When I first started reviewing Samyang (also sold as Rokinon – the products are identical), their products fell into one specific category.  They produced inexpensive manual everything lenses that often had fairly good optics housed in “cheap” bodies.  I was still a fan of some of their lenses because of the price-to-performance value, and owned several.  In 2016 they began to release their first autofocus lenses, including a couple of lenses for the traditional DSLR mounts (Canon EF and Nikon F) and then subsequent lenses for the then new Sony FE full frame mirrorless mount.  I spent my first time with an autofocusing Samyang lens in early 2018, and, ironically, it was a 50mm F1.4 lens for Sony FE.  That lens was the predecessor of the Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II that is the subject of this image gallery.

I finished my review of the first Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 with mixed feelings.  On the strength side, I felt like the lens had very nice bokeh and great light transmission [it was brighter than the two other 50mm options I compared it to – the Sony Zeiss Planar 50mm F1.4 (my review here) and Sony Zeiss Sonnar 55mm F1.8 (my review here)].  It also had the best price tag of the trio.  But I wasn’t convinced by the autofocus, which felt a little primitive compared to the Sony options, and the lenses didn’t have great sharpness or contrast at wide apertures.  It also lacked any kind of features when compared to the Sony options.  No switches or dials, no weather sealing, etc…  I was left feeling rather ambivalent towards the lens, and when I invested my own hard-earned cash, I went with the much more expensive Sony Zeiss Planar 50mm F1.4.

Since that point, however, I’ve reviewed a LOT of Samyang autofocusing lenses (about eleven), and my excitement for the direction of the company has steadily grown.   I’ve witnessed a growing maturation in both autofocus and lens design.  Samyang’s development on full frame has split between two tracks – the compact “Tiny” series (compact lenses with a maximum aperture of F1.8 or less) and the larger “pro series” lenses (the F1.4 type options).  I was excited when I heard that Samyang was developing a Mark II version of the 50mm F1.4, as I knew that they were capable of making a much more compelling option than the one that I’d previously reviewed.

And the Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II is that.  It’s better optically, has much better autofocus, and now has more modern features like a focus hold button, custom switch to give more physical control on the lens, and weather sealing.  All of this in a lens that at roughly $700 USD retails for about half what the Sony Zeiss Planar lens costs, and closer to a third of what the new high end (and amazing!) Sony 50mm F1.2 GM costs (my review here).  This is now a much more compelling alternative to the first-party Sony options, and I’ll detail how it compares in this review.  You can get all the details by watching my deep dive definitive video review or by reading my text review…or you can just enjoy the photos in the galleries below!

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I want to thank Samyang for sending me a test retail copy of the lens for review. As always, this is a completely independent review.  The opinions here are completely my own.  *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the new Sony Alpha 1 which will serve as my benchmark camera for the foreseeable future (my review here) and have supplemented with photos taken with the new Sony a7IV which I’m concurrently testing.

Photos of the Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II

Photos Taken with the Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II

Gear Used:

Purchase the Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Sony 50mm F1.2 GM @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase the Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 Planar T*: B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK | Ebay

Purchase the Sony a7IV @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Sony Alpha 1 @ Camera Canada | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase a Sony a9M2 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Sony a7RIV Camera: B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Peak Design Leash Strap:  Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada  | Amazon UK

Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
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