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Rumored: Samyang 45/1.8 FE
#1
Tongue 
When Samyang teased the latest bunch of lenses, one of them was a small thingy, apparently a native mirrorless one. The rumor site alumni were apparently hoping that it would be some breed of the E mount's Unicorn lens, a mid aperture 35mm. And now... The veil is off but it's a 45mm lens instead. Smile I can just about hear a loud collective groan. Smile
https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-firs...ocus-lens/
Well, that particular combination - a 35/2 or thereabouts - still looks elusive for whatever reason. Smile No wonders people think of some conspiracy on the part of Sony. Smile

Still, a 45mm lens makes some sense, so as to be different from the other similar units and especially from the 50/1.8s since this particular combination is considered nothing but the most entry level, bargain bin prime, and pricing such a lens above the cheapest bracket is always met with derision (remember the hostile initial response to the Sony 55?) But the other 45/1.8 lens, from Tamron, got away with much less flak.

Wonder how good this Samyang is really going to be...
#2
I can't wait for this lens to hit the streets. I'm not crazy about the 35/2.8, and I'm currently trying to sell mine again. I wanted something wider than 50, and I decided to try out their 35/2.8 just to get to know that focal length. It's a bit too wide for me, so I feel confident that the 40-45 range is perfect for me. I need it primarily for casual/street stuff, and for me seeing the subject and then just pull up the camera and get the same view in the EVF will be ideal. I don't like having to adjust to the focal length before taking the shot, when it's at a party, a brief moment on the street, or something, but even if the 45 will still zoom in a couple of mm, that'll be just fine. That I can live with, and maybe that will actually suit me just perfectly.

The image quality of the 35/2.8 is a bit underwhelming when you think about it's price. Even the Canon 50/1.8 II renders more beautifully (even if it has it's own issues), and that 1/3 of the price. The Sony FE 50/1.8 is quite boring and really only renders very well in the middle of the frame, leaving not very much to work with even just halfway towards the edges when retouching. (In natural light that is. With a flash on, like most other lenses, it performs well.) I hope it renders well enough, and if it does, I think we'll have a new obvious first lens for new buyers to get for the system.

One thing that's quite good about the 35/2.8 (I haven't tried the 24/2.8), is that CA is controlled decently well and sharpness (which is different from rendering) is decent across the frame. that boasts well for a newer and faster lens from Samyang. I have my fingers crossed.

The Tamron is on my radar as well, but if I'm gonna do serious paid work, I'll use the Sigma 50 Art. I'm just reeaaally tired of lugging that one around for casual stuff + if the new Samyang is very good, I'll probably use that for paid work instead as well. I wouldn't use the 35/2.8 for paid work (in natural light), so I'm juuuust a bit apprehensive but yet hopeful.

Oh, and by the way ... Shouldn't it have been announced already??
[Image: Torben%20Lysholm%20Fotografi%20-%20Signa...skygge.png]
#3
So it‘s sharp has low CAs but the 35 still bad? ;-) I suppose you refer to the bokeh then?
Chief Editor - opticallimits.com

Doing all things Canon, MFT, Sony and Fuji
#4
I see what you're getting at ;-), but it's more like it has a cheap lens type look to it when the light is not great. Like with the FE 28-70 and the FE 50/1.8 ... Those cheaper Sony lenses both perform quite well in perfect light, like almost all lenses do, so depending on the work you do, maybe in a studio with flashes, those lenses can be your bread and butter ... or not. But then there are lenses that just produce really good image quality even if the light is not fantastic. And here's where it gets tough to explain the difference, because there's a good portion of subjectivity involved here.

Let me give you an example. Unfortunately it's a flawed example because it's two different focal lengths, shot on two different days in different light, and focus is not completely perfect in one of them, and yet is does show the difference I'm talking about, and in case you think the best focus and the most light is in my favorite of the two, it's not. That's why I use it anyway as an example. My favourite is not favoured here.

Here's two shots of the same object from walks through the same park on two different days. It's during exercise so it's quite quickly done, but I did in fact shoot the 35/2.8 first and then the 85/1.8 later because I wasn't too impressed with the 35, and suspected what my experiment later confirmed, so I brought the 85 another day to just quickly check. And as you can see in the last image I managed to compose them pretty much alike. Again, a flawed way to compare lenses, but I think you'll see what I'm aiming at.

