size. The Samyang is just tiny, light and sharp.
Others have said the exact same thing.
Very nice review and lens! i'm on fuji apsc, street and travel photography, i own the fuji 50 f2 that is great, but sometimes i miss some reach and bokeh...
In your opinion this lens and the 50 can be together or they are too close?
They will have a pretty different angle of view. That's a 25mm separation.
Thanks for alway bringing the most detailed reviews Dustin, you and Gerald Undone are doing a great and very helpful job. These Samyang/Rokinon lenses are amazing... I recently got the Rokinon 24mm f1.8 for video work (it was a better deal than Samyang, but its the same optics), because it has no FOCUS BREATHING at all, and all I can say, I am about to buy the entire prime line up or at least the 45mm and the 75mm. I use an FX3 and A7IV as I am a video shooter first then a photographer, so for me focus breathing is a big issue with my Sony GM 35 f1.4. That's a beautiful and all time favorite lens for travel/street photography, but not for video work. I usually shoot all my videos with the FX3+Sony GM 16-35 f2.8 combination or a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 art, but they are all f2.8 lenses and they aren't the best low light and they don't give you that really good separation between subject and background, which makes everything so cinematic. These lenses will really change the game for me. I can use a smaller gimbal, less weight to carry and they produce amazing quality, yes at 1.8 the corners aren't super sharp like my GM lenses, but in video work is really not a big issue. Also buying 3 lenses for around a $1000 is an amazing deal, even if you own other lenses with the same focal lengths for photos.
That's great to hear, and they are launching new cine versions of all of those tiny lenses.
Samyang 75mm Or Samyang 45mm? I need a lens that goes with the Tamron 28-200mm for everyday/everything photography that is light and compact.
Either will fit your bill, you just need to decide what focal length works better for you. I would probably go the 45mm just because that focal length is so useful.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you sir! Merry Christmas 🎄
Just ordered this on Black Friday - $280. I got the 45 1.8 based on your recommendation and love it. Also got the 24 1.8 - so now will have a bit of a trifecta of Samyang tiny lenses - 24 / 45 / 75. Loving the size and weight - so easy to use and results are very nice. Between Samyang for primes and Tamron for zooms - it really makes Sony great value compared to other brands.
Dustin, if size isn't too much of a difference, would you personally get the samyang 75 or the sony 85 f1.8 at $100 more? Currently owning a sigma 35/2 and a samyang 18/2.8 (both thanks to you!)
That's a tough one. Both are good lenses. The Sony might have better resell value if you ever decide to sell it, but they are both pretty similar in terms of performance.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Do I lose something more then a little less background separation and a little slower AF when replace my Sony 85 1.8 with this 75? Other question is about bokeh blur of 75 1.8 Vs Samyang 50 1.4 II. 75 has better compression and bigger "balls" in oof but 50 1.4 is brighter lens so should have more blur. Is big difference in subject separation and which one you would prefer more (in term of image look not versatile of lens)?
I can buy the Sony at the same price as the Samyang but the size is what pulls me to Samyang. What did you end up buying?
Fantastic review, thank you Dustin! I’ve found the 85 just a tad too tight for indoor events (and even outdoor sometimes), and also excludes the environment just a bit more than I’d like. 75mm seems like a really nice alternative. I also have the 45mm f/1.8 which I love for the perspective it gives. Rather than the classic 35, 50 and 85, I think 45 and 75 should be able to cover a lot of ground in just two lenses. And really, really small ones too in this case.
While I don’t love the plasticy feel of the 45mm f/1.8, the red ring that doesn’t match the orange of the full frame E-Mount, and I really hate the fact that they printed some writing on it in Arial (pet peeve of mine and a real eye sore to me), everything else about it is just great.
The 75mm is slightly better made, though still quite plasticky. It's a really nice optic, however.
Another extraordinary review, Dustin! Balanced, informative, detailed, but not too detailed. Thank you!
One question: How would you compare this lens to the Sony 90mm F2. 8 Macro (other than for macros of course)?
Hmmm, both lenses are very sharp. The Sony obviously has the better build and feature set, but at the cost of much larger size and weight (and actual cost). They are hardly comparable in many ways, so it really depends on your priorities. This Samyang is not very "macro" at all, so if you need a macro lens, you probably need to look at the Sony.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you so much, Dustin!
I cannot agree more with your conclusions !! This lens has become on of my very favorite lenses for its great combination of quality of results and very-very good compacity.
Awesome video! Quick question. I am torn between getting the Sigma 56mm F1.4 or this Sam 75mm F1.8 lens for my Sony camera (ZV-E10 - so an APSC). When talking about background blur and the 'quality' of the bokeh - which lens would give more do you think? Would the longer focal length of the 75 actually be better than the 56 despite being F1.8?
