Rokinon 85mm F 1 4 AS IF UMC Review | 54 Data compared

The Rokinon AE 85mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC lens offers photographers high-speed, f/1.4 performance at a budget-friendly street price of $270 to $300. Built with a polycarbonate outer shell and a sturdy metal chassis, this full-frame lens is remarkably lightweight at just over 18 ounces, making it the lightest among its competitors from Nikon, Sigma, Sony, and Zeiss. It features an electronic autodiaphragm to prevent having to stop down before shooting, and certain Nikon-mount versions even include focus confirmation and AE data. In laboratory testing, the lens delivered exceptional sharpness, earning "Excellent" SQF scores at 11×14 across all apertures, while limiting barrel distortion to an imperceptible 0.04%. The most prominent trade-off for this bargain price is the complete lack of autofocus, requiring users to rely entirely on manual focusing. It also lacks a lens-mounting index bullet and a minimum-aperture lock, which means shooters must manually set the lens to its minimum aperture for specific autoexposure modes. Optically, its primary drawback is a weak subject magnification ratio of 1:11.33, which is less than half the class average and limits its usefulness...

The Rokinon 85mm F1.4 AS IF UMC is an affordable, fully manual portrait lens for full-frame and APS-C cameras, offering excellent sharpness, minimal distortion, and even illumination from f/2 onward. While delivering high-value image quality, the lens requires users to operate without autofocus and manual aperture control, and it lacks electronic EXIF communication and optical stabilization. Softness and edge vignetting are noticeable when shooting wide open at f/1.4, though this can complement portraiture.

The Samyang/Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC is characterized as a budget-friendly, manual-focus portrait lens that delivers impressive sharpness and creamy bokeh at its widest aperture, offering excellent value for photographers. It boasts well-controlled geometric distortion and low lateral chromatic aberration, making it a strong optical performer. However, the lens lacks an autofocus mechanism, making manual focusing challenging at f/1.4, and it exhibits noticeable longitudinal chromatic aberration and corner vignetting. These compromises allow for a cost-effective, high-performance alternative to more expensive, first-party lenses.

The Rokinon 85mm F1.4 AS IF UMC ($399 retail) is an affordable, compact, and versatile manual-focus prime lens designed for portrait photography across full-frame and APS-C formats. Tested on a 36-megapixel Nikon D810, the lens delivers a center-weighted sharpness score of 1,957 lines at f/1.4. It is sold interchangeably under the Samyang brand name and is widely available for nearly every major SLR and mirrorless camera system. Built with high-quality plastic, it features a heavy 1.1-pound barrel, a 72mm front filter thread, and an eight-blade aperture diaphragm that produces smooth, circular out-of-focus highlights. The main advantages of the lens are its exceptional sharpness when stopped down—climbing from 2,590 lines at f/2 up to a peak of 3,669 lines at f/11—alongside its minimal distortion, even frame illumination, multi-system compatibility, and low price tag. Conversely, its primary drawbacks include a noticeable softness and chromatic aberration at f/1.4, minor edge dimming (-1.5EV at the corners) when shot wide open, a strict manual focus design, a lack of optical stabilization, and a 3.28-foot minimum focusing distance that lags behind f/1.8 competitors. Ultimately, while it...

The Rokinon 85mm F1.4 AS IF UMC is an affordable and versatile prime lens popular for portrait photography, compatible with multiple camera systems. While it shows noticeable softness and chromatic aberration when shot wide open at f/1.4, its sharpness improves dramatically from f/2 onward, delivering razor-sharp images when stopped down. Built from high-quality plastic, the lens is relatively compact but heavy, featuring a smooth, long-throw manual focus ring and an eight-blade aperture diaphragm that produces pleasing, circular bokeh highlights. The core benefits of this lens include its low price, distortion-free images, and even illumination across the frame when stopped down. However, users must accept significant trade-offs, such as a lack of autofocus and optical stabilization, alongside noticeable corner dimming at f/1.4. While the autofocus-enabled Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G offers better overall sharpness, the Rokinon remains a solid bargain option for photographers who enjoy mechanical, manual focus controls.

The FujiX-Forum thread highlights the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC lens as a highly affordable, native X-mount option priced at $299 at B&H Photo. Users praise its solid, "hefty" build quality and smooth manual focus ring, which provides a premium feel. A major advantage is that the lens features a native mount, removing the need for an adapter. Optically, reviewers and forum members note it is sharp at f/2.0 and hits its razor-sharp "sweet spot" between f/4 and f/5.6. YouTube · However, users noted distinct drawbacks, specifically that the lens is noticeably soft when shot wide open at f/1.4. Because it is a fully manual lens, getting accurate focus at f/1.4 is highly challenging and requires relying on camera tools like focus peaking. Ergonomically, it weighs 21.5 oz (610 g) and measures about 4 inches long, making it a front-heavy and large addition to compact mirrorless bodies. Additionally, it lack electronic communication with the camera body, meaning it cannot provide automated exposure functions or transmit EXIF data. Lastly, forum members pointed out that the lens design uses a permanently...