Hi Guys, since my last shoot I am desperate for a better low light lens, the 1.8 just did not do it for me! Samyang just brought out the new 35mm 1.4 manual focus and there are no real reviews yet? Money is tight, so has anyone got this lens or should I just go get the Sigma 30mm 1.4? Steve

I loved my 30mm when I had it. It was my go to lens.

I can't comment on the Samyang but I'd check out some Vimeo and Youtube vids. It is a manual focus lens which is great for saving money (Compared to getting the Canon 35 L) but you might be good with the Sigma.

Would some still samples be of use?

Samyang 35mm F1.4 UMC - Canon Digital Photography Forums (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1043327)

Thanks Jason and jim!! I will bid on both of them the pics looks great on the samyang but i suppose the 30mm sigma better for video!! steve

All the 'unnofficial' reviews I've seen have raved about how good it is. The other option I would consider is the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 which is around the same price range.

F/1.4 is almost a full stop faster than a 1.8 which will help a lot in lowlight, but I can't help but think that if f/1.8 is not bright enough, then perhaps you should add some lights?

I actually witnessed a funny moment at a school concert today - a mother was trying to take a photo, and kept reviewing them and saying "It's realy dark," to which 5 year old child said "maybe you should turn on some more lights." I thought it was funny that the solution seems so obvious to a 5-year-old child, while others run around worrying about fast lenses, high ISO performance, etc.

I have the Sigma 30/1.4 which I use for stills and video, and love it.

I am interested in the Samyang/Rokinon/Vivitar 35/1.4 for stills, and as a second lens - I have 2 7D's & a 600D/T3i. All the reviews I've seen of it, for both video and stills is that it's a very fine lens.

All the 'unnofficial' reviews I've seen have raved about how good it is. The other option I would consider is the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 which is around the same price range.

F/1.4 is almost a full stop faster than a 1.8 which will help a lot in lowlight, but I can't help but think that if f/1.8 is not bright enough, then perhaps you should add some lights?

I actually witnessed a funny moment at a school concert today - a mother was trying to take a photo, and kept reviewing them and saying "It's realy dark," to which 5 year old child said "maybe you should turn on some more lights." I thought it was funny that the solution seems so obvious to a 5-year-old child, while others run around worrying about fast lenses, high ISO performance, etc.

There's a myriad of situations where more light is impossible. Give me the faster lens every day of the week.

i got one,and i love it..prefered samyang 35mm to sigma 30mm considering i can use for fullframe as well

Thanks guys, cheers ye i dont want to use a light, i have numerous clients saying get it out of her face and then to much hassle carting lights around, the 1.8 not bad but i think the two in mention would give me that extra... Mmmmmm if i go full frame next year? maybe the 35mm then, steve

Here's a little flip/flop comparison between shooting with EX1R, FS100 with Samyang 35mm and Canon 5dMkII 50mm:

Samyang 35mm f1.4 compared with EX1 and Canon 50mm on Vimeo

Hopefully lots more to share soon.

Hi Guys, since my last shoot I am desperate for a better low light lens, the 1.8 just did not do it for me! Samyang just brought out the new 35mm 1.4 manual focus and there are no real reviews yet? Money is tight, so has anyone got this lens or should I just go get the Sigma 30mm 1.4? Steve



A 1.8 wasn't fast enough for you? I've shot in a room lit up only by a television with a 1.8 and it did pretty good.

Edward it just did not cut the mustard, to much grain in a dark room filled with guests, shutter 50, iso 3200, in focus, 50mm 1.8 at 1,8!! I could have dropped the shutter to 30 but to much jekiness going on!! Dont want to use light? So next step 30mm or the 35mm, 1.4??

Matt no sound coming from the link you posted? steve

Shooting at 3200 iso? That must be noisy as hell! Hhmmm, the samyang sounds tempting... I need to check it out myself.

Matt no sound coming from the link you posted? steve

LOL - should have repeated the note that's in the Vimeo summary: 'this video is mute'!

(We were gassing on about all sorts of trivial stuff, plus there was non-licensable music playing in the background)

Here's a little flip/flop comparison between shooting with EX1R, FS100 with Samyang 35mm and Canon 5dMkII 50mm:

Samyang 35mm f1.4 compared with EX1 and Canon 50mm on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/28588616)

Hopefully lots more to share soon.

The Samyang looks so favorable in that comparison. Was the 50 1.4 on the Canon shot at perhaps a stop too dark? (It just doesn't stack up as well as the others in this particular shot -- almost as if lighting conditions were a tick darker). Interesting comparison.