Also, when using the 75mm, how far back would you have had to stand to get a full body shot? I assume very far! Thank you in advance.
I think the Samyang has nicer bokeh. The Sigma is very sharp, but the blur isn’t exceptional. As for distance for a full length portrait - about 20 feet or so.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you very much Mr Abbott, that's very helpful. I'm an enthusiast and looking for a nice portrait lens to get in to taking some family/wedding pictures etc. When you say the Sigma is very sharp, would you say the Samyang would do a more than good enough a job for someone like me? Your images seemed to be plenty sharp!
The 75mm should be plenty sharp for your purposes.
this haas been very helpful, just ordered myself one. much love from southafrica
Nice review! I was looking for something like this for travel. What Camera do you have it mounted on? I see some over expsoure in the back?
I shot this review on the Sony a7IV. If you are referring to the background of the video, of course there is some difference between myself (in the shade) and the background (in direct sun). I was using only available light for this filming location.
@@DustinAbbottTWI nice, thanks. I plan on taking my A7Siii on travel and use this lens. How do you feel about 85 vs 70? I want to take street videos of me walking with my girlfriend.
@@DustinAbbottTWI also how far did you keep the camera?
Interesting review. Have you noticed any attenuated colors? Maybe a comparison with a color chart?
I do think the colors are slightly on the warm side, but not in any negative way.
So, this or the sigma 65 f/2 on a full frame camera? I have the 35 GM & 135 GM. Even though the Zeiss 55 1.8 is a very good lens, it's too close to the 35mm for my taste. Hence I am not willing to consider the 50-ish focal length.
tough choice. I like both lenses quite a bit. The Sigma is better made, but the Samyang has really lovely rendering and is incredibly light weight.
I know people say the build isn’t great on these Samyangs but they appear to have a similar minimalist plastic feel to the original Sony Zeiss 35mm f2.8 and 55mm f1.8. The plastic might feel cheap but low weight is an advantage for a lot of amateurs like me
So far I've had those lenses hold up fine, too...even with some drops.
Now that this is out for Fuji, I’m somewhat tempted. The dial can control aperture, and it’s a lot smaller with a better minimum focus distance than the (optically amazing) Viltrox 75/1.2. Most FF lenses don’t really interest me as an APS-C shooter, they tend to be either too big or too dark compared to native options, but some of these short telephoto lenses do. This is the only Samyang FF lens I’d consider, and I’d also be fascinated if Sigma ever brought their tiny 90/2.8 to Fuji, where the small size and excellent MFD would make it a decent alternative to Fuji’s 90. But since that seems unlikely, I’ll have to think long and hard about this.
Agreed. I would find this lens very interesting as a Fuji shooter.
Just did a family photo shoot on Sunday with this lens on my A7RIV and was very impressed with the results. The only notable flaw being some mild softness when a face was close to the edge of frame, but we're talking wide open with 61MP so that would be the case with a lot of lenses... I downsized from the Samyang 85mm F1.4 and most of the time the tradeoff for size is worth it for me.
Exactly. This lens can definitely hold up on high resolution bodies.
Hi Dustin :)
Hope this message finds you & family healthy, happy & well :)
Like you, I have owned and used this lens for a huge variety of shooting purposes, over quite a long period, with it being the second lens (out of 4) I purchased from the tiny series
Being so impressed with my 45mm, I then purchased the 75, 35, and lastly the newer 24mm
I agree with all you say regarding this excellent series of optics, but, although image quality is truly lovely from the 75mm, even updated, & 3 examples in total tested, whereby any sinerio can be brilliantly photographed using the 24, 35 & 45mm, the 75mm needs to be used with stationary or slower moving subjects!
As stated, the results from a motor racing shoot, using the tiny 45mm were truly outstanding! Far greater image quality than the sum of its components would suggest-
The 75mm with landscapes, portraiture & stationary wildlife have been outstanding! Although with fast subjects such as racing cars, motorcycles, animals etc. The lens, for all its truly brilliant attributes and image quality, it, unlike the other three, can produce a number of shots in a range, that are out of focus (lacking the speed of the other three, also brilliant lenses) - I do Not consider this a fault! - It is not only amazing value, but the 75mm is a truly great optic.
Thanks again
Take good care
God bless :)
There's definitely some great value optics in these little Samyang options.
