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Archive 2019 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Bob_S
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

I disagree with most people about these two lenses.

I love the Samyang and loathe the Sigma. Having said that I think the Samyang is a little softish wide open and never tack sharp with underdone aberation control.

However, those minor issues are well and truly made up for with gorgeous rendering at any focus distance for every scene and for any light. In my opinion.

It's also got good focusing performance and it's light, compact and inexpensive, it also shares a filter theead with a dozen other lenses I have and is only a small step up/down from may others.

Feb 15, 2020 at 04:02 AM

ryanli
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Frogfish wrote:
I have heard of AF inconsistency once or twice now in regard to the Samyang 85 but I have to say mine has been awesome (eye and face AF) and it's one of my favourite lenses now. Sample variation perhaps. Mine is very sharp, gorgeous bokeh and transitions, very very low CA. It's the reason I'm now going to buy/try the 45mm. Incredible lenses for the money.

The Samyang 45 is a lot of lens for the money, but in case you were expecting it to have similar superb bokeh and transition qualities to the Samyang 85 then you might be disappointed. However it has sharpness, contrast and punch by the bucket load.

Feb 16, 2020 at 08:26 AM

ryanli
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

All right, I've managed to run a quick real world-ish comparison test of the two lenses, full size files on my Flickr album here.

Full view, Sigma @2.8:


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49576263786_f81443f9e5_o_d.jpg

Shot using A7R III handheld best of 3 shots, IBIS, manual focus (aimed at the rings logo on the baby buggy/stroller using magnification and peaking), auto ISO, and post-processed using Capture One 12 with low sharpening. (Please excuse the banal subject and no tripod, I had to improvise as I had a short window in which to complete this test with a napping baby..)

33% crop of the comparison, Sigma @2.8 left, Samyang @1.8 right


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49581595351_80ae72104b_o_d.jpg

100% crops:


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49581595291_7da2b753a4_o_d.jpg


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49581097798_7db4fddc91_o_d.jpg


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49581595266_be0718c730_o_d.jpg

Both at F/2.8:


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49581098713_9ef681e698_o_d.jpg

100% crops:


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49581596081_bb6a73b971_o_d.jpg


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49581098658_8ca82ee2b1_o_d.jpg


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49581098648_060bb04a74_o_d.jpg

In my view it is pretty clear that the Sigma @2.8 blows the Samyang @1.8 out of the water in terms of OOF rendering. For instance, the blades of grass in Crop 2 is a particularly egregious - and representative - example of overly sharp and contrasty bokeh. It looks like an "art filter" has been applied the grass in Photoshop. Crop 3 brings out the worst in terms of CA and double-lined bokeh. Maybe you see a bit more blur for Samyang in Crop 1, but as per my earlier comparison images I see it as a big blur with lots of distracting visual elements whereas the entire Sigma image is just much smoother.

Interestingly the Samyang improves a lot at F/2.8, a lot of the optical aberrations are gone and I'd argue make the bokeh look significantly more pleasant in this case even if there is less blur than F/1.8, but still not as buttery smooth as the Sigma.

I haven't bothered including the F/4 shots here as they are not that interesting - in my view their rendering looks more similar than different with only a very slight advantage to the Sigma.

Finally, as I previously suspected, the Sigma appears to be a teeny bit wider than the Samyang. I don't think it is focus breathing but could be wrong as I haven't tested this. And nothing you'll notice in real life unless with a side-by-side comparison.

OOF rendering is only one aspect of lens performance and value, but for me is a pretty important one, it may not be for you. And this comparison is only one kind of scene - one designed to reveal the strength of the Sigma and the flaws of the Samyang the most - but this kind of scene is common enough that for me this significantly reduces the appeal of the Samyang (I live in England so a walkaround lens had better be good at rendering grass!!). I would love to hear your thoughts on these comparisons.

Having used these lenses side-by-side for a couple of weeks now I have some more thoughts which I share in my next post.

Feb 24, 2020 at 07:48 PM

ryanli
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Bob_S wrote:
I disagree with most people about these two lenses.

