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Archive 2010 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

RZetter
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

+1 But I think it actually 30cm. I read somewhere that the Samyang MFD is measured from the lens front element and not the sensor plane. The MFD sure feels longer than 1m, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's true.

Dec 09, 2010 at 02:45 PM

Piotr_P
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

RZetter wrote:
+1 But I think it actually 30cm. I read somewhere that the Samyang MFD is measured from the lens front element and not the sensor plane. The MFD sure feels longer than 1m, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's true.

Yes it`s 1m from front element - actually more than 15cm difference which is very high for portrait photography. I think Samyang is real f1.5. Samyang is best for it price but to be honest i prefer Zeiss(C/Y) 85/1.4 and Canon FD 85 1.2. These two are far better than Samyang in terms of bokeh, colours, sharpness(samyang is similar or better at mfd and f1.4) flare control(zeiss!) and bulid quality.

Dec 09, 2010 at 02:57 PM

ulrikft2
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

Im planning on doing a Samyang/Rokinon vs. Sigma-test this weekend or the next week. To see how they perform against each other.

Dec 09, 2010 at 04:30 PM

cogitech
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

Piotr_P wrote:
Yes it`s 1m from front element - actually more than 15cm difference which is very high for portrait photography. I think Samyang is real f1.5. Samyang is best for it price but to be honest i prefer Zeiss(C/Y) 85/1.4 and Canon FD 85 1.2. These two are far better than Samyang in terms of bokeh, colours, sharpness(samyang is similar or better at mfd and f1.4) flare control(zeiss!) and bulid quality.

You must have different taste for bokeh than me if you think the Zeiss is better

Regarding the FD 85/1.2, I directly compared the two for bokeh, colours, sharpness, etc. I sold the FD (and the EF 85/1.8):

(Note: This is not even close to MFD)

http://www.cogitech.ca/photos/Rokinon/Test/full_images/85_comp_full_images.jpg

http://www.cogitech.ca/photos/Rokinon/Test/corner_bokeh/85_comp_corner_bokeh.jpg

http://www.cogitech.ca/photos/Rokinon/Test/face/85_comp_skin.jpg

To say the the FD 85/1.2 is "far better" is hyperbole. If you prefer it, fine, but the Rokinon keeps up with it without a problem. If the images were not labelled, you could barely tell the difference (except that the Rokinon's bokeh is smoothest).

Edited on Dec 09, 2010 at 05:00 PM · View previous versions

Dec 09, 2010 at 04:42 PM

sebboh
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

Piotr_P wrote:
samyang is similar or better at mfd and f1.4.

where it counts for me (and many others interested in using it for portraits)! otherwise you might as well just get the c/y 85/2.8.

Dec 09, 2010 at 04:59 PM

Piotr_P
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

sebboh wrote:
where it counts for me (and many others interested in using it for portraits)! otherwise you might as well just get the c/y 85/2.8.

don`t know differences in bokeh between ssc and nfd(i got nfd)

and for me too; but it isn`t f1.2; at f2 is less sharp(i use f2 a lot); and mfd is mor than 15cm longer than planar which is not acceptable for me
btw - there are some problems with aperture shape with samyang -most of the copies isn`t perfect like other (zeiss mm or canon)

Dec 09, 2010 at 05:24 PM

sebboh
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

Piotr_P wrote:
don`t know differences in bokeh between ssc and nfd(i got nfd)

and for me too; but it isn`t f1.2; at f2 is less sharp(i use f2 a lot); and mfd is mor than 15cm longer than planar which is not acceptable for me
btw - there are some problems with aperture shape with samyang -most of the copies isn`t perfect like other (zeiss mm or canon)

is the fd noticeably sharper at f/2? i'm pretty sure the tests i've seen show the samyang/rokinon is still sharper than the planar at f/2 in the 1-2m focus range anyway.

f/1.2 would be nice but i think the added size makes the fd not worth it for me.

has anyone tried fiddling with the infinity adjust on the samyang? it might be worth giving up infinity to get an extra foot or so closer on the mfd. i guess one could just get the nikon version two adapters instead: one for accurate infinity stop and one adapter shimmed to be a short macro tube.

Dec 09, 2010 at 05:44 PM

cogitech
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

sebboh wrote:
has anyone tried fiddling with the infinity adjust on the samyang?.

I got tired of theorizing about it and just tried a simple tweak.

Removed the mount (3 screws), stuck three washers of equal size and thickness over the holes, set the mount back on and put the screws back in.

Min. focus is now 37.5" from the sensor (close enough to fill the frame with an 8.5"x14" piece of paper), but infinity is gone, of course.

I'll probably leave it this way for a while and see if it cramps my style at longer distances. I doubt it will.

For reference:
-Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM MFD is 37.4"
-Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 ZE Planar T* MFD is 38.3"

Dec 09, 2010 at 09:41 PM

paulesko
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

Wow, you guys have made a wonderful post, a lot of usefull information.

After reading all this I´m definitely going to buy a samyang or similar. It´s really cheap, and it can compete with some of the best lenses in this category, so it seems to be some kind of no-brainer. Thank you all for the information.

Dec 10, 2010 at 07:26 AM

zakapi0r
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

couple of shots from me now

Only one big minus of this lens is chromatic aberration, but it catching up with unigie bokeh and incredible smoothnes

[

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Nov 12, 2011 at 12:43 AM

Technician
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

RZetter, nice portraits!

Nov 12, 2011 at 02:43 AM

RZetter
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

Thank you Technician! Those were taken quite a long time ago, there's lots of newer pictures taken with my Samyang that I haven't uploaded.

Nov 12, 2011 at 06:15 AM

mawz
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

One note on the Nikkors, I'd never recommend selling the AF-D for the AI-S, the AF-D's simply a better lens all-round. I know of many shooters who upgraded to it even while shooting MF Nikon bodies. If I had the AF-D and was looking to replace it my choice would be either the Samyang or the 85/1.8 Pre-AI (which is by far my favourite of the Nikkor 85's). Both god for about the same price, the Samyang's a noted performer and the original Nikkor 85 is a gem with a very 'classic' rendering which can be had in low-contrast singlecoated or more modern NIC coated forms.

Nov 12, 2011 at 09:43 AM

Kingfishphoto
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

My Rokinon 85MM F1.4 in Nikon mount has a real 3D look to the images , and my 8MM Nikon extension tube, gets me where i want to be with flowers etc. Why pay more for maybe less?

Nov 15, 2011 at 08:05 PM

gpop
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Samyang 85 f1.4 or nikon 85 1.4 Ai-s

cogitech wrote:
I got tired of theorizing about it and just tried a simple tweak.

Removed the mount (3 screws), stuck three washers of equal size and thickness over the holes, set the mount back on and put the screws back in.

Min. focus is now 37.5" from the sensor (close enough to fill the frame with an 8.5"x14" piece of paper), but infinity is gone, of course.

I'll probably leave it this way for a while and see if it cramps my style at longer distances. I doubt it will.

For reference:
-Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM MFD is 37.4"
-Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 ZE...Show more →

how far out can you focus with the shims? (close guess is all I'm asking, no need to measure or test)
were these plain old washers? or super thin ?

I plan to alter mine in the same way, thanks for trying this out.

Nov 15, 2011 at 08:37 PM

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