Samyang AF 50 mm f/1.4 FE II review - Summary

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Samyang AF 50 mm f/1.4 FE II

5 August 2023

Maciej Latałło

11. Summary

Pros:

excellent image quality in the frame centre,
good image quality on the edge of the APS-C sensor,
sensible image quality on the edge of full frame,
slight lateral chromatic aberration,
proper correction of spherical aberration,
slight distortion,
moderate astigmatism,
not bothersome coma,
low vignetting on the APS-C sensor,
silent, efficient, and quite accurate autofocus,
out-of-focus images pleasing to the eye,
practically zero 'focus breathing'.

Cons:

high vignetting on full frame,
some problems with longitudinal chromatic aberration,
performance against bright light could have been better.

The Samyang AF 50 mm f/1.4 FE II complements the market offer very well. The new model is much better than its predecessor and still its price remains really affordable – it is cheaper than the Sigma A 50 mm f/1.4 DG DN by about $260. If you compare the Samyang to brand name rivals it becomes even more attractive – the Sony Planar T* 1.4/50 FE can be bought for about $1000 and for the new Sony FE 50 mm f/1.4 GM you have to pay about $1300. If you own the Sony FE system and you want to have a classic 1.4/50 model with autofocus without spending a fortune, you are practically doomed to buy the Samyang.

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Of course the world 'doomed' is not exactly right in this case – take into account the fact that the tested lens offers you a really good optical system, a long list of assets, and just a few flaws and you'll find out that buying it won't be a big tragedy after all.