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Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF Review | 54 Data compared

Avg. price:~£560Lens mount:Canon EFMaximum focal length:85 mmMaximum aperture (telephoto end):1.4Optical image stabilization:noMaximum angle of view:28.4 °

Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF Review: Compare 54 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Camera lenses category and whether it is worth buying.

7.2

Overall score

Score
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the camera lens's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best camera lenses on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 67% of models
Score components

80%

6.9

Technical score

20%

8.8

User score

â–²Better than 67% of camera-lenses
6.9

Technical score

Technical score
6.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Camera lenses category across these key areas: Mount & Format, Optics & Aperture, Focus & Controls, Stabilization, Build & Handling, Lab Scores.
When it matters
When you want to compare camera lenses based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 62% of models
Score components

35%

9.2

Optics & Aperture

24%

8.3

Build & Handling

20%

3.6

Focus & Controls

10%

?

Lab Scores

8%

1.0

Stabilization

3%

1.0

Mount & Format

â–²Better than 62% of camera-lenses
8.8

User score

User score
8.8/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the camera lens.
When it matters
When real-world owner satisfaction and review volume matter to your decision.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 71% of models
Score components

70%

8.7

User ratings

30%

9.1

Number of reviews

Based on 952 buyer reviews from online shops.
Read buyer reviews on Amazon →
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
â–²Better than 71% of camera-lenses
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Best prices

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Best rankings

Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of camera lens Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF

Technical score
Technical score
6.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Camera lenses category across these key areas: Mount & Format, Optics & Aperture, Focus & Controls, Stabilization, Build & Handling, Lab Scores.
When it matters
When you want to compare camera lenses based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 62% of models
Score components:

35%

9.2

Optics & Aperture

24%

8.3

Build & Handling

20%

3.6

Focus & Controls

10%

?

Lab Scores

8%

1.0

Stabilization

3%

1.0

Mount & Format

6.9
User score
User score
8.8/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the camera lens.
When it matters
When real-world owner satisfaction and review volume matter to your decision.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 71% of models
Score components

70%

8.7

User ratings

30%

9.1

Number of reviews

Based on 952 buyer reviews from online shops.
Read buyer reviews on Amazon →
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
8.8
Popularity
Popularity
9.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the camera lens.
When it matters
When you want to see which camera lenses attract the most buyer attention and review activity.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 81% of models
Popularity:
Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF has a popularity score of 9.1 points, which is higher than 81.1% of camera lenses.
9.1
Value for money
Value for money
7.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the camera lens's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you want to know how much overall quality you get for the price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 70% of models
Score components:

60%

7.2

Overall score

40%

7.6

Price

7.3
Lens type
prime
Lens mount
Canon EF
Sensor format coverage
Full-frame
Filter thread size
77 mm
Teleconverter compatibility
no
Teleconverter compatibility
no
â–¼ Worse than 15% of models
This camera lens does not support teleconverters. 15.3% of camera lenses support teleconverters.
Show more
Minimum focal length
85 mm
Maximum focal length
85 mm
Optical zoom
N/A
Maximum angle of view
28.4 °
Minimum angle of view
28.4 °
Show more
Focus motor
linear motor
Minimum focus distance
0.9 m
Minimum focus distance
0.9 m
â–¼ Worse than 84% of models
Market range: <0.18 m – >1.1 m
This camera lens focuses as close as 0.9 m, which is farther than 83.7% of camera lenses and equal to 1.4% of camera lenses.
Maximum reproduction ratio
0.11xx
Maximum reproduction ratio
0.11x
â–¼ Worse than 87% of models
Market range: <0.11 x – >0.39 x
This camera lens reaches a reproduction ratio of 0.11x, which is lower than 86.7% of camera lenses and equal to 3.7% of camera lenses.
Full-time manual focus
no
Full-time manual focus
no
â–¼ Worse than 68% of models
This camera lens does not support full-time manual focus. 68.4% of camera lenses support full-time manual focus.
Internal focusing
yes
Internal focusing
yes
â–² Better than 16% of models
This camera lens supports internal focusing. 83.6% of camera lenses support internal focusing.
Show more
Optical image stabilization
no
Optical image stabilization
no
â–¼ Worse than 29% of models
This camera lens does not support optical image stabilization. 29.1% of camera lenses include optical image stabilization.
Stabilization effectiveness (CIPA stops)
N/A
Weight
570 g
Weight
570 g
â–¼ Worse than 57% of models
Market range: <171 g – >1.3k g
This camera lens weighs 570 g, which is heavier than 57% of camera lenses and equal to the weight of 0.6% of camera lenses.
Lens length
72 mm
Lens length
72 mm
â–² Better than 71% of models
Market range: <46 mm – >189 mm
This camera lens is 72 mm long, which is shorter than 71.5% of camera lenses and equal to the length of 1.3% of camera lenses.
Lens diameter
88 mm
Lens diameter
88 mm
â–¼ Worse than 80% of models
Market range: <62.4 mm – >94.7 mm
This camera lens has a diameter of 88 mm, which is wider than 79.9% of camera lenses and equal to that of 1.7% of camera lenses.
Weather sealing (splashproof)
yes
Weather sealing (splashproof)
yes
â–² Better than 50% of models
This camera lens supports weather sealing. 50.2% of camera lenses support weather sealing.
Metal mount
yes
Metal mount
yes
â–² Better than 6% of models
This camera lens uses a metal lens mount. 93.6% of camera lenses use a metal lens mount.
Show more
DxOMark overall score
?
DxOMark sharpness score
?
DxOMark transmission
?
DxOMark distortion
?
DxOMark vignetting
?
Show more

Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF vs the average camera lens

246810TotalMount & FormatOptics & ApertureFocus & ControlsStabilizationBuild & HandlingLab Scores
  • 1.4 lower f-number at telephoto end
    Maximum aperture (telephoto end)
    1.4
    â–² Better than 84% of models
    Market range: <1.4 – >5.6
    This camera lens has a brighter maximum telephoto aperture than the average camera lens (f/1.4 vs f/2.8). The average lens has a maximum telephoto aperture of f/2.8.
    1.4 vs 2.8
  • 20.25 mm shorter lens
    Lens length
    72 mm
    â–² Better than 71% of models
    Market range: <46 mm – >189 mm
    This camera lens is shorter than the average camera lens (72 mm vs 92.25 mm). The average lens has a length of 92.25 mm.
    72 mm vs 92.25 mm
  • Newer release date
    Release date
    2018
    â–² Better than 59% of models
    Market range: <2k – >2k
    This camera lens was released more recently than the average camera lens.
    2018 vs 2016
  • 25.5% more popular
    Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF is more popular than the average camera lens (9.14 vs 7.3).
    9.14 vs 7.29
  • 25.5% more popular
    Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF is more popular than the average camera lens (9.14 vs 7.3).
    9.14 vs 7.29
  • 1.4 lower f-number at telephoto end
    Maximum aperture (telephoto end)
    1.4
    â–² Better than 84% of models
    Market range: <1.4 – >5.6
    This camera lens has a brighter maximum telephoto aperture than the average camera lens (f/1.4 vs f/2.8). The average lens has a maximum telephoto aperture of f/2.8.
    1.4 vs 2.8
  • 20.25 mm shorter lens
    Lens length
    72 mm
    â–² Better than 71% of models
    Market range: <46 mm – >189 mm
    This camera lens is shorter than the average camera lens (72 mm vs 92.25 mm). The average lens has a length of 92.25 mm.
    72 mm vs 92.25 mm
  • Newer release date
    Release date
    2018
    â–² Better than 59% of models
    Market range: <2k – >2k
    This camera lens was released more recently than the average camera lens.
    2018 vs 2016
  • No full-time manual focus
    Full-time manual focus
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 68% of models
    This camera lens does not support full-time manual focus, the average camera lens does. 68.4% of camera lenses support full-time manual focus.
  • 2 fewer low-dispersion elements
    Low-dispersion elements
    0
    â–¼ Worse than 76% of models
    Market range: <0 – >4
    This camera lens has fewer low-dispersion elements than the average camera lens (0 vs 2). The average lens has 2 low-dispersion elements.
    0 vs 2
  • 0.6 m longer minimum focus distance
    Minimum focus distance
    0.9 m
    â–¼ Worse than 84% of models
    Market range: <0.18 m – >1.1 m
    This camera lens has a higher minimum focus distance than the average camera lens (0.9 m vs 0.3 m). The average lens has a minimum focus distance of 0.3 m.
    0.9 m vs 0.3 m
  • 11 mm wider lens barrel
    Lens diameter
    88 mm
    â–¼ Worse than 80% of models
    Market range: <62.4 mm – >94.7 mm
    This camera lens is wider than the average camera lens (88 mm vs 77 mm). The average lens has a diameter of 77 mm.
    88 mm vs 77 mm
  • 1 fewer aspherical elements
    Aspherical elements
    1
    â–¼ Worse than 51% of models
    Market range: <0 – >3
    This camera lens has fewer aspherical elements than the average camera lens (1 vs 2). The average lens has 2 aspherical elements.
    1 vs 2
  • 0.08 x lower maximum reproduction ratio
    Maximum reproduction ratio
    0.11 x
    â–¼ Worse than 87% of models
    Market range: <0.11 x – >0.39 x
    This camera lens has a lower maximum reproduction ratio than the average camera lens (0.1 x vs 0.2 x). The average lens has a maximum reproduction ratio of 0.192 x.
    0.11 x vs 0.192 x
  • 60 g heavier
    Weight
    570 g
    â–¼ Worse than 57% of models
    Market range: <171 g – >1.3k g
    This camera lens is heavier than the average camera lens (570 g vs 510 g). The average lens weighs 510 g.
    570 g vs 510 g
  • 2 fewer low-dispersion elements
    Low-dispersion elements
    0
    â–¼ Worse than 76% of models
    Market range: <0 – >4
    This camera lens has fewer low-dispersion elements than the average camera lens (0 vs 2). The average lens has 2 low-dispersion elements.
    0 vs 2
  • 1 fewer aspherical elements
    Aspherical elements
    1
    â–¼ Worse than 51% of models
    Market range: <0 – >3
    This camera lens has fewer aspherical elements than the average camera lens (1 vs 2). The average lens has 2 aspherical elements.
    1 vs 2
  • No full-time manual focus
    Full-time manual focus
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 68% of models
    This camera lens does not support full-time manual focus, the average camera lens does. 68.4% of camera lenses support full-time manual focus.
  • 0.6 m longer minimum focus distance
    Minimum focus distance
    0.9 m
    â–¼ Worse than 84% of models
    Market range: <0.18 m – >1.1 m
    This camera lens has a higher minimum focus distance than the average camera lens (0.9 m vs 0.3 m). The average lens has a minimum focus distance of 0.3 m.
    0.9 m vs 0.3 m
  • 0.08 x lower maximum reproduction ratio
    Maximum reproduction ratio
    0.11 x
    â–¼ Worse than 87% of models
    Market range: <0.11 x – >0.39 x
    This camera lens has a lower maximum reproduction ratio than the average camera lens (0.1 x vs 0.2 x). The average lens has a maximum reproduction ratio of 0.192 x.
    0.11 x vs 0.192 x
  • 11 mm wider lens barrel
    Lens diameter
    88 mm
    â–¼ Worse than 80% of models
    Market range: <62.4 mm – >94.7 mm
    This camera lens is wider than the average camera lens (88 mm vs 77 mm). The average lens has a diameter of 77 mm.
    88 mm vs 77 mm
  • 60 g heavier
    Weight
    570 g
    â–¼ Worse than 57% of models
    Market range: <171 g – >1.3k g
    This camera lens is heavier than the average camera lens (570 g vs 510 g). The average lens weighs 510 g.
    570 g vs 510 g

