Samyang FE 35mm f/1.8 AF : Specifications and Opinions

Reviews

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The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.

Photo_Da.Ma

sent on 28 Maggio 2024

Pros: Price, Lightweight, AF

Cons: Materials, edge sharpness very bad at TA

Opinion: I bought this lens driven by the countless positive reviews and rationally if we make it a question of ratio / price it is not to be thrown away, however I would avoid comparisons with competitors of the same focal length but of another range. What made me realize the bad sharpness at the edges and that actually prompted me to sell it was during a prenatal shoot in which I wanted to focus on a carabinieri car on the edge of the photo and blur the subjects in the background... IT WASN'T POSSIBLE! I still didn't understand and that's why I did some tests on tripods afterwards to confirm it. I initially thought it was a focus issue, but it's actually a sharpness issue. In the center the sharpness is ok but to have sharpness at the edges you need to close to f8. In short, as much as I appreciate samyang for its pancake line, I don't feel like suggesting it. The autofocus is fast and works very well, in the center it is fine, it is light and in a street exit it becomes comfortable, today I fell back on its 45mm analog which satisfies me more. You can find a demo photo in this topic: https://www.juzaphoto.com/topic2.php?l=it&t=4817210

user35650

sent on 10 Novembre 2023

Pros: Unbeatable value for money, lightness, sharpness, overall quality.

Cons: Chromatic aberrations in some situations of aperture and contrast (they fade in PP but still in some cases they are important) Lightroom is superior in this

Opinion: Bought last year for less than €300 with Italy warranty, now almost impossible to find at this price. For me it's great, light and with the right focal length for my use on the road, perfect for shooting everything from panoramas, to interiors, at night, to people with a minimum of setting around. The bokeh is less intense than with the 50mm but you can shoot in more situations and honestly the portraits in the end are all very similar. Used mostly in travel it turns out to be perfectly sharp at all apertures, even at 1.8-2.0 it's not bad, from the best of itself from 2.2 up to 5.6 approximately, I've never come to extreme closures sincerely. There is a slight vignetting at the larger apertures but I like it and I always keep it in post-production, except in exceptional cases such as sky or very bright photos. I paired it with an old Sony a7 and the autofocus is still great and accurate, never missed a beat, I guess with newer bodies it's a showstopper. I don't see all this cheapness of materials, it's a plastic in line with this price range. It's probably because I've never had a high-cost lens. It's tropicalized and I used it even in humid and rainy conditions and it didn't bat an eyelid.

Calcos

sent on 03 Ottobre 2022

Pros: Remarkable optical qualities in an affordable price; lightweight; blurred

Cons: "Cheap" feel to the touch, chromatic aberrations

Opinion: I've owned the lens for a year and I used it as the only lens glued to the car this summer. The lens is really light (but not very small) thanks to the plastic construction. On the other hand, the construction itself gives the idea of an "economic" object. For some it will be worth more, for others less, but the difference in tactile enjoyment between this and a lens like the Sony 55mm is remarkable. Small plus instead for the soft case included in the original equipment, good Samyang! The optical performance is really good, sharp enough for any application, it is also appreciated for an excellent blur. CCs are particularly noticeable in cases of strong backlit edges. They put themselves in place, but it can be annoying. Last clarification, the autofocus is generally excellent, but there are some small uncertainties in low light, where lenses such as 28mm and 55mm Sony do not have any. Ultimately, a great lens that becomes exceptional in relation to the price.

Marcolob

sent on 23 Giugno 2022

Pros: Sharpness, bokeh, design, lightness, compactness, luminous aperture (1.8 stops), general contrast, "manual focus" switch to "ring openings", excellent value for money

Cons: Evident chromatic aberrations, distortion, sensitive bezel, focus breathing