Hi Elaine, do you prefer the 35mm or 45mm? Thanx
Hi Fede
Thank you for your question :)
Obviously, only my personal thoughts :)
The 35mm is a great walkabout lens - 35mm has the ability to capture a wider prospective, telling the story of "where you were" rather than just the subject - it's a super, crystal clear, fast focusing all rounder & one I almost always carry with me :)
The 45mm seems quite unique - many people have commented favourably from seeing quite a number images produced on the 45mm - the colours & unique quality produced by this lens have perhaps a vintage unique colour (that I find very attractive), but with the ability to produce some very sharp, crystal clear photographs - from woodland shots, almost emphasising the greens, brown's & the natural beautiful colours captured within the image, from beautiful clear racing cars even at a distance, clearly showing the facial details of the driver through the vehicles glass, to some lovely portraiture- they are both excellent, but although close in focal length, I use them for very differing purposes:)
The 35mm has produced some amazing shots of churches, buildings, facanating detailed architecture, street use, and landscapes- a brilliant 'all purpose little lens'
I wouldn't want to have to choose- being low cost, light and small, I often have 1 on each camera & 2 in a bag - leaving an incredible Sony 135mm for the tasks these tiny wonders were not built for :)
Hope this helps :)
Kind regards & God bless:)
You are my go to guy for camera reviews. I am very interested in this lens as I suffer from health problems and weight is an important factor for me. What would you personally choose for portrait work between this and the Sony 85mm f1.8? Thank you
If weight is a serious priority, then yes.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I already have the Sony, I was just wondering if you find the Samyang 75mm as good/better for portrait work. Thanks
I'm not sure I would find it better, but probably equally as good. If you already have the Sony, however, I don't think I would swap. The loss involved with selling one lens to purchase another would essentially erode the value of the Samyang.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Which of this both lens has better AF speed/accuracy (75 vs Sony 85 1.8)? I have Sony 85 and like it so much but sometimes preferring little shorter focal length. Primary I'm using lens for taking photos of 4-5 years old kids so AF speed is very important for me. As I understood from your comments You found IQ similar for both lens.
Amazing review, so indepth, made my mind to buy it, thank you! Keep it up!
Enjoy!
I got this lens early after its release. Didn't enjoy Sony 85mm 1.8 so much. But i don't find the af is very quiet.
I can hear little noise in af-c. and some more 'scratching' sound in af-s, as i know it from my other low budget lenses ;).
How have you enjoyed it optically.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Very good. At least as good as the Sony, maybe even a bit better. + i prefer the 75mm vs 85. + the min. foc. distance of the 75 Samy. is closer. Sony has a bit better built qual. And it's a bit faster, so prob. better for sports. ;)
This is the only Samyang lens that I kept. I like it quite a bit. Great work as usual.
It's a sweet little lens.
Thank you thank you for your help you have saved me lots of money. You have taught me a lot 🙏🏽
Great to hear!
Samyang, Tamron, Sigma, and much more are all offering wonderful lens choices, especially Laowa to my field of interest: Nature.
These companies have really helped make Sony the place to be for mirrorless.
Thank you! Does the camera body go into MF mode when you set the custom switch to Mode 1 or do you have to set the camera to MF first? I own the Samyang AF FE 85 1.4 which is great, but the 75 would be a nice complement for travel.
The mode switch on the Samyang lens is for changing the function of the “focus” ring on the lens. It requires using the Samyang/Rokinon lens base station to connect the lens to a computer to assign other functions to the focus ring on the lens (like aperture, shutter speed or ISO control- similar to what Canon does with the control ring on some of their RF mirrorless lenses). But the switch is not designed to turn on/off manual focus- that’s still something that you have to do through your camera’s function/menu system.
@@augustingraves8929 Thank you! I would prefer a MF/AF switch. (I own the Lens station.)
Hi Mattias, I would prefer an AF/MF switch too.
@@MathiasLundin I checked the Samyang website and downloaded the manual for this lens. By default, when the Custom Mode switch is set to “Mode 1” and your camera is set to MF/DMF focus mode, the ring on the lens functions as a focus ring. And if you set the switch to “Mode 2” and your camera is set to autofocus mode, then the ring functions as an aperture control ring (but as there are no aperture markings on the lens, you would have to check the screens on your camera to see the current aperture setting). Their site says that more functions may be added in future firmware updates, but near as I can tell, the firmware updates that have been released so far are primarily updates to improve autofocus performance and compatibility with newer camera models. None of them appear to offer different functionality to the Custom Mode switch. But maybe you could send them a hint about adding AF/MF switching in a future firmware update? 😉
@@augustingraves8929 Good idea!
