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Amazing Resolution Amazing Background Expression Amazing AF 135mm F1.8 FE

Alyssa Zalabai

Photographer from England

Over a year ago, I was able to get a hold of Samyang MF 135mm F2 which I was already impressed about, the only downside is that it’s a manual focus, don’t get me wrong, I have no trouble using MF lenses, it's just, most of my subjects are children. With kids, manual focusing is very challenging since children are unpredictable and love to wander which makes me rely on the AF capabilities of a lens. So finally, Samyang released their AF 135mm F1.8, and honestly, I have been waiting for this since my review of the MF 135mm F2.

zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/200 sec
ISO 100
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY -

Now, I have been blessed to be chosen as one of the first few people to try this lens before its release, and trust me, it was quite difficult to keep the amazing photos I’ve taken with it to myself. I was so full of excitement that the very first day it arrived, I went out to shoot straightaway.

Superb Shallow Depth of Field and Artistic Bokeh

Right off the bat, it has jaw-dropping artistic bokeh. The superb shallow depth of field emphasizes your subject in the photograph with the background being blurred into a mixture of colours to complement. The best thing about its amazing bokeh is that when I shoot in areas where the busy background is technically part of the story of my photo, my subject is well separated from it allowing the viewers to look at the subject as the highlight of the image and everything else blends in harmony.

zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F2.8
SPEED 1/200 sec
ISO 320
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY Multi
segment
zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F2.8
SPEED 1/250 sec
ISO 400
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY Multi
segment

Stunning Resolution and Colour in a Lightweight Lens

At first, I thought it was going to be a heavy lens since it’s a telephoto but surprisingly, its lightweight and well-balanced, making it easy for handling. We even took it with us during our hike in Snowdonia, a place field with a magical forest and breathtaking view. And while I was reviewing my images on my camera, I thought the sharpness I see is due to the good resolution of my Sony A7RIIIa but when I got home to see it on my computer, it does deliver sharp RAW images, especially when shooting in the right lighting condition.

This lens renders a warm colour tone which I like as it makes the skin looks better in general and easier to edit in post and that’s just one characteristic of Samyang that I personally love about. You can check the behind the scene on my YouTube.

zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/200 sec
ISO 100
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY -

Fast and Well-performed Autofocus for Shooting Children

Winter in the UK is the only season that gives us that cold atmosphere, and I’m not talking about temperature alone. Most of the trees have lost their leaves, the skies are overcast for days on end and there are fewer people in the park and nature reserves. This makes forests interesting for shoots which is mainly my favourite place to go to. There are not many activities to do outside and no blooming flowers to keep our eyes busy.

On days like this, taking children portraits take a bit much more creativity to make it fun and so fast autofocus is something I heavily rely on because my typical session can feel like playtime for my little subjects that they enjoy as well as myself. Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 autofocus has performed well on my photoshoots and even shown it on our preview review of this lens on our YouTube channel.

zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/200 sec
ISO 100
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY -
zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/200 sec
ISO 100
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY -
zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/200 sec
ISO 200
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY -
zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/200 sec
ISO 200
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY -
zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/200 sec
ISO 100
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY -

135mm Focal Length and

Amazing Background

Separation

Next is taking this lens out in the city centre to take portraits of professional models. One thing about me is that I like to be at a good distance from my subject so I can effectively communicate my ideas with them such as the poses and directions I want to achieve. But with a 135mm focal length, this is somewhat impossible unless you are doing very close-up portraits. At full body shots, you will need to stand at quite a distance to compose this shot.

