Samyang 135mm F 2 0 ED UMC Review | 54 Data compared

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC lens as a robust, well-handling manual-focus telephoto prime featuring high-quality construction and a smooth, well-damped focusing ring, making it ideal for portraiture. Optically, it offers outstanding performance with excellent sharpness, while functional pros include a non-rotating 77mm filter thread, 80cm close focusing, and an included deep lens hood. Key cons stem from the manual-only design, as the lens lacks electronic coupling, forcing the use of stop-down metering without EXIF data or electronic focus confirmation, which demands patience at f/2. Despite these limitations, it is praised for its high affordability and image quality compared to autofocus alternatives.

The Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC is a manual-focus telephoto prime lens available for eight different camera mounts, including Canon, Nikon, and Sony. Priced at $549, it positions itself as a highly competitive, budget-friendly alternative to premium options like the Canon EF 135mm f/2L and the Zeiss APO Sonnar T* 2/135. Optically, the reviewer notes that this lens is a "revelation," delivering exceptional corner-to-corner sharpness, high contrast, beautiful creamy bokeh, and very minimal chromatic aberrations. It even outperforms the legendary Canon 135L in terms of absolute optical resolution and contrast when wide open at f/2. Furthermore, it boasts an excellent minimum focus distance of just 2.6 feet, making it a capable tool for tightly framed headshots and macro photography. Despite its stellar optical rendering, the lens suffers from major usability drawbacks due to a complete lack of internal electronics. It features no autofocus mechanism, no image stabilization, and no electronic data chip, meaning it cannot natively communicate EXIF metadata or advanced flash settings to camera bodies. Focusing wide-open at f/2 creates an incredibly razor-thin depth of field, leading to a...

The LensTip review of the Samyang 135 mm f/2.0 ED UMC concludes that this manual-focus telephoto prime lens delivers sensational, record-breaking optical performance that rivals competitors several times its price. Its standout advantage is an outstanding resolution in the frame centre right from the maximum aperture of f/2.0, matching the highly praised Zeiss Apo Sonnar. Additionally, the lens boasts virtually zero distortion, invisible coma, low astigmatism, and remarkably well-controlled longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberrations. Photographers will also enjoy its creamy background blur (bokeh) and an excellent overall price-to-quality ratio, making it a highly compelling budget-friendly option for portrait and astrophotography. However, the review points out a few clear drawbacks, most notably its heavy vignetting on a full-frame sensor, which incurs a massive light loss of 57% (−2.44 EV) in the corners when shot wide open. This light fall-off remains visible at f/2.8 and does not fully disappear until stopped down to f/5.6. Furthermore, the LensTip summary highlights a noticeable truncation of out-of-focus light circles (cat's-eye effect) in the full-frame corners at f/2.0. Finally, the lens lacks autofocus and built-in image...

The Samyang 135mm f2.0 ED UMC is a top-performing, budget-friendly manual focus telephoto lens that delivers exceptional optical quality matching or exceeding much more expensive alternatives. Its primary advantages include excellent image contrast and sharpness across a full-frame sensor even when shot wide open at f2.0, remarkably low longitudinal chromatic aberrations, and a beautifully creamy background bokeh. Additionally, it offers superior flare resistance compared to competitors like the Zeiss 135mm f2.0 Apo Sonnar, all while retailing at a highly accessible price point of around 500 EUR. However, the lens has notable design compromises, most significantly the complete lack of autofocus, which makes nailing the shallow depth of field difficult without a tripod, focus peaking, or a specialized focusing screen. It also lacks built-in image stabilisation and weather sealing at the lens mount, meaning it requires extra care in adverse conditions. Finally, its external construction has a noticeably "plasticky" feel that lacks the rugged, tank-like durability of premium competitors, making it less ideal for photographers who subject their gear to heavy physical abuse.

The PCMag review highlights the Samyang 135mm F2.0 ED UMC as an Editors' Choice, delivering top-tier, edge-to-edge sharpness with zero distortion at an affordable price. Key pros include its wide f/2 aperture for excellent low-light performance and optical quality that competes with much more expensive alternatives. Notable cons, however, include a complete lack of autofocus and image stabilization, requiring careful manual focusing to avoid blurry images. Additionally, the lens features a less premium build compared to luxury models and shows some corner vignetting when shooting wide open.

The Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC is lauded as an exceptional, sharp-performing lens for astrophotography, delivering brilliant, pin-point stars across the frame even at its widest f/2 aperture. It features a smooth focusing ring, a 9-blade aperture, and well-managed chromatic aberration. Conversely, the review highlights significant drawbacks with the aperture ring, which is difficult to read and prone to accidental, easy rotation during shooting. Additionally, while generally well-corrected, the lens can produce noticeable red halos around bright stars when used with modified cameras, a phenomenon that is intensified when paired with certain narrow-band light pollution filters.

The Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC is a highly capable telephoto prime lens praised primarily for its exceptional optical sharpness and affordable price point. Firmly positioned as a portrait-length lens, its wide f/2 maximum aperture creates incredibly smooth out-of-focus areas (bokeh), allowing for beautiful separation between subjects and backgrounds. The build consists of a lightweight yet durable mix of a metallic barrel and premium plastics, complete with a tactile rubber focusing ring and a manual aperture ring that both operate smoothly. Despite its stellar performance, the lens does have a few drawbacks to keep in mind before buying. Its primary limitation is that it lacks electronic components, meaning it relies entirely on manual focus and manual aperture control. Additionally, testing revealed that the lens produces very slight vignetting at its wider aperture settings, though its corner sharpness catches up well by f/5.6. If you'd like to dive deeper, let me know: What camera system or mount you plan to use it with? Whether you are using it for portraits, astrophotography, or video?