Samyang 85 mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF review - Build quality

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Samyang 85 mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF

18 May 2009

Arkadiusz Olech

3. Build quality

When handling the Samyang 1.4/85, it certainly doesn’t seem like cheap trash. On the contrary, the lens makes a great impression. The quality of materials doesn’t quite live up to the Zeiss Planar 1.4/85, but it isn’t displeasing. It has weight, it has the correct dimensions and doesn’t fall noticeably below the quality standards of its competitors, as shown in the following table.

Samyang 85 mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF - Build quality

The Samyang starts with a metal bayonet directly behind which lies the ring for altering the aperture, with a range of f/1.4 to f/22 in steps of 0.5 EV. This is rather narrow and without any form of covering, which may make it difficult to set the required aperture.

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Higher up we find the focusing scale described in degrees and meters directly on the body of the lens. Next comes the large, comfortable, ridged ring for manual focusing which has a firm rubber coating. No complaints here, it moves smoothly but with the necessary resistance to allow precise adjustment.

Located above the focusing ring is the lens name plate, followed by the lens hood attachment as well as a 72 mm diameter non-rotating filter thread.

Surprisingly, Samyang is one of the most complex lenses in its class. It comprises 9 elements arranged in 7 groups, including one aspherical-shaped lens. The diaphragm has 8 leaves and can be closed to f/22.