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| Samyang/Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC for Nikon |
The 35mm focal length has always been of great significance to 35mm shooters. Traditionally it’s the classic length for reportage, and now in the digital age the standard “normal” focal length for APS-C equipped DSLRs. This lens serves both purposes, and it will work with full-frame or “DX” (Nikon’s APS-C) formats. It’s available in Canon, Nikon, Olympus 4/3, Pentax, and Sony/Minolta-A mounts.
This lens has superb sharpness, even wide open, exceeding that of even Nikon’s lenses. But what’s really surprising is the bokeh, which is very smooth indeed. For Nikon users, it comes in two versions both with and without the focus confirmation chip.
For Canon users, this fills the gap in their lineup caused by the missing 35mm f/1.8 lens, the economical alternative to their EF 35mm f/1.4, at about a third of the cost.
For Nikon users, this means that you can happily forgo your search for a used classic Nikon AI-S 35mm f/1.4 at $800.00+ (still available new at $1,100.00), and gain the ability to meter and shoot in auto modes on consumer and prosumer bodies which the non-chipped AI-S lenses won’t do. Again, the cost of admission is about a third of Nikon’s.
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| TheSamyang/Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 shown with its reversible petal-shaped lens hood, included. Pictured here is the Canon version. Note that the focus ring is in the correct direction for either camera platform. |
Other than its physical size, and the fact that it takes whopping 77mm filters (typical of this class of lens) there is no downside to this lens, especially for manual focus lovers. Compare this chipped, manual focus lens with the venerable Zeiss Distagon T 35mm f/1.4 at well over $1,800.00…
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| Zeiss Distagon T 35mm f/1.4 for Canon EOS. Also available for Nikon as the ZF.2. |
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