One thing to worry about when taking portraits in this kind of setting is people walking past on your shots and well, people in general that go about their business. Thankfully, this does not pose any problem for Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 due to its amazing background separation. I also find it quite refreshing as my model can freely move about without my interruption and going into their personal space.

zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3A
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/640 sec
ISO 50
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY Multi
segment
zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/640 sec
ISO 50
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY Multi
segment
zoom
LENSES AF 135mm
F1.8 FE
CAMERA SONY
ILCE-7RM3
DIAPHRAGM F1.8
SPEED 1/1000 sec
ISO 50
EXPOSURE Manual
PHOTOMETRY 135mm
BRIGHTNESS -
PHOTOMETRY Multi
segment

Impressive Control of Chromatic Aberration

Another thing that I really have to mention is its impressive control of chromatic aberration, now that’s a pain to remove especially when they occur on areas such as jewelleries, shiny and sharp contrasty edges. There’s just so much a de-fringing tool can do and it can take a whole lot of HSL tweaking to perfectly rid of them. When I discovered this superb ability, I was blown away to say the least.

zoom

Modern Design and Useful Features

And I must say, this lens’s modern design looks beautiful and professional like its stunning silver ring in the middle and catch the glimpse of Samyang’s signature red ring just hiding behind the front glass.

Built with a custom switch to change the aperture ring to focusing, a focus hold button which is very useful for Astrophotographers, and a focus limiter that limits the focus into a range. The focus ring has a soft feel texturized rubber, and it goes all around without limit. Small details are also thought of in its design such as the rubberized tip of the lens hood to prevent it from slipping when putting it down the lens first. On the inner part of the lens hood has a matte coating to combat light reflections which is great for astrophotography. The LED light that indicates infinity focus is also used as a mark when attaching the lens on a camera body, now that one is pretty cool.

Right at this moment, I am obsessed with this lens! From its stunning design to the quality images it renders will surely make anyone love using this as much as I do.

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Samyang’s Guide to Achieving the Optimal Angle of View

The perfect spacing and distance are always necessary when shooting all kinds of subjects, including people, to give them a proper relationship with the beautiful space around them. So, what’s the exact distance that helps you best appreciate a work of art, or a photo?

The correct answer is the diagonal length of the full frame of a subject.

표준화각 자료 이미지
표준화각 자료 이미지

The best standpoint from which to appreciate the full view of a subject is the distance of the diagonal length of the subject frame. This wider angle is superior to standing closer at a 50 degree angle to get a more detailed view. This notion of an ideal distance or view point is also applicable in the world of photography.

For still images, keeping a distance equal to the diagonal length of the full image surface is recommended. The full frame sensor of a digital camera is 36 x 24mm and the diagonal length is 43.26mm so any distance close to this number is nearer to the ideal than the currently accepted industry standard of 50mm.

Back when film cameras were common, 45mm was the industry standard and this continued as reflex cameras needed extra space to fit a mirror. However, as mirrorless cameras become more popular again, there has been a need to return to this industry standard…which is the impetus for the Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 FE. With less distortion than a 35mm lens and wider angles than a 55mm lens, the Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 FE is a perfect lens for portraits, landscapes, architecture photography, and pictures of pets.

What is Preset Aperture Control Function?

On the Preset Aperture Control function, the aperture blade operates smoothly like a "De-clicked lens", which is advantageous for video recording.
Fujifilm cameras are engineered to control the aperture according to the minimum exposure value(F-stop), so when the camera controls the aperture, it blinks momentarily to set the proper exposure.

AF 75mm F1.8 X intentionally disconnects the communication with the camera body and the lens itself on the Preset Aperture Control function, so it is possible to smoothly adjust the exposure without flickering. ISO and shutter speed are adjusted according to the changed exposure by controlling the aperture, so the exposure value can be changed even with the 1/2 F-stop.

What is Preset Aperture Control Function?

On the Preset Aperture Control function, the aperture blade operates smoothly like a "De-clicked lens", which is advantageous for video recording.
Fujifilm cameras are engineered to control the aperture according to the minimum exposure value(F-stop), so when the camera controls the aperture, it blinks momentarily to set the proper exposure.

AF 75mm F1.8 X intentionally disconnects the communication with the camera body and the lens itself on the Preset Aperture Control function, so it is possible to smoothly adjust the exposure without flickering. ISO and shutter speed are adjusted according to the changed exposure by controlling the aperture, so the exposure value can be changed even with the 1/2 F-stop.

What is Recommended Settings for Preset Aperture Control Function?