Edward it just did not cut the mustard, to much grain in a dark room filled with guests, shutter 50, iso 3200, in focus, 50mm 1.8 at 1,8!! I could have dropped the shutter to 30 but to much jekiness going on!! Dont want to use light? So next step 30mm or the 35mm, 1.4??


Geez, what was it? Candle light? Last time I shot in a dim reception room at 1.8 and 1600 the footage came out brighter on the camera than the scene was to my eye. Hey, not disputing. Anything's possible.

Anyway, I recently tossed up between the Samyang and the Sigma. They seem actually kinda equivalent in quality from reviews. I went with the Sigma because it was a bit cheaper, the Samyang wasn't readily available yet and I couldn't wait. The reviews seem generally fair: it's razor sharp most of the time, but weak at the edges wide open. Generally this isn't a problem. With video I get the impression that this low edge resolution combined with the onboard compression is actually adding a bit of murkiness to the shadows. Mostly this won't matter if you are shooting shallow focus. But, going back to the reviews again, you aren't going to get fantastic corner to corner sharpness at wide open until you spend 5 or even 10 times as much. If you absolutely need beautiful smooth shadows on long focus in low light you need to go get an Alexa or something.

The Sigma is also a sturdy little thing with a tiny profile about a centimeter longer than the ol' Canon 1.8 plastic fantastic, which is handy in some instances. Although sometimes I have felt that the Samyang being really long would make it easier to operate in some instances.
I mention it only because it might be a consideration.

Would I recommend it? I don't know exactly. Some people are picky-er about some aspects of lenses than others. I'm fairly easy to please. I'm just saying that there's really nothing else besides these two at that price range (and they apparently match much more expensive lenses in many regards), I have the Sigma and its reviews, warts and all, seem accurate.

The Samyang looks so favorable in that comparison. Was the 50 1.4 on the Canon shot at perhaps a stop too dark?

Whilst the natural daylight was a little variable, it's also the picture profile on the Canon - the simple basic 'dial in on the back' rather than a full-on Technicolor or Marvels - so although it looks a tad under, the highlights are brighter.

I use the Samyang 35mm F1.4 to film bands in very low light. It is a fantastic lens and is waaay better quality optically than the Sigma 30mm F1.4, and the Samyang 35mm F1.4 is optically very nearly equal to the Canon 35mm F1.4L.

Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC (EOS) - APS-C Format Review / Lab Test Report - Analysis
Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC (EOS) - APS-C Format Review / Lab Test Report - Analysis (http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/655-samyang35f14eosapsc?start=1)


Sigma AF 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM - Review / Test Report - Analysis
Sigma AF 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM - Review / Test Report - Analysis (http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/298-sigma-af-30mm-f14-ex-hsm-dc-test-report--review?start=1)


Samyang 35 mm f/1.4 AS UMC
Samyang 35 mm f/1.4 AS UMC review - Introduction - Lenstip.com (http://www.lenstip.com/297.1-Lens_review-Samyang_35_mm_f_1.4_AS_UMC__Introduction.html)


I also own the 8mm & 14mm Samyangs and love the smooth focus, optical quality, and manual aperture ring.

I use a Rokinon 85mm f1.4 (same as Samyang) with a GH2 & G2 and I have to say the lens is super-impressive....based on that I'd get the Samyang in a second!!!

I was reading some lens guru once describing how, for obscure technical/physics reasons I don't recall, 85mm and 50mm prime lenses are some of the simplest lens lengths to make well. Which is why pretty much every brand makes a fast version of them that's relatively cheap and they rate really well in sharpness etc.
So you can't really judge anyone's entire line from those lenses, sadly.

I was reading some lens guru once describing how, for obscure technical/physics reasons I don't recall, 85mm and 50mm prime lenses are some of the simplest lens lengths to make well. Which is why pretty much every brand makes a fast version of them that's relatively cheap and they rate really well in sharpness etc.
So you can't really judge anyone's entire line from those lenses, sadly.

It's true what you say about 50mm primes in particular. But that doesn't have any bearing on the Samyang 35mm f/1.4. It is as good a bargain as the 85, if not better. The quality of this lens compares well to the canon 35mm f/1.4L and the Nikkor equivalent, so your overall saving is higher.

Those two Samyangs have excellent coatings and very high light transmission by any standard. The only thing they lack is automatic aperture and focus, but we don't want that anyway, right? No brainer for a video only lens, IMHO.

