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borisbg · 08-03-2010, 07:07 PM

Hello PZoners,

I am thinking to buy Samyang 85mm for Nikon, and I have the following dilema:

Buy it in the US as Bower brand 350USD or buy it from EU as Samyang for 380USD. Some of the reviewers menioned that quality of other brands is not as good as Samyang brand, even the place of production is the same.

What do you thing about it. Yor input is as always greatly appreciated.

borisbg · 08-03-2010, 07:09 PM

Test

**Klaus** · 08-03-2010, 07:41 PM

I reckon this may be correlated to the price. Maybe choose Vivitar then ...

borisbg · 08-03-2010, 08:38 PM

You think that Vivitar will better? I thought that they are at lowest quality.

**Klaus** · 08-04-2010, 12:54 PM

Well, Vivitar is the only label which can be called "a brand". It's a label with a history at least ... whatever this means.

The Ken machine (take his comments with a sack of salt) has "reviewed" it:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/vivitar/85mm-f14.htm

Klaus

borisbg · 08-04-2010, 02:16 PM

Klaus, the vivitar version does not have a coupling and camera, while the Samyang has it. It can be used on apperture mode with Nikon. I will check today with adorma whethed the other "brands" are made with coupling.

wim · 08-04-2010, 02:27 PM

[quote name='borisbg' timestamp='1280931389' post='1495']

Klaus, the vivitar version does not have a coupling and camera, while the Samyang has it. It can be used on apperture mode with Nikon. I will check today with adorma whethed the other "brands" are made with coupling.

[/quote]

Boris,

You have to check the version type. Samyang announced the AE version of the 85 F/1.4 for Nikon a while ago, an upgrade to the older, non-coupled version. Anybody selling you the non-AE version under any brand name is essentially selling you the old version of this lens. The AE-version is available worldwide already for several months.

HTH, kind regards, Wim

borisbg · 08-04-2010, 04:42 PM

Thanks Wim, I just check with Adorama this morning, they offer the old version of it. At the beginning when I started to look in to this option I thought that most of the sellers are offering the new version of the lens, that why I was debating where to order it from. Now it is clear to me that I have to purchase the lens from EU dealer. I can't believe that no one sells it in the states as of now.

08-04-2010, 09:17 PM

If you plan to photograph people ouside a studio, I suggest you better buy the nikon 85mm 1.8. Manually focussing a 1.4 lens with even slightly moving or fidgeting subjects is next to impossible even for very experienced photographers (Just look at old pictures shot with 35mm cameras, you ll see that almost none of them are focused perfectly

wim · 08-04-2010, 11:38 PM

Hi Boris,

[quote name='borisbg' timestamp='1280940125' post='1498']

Thanks Wim, I just check with Adorama this morning, they offer the old version of it. At the beginning when I started to look in to this option I thought that most of the sellers are offering the new version of the lens, that why I was debating where to order it from. Now it is clear to me that I have to purchase the lens from EU dealer. I can't believe that no one sells it in the states as of now.

[/quote]

I found some more information:

The AE version essentially offers the same functionality as a Nikkor Ai-S lens, and the Rokinon variant of the Samyang apparently already supports this. Worthwhile investigating I think, as Rokinon is availabe in the US..

Kind regards, Wim