SeauxCrazy wrote:
If you're within your return period, I would swap the lens. Also, which firmware are you running? v4?
Yeah, the lens is with me for just a couple of days. I'll probably return it to be on the safe side. The seller indicated that the lens is the latest autofocus model (this would be the latest firmware, I guess). Is there a way to check the firmware, outside of owning the docking station?
I like your images with this lens, btw. And nice PP work on them too.
If you go into the settings of your camera, there is a firmware section and it'll show lens firmware version also (if attached)
Mine didn't come with v4, so I had to update mine when I got it, with the dock.
stjepan wrote:
Yeah, the lens is with me for just a couple of days. I'll probably return it to be on the safe side. The seller indicated that the lens is the latest autofocus model (this would be the latest firmware, I guess). Is there a way to check the firmware, outside of owning the docking station?
I like your images with this lens, btw. And nice PP work on them too.
I've just checked, the lens is on firmware v03. This might very well be the culprit. Good call guys!
To be honest it is slightly annoying having to pay for the dock, instead doing the firmware through the camera itself.
Anyway, thanks for the help!
stjepan wrote:
I just got the lens couple of days ago, played with it as much as I could. It produces beautiful results for sure, but it's not without it's problems when it comes to AF (at least my copy). I have more out of focus images than I would like (especially under artificial light). What is strange is that the lens confirms focus, when upon review it just isn't there. Either slightly behind focus or completely off. This happens with moving subjects (my kids, which I can understand) but also with static ones. I'm using AF-C. Is this something to be concerned about or normal-ish behavior?
I do like the output of the lens though.
1. Make sure the firmware is up to date. I believe they are on version 4 of the firmware at moment.
2. In the lens station software, use the autofocus adjustment tool ("punt" value) to see if that makes any difference. Mine was set at 1 by the factory, for example, and I found changing it back to zero improved af accuracy.
3. Despite all of this, I notice that when I am near minimum focusing distance, it will sometimes confirm focus (eye AF) but not actually be in focus. This is pretty frustrating as it shouldn’t be confirming focus when it isn’t in focus, but back away very slightly and results should improve.
4. Having not used f/1.4 prior to this lens, I found shooting wide open to be very tricky, especially with kids. It would very often show slight misses because AF couldn’t keep up. Stationary subject, after the tweaks above, weren’t as big of an issue. There are some cases of AF pulsing where if I was shooting mid or hi, maybe one out of three shots in succession would show up out of focus. This is also more frequent in lower light situations. If this was a constant problem given the scenario I would stop down and the issue would mostly go away. Usually by f/1.8 it is a non issue. You can also manually assign eye-AF to a back button to be sure it is working when taking portraits, otherwise sometimes it might swap back and forth between only face recognition.
I would certainly say I have never achieved the accuracy mentioned by seauxcrazy, if we are talking about the eye itself being sharp and in focus. My hit rate is probably closer to 80% on the whole. Perhaps it varies by lens as Samyang definitely has QC issues. Some people have reported trying out four copies before finding one that worked perfectly. If you are not satisfied after trying the above, perhaps it is worth returning for a new copy, if you are still within the return period.
I just received mine from the amazon deal mentioned on SAR, and it looks to me like it was a return. The paperwork and sack were shoved in the box in a sloppy manner I've never seen from a manufacturer. It's V3 firmware, focus hunts pretty bad, its going back.
I am pleasantly surprised at how lightweight this lens is, for a 85/1.4. Its short chubby and lightweight. A bit fat for my liking, but that’s definitely compensated by how short it is.
p.34 #11 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
Enri wrote:
Does anybody know about copy variance?
My copy was well centered and fantastically sharp from the f/1,4 right into the edges. By f/4 you could use it as a high grade landscape lens, only issue being DOF (and yellow cast, but that's easily correctable).
EDIT: Took me one try to get it, might have been luck. But it seems that this lens has fewer copy variations than other from their line up.
p.34 #12 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
stjepan, if your camera is A7RIII and you are using Wide AF, you will get only limited Eye-AF achievement, especially at f/1.4, because if the camera has "troubles" with AF on the eye it will follow another easiest target (probably the face). Try to use a dedicated Eye-AF button to force it to focus on the eye.
NumberTwo said: With wide area lock on and eye af in af-c, the camera is most of the time recognising the whole face or even face + body. Then, depending on the light/contrast, some of them are actually focused on the eye very accurately, but some are really way out. I've tested silent shutter, first curtain and fully mechanical, at 1/250s and around 160-200 iso (exposure comp at 0) with light window. I've tried changing between 1 and 5 for stickiness, but not appreciable difference.