How is this sammy compare to sony 85/1.8 in terms of sharpness and AF speed? Would like to change to smaller and lighter lens, but AF is my main concern because catching fast little kids is difficult with slow AF :D
The Samyang is definitely as sharp, and I've found the AF to be snappy (but there's no question the Sony is very good and probably a bit faster in the AF department).
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you for your response! I will keep the Sony lens then, maybe I will swap to the samyang in the future when my kid slows down a bit :)
Great review! I so wish this lens were available for fuji x-mount...
While Samyang has started to bring a few lenses to X-mount, the problem is that this Tiny series is designed for full frame. You are more likely to see future APS-C lenses available for both Sony and Fuji.
Very informative video....Please make a review about the samyang 135mm 1.8 sony.....
I desperately want to, but my Samyang contact hasn't been returning my emails.
Great reviews! Makes me glad I've started to buy in to Samyang. But..."bo-ket"? In case you didn't know, it's "bokeh" or "boke", from Japanese. Nothing to do with flowers.
Yes, I’m familiar with the term, and after consulting with Japanese sources, I pronounce it bow-Keh, which is the closest Anglicized pronunciation of the word.
love this one and the 45mm 1.8!
Exactly. The 24mm, 45mm, and 75mm are my favorites in this series.
@@DustinAbbottTWI
i still need to get the 24mm lol ! looking😀 forward to it!
no ETA on sammy 135 f1.8 review?
I've been frozen out by my Samyang contact. He hasn't responded to my emails, so I really don't have a date to offer you.
Maybe I'm not that smart but where is this lens a Compact Telephoto.... I would consider this a prime lens... since it's a set MM at 75 and a f1.8. What am I missing here ?
I think you’re confusing the term “compact telephoto” as a reference to a zoom lens. “Telephoto” usually refers to any lenses (both primes or zooms) that have focal lengths beyond 50mm (the “nifty fifty” standard). “Compact” refers to the fact that this Samyang/Rokinon lens that Dustin is reviewing is very small and lightweight. So by being a lightweight lens beyond the 50mm focal length qualifies this lens as a “compact telephoto” lens.
Augustin has given you pretty much the perfect answer here.
The Rokinon/Samyang 75mm 1.8 are a very good Lens, I just wish it had an aperture ring. I like Lenses that are compact and handy, but I want the very best optical performance and a solid built, I hope that there will be made more compact Lenses, fx Voigtländer APO-Lanthar Lenses like their 35mm 2.0, a Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 135mm 2.8 will be very nice !
The programmable switch on Samyang's new lenses allows the focus ring to convert to an aperture ring.
@@evenatienzaart That is NOT the same as an aperture ring, what you mention you can also do on the Camera, I want a REAL aperture ring so I can see which aperture the the are at when I pick the Lens up !
The very first APS-C crop sensor and full frame Sony lenses didn’t have aperture rings- those were introduced with the G Master line and eventually some of the G lenses. So I’ve grown accustomed to changing aperture on my camera body. Just understand that Samyang/Rokinon have eschewed a lot of those kinds of features (like a dedicated aperture ring, weather sealing, or more durable metal bodies) to help keep their lenses as a cheaper alternative which appears to be their targeted market. You’re not likely to see apochromatic lenses like the Voigtländer Lanthar line from Samyang. But Zeiss does offer a 135mm f/2.8 APO lens in their Batis line (although, like the other Batis lenses, there is no aperture ring, but I imagine the price would be comparable to whatever Voigtländer would offer if they decided to make such a lens). However, since Voigtländer already has their 110mm f/2.5 Lanthar, it might be a while before they decide to make a 135mm lens- they went the other direction and made wider angle APO Lanthars with their 35 and 50mm f/2 lenses.
The build quality of these is definitely not in the Voigtlander range (few are).
@@DustinAbbottTWI I was very close to buying the Samyang 75mm 1.8 (maybe I still will), but I put my money on GM and APO-Lanthar Lenses :)
i dont know what for they made it because there is cheap and absolute sony fe 85/1,8 close the question as for me....
It's significantly smaller and cheaper than the Sony.
Grreetings from Europe! I have this lens and the Tokina 85mm f1.8. Tokina is sharper with better contrast, better AF and the bokeh is amazing. Cat eyes only in the corners and they are not that bad even in the corners!!! . Incredible. But everyone ignore this lens from Tokina. But it is better even than sigma 85 f1,4 and yes even the bokeh. Sigma and Tokina is the top but only Sigma have coverage. This 75mm lens is amazing for it size and 75mm is much useful for everyday shooting. But i love my Tokina because the sharpness and contrast. Thank you for your videos Dustin but please keep eye on Tokina 85mm f1,8 you will be surprised.
