Another lens to consider at this focal length (at maximum zoom) is the Rokinon 135mm F/2. (37% is difference, so you get little more, about 15.5Mpix) ". Yes, each can produce different results (And that's why I keep and use several different lenses), but my point is that sharpness or bokeh are not the only factors for portraits -- sometimes it just comes down to convenience or price! Let's dig in. Latter looks quite professional.. The aperture range of this lens is F/2 to F/22, with 9 diaphragm blades (aperture blades) that work in harmony to set your f-stop. Now I have only the Nikon but I can try to take a photo of the same subject fully open In this post, Ill explain why I think the Rokinon 135mm F/2 is the perfect addition to an arsenal of astrophotography lenses. Second of all, the incredible sharpness of the photo: I have owned many lenses, most of which I bought because they were supposed to have world-class sharpness, but the Samyang 135mm still stands out to me. This makes me feel I shall take the Zeiss 85F1.8 off my A6000 or maybe NOT, it's just another hype article about "A" lens. Its fast f/2.0 maximum aperture is effective in low light and enables shallow depth of field control. I bought my lens in mint condition for $350 from Japan, but I see that some retailers are asking significantly more. I think the bokeh won me over with the cat, as well as the fact that I like animals; the case for the duck was the same. If You can not, buy Canon EF 85/1.8, which delivers quite similar results. Literally it means "blur" so you could just as well use the dictionary definition below the top match from Google search: Bokeh - the visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image, especially as rendered by a particular lens. Sure, the Nifty 50 is an incredible value (and a LOT cheaper), but the 135mm puts you within range of some of the best astrophotography targets in the night sky. Sharp but smooth at the same time. Ive been using kit lenses for the past year, favoring the Nikkor 50mm 2.8. Now we have to read this kind of ignorant misinformation on DPR articles. Prime lenses are typically lighter as they do not need the additional glass and mechanics required to zoom at varying magnifications. This creates an effective focal length of roughly 200mm, a useful magnification for a wide variety of astro-imaging scenarios. I would recommend buying it used if you want to save some money, with the added benefit that you can re-sell it at the same price as you bought it for, effectively giving you the opportunity to "rent it" for free. I loved the Nikon 80-400G for a year, or so, and then found everything with it wrong, and got rid of it. Unfortunately it is not manufactured in a multicoated version, and produces prominent internal reflection artifacts on very bright stars. By far the best one is the Tiffen Haze 2 filter. $449.00. Prime means that this lens is fixed at 135mm, it is not a zoom lens that allows for focal length adjustments. Widefield Astrophotography with the Samyang 135mm f/2 Lens The downsides of this configuration are that shooting wide open can make focusing difficult. I'm thinking a modern (but expensive) Nikon 200mm f/2.0, 300mm f/4 or f/2.8 or a Borg telephoto/telescope would all be very good. I was very happy for this reason to eventually get a full frame DSLR in 2007 and sell the 85mm lens and buy a 105mm one to replace it. AHAB. It's terrible. This is one of the sharpest lens i've ever owned. This seems to be the norm for telephotos. Any experience with this camera and would this lens be a good fit? There was no reason to test any other because, when stopped down to 49mm, F6.1, this lens is simply perfect, comparable to any APO on the market. This includes everything from the rich star fields of Sagittarius, to a complete look at the Andromeda Galaxy. This lens is simply lighter, cheaper & faster (f/2.0 vs f/2.8). Agreed. Yes, it is about the same as 85mm f/1.4 blur factor is 60mm, while 135mm f/2 blur factor is 67mm. Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC Telephoto Lens for Canon EF Digital SLR Cameras In general, prime telephotos should outperform zooms. But she might as well be in front of a green screen. I owned this lens for a long time, then traded it for the 70-200 2.8IS II. Thats quite a jump from 135mm, so the camera body you use with this lens may change the types of targets you shoot. I had one question that i cant seem to find an answer to.. There is no agreement about what Bokeh means. I should mention that I have only tested this full-frame lens using my astrophotography DSLRs, all of which are crop-sensor camera bodies. This new, affordable wide zoom for L-mount is capable of some excellent landscapes. The 135 is lighter, but that's its only advantage. This lens flares easily and the flare can be especially ugly if a sun or flash are in the frame. Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens Review - The-Digital-Picture.com Why take a step back from 250 to sit between the RedCat and the 24-105? Zoom lenses are entirely unsuitable for astrophotography due to prominent aberrations of every kind. This lens has a long focus adjustment ring, with great tension. The colder temperatures will make DSLR astrophotography much more practical, and there are plenty of great targets to choose from. Over the last ten to fifteen years excellent apochromatic telescopes have become available for visual use and photography. I've recently started using 135 and 200mm lenses from the 1970s with my mono CCD and they've proven very useful for imaging large emission nebulae. The first telephoto lens of choice, especially recommended for beginners, is the 135mm F2.5 SMC Pentax. modest cost for "L" series, wonderful optics and fast speed, nitpicking, but not a circular aperature and no weather sealing. Rokinon FE14M-C Lens. Defocus control enables the photographer to use an aperture of f/4 for the subject and to adjust the amount of background blur or the amount of foreground blur. The Rokinon 135mm F/2 was Built for Astrophotography Your Baader filter passes 420-680nm and, in theory, a good APO should be able to focus that part of the spectrum with no chromatic aberration. Has a good weight to it. (Dpreview), Use the 500 Rule to find the Perfect Exposure Length for Astrophotography, Use a DSLR Ha Filter for Astrophotography, AstroBackyard | Astrophotography Tips and Tutorials2023, Optical Construction: 11 Glass elements in 7 Groups. I would love to see his test images. Deep-sky astrophotography is often associated with a camera and telescope, but the truth is there are a lot of great camera lenses for astrophotography out there. The flat lens hood is great for taking flat frames after a night of astrophotography. Imaging Resource 1998 - 2023. Oh and it's stabilised. I have used the canon 70-200 f2.8L ii and also the 100-400 f4.5/5.6 L with excellent results. However, I am convinced that its large aperture and fast F ratio would perform exceptionally well in three color or narrow band H-alpha and OIII photography. Aperture ring. Build quality: excellent. When stopped down to 37mm, F5.4, it is almost identical to the Takumar except that on highly enlarged images it shows a hint of coma in the distant corners. As a complete beginner in Astrophotography should I buy Rokinon 135mm lens or Canon EF 75-300mm lens with Canon EF 50mm lens? if you compare images taken with this lens to those from a 105mm f1.8 ais or a cosina 125mm and you'll see what i mean. The version I have has the mount for Canon EOS camera bodies, but there are several different lens mounts available on Amazon. These were just a tad less sharp at the corners than their Canon competition, but certainly extremely sharp all over the field if closed down one stop or even half a stop. A single, 90-second exposure using the Rokinon 135mm F/2.0 ED UMC at F/4. As you'd expect though, distortion and light falloff are both higher with a full-frame image circle, but perhaps not as much as you'd normally expect. Have you ever come across this phenomena? For this reason, a combination of a good light pollution filter, and the use of flat calibration frames are recommended. I bought this lens after reading your great review for my Nikon D5300. A specialist lens, at best, though I did enjoy the cat image. Its nice to have the F/2. For some reason Samyang makes lenses nobody is asking for. If you must have autofocus, and care about weight, buy the Canon. I seems many people he are confused about the meaning of the word. The Rokinon website lists this lens as being useful for portraiture photography, and most telephoto applications. Litepanels Studio X2 Bi-Color LED Fresnel Light. +1 for the 135mm lens. No one yet mentioned a zoom lens, I had an opportunity to test my Canon 24-105L f/4 on M31 Andromeda Galaxy and received wonderful results with Canon 60D unmoded, I set it to 105mm, No vignatting, slight coma on the corners and no false color on bright stars. From my purchase research, I found a consensus that stopping down optimizes sharpness but the diaphragm will make nine diffraction spikes when stopped down. It would not surprise me if modern lenses were useable at full aperture. Of the 150 images I considered fit to publish, only 4 were made with the 135. Some people do not like this and consider Bokeh to refer only to the rendering of out of focus points of light. Show some humility and don't troll. But again i am just at the beginning and i also do not want to use now a telescope. here are some links to some pics taken with the lens: It's kinda curious how topsy turvy things have gotten since this article, just 4 years later, I think 135mm is possibly more niche than ever yet Samyang finally delivered an AF version of this concept at a lighter weight for E mount, but also at a higher price. Taking images at this focal length from the city will swell issues with gradients, especially when shooting towards the light dome. I am a complete amateur at photography in general and this is all new to me so thank you for all the information and videos. Do I wish it were manufactured with metal? I think they are an outstanding value for any wide-field astrophotographer, and are particularly suitable for newcomers. Touching the telescope, even ever so slightly, will introduce vibrations which will ruin the photograph. (purchased for $1,000), reviewed February 4th, 2010 Youll never have to worry about losing your position just by touching the lens, but you can always tape the position down to be sure. