My excitement over reviewing a new Samyang lens has grown by leaps and bounds over the past three years.  In my DSLR days I had treated Samyang much like some of the budget manual focus lens players on the market today (7Artisans, TTArtisan, Brightin Star, etc…).  They produced lenses that were sometimes optically interesting but not really at the same level as the big players in terms of build, features, and autofocus.  They even sold their lenses under multiple brand names, of which only Samyang and Rokinon remain (yes, Rokinon lenses are the exact same save slightly different badging).  But then Samyang started to experiment with autofocus, and, while early results were a little primitive, I saw rapid progress.  About 3 ½ years ago I reviewed the first Samyang lens that I thought was truly competitive with the main brands, and it was the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE.  I subsequently reviewed the Canon RF mount version of the lens and found it even better (they added an AF/MF switch to the design).  I added that lens to my own personal Canon kit and still regularly use it today.  Today, however, I’m looking at the second generation of Samyang’s “big” prime lenses.  I first looked at the Series II version of the AF 50mm F1.4, and found it a major improvement over the first generation lens.  Today I’ll be examining the new Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 Series II.  I will subsequently be looking at the new 35mm F1.4 Series II along with the impressive Samyang AF 135mm F1.8.

I’m excited about this Samyang lens as I’ve always appreciated the performance and value of the previous versions of the lens, and now we’ve gotten a more compact size along with new features as a part of the formula.  The new version is slimmer and lighter along with some other significant improvements:

• Smaller size:    
  • MK 1    88 x 99.5   (D x L)   |  568g weight | 77mm filter thread                     
  • MK 2   83.4 x 99.5 (D x L)  | 509g weight  | 72mm filter thread

• Slightly improved MFD (0.85 vs 0.90 = 0.12 vs 0.11x)
• AF Motor improved to Linear STM (Samyang claims improved performance for video. “Quieter, faster, and more accurate AF performance”
• Improved weather sealing – from 3 seal points to 7 seal points
• Added Focus Hold Button and Custom Switch

We’ll detail those features further, but clearly Samyang is upping its game in terms of providing lenses that are competitive with third party brands and even with first party options.  For now, the AF 85II is only available on Sony FE, though here’s hoping that Canon and Nikon will wake up and allow their customers access to these excellent new lenses.  The AF 85mm F1.4 Series II comes at a price point of right under $800 USD, which places it only $200 more than the Sony F1.8 version (my review here) and about $400 cheaper than the lens I consider to be the chief competitor to this lens – the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DN ART (my review here).

So is the new Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 Series II worthy of your consideration if you’re in the market for a new lens?  Is it worth the upgrade if you own the previous generation lens?  I do my best to answer those questions in my video review or in my text review…or you can just enjoy the photos 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 the Sony a7IV 

Photos of the Samyang 85mm F1.4 Series II

Photos Taken with the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 Series II

Gear Used:

Purchase the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 II @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

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

Purchase the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DN ART @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada |  Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | 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 

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