I’ve noted that I’ve really enjoyed testing recent Samyang lenses because of their great mix of performance and price, but I don’t think that I’ve anticipated any Samyang lens as much as the new Samyang AF 135mm F1.8.  I was shocked when I reviewed their budget manual focus 135mm F2 nearly 8 years ago, as it not only handily beat my Canon 135mm F2L that I used and loved at the time, but it also came very near to the performance of the amazing Zeiss 135mm F2 APO Sonnar lens.  I’ve been advocating for them to produce an autofocusing 135mm lens ever since they started making AF lenses because I knew they already had an exceptional optical formula to start with at this focal length.  This isn’t that same optical design.  It is more complex (13 elements in 11 groups vs 11 elements in 7 groups) and has many more exotic elements (6 vs 1).  What hasn’t changed, however, is that this is a lens that can produce both beautiful sharpness and incredible bokeh, and it is the latter area where it might even best the mighty Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM (my review here).

About 3 ½ years 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).  In late 2021/early 2022 Samyang started releasing their Series II lenses, which built upon the solid foundation of Samyang’s early optical success with autofocus lenses while improving their build, features, and autofocus.  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.  More recently I reviewed the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 Series II lens, and will subsequently be looking at the new 35mm F1.4 Series II.  The Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 (subsequently called the AF 135mm for brevity) isn’t technically a Series II lens in the way the three others are, but it is of the same generation of design and is lumped in with them.

I view a 135mm lens as somewhat of a flagship lens, as it is typically the longest conventional portrait focal length for a designer and tends to optically special.  The 135mm focal length is not as flexible as a 50mm or 85mm lens, but it also has the ability to create utterly special images with gorgeous subject isolation.  I love using them wide open for full length environmental portraits, as they produce incredible subject isolation with lovely bokeh. 

That’s certainly true here, and in entering the 135mm F1.8 space on Sony, Samyang is taking on a lens that I consider one of Sony’s best ever.  There are certainly areas where the Sony still has a clear advantage, in my opinion, but there are also a few areas where Samyang has some wins.  For now, the AF 135mmI 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.  It comes to market at a price point of right under $1000 USD, which makes it less than half the price of the GM lens, $400 cheaper than the “ported” Sigma ART series lens, and even more than $500 cheaper than the Zeiss Batis 135mm…and it only has a maximum aperture of F2.8.  Clearly Samyang is a winner on price, but you can watch my video review or read my text review to determine if the Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 is the lens for you…or just enjoy the beautiful photos from the lens 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 

Images of the Samyang AF 135mm F1.8

Images Taken with the Samyang AF 135mm F1.8

Gear Used:

Purchase the Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK 

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 Samyang AF 35mm F1.4 II @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK 

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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