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Rokinon 135mm F2.0 ED UMC Telephoto Lens Best Canon Lens for Astrophotography [Top 8 Reviewed] Whereas quality apochromats can be corrected with broad band filters, such as the Astronomik UV/IR cut filter or the CLS-CCD filter, telephoto lenses can not. The foolproof image seems to be more a case of how a bright fuzzy cluttered moving background can completely detach from the offset dark subject matter and overwhelm it. The image below highlights the creative freedom this lens provides. I have no experience with that lens, Jerry Lodriguss however published a review of that lens on his websitehttp://www.astropix.NIKON_180MM.HTM. Let's the games begin! I got mine for $60.00 on Craigslist but seen them on eBay for $100 and less all the time. Smooth but contrasty. But you couldn't have because you don't know even as much as this guy. Your first serious portrait lens should be a modern stabilized 70-200 f/2.8. Bye One of my very best lenses! The full name of this lens is the Rokinon 135mm F/2 ED UMC, with ED standing for extra-low dispersion, and UMC referring to the ultra multi-coated optics. Testing on an EOS-5D, we see that it's sharpness is almost as good wide open in the corners as on the EOS-20D with its smaller sensor. Fantastic IQ & Bokeh. The APO showed no chromatic aberration at all with the addition of the Astronomik UV/IR cut clip filter (passing 380-680nm), but the telephoto lenses, even when stopped down, showed a tight bright red ring around all stars. Excellent build quality, fast auto focus, and its fast. A camera tracker (or star tracker) is necessary for long exposure deep-sky astrophotography, but a compact model such as the iOptron SkyTracker or Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer will do just fine. The 135mm Rokinon with the Canon Rebel seems like a pretty good setup. To achieve creamy bokeh, a lens should have a wide maximum aperture and a long focal length. It also focuses really fast and accurate and is light. Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8. Target for bortle 9 astrophotography? Is this Nikon already, Astro modified, without need for H alpha filters or any further modifications? In photoshop I love to zoom 200, 300 and even 400% to see the extreme details it is an absolutely amazing lens, great backround blur, great for low light weddings with available light. Samyang 135mm F/2 ED UMC Review (Camera Labs), Does a F/2.0 lens become F/2.8 when used on a crop sensor camera? What next, an article extolling the virtues of 43mm, or 70mm? In this configuration, the lens is still a very fast F3.4. I hope that this post has provided some practical insight into a popular camera lens for astrophotography. My 24-70L needs to be stopped down to f5.6 to begin to match the sharpness of my 135L at f2.0 (the test shots were of the portrait of Andrew Jackson on a $20 bill). If experience has taught me anything, its that the practical, pain-free equipment that gets the most use under the stars. These include canon lens for night photography along with good budget lenses for astrophotography. I also find the other photos not very good. ", I'd no problem with that. How to Find the Perfect Astrophotography Target with Stellarium Part of it might be that they were designed for film photography and modern digital sensor are far more demanding in terms of optical quality. KevinS, in my experience stopping down dramatically improves image quality in terms of chromatic aberration, coma and astigmatism. Most of these APOs have F ratios around 6.5, and are unable to comprehend in their field of view large celestial objects such as the Andromeda galaxy, the North America nebula, and comets. Thanks.. At $900 US it a relative steal. Whats the best camera for around $2000? The size (3.2 x 4.4"/82.5 x 112mm) and weight (1.7 lb/750g) (and color) of this lens are not imposing - you probably won't get much attent The latter are designed for crop sensor cameras and the back of the lens sticks too far into the body of the camera and would hit the EOS-clip filter. As you know, camera lenses come in varying focal lengths, apertures, and optical quality. He loves photography, and runs a YouTube channel with tutorials, lens reviews and photography inspiration. Seems to me that Michael is pretty new to using long telephoto lenses, he writes that the Samyang is the first he has owned. Bond, I expect you to buy! Great for portraits. Writer