Rokinon 85mm F/1.4 Review

• • 17 Comments

Another thumbs up review about the Rokinon 85mm F/1.4 Lens. I wrote an older article about these lenses found here: http://cheesycam.com/budget-manual-focus-85mm-f1-4-lens/. As you know Canon has an affordable F/1.8 lens, but according to Vimeo member Jared, the Rokinon would be a better choice for those who shoot only video. These lenses come rebranded between Rokinon, Bower, Samyang, Vivitar, and a few others. You might want to check pricing on each one as they will vary on the brand name. Some cheaper than others, but pretty much the same lens. Everything else you need to know is in the video above. [Thanks Jarrod]

bower-85mm-1.4
find-price-button Vivitar 85mm F/1.4 Manual Focus Lens

vivitar-85mm-1.4
find-price-button Vivitar 85mm F/1.4 Manual Focus Lens

rokinon-85mm-1.4
find-price-button Rokinon 85mm F1.4 Aspherical Lens for Canon (Black)

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17 thoughts on “Rokinon 85mm F/1.4 Review”

  2. Steven

    @ Greg: Can you please advise what AF confirm chip or adapter that you put on this Rokinon lens, can you please tell me how to do it, can you please send me a message to [email protected]

    Thank you very much,
    Steven

  3. Emm

     Post author

    @sidney - The EF can be used on digital with autofocus and all the way wide open. The FD needs an adapter and might be a bit soft on F/1.2, also the FD will not have auto focus.

  4. sidney

    Hey, whats the difference?

    I have an EF 85mm F/1.2 and an FD 85mm F/1.2. I don’t need both.

  7.

    Yeah, I saw that Birger or whatever is called but it's prohibitively expensive. In other words you have to get lenses with an aperture ring to use with any adapter. You didn't sell the FD 85?

  8. Emm

     Post author

    @apostolos - There is not a practical way unless you get some new special Adapter being made (very very expensive). I have an EF 85mm F/1.2 and an FD 85mm F/1.2. I don't need both.

  9.

    Slighty off topic here, but I'm really researching the FD lenses, to use both with my 60D for video and the GH1 I just picked up. I picked up a early 80-200 FD F4 (the one with the two rings, not the L) for about $65 and the lens was essentially new in the box. And you can find all sorts of fast primes, 50mm 1.4 etc. So between getting FD lenses and Chinese CCTV lenses, I'm guessing the FDs would be a better choice. So my question is how come you got rid of that 85 1.2 that still seems to be selling in the $600-800 range if you're looking in the aftermarkets, the Samyangs etc for video?

    Oh, and one last thing. I posted this on another post, is there a practical way to change the aperture on a EF lens if you had a EF to m43 adapter, since the EF lenses do not have aperture rings?

  10. Greg

    I love my rokinon 85 1.4. One of my favorite lenses. I put a focus confirmation chip on mine and it works great for photography now as well.

  12. Emm

     Post author

    @Sheldon - If you are full frame go 50mm. If not go for Sigma 30mm. Eventually you may end up with ll three. Not one lens can do it all.

  13. Emm

     Post author

    @apotolos - Yes that would work because you have manual aperture controls on the lens.

  14.

    Out of all different incarnations only the Rokinon seems to be lower priced around $270 vs $330 for all the other rebrands. So, you can use it both with EF bodies and the GH1 with an EF to m43 adapter, since it has the aperture ring, correct?

  15. Sheldon

    Okay so.. I am not sure what lenses should I get for a $450 budget for filming for my T2i? I would love to take photos also.. but my aim goal is for filming.

    Rokinon 85mm F/1.4

    Sigma 30mm f1.4

    Canon 50mm F/1.4

  16. Emm

     Post author

    @Samuel Hurtado - Nice links to the tests. From price people would try to compare with Canon's 85 F/1.8 but looks like it should be compared to the F/1.2 which I bought mine for about $2,000 US. Of course I need the Auto Focus for photos.

  17.

    Samyang seems to be making some really great lenses

    this one in particular has amazing bokeh, much closer to that from the way more expensive zeiss planar 85mm f/1.4 or canon 85mm f/1.2L than to the similarly priced canon 85mm f/1.8 USM

    https://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/483-samyang_85_14_5d?start=1
    https://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/536-zeiss85f14eosff?start=1
    https://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/502-canon_85f12ff?start=1
    https://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/419-canon_85_18_5d?start=1

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