Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 MK2 UMC II - Sony FE - Full Frame Lens

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.

Amazing Photo Quality

The lens is great for portrait photography. I had an 85mm f1.4 Samyang manual focus lens used with my lumix G7 but began shooting more subjects at a higher rate and didn’t have the time to rely on the manual focus anymore. After receiving this new lens along with a speed booster attachment I was able to Capture even better photos with less time! The only issue I have with this lens, which I assume is a result more so of the connection with the type of speed booster I purchased, has issues with the camera and the lens communicating from time to time. Auto focus would be working great then out of no where it stops focusing and won’t relocate the target no matter what. And when trying to operate the lens in manual focus mode while it’s having this issue is either ... MoreThe lens is great for portrait photography. I had an 85mm f1.4 Samyang manual focus lens used with my lumix G7 but began shooting more subjects at a higher rate and didn’t have the time to rely on the manual focus anymore. After receiving this new lens along with a speed booster attachment I was able to Capture even better photos with less time! The only issue I have with this lens, which I assume is a result more so of the connection with the type of speed booster I purchased, has issues with the camera and the lens communicating from time to time. Auto focus would be working great then out of no where it stops focusing and won’t relocate the target no matter what. And when trying to operate the lens in manual focus mode while it’s having this issue is either completely non responsive, or the focus always stretches further than you intend for no matter how subtle of a change you make. But I’ve found a quick remedy to the issue for the moment is simply to restart the camera and it should be working again, if not, just restart it till it does. I assumed a Metabones speed booster would have less communication issues but I was on a tight budget and couldn’t afford that at the time. But over all the lens is amazing.

Blown Away By The Performance!

I had just tried out the Sony 50mm G-Master f1.2 earlier in April. It was a fine lens but I just couldn't justify spending two grand and change on a single lens when I still needed to buy some other focal range Glass. After buying two other priority third party lenses with the same money, I still had a little cash left over. After seeing the glowing Dustin Abbot review of the Samyang, I decided to try it. Sure, it's no G-Master as far as options and build quality but the picture quality is right up there!On my Sony 60 MP sensor, I couldn't detect that much difference.Auto-Focus is perfect. What a lens! What a price!

Defective focus ring

The AF was not working, I checked my other lenses to see if it was my camera malfunctioning, it was not. I then tested the MF by turning the focus ring, that was not working as well. I contact BH support to initiate an exchange. I will update my review when the exchanged lens arrives, until then I do not advise purchasing this one.

Huge upgrade from previous version

Whatever you've heard / experienced with the previous mark I of this lens, forget it. This lens is an incredible for the price, samyang really stepped up with the mark II.AF is now quick and reliable, compared to the constant slow hunting on the mark I. I work primarily in video, and I can't state how big of an upgrade it is in that department. Photo is even better. Tested side by side with Sony 50mm GM and couldn't spot the difference in AF. Not bad for less than half the price.Image quality is great as long as you stop down a bit (1.4 is a little soft for my liking, but I think it's still passable). 1.8 and up is tac sharp.Build quality on the lens is also much better. Metal, solid focus ring, not too heavy. Feels premium, big upgrade over the cheapI love ... MoreWhatever you've heard / experienced with the previous mark I of this lens, forget it. This lens is an incredible for the price, samyang really stepped up with the mark II.AF is now quick and reliable, compared to the constant slow hunting on the mark I. I work primarily in video, and I can't state how big of an upgrade it is in that department. Photo is even better. Tested side by side with Sony 50mm GM and couldn't spot the difference in AF. Not bad for less than half the price.Image quality is great as long as you stop down a bit (1.4 is a little soft for my liking, but I think it's still passable). 1.8 and up is tac sharp.Build quality on the lens is also much better. Metal, solid focus ring, not too heavy. Feels premium, big upgrade over the cheapI love this lens. If you're a 50mm shooter and are looking for a quality budget alternative to the GM, I think this is your lens.

Ken's review of Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II Sony FE Lens

Pros: Good build qualityLightweightCons: Not very sharp. I was expecting it to be amazingly sharp because it’s a version 2 but unfortunately it is not. Some zoom lens are sharper even though this is a prime lens. Felt disappointed so i Had to return

