Samyang AF 35mm f/2.8 FE Lens For Sony E

Let me start by admitting I have owned the lens before - and hated it. To explain: I bought it direct before it was available in Europe let alone on Amazon! and at the time I was playing with a Sony A7 original and using an old NEX6 too. I had bought a Sony 34Zeiss34 35/2.8 that worked pretty well but was hardly exceptional in anything but size - and it was very expensive of course - so I returned it. I bought the Samyang as a replacement and although it was optically great it struggled to focus properly on both the A7 and NEX6, a real disappointment, so I disposed of it through that great auction site in the sky...and got back more than I paid for it -Fast forward to now I have abandoned the clunky A7 and NEX6 and settled on APS-C using a A6500. While looking for ... MoreLet me start by admitting I have owned the lens before - and hated it. To explain: I bought it direct before it was available in Europe let alone on Amazon! and at the time I was playing with a Sony A7 original and using an old NEX6 too. I had bought a Sony 34Zeiss34 35/2.8 that worked pretty well but was hardly exceptional in anything but size - and it was very expensive of course - so I returned it. I bought the Samyang as a replacement and although it was optically great it struggled to focus properly on both the A7 and NEX6, a real disappointment, so I disposed of it through that great auction site in the sky...and got back more than I paid for it -Fast forward to now I have abandoned the clunky A7 and NEX6 and settled on APS-C using a A6500. While looking for something else I stumbled across a recent review of the Samyang using a A6500 and it was so overwhelmingly positive I dug deeper and found that all the reviews were positive. When I discovered that Amazon sells it for a good price I knew it I had to go for it... again. Better luck this time, hopefully, I thought.And so it was. Theres no returning this one. Its absolutely brilliant in all regards on the A6500: eye-waveringly sharp at all apertures and corner to corner, lovely colours and general rendering, no hint of CA even wide open... and it focuses fast, silently and seems to be able to use any AF mode and all AF points just like a native Sony lens. Maybe my first, early copy has been updated, or perhaps the design just doesnt get on well with the older, clunkier Sony E-mount cameras who knows? But I can say with certainty that it works perfectly on a more modern camera like the A6500 - and just to prove it Ive attached three samples I shot this morning on my walk to the shops... the first outing for the lens.Is it perfect? Very nearly. The lens is near-perfect but the little 34hood34 is badly designed compared with its expensive Sony counterpart. On the Sony 34Zeiss.

1 Year Tested

I bought this lens in January of 2022, and it stayed on my A74 until December of 2022. It was a great lens! Coming from the Canon RP paired with the Samyang 85 1.4, this lens with the A74 auto focus was spectacular! A night and day difference!My favorite quality I loved about this lens is the lens flare. There is something magical about it. But, shooting into the sun can cause a green ghost flare. This lens will still be in my kit for black & white photography and for my 2nd camera body.

I really wanted to like this lens...

The tiny size, low price and minuscule weight made this lens look like a great carry-around option for the A7RIII. But none of those considerations matter at all if the image quality is sub-par. I actively disliked the look of the pictures I made with it. I can live with soft corners, but the lack of contrast and resolving power made it a total non-starter for a 42-megapixel sensor.After 2 weeks of hopeful use and trying various post-production tweaks to improve the images I returned it to B&H. Replaced it with the 40mm ZEISS Batis f2.0 which, yes, is larger, heaver and 4x more expensive, but it is a magnificent lens.I know sometimes inexpensive vintage lenses can render a cool look, but generally speaking, photography is one of those endeavors where ya get what ... MoreThe tiny size, low price and minuscule weight made this lens look like a great carry-around option for the A7RIII. But none of those considerations matter at all if the image quality is sub-par. I actively disliked the look of the pictures I made with it. I can live with soft corners, but the lack of contrast and resolving power made it a total non-starter for a 42-megapixel sensor.After 2 weeks of hopeful use and trying various post-production tweaks to improve the images I returned it to B&H. Replaced it with the 40mm ZEISS Batis f2.0 which, yes, is larger, heaver and 4x more expensive, but it is a magnificent lens.I know sometimes inexpensive vintage lenses can render a cool look, but generally speaking, photography is one of those endeavors where ya get what ya pay for.I also really like the 40mm focal length of the Batis, which falls exactly between 35mm and 50mm in terms of angle of coverage. Its ideal for those of us who feel 35 is a little too wide and 50 a little too tight for a daily-driver prime.

