Review: Rokinon 50mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

The Roki 50 may not have AF, but saying it has optics comparable to the Sigma 50 Art is high praise for a $400 lens!!

Dustin, I know in your Sigma 50 Art review you commented you hated the old Sigma 50 1.4 EX lens, but I'd be interested to know more about your thoughts on the Sigma 50 EX v the Roki 50. Yes I wish the Sigma 50 EX was sharper wide open, but I really like the bokeh (I think it's better than the 50 Art, the Canon 50 1.4 and Canon 50 1.8 in that respect) and overall I don't think it's too bad for its price/size/weight.

My two greatest gripes with the original Sigma 50 was the inconsistent focus and the the very strong green fringing. I know a lot of people love it. I don't. I'd actually take the Rokinon over it myself.

Thanks Dustin. I can't say I'd found the green fringing particularly bad as wide aperture lenses go, although I'm not used to L primes much less Zeiss Otus primes so perhaps my expectations are not so high in that regard? And I have to say in going through some old photos tonight there is a bit more green fringing than I had noticed before. Hhhmmm.

As for AF, I do occasionally doubt the AF but then again it could just be me not being careful enough. Perhaps I should test it more carefully, but I haven't found it too bad overall.

In all honesty, the opinion on your gear that matters the most is your own. If you are happy with a lens, then just shoot it and enjoy it and forget about what I or any other reviewer says.

 

[jd7]

My two greatest gripes with the original Sigma 50 was the inconsistent focus and the the very strong green fringing. I know a lot of people love it. I don't. I'd actually take the Rokinon over it myself.

Thanks Dustin. I can't say I'd found the green fringing particularly bad as wide aperture lenses go, although I'm not used to L primes much less Zeiss Otus primes so perhaps my expectations are not so high in that regard? And I have to say in going through some old photos tonight there is a bit more green fringing than I had noticed before. Hhhmmm.

As for AF, I do occasionally doubt the AF but then again it could just be me not being careful enough. Perhaps I should test it more carefully, but I haven't found it too bad overall.

In all honesty, the opinion on your gear that matters the most is your own. If you are happy with a lens, then just shoot it and enjoy it and forget about what I or any other reviewer says.

I haven't thrown away my S50 EX just yet You're right of course. Easy to get carried away with the technical aspects of lenses (or cameras) and lose sight of the fact that in the end, what counts is whether you like the images. Still, colour fringing is not helpful. That said, I mostly use the S50 indoors / in low light these days, and I don't *think* the colour fringing is too apparent in those circumstances so I don't think it is that big a deal for me ... although I'll certainly be keeping a closer eye on it now!