The Preset Aperture Control function operates only when shooting video(Movie mode) and the focusing mode of the camera is set to AF mode. Please set the aperture at f/1.8 before switching the "Custom Switch" to "Mode 2. It is recommended to set the "Exposure mode" as A mode (Aperture Priority AE) or M mode (Manual Exposure).

* How to use the “Preset Aperture Control” function?

1) Camera Body Setting
      AF Mode → Video Mode ('A' or 'M' mode) → Set the Aperture @F1.8
(2) Lens Setting
      Switch your "Custom Switch” to “Mode 2(M2)"
(3) Now, you're ready to use the Preset Aperture Control function with your focus ring

What is Recommended Settings for Preset Aperture Control Function?

The Preset Aperture Control function operates only when shooting video(Movie mode) and the focusing mode of the camera is set to AF mode. Please set the aperture at f/1.8 before switching the "Custom Switch" to "Mode 2. It is recommended to set the "Exposure mode" as A mode (Aperture Priority AE) or M mode (Manual Exposure).

* How to use the “Preset Aperture Control” function?

1) Camera Body Setting
      AF Mode → Video Mode ('A' or 'M' mode) → Set the Aperture @F1.8
(2) Lens Setting
      Switch your "Custom Switch” to “Mode 2(M2)"
(3) Now, you're ready to use the Preset Aperture Control function with your focus ring

[What is Dolly Shot? How to Shoot Easily]

[What is Dolly shot?]

A dolly shot, also referred to as a tracking shot or trucking shot, is a camera movement technique used by cinematographers to track and follow a subject in motion. To achieve this, the camera is mounted on a device called a "dolly," which facilitates smooth tracking movement. The dolly can move in front of, behind, or alongside the subject, which can be a person, a location, a product, or any other object of focus in the frame. Through this, you can control the emotional distance between the subject and the viewer by highlighting the audiovisual and dramatic effects.

[How to take a Dolly Shot simply by handheld]

Tip. If the moving distance is long, the camera may shake, so please shoot at a focal length between 35 and 100mm.
1. Stand at a distance of about 1.5 to 2 meters away from the subject.
2. Set the custom switch to MF and Mode 3 and adjust the focal length to about 100mm.
3. After focusing on the subject, set the aperture to F8~16.
4. Slowly turn the zoom ring to the left (towards the wide-angle end) while using your upper body and arms to move the camera toward your subject.
5. Dolly Shot complete!
※ When shooting from a farther distance from the subject, use a cart or gimbal for more stable shooting.

DSLR / Full Frame
1D X Mark Ⅱ
1D X
1Ds Mark Ⅲ
1Ds
5DsR
5Ds
5D Mark Ⅳ
5D Mark Ⅲ
6D Mark Ⅱ
6D
DSLR / APS-H
1D Mark Ⅲ
1D
Mirrorless / APS-C
M6
M5
M10
M3
M2
DSLR / APS-S
7D Mark Ⅱ
7D
80D
70D
60D
30D
D60
D30
77D (9000D)
760D (8000D / Rebel T6s)
1300D (Kiss X80 / Rebel T6)
1200D (Kiss X70 / Rebel T5)
200D (Kiss X9 / Rebel SL2)
800D (Kiss X9i / Rebel T7i)
700D (Kiss X9i / Rebel T7i)
100D (Kiss X7 / Rebel SL1)
650D (Kiss X6i / Rebel T4i)
600D (Kiss X5 / Rebel T3i)
550D (Kiss X4 / Rebel T2i)
500D (Kiss X3 / Rebel T1i)
1000D (Kiss F / Rebel XS)
450D (Kiss X2 / Rebel X냐)
DSLR / Full Frame
D850
D5
D810A
D4S
D810
D750
Df
D610
D4
D800
D800E
D600
D3s
D3x
D700
D3
DSLR / APS-C
D7500
D3400
D500
D5600
D7200
D5500
D3300
D7100
D5300
D5200
D7000
D300s
D300
DSLR / Full Frame
Z6
Z7
D810A
D4S
D750
D810A
DSLR / APS-C
D7200
D500
D3300
D5500
D5600
D3400
D7500

* Cameras released within 5 years from 2019 are tested.

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