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Opinions on Rokinon?
Has anybody that shoots with Nikon used Rokinion lenses? How good are they? Apr 24 13 01:28 pm Link love the 85 1.4, vastly superior to the Nikon or Zeiss! Apr 24 13 01:33 pm Link I loved playing with the 8mm Fish-Eye. Such a great little toy. Apr 24 13 01:42 pm Link John Horwitz wrote: I'll think about renting and see how it goes, I think in some places I can rent one for $30 for a long weekend. I'm craving something better than my nikkor 35mm 1.8. Thank you! Apr 24 13 01:55 pm Link The 500mm f6.3 mirror lens is very disappointing. Apr 24 13 02:16 pm Link I have a Samyang (European branding) 8mm Nikon mount with removable hood and electronic circuit that communicates with the camera There were some complaints that in the old version you needed to set infinity focus by adjusting the mechanical stops in the barrel. I didn't need to do that. I have found myself using this lens more and more, even for situations where I would not normally have thought of using a super wide angle lens Apr 24 13 02:31 pm Link Scar Media NYC wrote: I also have an 8mm. Apr 24 13 02:34 pm Link John Horwitz wrote: Wow! Apr 24 13 02:45 pm Link I loved the image quality of the 85mm but REALLY hated not having an automatic aperture. Apr 24 13 03:06 pm Link I also have the 8mm, and it's great above f8, but opened up more than that it is a blurry mess. Apr 24 13 04:46 pm Link photoguy35 wrote: it has auto aperture but does not have auto focus - Apr 24 13 05:26 pm Link If your manual focusing skills are good it is an amazing lens, especially on Nikon because the chipped version has all EXIF data. This comes in handy in LR, and even the non-chipped works well on Nikon. I have not used any manual focus lenses on my Canons but I hear it may not work as well as Nikon. But the lens itself is amazing, it renders skin beautifully. I am now a Canon shooter and the 85mm 1.8 is an amazing bargain, critics say it has too much fringing, but it is no worse than Samyang/Rokinon and the AF is amazing. I am more than willing to sacrifice 2/3 of a stop for more focused photos. Apr 24 13 05:30 pm Link get the cine lens if you can, I like the feel the teeth when focusing, brings in a little comfort when I'm focusing. Apr 24 13 07:25 pm Link WMcK wrote: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Apr 24 13 07:34 pm Link John Horwitz wrote: I don't believe that is true (disclaimer, I used Canon and missed Nikon in the first post when I originally answered). Apr 24 13 09:07 pm Link I have had the 85mm f1.4 for the past few years (Olympus 4/3 mount) and it's a fantastic lens, got it for $250 when it had just come out, now it regularly goes for around $375. Sharp right from 1.4, although I get some ghosting there, so I usually stop it down to f2 unless I need that extra stop. Check here for samples, most of these are mine. I put them under Vivitar 85/1.4 because pbase doesn't have Rokinons catalogued and Vivitar is another name the same lens is marketed under. http://www.pbase.com/cameras/vivitar/85_14 Apr 24 13 09:15 pm Link WMcK wrote: I have the old 500mm f8 Nikkor mirror lens. Apr 24 13 11:57 pm Link Ronkionon is just a rebranded lens, like Bower, and several other brands. Samyang is ghe OEM for most of them. They used to be known for pretty budget-oriented lenses, but have really turned out some good glass lately. The 85 f1.4 is in par optically with last-generation Nikon or Canon glass. Most Samyang lenses come in an 'electronic' version that allows electronic control of aperture, auto-exposure and electronic rangefinder operations, but only with Nikon. Apr 25 13 09:27 am Link When the BJP ( British Journal of Photography ) magazine had an extensive testing process it found the image quality of the Samyang 85mm F1.4 to be superior to the Nikon AF-D version ( the G was not released back then ). Where it lost out was no AF. Apr 25 13 10:12 am Link John Horwitz wrote: Don't know where you get that. I had one and I have to say its as good as the best of portrait lenses out there with a warmer tone but not superior. Also it does not autofocus which I find detrimental to my workflow. Apr 25 13 10:20 am Link John Horwitz wrote: I don't think it has auto aperture on Canons, not having an iris motor built in. Apr 25 13 04:02 pm Link Could not find anything on dpreview, where they did an A-B-C optics test that proves that any Rokinion lenses are superior to any Nikon, Canon, or Zeiss lenses. They are cheaper by a mile though, and I don't see how Rokinion can make superior lenses without using good glass, which is why Nikon, Canon, and Zeiss lenses cost more. Just saying, as I do have a Rokinion lens, that I bought years ago, when I couldn't afford the good glass. Apr 25 13 04:26 pm Link Contrary to popular beliefs OEM manufacturers buy glass from same vendor, and those are few and far apart. Lens design on the other hand is a patent matter, so you can not get away with simply copying someone else's design. Manufacturing process and materials used as well as manufacturing country will affect the cost. That is why Zeiss and Leica will always be costing a premium. Samyang does quite well, especially now with TS24/3.5 out in a month or so they managed to build quite a strong presence. I did a nude in nature shot with newly acquired 14/2.8, however I haven't processed those yet so can't quite share. But here is a shot of few buildings.. Apr 26 13 08:56 am Link R.EYE.R wrote: Wellsome times you can. Most fixed lens designs from all manufacturers are copied from Zeiss, who had their patents taken off them after WW2. Which is why almost every maker has, for instance a 50mm f/1.8. Zooms are a different matter since they have been designed since then. Apr 26 13 10:18 am Link WMcK wrote: You mean Tessar for instance? True. And we have can enjoy Zeiss Jena and Russian lenses thanks to that.. Apr 26 13 10:26 am Link |