Rokinon 85mm F1.4 ASIF UMC ($399) shows that you don't need to spend a lot to buy a broad-aperture prime lens with 85mm focal length. However, you will have to give up autofocus. Portrait photographers love the 85mm focal length. It works well with both full-frame cameras and APSC cameras. Rokinon's version of the design has some softness at F/1.4 but it is sharp when slow down and provides a tactile, mechanical feeling when you adjust focus.
This lens is a great value when you consider it sells regularly for less than the retail price. The Editors' Choice Nikon AF–S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G, which costs $359.00 at Adorama is our favorite 85mm lens. It supports autofocus, and takes sharper images.
Editor's Note: The Samyang 85mmF1.4 ASIF UMC was used in this review. The lenses, aside from their branding, are identical optically and should perform similarly.
Design
The lens (Amazon: $279.00) is compact when you consider its f/1.4 aperture. The lens measures 2.8x3.1 inches (HD), is slightly heavier at 1.1 pounds, and has large front filters measuring 72mm. There are two brands that sell it, with two different versions. The Samyang 85mm AS IF UMC (Amazon: $259.95) was our gift. It's the same model that is sold by Rokinon. A cinema version is also available with dual t stop aperture scales and focus gears.
The optics will work regardless of brand or barrel design. Samyang also sells the 85mm lens for all major cameras. It is available for Canon and Four Thirds cameras, Nikons, Pentax or Sony SLRs. We received the Nikon model for review. It supports electronic aperture control. Other mounts can only handle mechanical aperture control. Although the lens does not have optical stabilization, it is a common feature in prime 85mm lenses.
The lens hood can be reversibly removed. The lens barrel and it are made from high-quality, durable plastic. Although it feels very similar to modern Nikon lenses' plastic barrels, it is not as strong and durable as the high-end Zeiss Otus Otus 85 ($4,490.00 Amazon). It occupies most of the barrel's bulk and has a raised texture. It turns smoothly and offers a long throw for precise adjustment of focus—that's important for a lens that can capture images with an extremely shallow depth of field. It features eight blades and a circular design. Expect smooth focus behind the subject with circular highlights.
Image Quality and Conclusions
Imatest was used to test the sharpness of the lens when it is paired with the Nikon D810, a 36-megapixel camera ($1,889.00 on Amazon). It scores 1,957 lines per inch on a center-weighted sharpness check at f/1.4. This is better than the 1,800 lines we usually look for in photos, however we tend to scrutinize results from high-resolution D810. Although 1,800 lines is a great result for a 16-megapixel sensor and an even better one for a 24-megapixel, the results are noticeably less sharp in a 36-megapixel photo. There's also some chromatic aberration at f/1.4—it's visible as purple-and-green color fringing in high-contrast areas of the frame, as well as in areas that are on either side of the plane of focus.
Quality is improved by lowering the f/2 setting. Sharpness increases dramatically up to 2 590 lines. This gives you an even edge-to-edge performance. And there's steady improvement as you stop down further—2,631 lines at f/2.8, 2,749 at f/4, 3,051 at f/5.6, 3,454 at f/8, and 3,669 line at f/11. At f/16 (3343 lines), and f/22 (2856 lines), difffraction can cause some loss of fidelity. The Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G, which was also tested on the D810, puts up better numbers all around—it scores 2,598 lines at f/1.8, approaches 3,000 lines at f/2.8, and peaks at 3,779 lines at f/11.
The Rokinon shows no distortion. At f/2, illumination is uniform from corner to corner. At f/1.4, there is some dimming around the edges and corners (-1EV), but it's not noticeable. This is not noticeable and easily corrected with software tools.
The Rokinon 85mmF1.4 ASIF UMC lens is worth considering if you aren't afraid of manual focus. The lens is a great performer, even at f/2. While the f/1.4 images are slightly softened, it's still very usable. Portraiture is a good example of this. A little softness can help you draw your subject more naturally. The lens can produce razor-sharp results at smaller apertures. The lens is priced at around $400 but can be purchased for as little as $100, which makes it an excellent bargain. Although it isn't as affordable as our Editors Choice Nikon AF–S Nikkor85mm f/1.8G 85mm, this lens can be used with multiple cameras, something that's impossible for the Nikon.
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