Everyone's getting in on the action:

Samyang on Epic: ProPic | Philip Bloom - Image on ProPic (http://propic.com/2za)

And just for fun, Another Samyang 35mm f1.4 at night on FS100: FS100 and Samyang in low light on Vimeo

It's true what you say about 50mm primes in particular. But that doesn't have any bearing on the Samyang 35mm f/1.4. It is as good a bargain as the 85, if not better. The quality of this lens compares well to the canon 35mm f/1.4L and the Nikkor equivalent, so your overall saving is higher.

Those two Samyangs have excellent coatings and very high light transmission by any standard. The only thing they lack is automatic aperture and focus, but we don't want that anyway, right? No brainer for a video only lens, IMHO.

Oh absolutely. It just means check the reviews really. Brand can tell you other things about a lens line, broadly speaking: target markets/application, build quality etc. It's just the sharpness and speed of a 50 or 85 won't necessarily carry to everything.
( those shorter lengths are often quite difficult to make, I seem to recall. So props to Samyang for getting in there so cheap. I wanted to try one, but at the time I couldn't wait.)

Here's a little flip/flop comparison between shooting with EX1R, FS100 with Samyang 35mm and Canon 5dMkII 50mm:

Samyang 35mm f1.4 compared with EX1 and Canon 50mm on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/28588616)

Hopefully lots more to share soon.

Thanks for the clip. Was it just me or would it have been easier to digest if it hadn't flipped around so fast?

I use a samyang 14mm f2.8 and a 85mm f1.4 (with my 550d) and I'm waiting for the 24mm f1.4 from Samyang that probably will come out end this year or beginning next year.

I just love my 2 other Samyangs but I have some issues with them;

1. The focus ring turns the opposite way from my Nikon lenzes I use with an adapter and that takes getting used to, I plan on selling my nikon nikkors anyway once I have the 24mm and will be using those 3 Samyang lenzes primarily then so focussing will be less confusing.

2. The iris blades get stuck from time to time on the 24mm and the 85mm which is very annoying and at the end of this year, when things calm down the lenzes will be returned for a check up, it occurs only if I don't use the camera for a while and if I then turn the iris ring nothing happens and after a few turns they snap into place and work normally until I put the camera aside for a while and use it again. The thing is that it has become worse after a some months of usage so hopefully I can get a replacement lens (as I still have warranty) or they get it fixed. Since both lenzes display the same problem (the 24mm has the problem a bit less) I can only conclude it must be a design problem.

The focus ring turns the opposite way from my Nikon lenses I use with an adapter and that takes getting used to

Haha! Spoken like a true Nikon fan. If the truth be told, all broadcast and cine lenses turn the *correct* way, and it's Nikon that insists that Infinity lies widdershins.

The iris blades get stuck from time to time on the 24mm and the 85mm which is very annoying and at the end of this year, when things calm down the lenzes will be returned for a check up

Hmm, that's not so good. Is this using the adaptor? Mine was a little stiff due to the rubber seal on the Nikkor lens, which affected the iris actuation on the Canon. But the Samyang has been fine (though it's used on the FS100 almost exclusively now).

On my canon xh-a1 I set the direction of the focus ring the same way as the nikon nikkors from the start, long before I worked with dslr's, don't ask me why, it just felt more natural to me so I guess Nikon knows best :D (I wasn't even aware what was broadcast standard)

I"m not using an adapter with my 550d, the problem also occurs when the lens is not attached. I wrote a email to the supplier in Poland, curious what they have to say about it.

Offtopic but the fun bit is that the Nikon B4 mount (2/3" inch) broadcast lens I recently got focusses the right way around, and by that I mean like all other broadcast lenses.. So I have no idea why their photo lenses don't :)

I actually witnessed a funny moment at a school concert today - a mother was trying to take a photo, and kept reviewing them and saying "It's realy dark," to which 5 year old child said "maybe you should turn on some more lights." I thought it was funny that the solution seems so obvious to a 5-year-old child, while others run around worrying about fast lenses, high ISO performance, etc.

so many pastors, ministers, etc are so crazy they won't let me stand behind or even to the side of them, don't think running lights would be an option. concerts, shows, etc with stage lighting, same story

+1 for the Samyang

I shot those on the 35 and 85 - they became my favorite glass in the moment.

Teaser - Stunde Null 1945 - Entering Germany on Vimeo

Bride Reloaded on Vimeo

Frank