Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF review: Introduction
Korean lens manufacturer, Samyang, is best known for its range of manual-focus lenses. Recently, the company’s attention has been diverted towards expanding its line-up of autofocus lenses.
Samyang has produced five prime lenses with AF in E-mount for Sony’s full-frame A7-series and has developed two prime lenses with AF for Canon users. The Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF is the latest example, but don’t get this confused with its premium manual focus lens, the XP 85mm f/1.2, or its cheaper sibling, the 85mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC.
The lens was tested with both the Canon EOS 5DS R and Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Compared to the EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM (£1,379) that Canon announced last year, the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF is less than half the price. It doesn’t feature optical image stabilisation or the same premium build quality, but for those who’d like an affordable and fast short telephoto prime for under £600 it’s an intriguing option.
It’s not just the price that’s appealing either. It’s 380g lighter than the Canon lens mentioned above and is much more compact than both it and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art (£999). All this sounds very promising, so what’s not to like?
