I can say it does seem to focus well though I've been also using it for something it's not made for (birding a bit) and does seem to capture good shots for what it is on that. Still working on doing some portrait shots but I did post some of the two dogs. Did try to use it on a tripod for recording a video but the video required it to be shot at an angle so basically had to use a rubber band to keep it from slipping out of what I had set to do the shot which is frustrating.
From a German reviewer who is actually independent.
He compares the Samyang to the Tamron.
Bottom line: Samyang very clearly less sharp. Samyang AF clearly weaker, not suited for faster action. Flaring much worse in the Samyang than in the Tamron. Samyang focus ring feels too loose. Samyang is not parfocal as opposed to the Tamron. Both really good bokeh. Both have CA well under control. Samyang renders cooler colors. Samyang has much less distortion. Samyang has less LoCA.
hasenbein wrote:
Here is the first more serious review!
From a German reviewer who is actually independent.
He compares the Samyang to the Tamron.
Bottom line: Samyang very clearly less sharp. Samyang AF clearly weaker, not suited for faster action. Flaring much worse in the Samyang than in the Tamron. Samyang focus ring feels too loose. Samyang is not parfocal as opposed to the Tamron. Both really good bokeh. Both have CA well under control. Samyang renders cooler colors. Samyang has much less distortion. Samyang has less LoCA.
I appreciate you summarizing since I couldn't figure out a way to do English subtitles. Guess I might just ask for a refund instead of a replacement and buy a used Tamron or even a new one.
MKRhodes wrote:
Hmm, interesting, considering Samyang advertises parfocality as one of the features of this lens.
Far be it for me to question that reviewer since they seem to know their stuff but I'm going to try this in a little and see what happens. I'll report back.
Edit:
So went and tried it.. perhaps I'm not doing this correctly but you simply tell the camera to focus on something in video mode and zoom out and in gradually correct? Cause if that is how you do that(i'm pretty sure it is but hey I'm not a professional) then yes it loses focus and perhaps the camera or the lens gradually pulls it back. I put it onto the back of a bottle of wine and zoomed out. The text immediately became blurry as zooming out. Anything else I should try?
The way SY parfocal lenses work is that they constantly re-adjust the focus when zooming, at least that's what I saw in one of the review videos (for 24-70 I think). So, it probably won't work in MF...
A lens is only parfocal if the actual optics are parfocal, i.e. regardless whether you focus manually or with AF. Cheap tricks like the one you mentioned to simulate parfocality don't count.
The way to test whether a lens is parfocal: put it in manual mode, zoom all the way in on your subject (150mm in this case), focus, and then zoom out. The lens should stay focused on your subject for the entire zoom range.
jdcoletv wrote:
The way to test whether a lens is parfocal: put it in manual mode, zoom all the way in on your subject (150mm in this case), focus, and then zoom out. The lens should stay focused on your subject for the entire zoom range.
I tried to get a well centered copy of the Samyang 35/2.8, and gave up after trying 5. I know others have had better experiences. The first thing that pops into my head with the parfocal question is......could it be an issue with the copy being tested. If multiple people see the same lack of parfocal behavior and no one finds parfocal behavior....then I think definitely it's not parfocal.
But as others have noted, a lens is only legitimately parfocal if focus doesn't not need to be altered as you zoom in and out. If zooming in and out requires focus adjustments to stay sharp, then it's not parfocal.
Jerky_san wrote:
Ok standby and I'll test it this morning
Ok.. attempted again. Manual focus only on Sony A1. Full zoomed in and then pulled back after focus has been acquired. Immediate blurriness but it "pull it together" as your doing it. So perhaps it is me causing the blurriness in someway? I have it mounted on a solid base that came with my Manfrotto gimbal and I am simply turning the zoom ring. The ring itself is incredibly loose so I barely have to put any force into it.
