Rokinon - Samyang - Bower

I finally picked up the Rokinon 14mm 2.8 lens for my Canon 5D. I had been on the fence for a while, but I really didn’t want to drop over $2300 for the Canon 14mm prime, so I picked up the Rokinon.

After a few test shots around my house last night, I can say I was surprised with the overall quality of the images. Edges were sharp and great color contrast throughout the image. The barrel distortion is easly fixed in post. The lens body is plastic, but for under $400, I really could care less. On the bright side, the lens is very light.

I started this thread for others mags to post their experience with these lenses. I have heard good things especially about the 85 1.4.

Love love love my 85. I'm kind of indifferent to my 8mm. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but it's very rarely that you're gonna lug around an 8mm. Really thin at some point I'm gonna grab the new 35. Some 85 snaps. Nothing special but I likes em.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5254/...9d308458_b.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/...33a58598_b.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5219/...0431da43_b.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/...bfe5f7f6_b.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/...b9bb7de6_b.jpg

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Originally Posted by advres

Love love love my 85.

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That one comes very highly regarded in many circles.

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Originally Posted by advres

Love love love my 85. I'm kind of indifferent to my 8mm. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but it's very rarely that you're gonna lug around an 8mm. Really thin at some point I'm gonna grab the new 35. Some 85 snaps. Nothing special but I likes em.


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/...bfe5f7f6_b.jpg

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Got nothin' to say about those lenses but that pic... damn, how depressing.

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Originally Posted by Chainsaw_Willie

Got nothin' to say about those lenses but that pic... damn, how depressing.

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Man, I had so many questions running through my head when I saw the scene. I was wondering if that was now his daily routine at his age looking for friends that passed. I wondered if he knew someone while reading. I never read obits but maybe down the road that will be where I look first? It really just spoke to me.

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Originally Posted by Lonnie

That one comes very highly regarded in many circles.

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I think for $269 bucks it was the single most cost effective photography purchase I have made.

Damn, why did I have to read this thread? Now I want that 85mm f/1.4.

Do you guys buy these from Amazon?

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Originally Posted by advres

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/...bfe5f7f6_b.jpg

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That is a very striking image. I was going to ask if you noticed what he was looking at when you took the shot, but it appears you did. Its a sad image, but it speaks volumes.

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Originally Posted by supermodel159

Do you guys buy these from Amazon?

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I got my 85 from Amazon and my 8 from Buydig

Overstock.com also has them.

With the new manual focus peeking firmware updated for the NEX, I need to pick one (several) of these up...

Hey Advres, can you post some more examples of shots you took with the 85mm f/1.4 that show ultra thin DOF?

^Sure.... My copy has some pretty crazy CA but I think it adds character to the lens.


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/...216b8f6c_b.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/...1d271712_b.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/...2eb1787e_o.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/...5ee4ab9f_b.jpg


This one really shows how the foreground and background melt. The lens is truly amazing for the price. Less than $300 for an ultra fast prime with that kind of IQ????
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5308/...ce841ec2_o.jpg

Just so you know... As has been said a million times over, you absolutely need to use live view with the 85 to pull accurate focus wide open. This isn't a "look through the viewfinder and focus" that is for sure!!! But super shallow wide open and tack sharp stopped down.

If you need more examples I have a few hours between work and when I need to get ready to leave tomorrow. Maybe a shot of a yardstick?

Was packing up my gear before heading to bed and thought I'd take a snap for smmokan. Sorry this isn't to my flickr with exif but it was taken at 1.4 , ISO 800 at about 4' (closest distance for focus). Nothing special again but it should give you a good approximation of the DOF this lens achieves.

Zero manipulation done. This is raw, just resized saved to jpeg.

The out of focus areas are seriously nice on that lens. Surprising! About the same FOV as the 50mm on a crop, too. Could someone make 5DMkIIs not cost $2500, please?

that is on a crop....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by advres

My copy has some pretty crazy CA but I think it adds character to the lens.

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As far as I know, this is a feature of most (all?) super-fast lenses.

Thanks Advres... perfect.

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Originally Posted by advres

that is on a crop....

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All of the images or just the last one?

All of them. I only have a 7d.

EDIT - Shit, after rereading your first post, I misunderstood what you meant. Thought you said DOF not FOV, My bad.

Hey advres, do you use a tripod with this all the time?

I've actually only had it on a tripod a handful of times. The only one above shot on a tripod is the bird. The only reason I did was because I was waiting for a sunset so I had the tripod already setup.

My "technique" is rather weird. I look through the viewfinder to roughly compose the shot. Since it's a real long lens on a crop it usually takes some moving of the feet to get you to where you want. Then once I'm standing where I want the picture, I leave the camera where it is and pull my head back to use live view. After I pull focus using the 10x zoom, I pull my head back to the camera, recompose the framing and take the picture. I could do it all in liveview I suppose but I feel more steady with the camera pressed to my face. I suppose a tripod would be easier but then you got to carry it ;)

Hijack alert...

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Originally Posted by Lonnie

Overstock.com also has them.

With the new manual focus peeking firmware updated for the NEX, I need to pick one (several) of these up...

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by advres

My "technique" is rather weird. I look through the viewfinder to roughly compose the shot. Since it's a real long lens on a crop it usually takes some moving of the feet to get you to where you want. Then once I'm standing where I want the picture, I leave the camera where it is and pull my head back to use live view. After I pull focus using the 10x zoom, I pull my head back to the camera, recompose the framing and take the picture. I could do it all in liveview I suppose but I feel more steady with the camera pressed to my face. I suppose a tripod would be easier but then you got to carry it ;)

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This is why I'm stoked on the focus peeking. It makes all that stuff you talk about unnecessary. Basically, when using manual foucs, the rear display of the camera highlights (in the users choice of red, yellow or white) the areas of the frame that are in sharpest focus. Folks have been having great success shooting in Raw+jpg with creative style being B&W with focus peeking set to red. The raw image is recorded in full color for later PP work.