I love the Samyang and loathe the Sigma. Having said that I think the Samyang is a little softish wide open and never tack sharp with underdone aberation control.

However, those minor issues are well and truly made up for with gorgeous rendering at any focus distance for every scene and for any light. In my opinion.

It's also got good focusing performance and it's light, compact and inexpensive, it also shares a filter theead with a dozen other lenses I have and is only a small step up/down from may others.

I agree only with some of what you wrote but I am somewhat surprised you found the Samyang softish wide open, are you sure you have a good copy? I can't claim to have used a lot of E mount lenses but I would be hard pressed to name a lens when used wide open exceeding or even matching the sharpness of Samyang at F/1.8.

Feb 24, 2020 at 07:54 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

ryanli wrote:

All right, I've managed to run a quick real world-ish comparison test of the two lenses, full size files on my Flickr album here.

Full view, Sigma @2.8:


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49576263786_f81443f9e5_o_d.jpg

Feb 24, 2020 at 08:09 PM

zugzwang2
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Thanks for that informative comparison.

Feb 24, 2020 at 10:30 PM

Bob_S
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

ryanli wrote:
I agree only with some of what you wrote but I am somewhat surprised you found the Samyang softish wide open, are you sure you have a good copy? I can't claim to have used a lot of E mount lenses but I would be hard pressed to name a lens when used wide open exceeding or even matching the sharpness of Samyang at F/1.8.

Well the Samyang is soft because my other 45mm ish lenses are so sharp.
The Sigma 1.4/40 Art, the 35 f1.2 art, even compared to the Zony 55.

But I LOVE the little Samyang. Love it.

Edited on Feb 25, 2020 at 05:16 AM · View previous versions

Feb 25, 2020 at 03:27 AM

ryanli
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Fred Miranda wrote:
Great comparison! Definitely distinctive rendering.

Thanks Fred, means a lot to me - your reviews are the ones I always look to. And "distinctive" is certainly one way to look at it

A few more observations and impressions from general usage:

- The Sigma handles like a classic lens, subjectively it's nicer than the cheap, plasticky feeling Samyang.
- BUT!! I really, really dislike the chunky metal Sigma lens hood. It adds over 20% weight to the lens, and worse it makes quick lens changing difficult - the lens itself is short thus hard to grip, and if I grip the lens hood I end up often unscrewing the hood instead of the lens. I have never had this problem with the Samyang or indeed any other lens.
- AF. This is a major disappointment with the Sigma. With the Samyang I am getting over 90% hit rate with AF-C (running toddler test). With the Sigma I am really struggling to get anywhere near 50% even in daylight, whether with or without Eye AF and even with a slow moving toddler, if anyone has any suggested workarounds that would be most welcome. If a lens is only good for AF-S it is not good enough and certainly not excusable for a lens at this price point.
- A lot has already been said about sharpness. This is more nuanced for the Sigma which is soft at near distances and gets progressively sharper approaching infinity so it is well suited for landscape use. (The Samyang is fine too as long as no OOF foliage

)
- BUT Sigma wins on the minimum focusing distance by a huge margin. Being about to get very close at all, even if soft wide open, is a huge boon for casual close up portraits and food photography - the Samyang almost requires standing-on-chair shooting distance to get a plate of food in focus. Just stop down a couple of stops if you need more sharpness.
- OTOH Samyang F1.8 is 1 1/3 stops faster, which is pretty significant in low light situations. There are no number tricks being played here. If there are no specular highlights in the scene then Samyang for sure is the superior low light lens Especially given differences in AF capability.

Decisions, decisions...

Feb 25, 2020 at 04:55 AM

philip_pj
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

That was pretty conclusive, thank you. One thing about bokeh quality is that you often don't see how poor it can be at time of shooting, which puts a premium on 'well-behaved' lenses. It can be a lottery with some lenses, and you may not like gambling.

Feb 25, 2020 at 05:03 AM

Bob_S
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Was it? I still prefer the Samyang.
Demonstration of how subjective drawing is.

Feb 25, 2020 at 06:01 AM

darrellc
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Sigma bokeh looks vastly better to my eye. Samyang looks like a lot of classic lenses... many prefer wonky swirly bokeh though. Certainly characterful and a nice retro look.