IF ONLY.

IF ONLY the lens had a life that lasted longer than 4 months. After doing much research and reading reviews on this tiny little lens I chose to buy and at the beginning, was quite happy with the images it provided. Quick, sharp focusing, nice color... a solid dependable lens ... a nice upgrade from the kits lens. All that good feeling vanished this weekend when I reached in my bag last weekend and grabbed my camera (with lens already attached) to shoot a mtb race. Nothing worse than having a major fail at a crucial time. After a few moments it was apparent my new lens was dead. DOA. My Sony A6000 nor my Sony A7iii would recognized the lens. I set the camera up to fire with the now unknown lens and still the lens would not focus or fire. So I opted to manually focus ... MoreIF ONLY the lens had a life that lasted longer than 4 months. After doing much research and reading reviews on this tiny little lens I chose to buy and at the beginning, was quite happy with the images it provided. Quick, sharp focusing, nice color... a solid dependable lens ... a nice upgrade from the kits lens. All that good feeling vanished this weekend when I reached in my bag last weekend and grabbed my camera (with lens already attached) to shoot a mtb race. Nothing worse than having a major fail at a crucial time. After a few moments it was apparent my new lens was dead. DOA. My Sony A6000 nor my Sony A7iii would recognized the lens. I set the camera up to fire with the now unknown lens and still the lens would not focus or fire. So I opted to manually focus AND EVEN THAT was a no-go. I had ZERO focus capabilities!! Now going back and rereading reviews I found about .01% of consumers had this same issue and all were without compensation for a replacement or refund and had to bite the cost. So, maybe buying this lens wasn't such a good idea after all. Of note B&H only has a 30 day return policy. So now I am in the hands of the manufacturers warranty. Wish me luck with that....

Lens Rips

This thing is amazing. Regardless of the excellent price. Autofocus works really well in lower light conditions. Small and compact. Wish they had a 50 1.8 at a similar price-point. I bought this lens with the A7C because it was small and Julia Trotti on the tubes said it was a good setup and boy was she right. Perfect for chasing around a 9 mo kid. Great for both photo and video.

Not Perfect, but Perfect for Me.

I've been in the market for an affordable, solid, lightweight lens to take around the city that also packs a punch. This lens fits the bill perfectly -- or nearly perfectly.Pros: The price is just right for my budget; picture quality is amazing (especially for the price, which is more than fair); the build is unbelievably lightweight (almost entirely plastic); and the autofocus is incredibly reliable so far (more on that below).Cons: While ultimately reliable, the autofocus is a little slow in low light conditions; the lens hood is an odd design that doesn't reliably mitigate flaring or haloing, so I will be buying a new hood for mine; as I understand it, there's no/limited weather proofing, so I don't feel very comfortable taking the lens out in inclement ... MoreI've been in the market for an affordable, solid, lightweight lens to take around the city that also packs a punch. This lens fits the bill perfectly -- or nearly perfectly.Pros: The price is just right for my budget; picture quality is amazing (especially for the price, which is more than fair); the build is unbelievably lightweight (almost entirely plastic); and the autofocus is incredibly reliable so far (more on that below).Cons: While ultimately reliable, the autofocus is a little slow in low light conditions; the lens hood is an odd design that doesn't reliably mitigate flaring or haloing, so I will be buying a new hood for mine; as I understand it, there's no/limited weather proofing, so I don't feel very comfortable taking the lens out in inclement weather.Overall, I'm extremely happy with my purchase. It's not perfect by any stretch, but I wouldn't expect it to be given the price. That said, the picture quality, comfort/convenience, and price all come together to make this the perfect 35mm for me. If you're on a budget and don't want a lens that weighs you down -- you really can't do any better than this.