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

E
ephotozine.com
10/07/2018
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF Review - ePHOTOzine
D
digitalcameraworld.com
22/10/2019
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4Go to product viewer dialogue for this item. review
A
amateurphotographer.com
03/08/2018
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF review - Amateur Photographer
P
photozone.de
2018
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF - Review / Test Report
S
stephan-forstmann.de
02/12/2025
Summary of the review
Review: Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF for Canon
(Translated)Show original
D
digitalphoto.de
22/08/2019
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 Review - Price Over Performance
(Translated)Show original
P
photozone.de
01/07/2018
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF - Review / Test Report
(Translated)Show original
L
lesnumeriques.com
19/11/2018
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF Review: A Bit of a Soft Rendering
(Translated)Show original
D
digitalcamaralens.com
01/09/2025
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF Review and Test
(Translated)Show original
F
focus-review.com
24/04/2020
Summary of the review
Review: Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE for Sony
(Translated)Show original
D
digifotopro.nl
10/12/2018
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF - DIGIFOTO Pro
(Translated)Show original
F
focusmagazine.nl
20/11/2018
Summary of the review
Samyang AF 14mm F2.8 and Samyang AF 85mm F1.4
(Translated)Show original

Third-party reviews

Based on 952 buyer reviews from online shops.
Reviews last updated: July 2026 · How we calculate this
Read buyer reviews on Amazon →

What we like about Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF

  • Excellent value for money compared to first-party alternatives
  • Beautiful, smooth bokeh and background separation
  • High center sharpness even at the wide-open f/1.4 aperture
  • Fast and nearly silent Dual Linear Ultrasonic Motor (DLSM) autofocus
  • Weather-sealed construction for protection against dust and moisture
  • Compact and relatively lightweight for an f/1.4 prime lens
  • Minimal pincushion distortion, often flattering for portraits

What we don't like about Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF

  • Noticeable chromatic aberration (purple/green fringing) at wide apertures
  • Heavy vignetting when shooting wide-open at f/1.4
  • Lack of built-in optical image stabilization
  • Autofocus can be less accurate or inconsistent in close-up scenarios
  • Corner sharpness is significantly softer than the center until stopped down
  • Relatively long minimum focus distance (approx. 0.9m)
  • Electronic 'focus-by-wire' manual focusing may feel less tactile to some users

Verdict

The Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF is a fast, portrait-length prime lens designed for Canon EF-mount DSLRs, featuring a bright f/1.4 maximum aperture and an internal focusing system composed of 9 elements in 7 groups, including one hybrid aspherical element. It incorporates an Ultrasonic Dual Linear motor for quick, quiet autofocus, 9 rounded diaphragm blades for smooth bokeh, and Ultra Multi-Coating (UMC) to minimize flare and ghosting. Key pros include its lightweight 485g build, excellent center sharpness, and strong price-to-performance ratio compared to native equivalents. However, notable cons include occasional autofocus issues at close range, lack of optical image stabilization, and a slight softness at the maximum aperture with visible edge chromatic aberration.

Compare Samyang AF 85mm F 1 4 EF with other products in the Camera lenses category

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