Samyang / Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 lenses

see also:

• portrait lenses
• Samyang XP 85mm f/1.2 lens
• Rokinon official website

• the aspherical Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 manual focus full frame lens was extremely popular in providing shallow DOF with excellent image quality and lovely bokeh at a very affordable price of around $US299
• In June 2018, a larger but lighter AF version was announced but obviously at a higher price of $US750

• announced June 2018 in Canon EF mount
• in March 2019, they introduced a weathersealed Sony FE lens with Dual Linear Sonic Motor for $US799 but no MF switch
• in May 2020, they introduced a weathersealed Canon RF version with Dual Linear Sonic Motor and a MF switch

• full frame 85mm focal length lens
• f/1.4-f/16 aperture
• aperture ring
• 9 Elements in 7 Groups incl. one Special lens Hybrid ASP
• UMC coating
• 9 rounded blades
• close focus 0.9m
• internal focus
• filter does not rotate on focus
• filter size 77mm
• 88mm wide x 72mm long
• weight 570g
• $US750

• announced May 2020
• adds:
  • new weather sealed design
  • a convenient switch that lets you de-click the aperture without taking apart the lens
  • a new rubberized “micro pattern” grip on the focus ring
  • focus control has also been dampened for a smoother, longer throw

• the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 manual focus aspherical lens has become renown for its fantastic combination of sharpness, buttery smooth bokeh, well corrected lateral CA with a wide aperture of f/1.4 all for $269-$300 brand new.
• the catch? It is manual focus and your digital camera will not record EXIF data nor be able to change the aperture on it, but thankfully it does have a nice aperture ring.
• having played with many manual focus legacy lenses on my Olympus Four Thirds dSLR system and Micro Four Thirds system, this lens has become one of my favorites as it gives me almost identical imagery on these cameras as the fantastic, but expensive and larger Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L lens on a Canon 1D Mark III dSLR - a favorite combination of mine for making a subject pop and have the background dissolve into lovely smooth bokeh.
• accurate manual focus can be difficult due to the narrow depth of field at f/1.4:
  • on a dSLR, one may find help in the AF-confirm mechanism if you bought an AF-confirm adapter to mount the lens although dSLR AF may not be as accurate as you need for this lens
  • accurate MF is relatively easy on mirrorless camera systems cameras, just activate magnified view (and with Olympus cameras, simultaneously activate image stabilisation to make it easier still to visualise) BUT be aware there is NO AF confirm for legacy MF lenses on mirrorless cameras
• it is an awesome lens for the bokeh mad and for videographers.
• also sold under the names Samyang, Bower and Vivitar.
• combine this with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera with 5axis 5EV image stabilisation for stills (not in video mode yet) and magnified live view manual focus and you have an awesome combination which will be hard to beat at that medium telephoto field of view - that is, until the Olympus m.ZD 75mm f/1.8 lens comes out!

Side by side: GH-1 with Rokinon 85mm on the left vs Canon 135mm f/2.0 on Canon 1D Mark III on the right (click on each to see larger version):

• available in a number of mounts:
  • NikonF - with or without an AF confirm chip
  • Canon EOS
  • Olympus Four Thirds dSLR system
  • Pentax
  • Sony Alpha
• if you have a Canon dSLR, I would strongly suggest getting a Nikon mount then a Nikon F-Canon EOS adapter with AF confirm chip to make manual focus easier
• if you have a Olympus Four Thirds dSLR system camera then you could get the Four Thirds version, or either of the Nikon versions and then get the AF-confirm chip Nikon to Four Thirds adapter which will give you the AF confirm option
• if you have a Micro Four Thirds system or Sony NEX E-mount camera system camera, you can buy any mount and just get a cheap Ebay adapter for it - you will NOT need any AF confirm chip on the adapter, and indeed, AF confirm chip adapters will generally not work on a Panasonic camera.

• full frame 85mm focal length lens
• f/1.4-f/16 aperture
• aperture ring
• 9 Elements in 7 Groups
• close focus 1m
• internal focus
• filter does not rotate on focus
• filter size 72mm - note filter thread mount is plastic, I would keep a filter on it to prevent damage
• 78mm wide x 72mm long
• weight 635g/20oz
• comes with plastic large lens hood which does not always fit easily
• made in South Korea
• under $400

• on these Olympus Four Thirds dSLR system and Micro Four Thirds system cameras, the effective field of view and depth of field is that of a 170mm lens f/2.8 lens on a full frame camera, but of course you still have light gathering capability of f/1.4 aperture.
• Flickr - my photo set

• thephoblographer.com review:
  • “wide open it seems better than the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8” - this is certainly my feeling as I have both and the Canon has lots more CA
  • good construction, lightweight (for a lens of this type) and sharp
  • “if using it for still photography on a Canon dSLR, buy a split screen focusing screen to help manual focus”