It's hard to find. I don't believe it's sharper than the sigma 85 dgdn though.
Isn't that Tokina the same lens as Viltrox 85mm 1.8?
@@tomapaunovic not the same, but extremely similar. Viltrox and Tokina are different companies.
@@sulev111 Then someone should test it for sure. There are several tests comparing Samyang 75mm 1.8 and Viltrox 85mm 1.8, and Samyang was pretty much superior in all of those tests (though not by a big margin).
As Dustin implicitly asks You too, I believe : Did You mean the DG DN f1.4 85 (only for morrorless) ?
Interesting. Thank You
I'd be interested in 110mm in this series. Sigma has a compact 90mm, so it seems possible. F1.8 is nice, but in my experience these are not super sharp wide open anyway. Thats ok, not everything has to be. But if they do a 110mm, it might just as well be f2.8. The main thing is to keep it small. Would be great for event video, as I've noticed that a small light lens can out-perform an OSS lens for hand-held video stabilization.
I don't know what camera you use, but the crop/APS-C mode on a full frame camera gives you almost exactly what you are asking for - 112,5mm focal length and f/2.7 (let's round that off to 110 and 2.8 :) ) That would still be wide open of course, but you get the center which is sharper. You do give you up megapixels but maybe that's not an issue?
Hi Benjamin, I too have been interested in something a bit longer. I think that a compact 135mm F2.8 is doable, for example, and would be a great addition to the tiny series.
I have it and think it's pretty good overall. But I'm not really pleased the so called rendering and warm tones it makes and want to try a Pentax 77mm 1.8 instead.
In the meantime I have adapted a Wollensak Oscillo-Anastigmat 75mm f/1.9 that makes less perfect but more interesting photos. It can even do soap bubble bokeh.
Interesting - I think it renders great.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yes I agree on most objectively measurable aspects.
I watched your review before buying and you did a very good job testing it. No question about that.
It was after testing myself and comparing that I realized that I prefer less optical corrections.
Pentax 77 is very nice lens and is exceptional for it size and built-in lenshood, however after switch to Sony and using Sony 85 1.8, I am missing nothing (IQ, 3D pop) but I got much better AF. Is Sammy 75 has simillar IQ like Sony 85 1.8, for sure is not worse than Pentax 77.
@@odin1983 The Sony 85mm 1.8 seems good too. But I think I'm not looking for IQ alone, more of a subjective look with 3D pop.
I still have the Samyang but have also picked up a C/Y Planar 85mm 1.4. It's a bit heavy. The rendering is sweet but I think this lens is in a different class than a 75mm 1.8.
The search continues. I really like photos from the RO2-M 75mm cine lens.
I traded my samyang 75mm 1.8 for the 85mm 1.4. I'd say the 75mm is sharper than the 85mm on my a6000. Amazing lens and definitely a tad warmer than sony or sigma lenses. If you can get past the build quality it's a fantastic lens.
Exactly.
This looks not bad but it could be 85mm
Perhaps, but the 75mm focal length is actually quite useful
I am not a fan of Samyang. The build is very simple and they have no aperture ring. All my primes have exept the Sony 85 1.8 that I bought 7 years ago.
The prommable switch on Samyang's new lenses allows the focus ring to convert to an aperture ring.
It’s okay to not be a fan of Samyang/Rokinon but just understand that they’re trying to offer a cheaper, budget alternative to the first party Sony lenses. They might sacrifice build quality (light but cheaper feeling plastic lens bodies) and special features (no dedicated aperture ring though as Elmer Atienza stated, you can program the “focus” ring on this lens to perform other functions like aperture or ISO control with the Samyang/Rokinon lens base station), but they make up for that with generally good optics that are not far behind Sony or better known third party lens makers like Sigma, Zeiss or Tamron (as stated in another comment, Samyang lenses tend to render photos with a warmer color temperature, but this is easily remedied with RAW editors like Adobe Lightroom/Camera Raw, Capture One, etc.- if you shoot in Raw). I think that these generally good (or at least respectably decent) third party lenses have helped keep Sony active in making lenses of various focal lengths and prices (just look how expensive the native, first party Canon RF and Nikon Z lenses are compared to Sony because Canon and Nikon have not officially endorsed third party development).
Very few lenses at this price point have a dedicated aperture ring, and this lens does allow you to use the focus ring as an aperture ring.
Samyang lenses are getting progressively better. I own both this 75 mm f1.8 and the newer 24 mm f1.8. The newer 24mm has better build quality. I can not say for sure about the newer ones, but from what I saw on reviews, the new bigger Samyang primes (like 50 f1.4 FE II) have also better build quality.