jaybr wrote:
Maybe you should contact Dustin Abbott and query his results?
Personally, I find Dustin pretty meticulous in his testing.
J
Dustin is one of the few I will even watch. He did mention when comparing he was comparing the 20 on a 42mp to the samyang on a 50mp A1. So not ideal to be using different cameras for a comparison. Which he normally doesn't do. Regardless the 20 is very sharp an I'm happy with it. But this looks like a nice option for some. For me I like 20 field of view better, especially for indoor and astro. Which is why I replaced my 24GM which was great. Just personal preference though.
jaybr wrote:
Maybe you should contact Dustin Abbott and query his results?
Personally, I find Dustin pretty meticulous in his testing.
J
I think the main problem is that Dustin tests the sharpness at close distances where perfect alignment of the camera sensor with the test chart is crucial (and difficult to achieve).
As for the SY 24/1.8, I really wonder how many samples as good as the one Dustin got there are (looks like his was handpicked). SY is notorious for quality control issues.
keepcoding wrote:
I think the main problem is that Dustin tests the sharpness at close distances where perfect alignment of the camera sensor with the test chart is crucial (and difficult to achieve).
As for the SY 24/1.8, I really wonder how many samples as good as the one Dustin got there are (looks like his was handpicked). SY is notorious for quality control issues.
See, someone I know through another UK forum had a 20G up for sale. I was asking around & someone pointed me to this lens being released. I did consider it but I just today made an offer for the 20G. I thought the same with QC doubts, returning possibly, fimeware updates, having to buy a docking thing for just one lens plus the new price of the Samyang vs the used of the Sony..... I know the Sony is good, I know it shoots astro/night skies well so I played things safe!
I am put off by the sample variation of samyang lenses lately and am not sure this 24mm is really going to magically do any better. Dustin abbots review is great but my trust in samyang is not. These golden copies to reviewers makes me doubt i'll get a good one. I tried couple copies of the 45 1.8 and it was a damn disaster of de-centering. Same with 85 1.4 that the 2nd copy I sadly didn't return.
Both Dustin's review and the ePHOTOzine reviews of this lens are glowing, whereas the photographyblog.com review shows the lens as very good but perhaps not excellent. I don't know enough to say if the difference in reviews is due to sample variation or different testing methodologies. I have not used photographyblog.com for reviews before, but I have been impressed with Dustin's reviews in the past, so unless he got an above average copy I would say this is a pretty good lens.
Regardless of whether the sharpness of the lens is very good or excellent, I am impressed that Samyang has produced a 24mm f/1.8 lens that potentially rivals the image quality of the recent suburb Sony lenses, weighs 230g, has weather sealing, includes this new infinity-focusing-at-the-touch-of-a-button feature, an aperture ring and focus hold button...and all this for $499. This is a great example of how an open lens mount and competition drives innovation.
"..cast themselves across almost the entire image, as if the eyes of the God himself are staring into the depths of your soul" re sunstars at f/16 , haha : )
C Frost appears to like it . It seems like a solid option for the price.
jakesherman wrote:
Regardless of whether the sharpness of the lens is very good or excellent, I am impressed that Samyang has produced a 24mm f/1.8 lens that potentially rivals the image quality of the recent suburb Sony lenses, weighs 230g, has weather sealing, includes this new infinity-focusing-at-the-touch-of-a-button feature, an aperture ring and focus hold button...and all this for $499. This is a great example of how an open lens mount and competition drives innovation.
I agree with all this, but the lens doesn't have an aperture ring. You can reassign the focus ring to control the aperture instead of focus, but when I tried it on the Samyang 75, I really didn't like the lack of any clicked stops. Without looking through the viewfinder or at the rear screen, you can't tell where the lens is set.
But I'm interested in the lens and agree that Dustin's reviews are usually reliable.