Anno Huidekoper takes a look at what this manual SLR can do and how it stacks up to its contemporaries. This summer I'm going to try the lenses out for LRGB images to see how they perform. It really is about talent, creativity, and vision, not gear. Diffraction from the cheap EF-s kit zoom lens was uneven. Will this ever get old? We were very impressed with X-T5's 40-megapixel APS-C sensor, check out some full resolution images! Do you have a link to Yuri's photo stream? It always happens to me with Samyang, it makes good glasses, fast and sharp, I want to have them, but they are not comfortable to use, not in Sony E, their focus is not precise, and they are not "so" cheap. No, Mr. It's a technical review about a couple of lens attributes. I have compared many times my 135/2 against my 100/2.8 and there is a big difference. Such "full spectrum" cameras are somewhat more sensitive in the ultraviolet, but much more sensitive in the deep red and infrared. Also, when shooting the heart nebula, is the sky tracker a must or not required? It seems lazy to me. Using the lens's diaphragm interferes with the light path and results in diffraction spikes which I find unattractive. Not rude at all, a fair comment. OM System's latest lens is a whopper of a macro, featuring optical stabilization, full weather sealing, up to 2x magnification and a whole lot more. Please ride off on the same horse you rode in on. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. Definetely the most sharpest lens which I have ever seen. No rear seals - since the 17-40 Canon has added rear seals to L lenses, to help in weather sealing. 8MP is plenty for the usual 8x10 or 16x20 portrait print. " I can only guarantee that the TSAPO65Q would work very well. Rain or shine, it's hard to find a camera that does all the OM-5 can for the price. Bottom line, this is just an outstanding lens by any measure, one that makes clear why you'd want to pay the freight for expensive prime glass. Another thing that makes people go "wow" over the 135mm F2 lens design is the bokeh, which can be so creamy that distant backgrounds almost render as gradients. Also, the lens can only be operated when aperture is set to 22, wondering how I could use F2. My copy has very stiff manual focus though and is quite heavy. Same thing as people mistake "shallow DOF" to blurry background. The 200f2.8 L is excellent - I am using it right now. Meanwhile the ol' Canon 135/2 is still commanding a higher than average price on the used market (70%+ of MSRP isn't common), I guess the low weight and super easy resale have almost made it a high end commodity. Exposure uniformity (vignetting) is also really excellent, reaching a maximum of 1/4 EV (on a camera with an APS-C size sensor) at f/2, and dropping to well under 1/10 EV at f/2.8 and above. My Nikon focus and aperture rings are a thing of highly finessed engineering beauty! The lens has 14 stops when turning the aperture. reviewed August 2nd, 2017 Everyone assumes their definition is the "true" one. It could really use an update to its coatings. Voting ends March 8, 2023. Second night out with mine right now and I am here in the comments looking for the part number or link! Focal length is great. But will live with it as it provides good protection of the front element. I've been using a vintage FD 135/3.5 on my A7R IV as a compact tele option, often alongside a tiny Samyang 75/1.8. :). Thanks! The Rokinon 135mm F/2.0 ED UMC is one of the most affordable and practical lenses for astrophotography on the market. You may need to stop down to control star bloat, and thats exactly what Ive done with this 135. http://www.idyll.com/laney2014 I don't know about other photographers but I do not have many applications for this focal length. I disagree. With weather sealing this would be a 10. What is it like shooting with one today? It's bokeh is comparable to the 85mm 1.2 but IMO not as nice. I have an old 135/2.5 Takumar that is not bad at all, for the price. It's not the most versatile lens, but it's very great for tight portrait shoots; background blur is creamy IMO; one of the best 'bokeh' lens. 30-35% diameter reduction is usually necessary on "good" lenses. I have never had a bad experience buying used Canon lenses from eBay sellers with 99.5%+ positive feedback. (on a full frame camera)Wonderful lens for some portraiture applications, sporting events and candids at a party or event. Again, there's no context. Great lens, but I can't understand why Canon can't control quality. Many students just wanted to take better snapshots of family, vacation, pets, etc. Do you expect me to gawk? (Actually if I can live with the DoF I prefer it to my 85/1.2 too, as there is much less bonus colour.) I just love the lightning fast & accurate focus of this lens. PRICE. IS would also help outside with wind. Besides, adding IS would mean adding extra elements and that would very likely reduce the image quality. Although this lens feels solid, it is rather light