Set focus at the long end (70mm, or presumably 150mm here) in MF mode. Zoom out (or in again after zooming back) - the lens adjusts to compensate for the shift as you zoom. The optical design, at least on the 24-70, is by no means parfocal, it's just the software correcting for the focus shift using the motor.
Works fine for a gradual zoom in my experience, but it's clearly visible when doing a snap zoom and I wish it could be disabled via the lens station.
Biggest issue on this is probably the torque on the motor not being that great on the bigger Samyang lenses, imo their biggest issue in general. If they had a dual/quad motor design that brief defocus would be much less noticeable because the motor could presumably compensate faster.
MrClaws wrote:
Assuming it works the same way as on the 24-70mm:
Set focus at the long end (70mm, or presumably 150mm here) in MF mode. Zoom out (or in again after zooming back) - the lens adjusts to compensate for the shift as you zoom. The optical design, at least on the 24-70, is by no means parfocal, it's just the software correcting for the focus shift using the motor.
Works fine for a gradual zoom in my experience, but it's clearly visible when doing a snap zoom and I wish it could be disabled via the lens station.
Biggest issue on this is probably the torque on the motor not being that great on the bigger Samyang lenses, imo their biggest issue in general. If they had a dual/quad motor design that brief defocus would be much less noticeable because the motor could presumably compensate faster....Show more →
What your saying may be true.. It seems like it takes a moment to figure it out and if I pull it back slow enough it tries to stay in focus. Video below.
Btw I'm basing this on the small text "auto focus lens for full frame e-mount" going in and out of focus.. and this was recorded in 8k 30 fps.. so youtube would have the best video file I could provide.
Jerky_san wrote:
Guess I might just ask for a refund instead of a replacement and buy a used Tamron or even a new one.
Sorry to hear it's come to that. I've been following your posts with interest, to see if the Samyang was a serious contender. Sounds like it continues Samyang's 'tradition' of making nice sharp lenses with less-than-stellar mechanics.
MikeEvangelist wrote:
Sorry to hear it's come to that. I've been following your posts with interest, to see if the Samyang was a serious contender. Sounds like it continues Samyang's 'tradition' of making nice sharp lenses with less-than-stellar mechanics.
I'll be honest with you.. The creep was only the first thing that bothered me about this lens. The support is terrible.. like I reply within a minute of receiving the email and they will simply not reply the rest of the day. I still have not even sent it back because I haven't got a label to do so. This is now 7+ days of going on this. I sent an email the day I received it noting how poorly packaged it was and asking if the creep by itself was acceptable for a return. They originally replied basically "A little creep is expected".. So then I had to get more forceful with them on it.
I took the lens to a fair to try out photoing my kids. While the AF hit most of the time sometimes it was not sharp at all. This is with an A1. It's weird because I literally took pictures of birds in flight that were what I would call "decent shots" but sometimes it misses my kids barely moving. I'll be brutally honest with myself and say "it could simply be the operator" since the A1 is a "god" at AF.. My next lens is going to be a sony so I guess I'll see if it's really me the operator though I've read the 200-600 has issues with the A1 sometimes.
So, that tells you that the lens is not parfocal. Just make sure, that once you have adjusted focus at the long end, keep the lens in manual focus mode and then zoom out. Don't put it in autofocus. If it keeps its focus on the subject while zooming out, it is parfocal. If not, it is not. Pretty simple really.
"I also tested whether Tamron’s zoom lens allows you to change the focal length without altering its focus. This characteristic is called parfocal. I focused the lens at 150mm and then slowly zoomed back checking focus on the way. The 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III did not keep its focus perfectly. It’s not a huge deviation but enough to be seen even at only 50% magnification or a 4k image/video recording." <- They don't show a video but seems kind of what this lens does.
Digital Par-Focal: Digital Par-focal is specialized for video shooting as it can maintain focus on the subject when zooming in or out. Since this function is usually mounted in expensive cine zoom lenses, it provides a more special experience and results to customers who use this zoom lens.
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