Here's a quick video of it in action...

That's pretty sexy. But you still have to use live view. What would be awesome was if they could put that technology into a digital viewfinder. THAT would be love in my eyes.

With a lens set in manual mode, ff you hold down the focusing button (whether the shutter half-press of the back/AF-ON button) while manually focusing, the focus point in the viewfinder blinks red when it achieves focus. Not sure if it works with full-time manual lenses, but worth a try?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by advres

That's pretty sexy. But you still have to use live view. What would be awesome was if they could put that technology into a digital viewfinder. THAT would be love in my eyes.

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FWIW, there is only the rear lcd on a nex. This could be yet another advantage of sony's new SLT cameras with EVF's. Watch for this on the A77....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by advres

All of them. I only have a 7d.

EDIT - Shit, after rereading your first post, I misunderstood what you meant. Thought you said DOF not FOV, My bad.

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Aha. Yeah 85mm really is a decent length on the crop.

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Originally Posted by Fuzz

With a lens set in manual mode, ff you hold down the focusing button (whether the shutter half-press of the back/AF-ON button) while manually focusing, the focus point in the viewfinder blinks red when it achieves focus. Not sure if it works with full-time manual lenses, but worth a try?

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On the 7D in particular or Canon cameras in general? Is this true with any manual focus lens?

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Originally Posted by Dromond

On the 7D in particular or Canon cameras in general? Is this true with any manual focus lens?

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My 40D and 5D2 both do this with all AF lenses set to MF mode. And I know it works on AF lenses where the AF is busted so MF is the only way, so I think it should work with full-time MF lenses as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fuzz

With a lens set in manual mode, ff you hold down the focusing button (whether the shutter half-press of the back/AF-ON button) while manually focusing, the focus point in the viewfinder blinks red when it achieves focus. Not sure if it works with full-time manual lenses, but worth a try?

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Just tried it and no bueno. Worth a shot for sure! I think that is the reason people are chipping these so they do get focus confirmation. The Nikon versions have the chip (at least the 35 does) and I read people are buying those and using a Nikon to EOS adapter to get focus confirmation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lonnie

FWIW, there is only the rear lcd on a nex. This could be yet another advantage of sony's new SLT cameras with EVF's. Watch for this on the A77....

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aghh shit. I thought you were talking about the SLT's, not the nex. For a second I did a double-take and said "no fucking viewfinder"???? I don't speak Sony too well as you can see :)

I got one of those 42m to EOS adapters with the chip, but it only works maybe 10% of the time with the 40 year old lens I've got on there. Might be because I suck, might be because the adapter sucks or something else. It really seems to have trouble when doing infinite focus.

Since we are talking about this, my 35mm prime on my crop body is actually taking pictures like it was a 56mm? and my 55mm is 88mm, and my 135mm is 216mm?

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Originally Posted by Edgnar

Since we are talking about this, my 35mm prime on my crop body is actually taking pictures like it was a 56mm? and my 55mm is 88mm, and my 135mm is 216mm?

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If we are talking field of view (read sensor coverage), then yes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_factor

Quote:

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Originally Posted by advres

I don't speak Sony too well as you can see :)

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I'll forgive you. Not everyone can be perfect... lol.

FWIW, what the nex can do given it's size is killer. APS-C sensor and pretty much everything a DSLR will do, (albiet without the viewfinder) in a camera that can fit in your pocket. It's a great light weight hiker option. I thought that camera should have been pop photo's camera of the year over the a55. It just needs some more lenses (they are coming, slowly).

OTOH, there are tons of MF adapters out there for it and this is one reason sony did this firmware update. People can talk shit about them all they want, but it bodes well that Sony is listening to the requests of it's users.

Sorry for the hijack, but I think we had the original topic flushed out already...

Random Shots I took this summer with my Rokinon 14mm 2.8

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6195/6...be19bf3c_z.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6153/6...9f563781_z.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6207/6...5d05defc_z.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6206/6...9ee82f74_z.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6064/6...63807180_z.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6197/6...0a8a6b4f_z.jpg

I have the 14 and 85mm. There is a 24 F/1.4 coming out any day now apparently, and that will definitely be my next purchase.

March...

Anyone here shoot with the Rokinon 35?. I think that is on my short list, but I'm curious to here what users say. A lot of reviews say its as sharp as the Canon 35 1.4.

Anyone have one?

The 24 sounds like a really interesting option. It'd be nice to have something wide when I don't want to lug the 24-70.

I absolutely looooove my recently acquired Rok 85, can't wait to get my hands on the others... The Rok 35 and 14 both look amazing, a 24 would fill in nicely, but I really really want a 50mm!!! What's out there that fills that gap?

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Originally Posted by BurnHard

I absolutely looooove my recently acquired Rok 85, can't wait to get my hands on the others... The Rok 35 and 14 both look amazing, a 24 would fill in nicely, but I really really want a 50mm!!! What's out there that fills that gap?

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What system do you shoot? There are so many good vintage manual focus 50mms out there for not very much money that I think Samyang doesn't really see the need to make one. I see Nikon 50 1.4 AI-Ss on KEH for as little as $89, and even the EX+ condition ones are less than $200. If you're on Canon you can get an adapter and shoot almost anything, and I'll bet there are great 50s from other systems for even less.

Aside from that, even a brand new autofocus 50 1.4 is a similar price to the Samyang lenses, around $360 for the Canon and the older (but still in production) Nikon version.