Overall better than Zeiss 35 1.4

I sold my Zeiss 35 1.4 for this one (and money to spare) and I do not regret it for a second. It was so heavy and large that it was sitting in shelf most of the time. This lens is small, practical and superlight! It's beautifully sharp wide open and gets much better and more contrasty from f2.5 and after. On f8 is scientifically sharp from corner to corner unlike the $1200 zeiss which never gets properly sharp on the edges. This lens is all what mirrorless cameras are about, having it always with you rather than owning it and not using it.

SMALL PACKAGE, BIG PUNCH

I am super impressed by this little lens. It was really just a stop gap purchase until I could get something more suited for my new Ronin SC, but once I shot some still with it I was really impressed.Now look... No... it is not a Zeiss Batis, G-Master 35mm, but this little guy is pretty darn sharp even all the way down to f/2.8. Even for a nuevo-digital style lens with a SUPER small front element.It is also pretty darn good on the autofocus for video and photo. I haven't had a chance to test it on some fast moving subjects like NASCAR, or NHRA Drag Racing, but I am not worried to use it for sports action.Now... why not more stars?Well... The lack of a manual focus switch on it is a pain. It also has SUPER small thread pattern and I don't have enough ... MoreI am super impressed by this little lens. It was really just a stop gap purchase until I could get something more suited for my new Ronin SC, but once I shot some still with it I was really impressed.Now look... No... it is not a Zeiss Batis, G-Master 35mm, but this little guy is pretty darn sharp even all the way down to f/2.8. Even for a nuevo-digital style lens with a SUPER small front element.It is also pretty darn good on the autofocus for video and photo. I haven't had a chance to test it on some fast moving subjects like NASCAR, or NHRA Drag Racing, but I am not worried to use it for sports action.Now... why not more stars?Well... The lack of a manual focus switch on it is a pain. It also has SUPER small thread pattern and I don't have enough step-down rings to get any ND or 4x4 filters on it. Lastly, and this is a big one... it didn't come with the lens hood it was supposed to have. I contacted B&H customer service (which is awesome as always,) but I have to deal with Samyang directly. I sent an email over a month ago and have heard NOTHING! So... despite this being a banger of a lens for less than $300 I am on the fence. I would more than likely purchase another Samyang lens based on quality of image, but quality customer service might mean way more to me.

Sharp, Lightweight, Accurate AF

I was adapting a Canon 35mm F1.4L onto my Sony A7R IV, and this lens is sharper than that combination, plus way smaller and lighter. Love it. I've been shooting it mostly at F2 and found I needed to use a smaller focusing point for accurate focus. Eye Focus is accurate. I didn't bother buying a UV or Protective Filter for the front, I just figured I'd buy a whole new lens at this price point if something happens. I did however, buy a polarizing filter and ND filter. I also bought the Lens Station for updating firmware and doing fine adjustments, but this lens copy didn't need any.

The Sharpest Lens I Have Owned

In late December last year I received the new Sony a7IV with 28-70 kit lens, and headed off with the family on vacation. On returning home, I discovered my uploaded vacation photos lacked the sharpness in the corners and along the edges that I expected. I ordered this lens, and B&H got it to me in two days. The photos I captured with this lens were surprisingly sharp from corner to corner SOC. The a7IV works great with this lens, focusses fast and accurately, and supports camera features like Clear Image Zoom, and APS-c zoom. The f/1.8 aperture supplies pleasing bokeh even up to f/5.6 and perhaps higher. The lens is so sharp that even the zoomed images look sharp.