Samyang / Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 lenses
see also:
introduction
the aspherical Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 manual focus full frame lens was extremely popular in providing shallow DOF with excellent image quality and lovely bokeh at a very affordable price of around $US299
In June 2018, a larger but lighter AF version was announced but obviously at a higher price of $US750
Samyang / Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 auto focus lens
announced June 2018 in Canon EF mount
in March 2019, they introduced a weathersealed Sony FE lens with Dual Linear Sonic Motor for $US799 but no MF switch
in May 2020, they introduced a weathersealed Canon RF version with Dual Linear Sonic Motor and a MF switch
specs
full frame 85mm focal length lens
f/1.4-f/16 aperture
aperture ring
9 Elements in 7 Groups incl. one Special lens Hybrid ASP
UMC coating
9 rounded blades
close focus 0.9m
internal focus
filter does not rotate on focus
filter size 77mm
88mm wide x 72mm long
weight 570g
$US750
EF mount Mark II lens
announced May 2020
adds:
new weather sealed design
a convenient switch that lets you de-click the aperture without taking apart the lens
a new rubberized “micro pattern” grip on the focus ring
focus control has also been dampened for a smoother, longer throw
Samyang / Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 aspherical manual focus lens
the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 manual focus aspherical lens has become renown for its fantastic combination of sharpness, buttery smooth bokeh, well corrected lateral CA with a wide aperture of f/1.4 all for $269-$300 brand new.
the catch? It is manual focus and your digital camera will not record EXIF data nor be able to change the aperture on it, but thankfully it does have a nice aperture ring.
having played with many manual focus legacy lenses on my
Olympus Four Thirds dSLR system and
Micro Four Thirds system, this lens has become one of my favorites as it gives me almost identical imagery on these cameras as the fantastic, but expensive and larger Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L lens on a Canon 1D Mark III dSLR - a favorite combination of mine for making a subject pop and have the background dissolve into lovely smooth bokeh.
accurate manual focus can be difficult due to the narrow depth of field at f/1.4:
it is an awesome lens for the bokeh mad and for videographers.
also sold under the names Samyang, Bower and Vivitar.
combine this with the
Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera with 5axis 5EV image stabilisation for stills (not in video mode yet) and magnified live view manual focus and you have an awesome combination which will be hard to beat at that medium telephoto field of view - that is, until the
Olympus m.ZD 75mm f/1.8 lens comes out!
compared with Canon 135mm f/2.0L lens
Side by side: GH-1 with Rokinon 85mm on the left vs Canon 135mm f/2.0 on Canon 1D Mark III on the right (click on each to see larger version):

lens mounts
available in a number of mounts:
if you have a Canon dSLR, I would strongly suggest getting a Nikon mount then a Nikon F-Canon EOS adapter with AF confirm chip to make manual focus easier
if you have a
Olympus Four Thirds dSLR system camera then you could get the Four Thirds version, or either of the Nikon versions and then get the AF-confirm chip Nikon to Four Thirds adapter which will give you the AF confirm option
if you have a
Micro Four Thirds system or
Sony NEX E-mount camera system camera, you can buy any mount and just get a cheap Ebay adapter for it - you will NOT need any AF confirm chip on the adapter, and indeed, AF confirm chip adapters will generally not work on a Panasonic camera.
specs
full frame 85mm focal length lens
f/1.4-f/16 aperture
aperture ring
9 Elements in 7 Groups
close focus 1m
internal focus
filter does not rotate on focus
filter size 72mm - note filter thread mount is plastic, I would keep a filter on it to prevent damage
78mm wide x 72mm long
weight 635g/20oz
comes with plastic large lens hood which does not always fit easily
made in South Korea
under $400
my photo examples used on 2x crop sensor cameras
reviews
-
“wide open it seems better than the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8” - this is certainly my feeling as I have both and the Canon has lots more CA
good construction, lightweight (for a lens of this type) and sharp
“if using it for still photography on a Canon dSLR, buy a split screen focusing screen to help manual focus”