Of course that is but one characteristic, And looking at the images on Dustin Abbott’s review there are lots of appealing images with the Samyang. Seems like a great general purpose prime. I am increasingly in the smooth rendering camp and would prefer that look for all my primary use lenses.

Feb 25, 2020 at 08:45 AM

imagesfromobjects
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Thanks for taking the time to do this - great job! Granted, I have much more experience with manual focus and toddlers than auto, but the Sigma seems to do fine in decent light after the firmware update, even with moving kids. AF-S, of course. In low light, switching to manual focus / pre-focusing seems like the way to go. Have you updated the lens firmware?

ryanli wrote:
Thanks Fred, means a lot to me - your reviews are the ones I always look to. And "distinctive" is certainly one way to look at it

Feb 25, 2020 at 09:16 AM

tylerdurden801
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

How can I tell what firmware my Sigma has?

Feb 25, 2020 at 09:26 AM

Nisei
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Go into camera settings and go to the toolbox tab. There's a field labeled Version. It displays the firmware version for both the camera body and the lens.

Feb 25, 2020 at 10:23 AM

ryanli
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

imagesfromobjects wrote:
Thanks for taking the time to do this - great job! Granted, I have much more experience with manual focus and toddlers than auto, but the Sigma seems to do fine in decent light after the firmware update, even with moving kids. AF-S, of course. In low light, switching to manual focus / pre-focusing seems like the way to go. Have you updated the lens firmware?

Thanks! Yes I did update to v2 firmware. Haven't tried AF-S for any length of time, it's not something I'd normally use except in very low light but may have to get used to it until Sigma fixes AF-C.

Feb 25, 2020 at 11:51 AM

jmmaher
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

From this past weekend. Used the 45 just to see if the results were acceptable in AFC in the real world. -Jim

Feb 25, 2020 at 11:58 AM

ryanli
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

jmmaher wrote:
From this past weekend. Used the 45 just to see if the results were acceptable in AFC in the real world. -Jim

Wow, this certainly looks acceptable to me.

Lest I am seen as being too harsh on the Samyang, here are some indoor shots at F/1.8 with relatively uncomplicated background where I feel the Samyang really shines:


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49585948432_c655eb21ff_o_d.jpg


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49585948362_e61bebe563_o_d.jpg

...but like I said, I'd avoid scenes with specular highlights. (Some doughnuts and onion rings with your wine, sir?)


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49585712191_09a5870ce2_k_d.jpg


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49585948122_c9b53729aa_k_d.jpg


	https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49585213763_a1c33c0cfe_o_d.jpg

Unfortunately I didn't own the Sigma at the time so I couldn't shoot any straight comparisons.

Feb 25, 2020 at 07:36 PM

tylerdurden801
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p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Nisei wrote:
Go into camera settings and go to the toolbox tab. There's a field labeled Version. It displays the firmware version for both the camera body and the lens.

Thanks! My lens shipped with v1. The Sigma updater doesn't seem to want to open on my computer though . . .

Feb 26, 2020 at 12:24 PM

Jonathan F
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p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

While I much prefer the Samyang, I wouldn't buy Samyang lenses without the USB dock. If you only plan on buying one lens, I'd probably lean towards the Sigma 45mm since you can FW update without a dock. Saying that, I now own 4 Samyang lenses, 2 had to be focus tuned and all FW updated (with the USB dock). I've purchased a minty used Nikon 45mm 2.8 AI-P (paired with the TAP to gain AF) when I want a more classic and smooth rendering similar to the Sigma 45mm. I get the best of both worlds!

Feb 26, 2020 at 01:49 PM

AdaptedLenses
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p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · Samyang 45mm vs Sigma 45mm - which and why?

Finally got my Sigma today after an agonizing USPS delay. I did my homework so knew its draw backs but have to say I'm pretty excited. Excellent rendering, and have to remember to use f/4 at closer distances. It won't be a tracking lens for me, but I have others for that. As a small walk about on an A7, I'm liking it.

Feb 28, 2020 at 04:09 PM

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