Samyang 85mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC

Summary

The Samyang 85mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC is a solid optical performer — a telephoto prime (128mm equivalent) with f/1.4 maximum aperture. The lens is priced at approximately ~$500 USD. Please check the official product page for sample images, manuals, and firmware updates.

Genre Suitability

  • Adequate for: Nightscape, Landscape, Architecture, Street, Travel, Portrait, Sport, Wildlife
  • Avoid for: Macro

Strengths

  • Smooth, pleasant bokeh
  • Negligible distortion

Weaknesses

  • Noticeably soft corners wide open
  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges
  • Below-average flare resistance
  • Low macro capability (0.08x magnification)
  • No built-in optical stabilization

Specifications 19/20

Optical construction 9 elements in 7 groups (1 aspherical)
Coating UMC
Focal length85mm
Max aperturef/1.4
Sweet spot f/5.6
Aperture blades 8
Sunstar points 8 (sharp — straight blades)
Max magnification 0.08x
Min focus distance1000mm
AF motorManual focus
OISNo
Weather sealedNo
Aperture ringYes
Clickless apertureNo
Focus ringYes
Focus by wireNo
Distance scaleYes
Rotating frontNo
Tripod mountNo
Weight500g
Diameter78mm
Length101mm
Filter thread72mm
Year2014

MTF Charts

f/1.4 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 C 5 10 15 20 Image height (mm)
10 lp/mm S 10 lp/mm M 30 lp/mm S 30 lp/mm M
Position 10S 10M 30S 30M
Center 0.90 0.90 0.69 0.69
5mm 0.91 0.90 0.69 0.66
10mm 0.91 0.92 0.62 0.64
15mm 0.91 0.94 0.56 0.60
20mm 0.84 0.93 0.55 0.57
f/8 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 C 5 10 15 20 Image height (mm)
10 lp/mm S 10 lp/mm M 30 lp/mm S 30 lp/mm M
Position 10S 10M 30S 30M
Center 0.99 1.00 0.95 0.95
5mm 1.00 0.99 0.96 0.91
10mm 1.00 1.00 0.97 0.96
15mm 0.99 0.96 0.96 0.73
20mm 0.99 0.94 0.96 0.63

Source: Official manufacturer specifications

Optical Quality 14/14

Center (wide open)
1.0
Corner (wide open)
0.5
Center (stopped)
1.5
Corner (stopped)
1.0
Coma
1.0
Astigmatism
1.0
Spherical aberration
1.5
Longitudinal CA
0.5
Lateral CA
2.0
Distortion
1.5
Vignetting (wide open)
1.0
Vignetting (stopped)
2.0
Bokeh
1.5
Flare resistance
0.5

Sharpness

  • Acceptable center sharpness wide open
  • Noticeably soft corners wide open
  • Good center resolution stopped down
  • Acceptable corner sharpness stopped down

Aberrations

  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges
  • Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
  • Moderate coma at the extreme corners
  • Moderate astigmatism
  • Well-corrected spherical aberration

Rendering

  • Smooth, pleasant bokeh
  • Moderate vignetting wide open, typical for the aperture class
  • Vignetting essentially gone by f/5.6
  • Below-average flare resistance

Distortion

  • Minimal distortion

All optical scores are based on lab measurements and field tests from trusted review sources. For details on how we score lenses, see our scoring methodology.

Genre Fit

~ Nightscape Adequate ~ Landscape Adequate ~ Architecture Adequate ~ Street Adequate ~ Travel Adequate ~ Portrait Adequate ~ Sport Adequate ~ Wildlife Adequate ✗ Macro Avoid

~ Nightscape Photography 3/5

Nightscape Photography prioritizes coma control, astigmatism correction, and a fast aperture for short star exposures.

Primary
  • Moderate coma at the extreme corners
  • Moderate astigmatism
  • Fast f/1.4 aperture
Secondary
  • Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
  • Acceptable center sharpness wide open
  • Noticeably soft corners wide open
  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges
  • Moderate vignetting wide open, typical for the aperture class
  • Well-corrected spherical aberration

~ Landscape Photography 3/5

Landscape Photography prioritizes corner-to-corner sharpness at stopped-down apertures and good flare resistance.

Primary
  • Acceptable corner sharpness stopped down
  • Good center resolution stopped down
Secondary
  • Minimal distortion
  • Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges
  • Vignetting essentially gone by f/5.6
  • Below-average flare resistance
  • Moderate astigmatism
  • Moderate coma at the extreme corners

~ Architecture Photography 3/5

Architecture Photography prioritizes geometric precision with minimal distortion and even corner sharpness.

Primary
  • Acceptable corner sharpness stopped down
  • Good center resolution stopped down
  • Minimal distortion
Secondary
  • Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
  • Vignetting essentially gone by f/5.6
  • Below-average flare resistance

~ Street Photography 3.5/5

Street Photography prioritizes sharp stopped-down performance and a fast enough aperture for low light.

Primary
  • Good center resolution stopped down
  • Fast f/1.4 aperture
Secondary
  • Acceptable center sharpness wide open
  • Below-average flare resistance
  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges
  • Moderate coma at the extreme corners

~ Travel Photography 3/5

Travel Photography prioritizes balanced image quality in a lightweight package.

Primary
  • Good center resolution stopped down
  • Heavy at 500g
Secondary
  • Fast f/1.4 aperture
  • Below-average flare resistance
  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges

~ Portrait Photography 3/5

Portrait Photography prioritizes smooth bokeh and critical center sharpness wide open for subject isolation.

Primary
  • Smooth, pleasant bokeh
  • Acceptable center sharpness wide open
Secondary
  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges
  • Well-corrected spherical aberration
  • Moderate vignetting wide open, typical for the aperture class

~ Sport Photography 3/5

Sport Photography prioritizes sharp wide-open center performance to freeze action at fast shutter speeds.

Primary
  • Acceptable center sharpness wide open
Secondary
  • Fast f/1.4 aperture
  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges
  • Negligible lateral chromatic aberration

~ Wildlife Photography 3/5

Wildlife Photography prioritizes center sharpness across apertures for distant subjects.

Primary
  • Acceptable center sharpness wide open
  • Good center resolution stopped down
Secondary
  • Fast f/1.4 aperture
  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges
  • Negligible lateral chromatic aberration

✗ Macro Photography 1/5

Macro Photography prioritizes stopped-down center sharpness and high magnification for close-up detail.

Primary
  • Good center resolution stopped down
  • Low magnification (0.08x)
Secondary
  • Minimal distortion
  • Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
  • Noticeable longitudinal CA on high-contrast edges
  • Well-corrected spherical aberration
  • Smooth, pleasant bokeh

Reviews

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