Do you see how the 35 is kinda "grainy" or "rough" compared to the smoother image out of the 85? I rather like the color separation through the 35 (not exemplified here ... well, maybe a bit in the last image), I think it maintains it's sharpness quite far into the corners ... but I'm not enjoying the image nearly as much. I am also fully aware of the difference in DOF for example, but I'm talking about rendering. The 85 image is not entirely in focus unfortunately, and yet I get a much better sense of being drawn into the image, because it's "quieter". It's not "busy". It's not flat like the 35 image is to me, even though there's more dynamic stuff going on. And while you can't make that distinction based on just one image comparison, I'm seeing it difference in many other situations. And even in situations where the images are more directly comparable, it's the same thing. The FE 85/1.8 is not a "perfect" lens, but in terms of rendering it's in the big league with many other lenses. Of lenses I have that I consider being in the big league is my Canon 70-200/2.8L and Sigma 50/1.4 Art. The FE 85 hangs with them fine in this regard. It may not be perfect, but it is a gem, performing well above it's price. The 35 isn't bad ... it's just not particularly good either. It's "precise" where the 85, and other lenses like it, is more "tactile".

Do you see what I see?

The Canon 50/1.8 II, 50/1.4 USM for example have their own problems, that I'll conveniently ignore here, but they render quite nicely in this regard. In this particular area they don't have that cheap-ish feel to them. That's why they're a good next step up from the kit lenses. The resulting images lend themselves nicely to retouching and further work in post, but with this 35 + the FE 50 and the FE 28-70 I'm experiencing that I kind of am changing the structure and texture of the image when I start to retouch, and that sparks a sense of never really feeling you're finished with it. However, what the 35 has over the other two is that it has an even performance across the frame, and that's a big plus in that regard. The other two change resolution and rendering towards the edges at lower f-stops. It's hard to explain with my vocabulary, and that's why this post is so long. I hope I'm not boring you with it.

Anyways, my hope for the new 45/1.8 is that it renders just somewhere between the 35 and the 85, that it's even across the frame like the 35 and that it'll focus as well. Then I'll be all over it.

Right-click the images for the size I grabbed them in. (100% crops.)

Samyang 35/2.8:

[Image: 35.png]


Sony FE 85/1.8:

[Image: 85.png]


Both shots as they were framed:

[Image: Both.png]
[Image: Torben%20Lysholm%20Fotografi%20-%20Signa...skygge.png]
#5
Well, it is hard to compare these images - the light is a bit different and the 85mm shot seems to be a bit darker than the 35mm one.
It's probably easier to spot in the full (RAW) image.

I suspect that you may refer to contrast here - some may prefer "micro-contrast" to express high-sharpness combined with comparatively low contrast.
Low contrast is typical for a "cheap" look.

Of course, comparing a 85mm f/1.8 - specifically the Sony FE - with a 35mm f/2.8 is also a bit unfair. It just doesn't get much better than a relatively moderate speed 85mm lens.
Chief Editor - opticallimits.com

Doing all things Canon, MFT, Sony and Fuji
#6
I know what you're saying, and it is very difficult to explain. Micro contrast ... yes, maybe. I know the term, and it certainly isn't "just" sharpness. It's like it's micro contrast, but not just in the sense of more or less contrast, but in terms of even/consistent representation of contrast in subtle differences. It's like I see the pixel resolution (perceptual megapixels in Dxomark terms) being pretty much the same, but it's a bit "busy" through the Samyang 35, and it just bugs me a bit. I think that maybe even if the new 45 has the exact same "issue", I will still be happier with it because of the 1.8 aperture, so I can get better separation from the background, and that way I won't sit with the same sense of the whole image being a bit busy.

Anyway, I can't wait to test it. :-)
[Image: Torben%20Lysholm%20Fotografi%20-%20Signa...skygge.png]
#7
Maybe you just prefer 85mm above what 35mm gives.
#8
Looks quite neat
https://photorumors.com/2019/05/09/samya...ed-online/
Chief Editor - opticallimits.com

Doing all things Canon, MFT, Sony and Fuji
#9
(05-09-2019, 02:50 PM)Brightcolours Wrote: Maybe you just prefer 85mm above what 35mm gives.
Not at all. Then it wouldn't make much sense to specifically be thrilled with Samyang releasing a 45mm lense. This is only a matter of quality, not focal length. The only other explanation I can think of is that it could be a matter of taste, but I don't think that's it either. Smile

(05-09-2019, 11:42 PM)Klaus Wrote: Looks quite neat
https://photorumors.com/2019/05/09/samya...ed-online/

Nine aperture blades! Yes!!

I hope this is their attempt to deliver the best nifty fifty for the system, and I find it an added bonus that it's just 45. Heart
I think the $399 price tag warrants some higher than average expectations to it's quality.
[Image: Torben%20Lysholm%20Fotografi%20-%20Signa...skygge.png]
#10
7 elements in 6 groups is a relatively simple design. Nothing wrong with that but probably no Sigma 40mm f/1.4 in terms of IQ.

But then the Samyang weights only 1/7th ;-)
Chief Editor - opticallimits.com

Doing all things Canon, MFT, Sony and Fuji
  


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