Opinion: Samyang 35mm f/1.8 FE is a great lens, considering the price. Construction not excellent, but not poor either. The materials are also chosen to give lightness, to an incredible weight of 210 g! The bezel is very sensitive, though. Sometimes I don't even notice that I'm moving it. The switch between "manual focus distance" and "aperture ring" is a brilliant idea: I don't like to change the opening with the front ring of the car, so I use Mode 2 almost always. Sharp to be scary, already from the maximum aperture. From f/4.0 onwards it comes to perfection. There is no optical stabilization, but it is tropicalized. Bokeh "onion", very nice effect to see. Lightning-fast autofocus. There is the phenomenon of chromatic aberrations, and it is not easily solved by decreasing the opening. Personally, however, it is not a problem, since the effect can be effectively removed in post production. Noticeable distortion, but reasonable enough for a wide angle. Focus via stepper motor is not a real problem - since it is quite quiet - but the lens has an annoying focus breathing: at wide apertures, it is nothing like that. At apertures starting from f/9.0, it is difficult to focus, because the lens moves like the head of a pigeon when walking! In general, it is a lens that gives great satisfaction. At that price, then!

Homer81ct

sent on 25 Ottobre 2021

Pros: Lightweight, value for money

Cons: Materials

Opinion: Purchased at a price on Amazon, for the amateur use I make of it I consider it an excellent purchase. Light, very useful for me when I want to go around light until night. Its brightness makes it a good purchase for 360-degree use when traveling. The bezel is actually a bit too light, but I personally do not use it, so it is not a defect to report for me. Of course the materials are not the same as my Sony 24-105, probably even the image sharpness is not quite the same, but considering the price I do not see any contraindication to have it in your backpack.

Simolucca

sent on 26 Luglio 2021

Pros: Weight/size, AF, overall yield, quality/price

Cons: The ring that commands the diaphragms does not convince me

Opinion: Taken a few months ago to replace the Sigma Art 35 f/1.4 I must say that I was 100% satisfied, aperture aside does not make me regret the beast in anything, the af is better than the Sigma, it is incredibly light, sharp and with a nice blurry. The only defect I found is that, if you wanted to take advantage of the programmable ring, there is a high risk that it will move unintentionally, in the end in fact I use it little.

Lorenzo Crovetto

sent on 10 Aprile 2021

Pros: 210g weight and 300 euros import. Excellent optical performance. AF never uncertain. Minimal pleasant look.

Cons: A little bit of chromatic aberrations, cheap touch materials, 0.29m of minimal focus, Samyang lampsheds can't see them...

Opinion: I love this new Samyang line. I flanked this lens to the big brother the 75mm. Many of the considerations are practically the same as I reported in previous opinions: Good packaging, a feeling of very cheap materials, a very pleasant minimalist look and aggressive import price around 300 euros. It is a lens that I mainly use for the set portrait and architectural compositions. I therefore needed a very light and contained lens to be side by side in the bag with other fixed, and very performing ta. Of course, there are some compromises at this price. It suffers a little bit from chromatic aberrations that can be easily eliminated in posts and at TA up to f4 the image at the edges is not really very sharp. Then it takes off and settles on a very good result. The distortion is also really contained. It's a type of lens that I could also use for TA-set macros but 0.29m of minimal focus isn't exactly optimal for my kind of shots, a 0.20 would have been great. In the portrait, however, I find it as for the older brother, excellent. Creamy bokeh and sharp beautiful image for almost the entire frame already from f1.8. Responsive AF and eye detection always perfect. Of the feature of commanding the focus ring (which, moreover, has an excellent response in manual as for the 75mm) for the iris opening, personally, I care very little. It should be further customizable with the dock. This 35mm belongs to one of the most successful lines of economic optics in recent years. and with the 24mm coming up you can create a respectfully respecting set kit.

Fpl1966

sent on 09 Ottobre 2020

Pros: Compact and light, good construction, lampshade and bag included. Sharpness, VERY good AF, colors

Cons: f/1.8 slightly "dark" than the Sony G f/1.8 equivalent

Opinion: Recently taken to conplex a kit of small lenses, I was very satisfied, the sharpness is very high, good bokeh and colors I think are quite neutral. For now I have not found anything particularly negative. The price is adequate even if it is not exactly cheap, but certainly less than the Sony equivalent. I did a brief comparison with the Sony 35mm f/1.8 G. The only thing I noticed is that on equal pay of diaphragms and exposure, the times on Sony are faster. F/4 is equivalent, it means or that it has more vignette, or its transmission is slightly lower. I don't get it. The colors satisfy me, I find them almost equivalent to Sony, even the sharpness is on par in my opinion. There is a gallery with the comparative https://www.juzaphoto.com/me.php?pg=302380&l=it