I would say, although more scientific tests would be necessary. what I've realised is that with that settings, using a separate button for eye af is extremely accurate and suddenly the hit ratio is so much better, I can't believe that a sharp eye at 1.4 perfectly nailed, not these slightly front focus I used to have. So my guess is, when the light is not absolutely perfect and your subject doesn't have big bright eyes, in the latest firmware the camera just attempt to focus in other areas of the face as it's "easier and faster", whereas keeping the separate eye af button seems to be more consistent… Eye af back button focus seems to make things better in af-c, and in af-s the lens is pretty much perfect for me.
Abadger said: I found shooting wide open to be very tricky, especially with kids. It would very often show slight misses because AF couldn’t keep up. Stationary subject, after adjusting the AF (Punt value on the station) to 0, weren’t as big of an issue. There are some cases of AF pulsing where if I was shooting mid or hi, maybe one out of three shots in succession would show up out of focus. This is also more frequent in lower light situations. If this was a constant problem given the scenario I would stop down and the issue would mostly go away. Usually by f/1.8 it is a non issue. You can also manually assign eye-AF to a back button to be sure it is working when taking portraits, otherwise sometimes it might swap back and forth between only face recognition.
I would certainly say I have never achieved the accuracy mentioned by others, if we are talking about the eye itself being sharp and in focus. My hit rate is probably closer to 80% on the whole. Perhaps it varies by lens as Samyang definitely has QC issues. Some people have reported trying out four copies before finding one that worked perfectly. If you are not satisfied after trying the above, perhaps it is worth returning for a new copy, if you are still within the return period.
p.34 #13 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
Been liking the rendering of this lens , and hunting, here and there, for a deal.
In case anyone else is looking, last I checked, they still had a listing at $494 (VG condition, which have been almost like new, IME) - sold by Amazon, so no hassle and free returns if there's an issue.
p.34 #14 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
Ended up trying two of the Amazon warehouse deal SY lenses. First one seemed a bit soft/glowy wide open compared to what I was expecting anyway, and in less than great lighting.
AF wasn't as good as expected. Updated FW to v4, and the AF was better. A tad bit of quick racking to focus, at times, but more than highly usable.
Picked up a brand new Rokinon version of the same lens. AF is fast, as in it snaps immediately to the focus point without any racking, it's silent, and the lens seems sharp across the frame.
I suppose this is the model-to-model variation that some see. Plus the Warehouse deals may have been returns.
p.34 #15 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
I honestly regret selling my Samyang 85/1.4. Had a really great copy and really miss the low weight. This lens is sharper than the GM wide open and rendering is almost as good.
p.34 #16 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
Why did you sell it? Sorry if you mentioned earlier and I missed it. Still loving mine after 6 months (and bearing with the occasional eye AF inaccuracies but to be fair it's really not that much worse than would be acceptable for fast movement F1.4)
Fred Miranda wrote:
I honestly regret selling my Samyang 85/1.4. Had a really great copy and really miss the low weight. This lens is sharper than the GM wide open and rendering is almost as good.
p.34 #17 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
Just to say again that this copy I have right now (while mine is being “fixed”) is much more accurate in eye af in continuous pretty much all the time. The bittersweet feeling with the lens is gone, this copy is awesome and I can trust it. I’m testing it these days in my USA trip 😊.
A couple of sooc pictures of myself I was taken yesterday.
It’s a pity that so many bad copies are around. My earlier 4 copies had troubles focusing when the face was near the thirds (front focus always). I think a slight tilt in the focus plane could lead to misfocusing in af-c since the PDAF is used and the focus plane is not exactly the same as the center, that’s my guess.
p.34 #18 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
I've just bought this lens. How can I know what firmware version it has? Do I need the Samyang Lens Station for this or I can check it through the camera?
p.34 #19 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
You don't need the dock to check this. In the menu --> setup --> version (on the last page of setup).
It displays both the firmware of the camera and the firmware of the lens.
But for me, as long as you buy a samyang lens, the dock is required. There is already enough parameters to consider when you buy it (tilt / decentering). If we can benefit for a few improvements after that, I think that it's worth the few dollars.
p.34 #20 · Official: Samyang AF 85mm 1.4 FE ($699)
Ayul (and others), besides the updating of the firmware, if the lens has not the last one (V4), what other things should I use the station for and how I have to proceed? Thanks for your help.