when compared to a telescope. Rokinon 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC Lens (Canon EF) - B&H Photo I got this lens because of portraiture. While there are certainly pricey 135mm F2 lenses out there (such as the aforementioned Sigma 135mm F1.8 Art, or the Carl Zeiss 135mm) there are a couple that give you extreme value for the money. As if absolutely clueless Youtube instructors who have no idea what they are talking about weren't enough. During the frigid months of winter, my motivation to spend over an hour setting up my complete deep-sky imaging rig dwindles. But I would argue that a 135mm F2 lens produces even greater bokeh, thanks to the long focal length that compresses the background far more than the 85mm lens. In fact, it might be fun to try! Focus end stop. Samyang 135 f/2 ED astrophotography modifications - astrojolo It has no chromatic aberration, and no hint of star deformities in the corners. Deserves to be in the camera hall of fame. the EOS-clip filters are compatible with all EF lenses but not with the EF-s. If You can afford it, buy it! 135mm f2 vs 200 f2.8 primes? - Beginning Deep Sky Imaging - Cloudy Nights You can't really ask them to stand still while you move around. If you can tolerate vignetting, there are many normal 35mm lenses that are great wide open. Samyang/Rokinon 135mm F2 for Astrophotography: Review & Imaging Tests It is fantastically sharp, can make beautiful blurred backgrounds and bokeh, and is both light and inexpensive for what you get. Andysea, those are great images on your website. Seems to me that with your gallery and website of images you should refrain from passing judgment on who is and isn't a photography master. One very popular lens for bokeh fiends is the Canon 85mm F1.2it can produce extremely creamy out of focus backgrounds. The lens hood is removable (and reversible), which makes packing the Rokinon 135mm away into the included lens pouch possible. Does the bright star reflection bother you? Include the Carl Zeiss in your research though, it might be an interesting lens for you, even if it is a bit pricey for what you get. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tbrigham/314771597/ I have used and still use the 135MM F/2 l lens. And only the cat photo has something OK (but it is a cat shot You easily get them look good). Nevertheless, it performs excellently on most star fields, and is too cheap not to acquire. Micael Widell is a photography enthusiast based in Stockholm, Sweden. Canon 60Da DSLR and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L2 lens at 135mm, f/3.2. I really like how they augment my longer focal length scopes. Bokeh is buttery smooth, best you can get from a 135mm. For comparison, no other lens I know of would earn more than 8/10. Samyang/Rokinon 135mm F2 for Astrophotography: Review - YouTube If you can afford it buy this lens, you will love it. The EOS R6 II arrives in one of the most competitive parts of the market, facing off against some very capable competition. Since I am interested in wide field astrophotography, I bought a new, unmodified, Canon 600D body for use with telephoto lenses. I have only owned my 135mm for less then a year, but already it is one of my top three most used and most fun lenses. Amazing colours, contrast, bokeh, everything! There are a lot of photo/video cameras that have found a role as B-cameras on professional film productions or even A-cameras for amateur and independent productions. Some people like these, and consider them decorative. The lens is not weather-sealed, so you definitely dont want to leave your camera and lens (and your tracking mount!) Is it possible to get good results on a Baader filter modifed Canon 450D and a good telephoto lens, or do I need to get a good APO? BirdDog P240 40X NDI PTZ Camera. That's why I really enjoy shooting portraits with it. Required fields are marked *. I also tested 200 f/2.8 tele and it is one of the most perfect lens in existence, as well as the 135. Ironically all the sample images in this post are painfully soft. The main problem with the old lenses is spherical aberration and colour error, especially pronounced on digital sensors. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. Yep the speed wars in the 70's that gave us all these bokeh monsters were all about the fact that its hard to get usable images in poor lighting when your film was stuck at iso 80 (or even 400 when you were pushing it). When the aperture is stopped down to 37mm using step-down filter rings, this lens produces incredibly tiny pinpoint star images from edge to edge. Hi Trevor, He's better than I am on BS, I got to give him that. They were not however designed to be bokeh monsters though that was just a side effect of making them fast and people bought them for speed with bokeh being the afterthought so not Bokeh for the sake of Bokeh as he said. If you shoot things in motion on a Canon body, and need some reach without massive bulk, this is the one I recommend.