Lens with personality

This lens is very unique and hard to place. At higher apertures it's tack sharp, and in the case of my example seems to retain sharpness even into the extreme corners. At lower (wide-open) apertures anything out of focus can take on an almost dream-like view. Sometimes this is fantastic and can make people look amazing in portraits. Other times it results in an almost painted-on bokeh from Narnia that makes me oddly uncomfortable. I seem compelled to use it, simply to see what I'll get. When the results are good, I'm almost floored. When they're a bit too odd, I genuinely wish I got the 50mm GM.The autofocus is extremely slow, it would be slow even in 2010 which is unfortunate. On the other hand, it seems to be quite accurate, and is almost completely silent. ... MoreThis lens is very unique and hard to place. At higher apertures it's tack sharp, and in the case of my example seems to retain sharpness even into the extreme corners. At lower (wide-open) apertures anything out of focus can take on an almost dream-like view. Sometimes this is fantastic and can make people look amazing in portraits. Other times it results in an almost painted-on bokeh from Narnia that makes me oddly uncomfortable. I seem compelled to use it, simply to see what I'll get. When the results are good, I'm almost floored. When they're a bit too odd, I genuinely wish I got the 50mm GM.The autofocus is extremely slow, it would be slow even in 2010 which is unfortunate. On the other hand, it seems to be quite accurate, and is almost completely silent. Manual focussing feels surprisingly good.The lens is extremely light, feeling very light both on camera and in a backpack. This makes it much more likely to be taken rather than left at home. Some people have complained that it feels 'plasticy', I think it feels well made enough, and I'd happily trade a little feel for some weight savings. The focus ring on the other hand does feel a bit rough and cheap in movement if not tactile feel. The lens cap won't work with low-profile filters whereas the official Sony caps do.Flare behaviour is similarly odd with the bokeh. Sometimes you can get a small flare that you wouldn't expect, other times there's no flare whatsoever when most lens would have a huge streak across the frame. On the plus side, flaring in general is rather rare. There is a case where flare can fill almost the entire frame - but it's a big ball of white/yellow. This flare is brilliant, with a little control it can add amazing creative options you don't get with other lenses. I hate the typical green circles and smears you get with other lenses; they just look bad. But this lens has a unique glow flare that can be used to enhance your photos.At the time of writing this review, there is no profile in Lightroom Classic for this lens. Fortunately, I've not experienced a need to correct any photos, and that includes one of a wall. There is some distortion and vignetting, but it's very minor. I'll use the profile when it comes, but in the meantime I'm happy to just leave uncorrected. If anything, it adds to the character of the lens.And if anything, that's my takeaway with this lens. A lot of lenses tend to be clinical, with uninspired bokeh, sharp centres, and CA that's corrected by software either in-camera or in post. This lens on the other hand has personality. This can be good, but it can also be bad.

Okay for the price

I was looking for a 50mm F1.4 and this fit the bill. I looked at reviews and decided to take the plunge and buy it. Build quality is not bad, I just don't like to focus ring at all. It is extremely stiff.The other thing I'm not a fan of is the focus hunting. I have a variety of Sigma Art Lenses and Sony G lenses and none hunt has much as this.This is def going back. I'll just wait until Sigma releases a 50mm art lens or maybe a contemporary.

Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II Sony FE Lens

Very happy with this purchase, sharp wide open, lovely rendering and autofocus is fast (although not the fastest) and accurate. I'd read reviews and seen reviews on youtube saying that eye-AF is a bit unreliable but it's been spot on for me using the lens on a Sony A9ii, always hits the eye and not the eyelashes or eyebrow.I've always liked Samyang's rendering and now that they appear to have AF sorted this lens is a no-brainer for me, cheaper and lighter than its competitors.The only negative for me is that the lens comes with a soft bag rather than the hard case that other Samyangs come with.

Sharp and Light

I have the Sony 24mm f1.4 lens and Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art DN lens for my Sony A7R4. Those lenses are superb. I wanted to get a 50mm f1.4 and read many reviews, watched youtube about different options. The Sony 50mmf1.2 is always out of stock, also not very light, which is the case for large aperture 50mm. This Samyang 50mm f1.4 is light. I watched a youtube review stating eye AF is not good, not consistent. I figured to give it a try and bought it. I immediately tested eye AF with my A7R4. Focus was spot on and fast, albeit my subject didn't move much. The images were quite sharp at F1.4, about the same as my sigma 85mmf1.4. I'll do more testing with fast moving subject to see if the eye AF is still good. But so far, I'm quite happy with its performance and light ... MoreI have the Sony 24mm f1.4 lens and Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art DN lens for my Sony A7R4. Those lenses are superb. I wanted to get a 50mm f1.4 and read many reviews, watched youtube about different options. The Sony 50mmf1.2 is always out of stock, also not very light, which is the case for large aperture 50mm. This Samyang 50mm f1.4 is light. I watched a youtube review stating eye AF is not good, not consistent. I figured to give it a try and bought it. I immediately tested eye AF with my A7R4. Focus was spot on and fast, albeit my subject didn't move much. The images were quite sharp at F1.4, about the same as my sigma 85mmf1.4. I'll do more testing with fast moving subject to see if the eye AF is still good. But so far, I'm quite happy with its performance and light weight. I don't see any more need to get the Sony 50mmf1.2. Traveling with 2 light F1.4 primes: the sony 24mm and this 50mm is great.