So far, almost all Samyang lenses had significant periodic discounts (100-150 $ less that listed price) which will make it even better value. These Samyang lenses (along with Tamron zooms) are the main reason I switched to Sony from Fuji, and I'm looking forward to replace my Sony 28mm f2 with this lens.
EnricoAdams wrote:
So far, almost all Samyang lenses had significant periodic discounts (100-150 $ less that listed price) which will make it even better value. These Samyang lenses (along with Tamron zooms) are the main reason I switched to Sony from Fuji, and I'm looking forward to replace my Sony 28mm f2 with this lens.
Are you unhappy with the Sony 28mm f/2 lens? Or do you just want a wider focal length?
NJPhotographer wrote:
Are you unhappy with the Sony 28mm f/2 lens? Or do you just want a wider focal length?
It's visibly softer than the rest of my kit, especially on A7R III. Aberrations wide open can be bad, especially LoCa. It does not focus close, and I really like wide-angle close-up shots. Since I got Tamron 28-200 I use it much less, because Tamron is much better in terms on optics, with exception of boken and sunstars.
Samyang 24 1.8 should be better in all those areas that are bothering me, and I appreciate it being a bit wider since it better fits the rest of my kit.
keepcoding wrote:
I think the main problem is that Dustin tests the sharpness at close distances where perfect alignment of the camera sensor with the test chart is crucial (and difficult to achieve).
As for the SY 24/1.8, I really wonder how many samples as good as the one Dustin got there are (looks like his was handpicked). SY is notorious for quality control issues.
Actually he does both chart (close up) and real world (landscapes at infinity or portraits or both) in all his extensive tests (not first views), usually on head-to-heads. With the 24 it was vs both Viltrox and Sony 20G (it blew them both away).
I've just had this lens delivered today. Quick tests for corners and centre at f1.8 and f8, reviewed at 250%, seem to correspond with DA's findings. It does vignette quite a bit but it's easily cleaned up.
I've now got three Samyang lenses (85/1.4 , 45/1.8, and now this 24/1.8) and although I tested all before buying (corners, edges and centre) I had no reason to ask for another copy with any of them. It's likely Samyang have upped their QC game considerably since it's early Rokinon MF lenses.
The weight and the weather-sealing were just bonuses for hiking. I am selling my Zeiss 21mm because I can cover that lens with this 24 (better astro lens by far) and the SY 18/2.8 (which DA has also reviewed and given his seal of approval).
When I need a WA when not hiking the heavy Laowa 12mm Zero Distortion is my choice and I use it with the Laowa Magic Convertor to achieve a 17mm Shift lens.
NJPhotographer wrote:
There's sample variation in all brands. Dustin's copy of the Samyang 24/1.8 is better than my copy of the Sony 24/1.4 GM.
My Samyang 24 f1.8 is ever so slightly better than my 24 GM, and it corresponds with the MTF charts, less aberration as well.
Hardly any focus breathing, solid low light AF, and the subtle new look is nice. I don’t like the chrome and red accent, feels cheap.
The lens is legitimate super optic
GM has better bokeh, build, af, and aperture ring is better than the mode wheel. It pains me to say all this because, there is not a whole lot of reason to keep it around. The look is amazing for sure, I don’t like GM size and weight.
Charlie N wrote:
My Samyang 24 f1.8 is ever so slightly better than my 24 GM, and it corresponds with the MTF charts, less aberration as well.
Hardly any focus breathing, solid low light AF, and the subtle new look is nice. I don’t like the chrome and red accent, feels cheap.
The lens is legitimate super optic
GM has better bokeh, build, af, and aperture ring is better than the mode wheel. It pains me to say all this because, there is not a whole lot of reason to keep it around. The look is amazing for sure, I don’t like GM size and weight. ...Show more →
What?
SY is actually sharper and better corrected than the GM?
I'll have to watch Dustin's review again I guess...
Edit: Huh, it sure is sharper than 20G, which I think is indeed a bit sharper than 24GM...
