Samyang 2/135 - failed tube lens but great otherwise!

Beatsy · Post by **Beatsy** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:12 am

Some may remember I got a Samyang 135mm f/2.0 some time ago to try out as a tube lens (Sony FE mount). Turned out utter pants for that, perfect circle vignetting! It even clipped the corners in APS-C crop mode. But it was a low risk gamble as I figured it would be useful as a manual short tele anyway, and boy does it work well there! Sharp as sharp can be, even wide open, and a complete bokeh-monster. It turned out to be the cheapest creamy bokeh I ever bought

The attached pic is marginally macro-related in the sense that it (quilling paper) was shot from 5 feet away and cropped in tight for the close-up look. But it shows off the qualities of the lens pretty well (IMO) and I thought someone might be interested...

135mm, f/2.4, ISO 500, 1/30th, Sony A9 (24mpix). Cropped to about 7mpix before downsampling for upload here.

RobertOToole · Post by **RobertOToole** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 7:37 pm

Nice composition with the selective focus.

Reminds me of a stack of Jiu-Jitsu belts.

Robert

Chris S. · Post by **Chris S.** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 9:01 pm

I appreciate it when folks report what doesn't work. Less exciting than posting what does work, but still potentially saves others time and money.

Brilliant way of demonstrating bokeh, too!

--Chris S.

mawyatt · Post by **mawyatt** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:59 am

Steve,

Yes, fantastic as a manual 135 f2 but poor as a tube lens as previously reported here.

https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... sc&start=0

It's still the sharpest lens I have. Really like the way you are showing out of focus areas, beautiful!!

Lou has a new AF Sigma 135, which apparently is slightly sharper, as well as the Rokinon/Samyang 135. Recently he modified a teleconverter (1.4X I believe) to work with his Printing Nikkor 105. Would be interesting to see how the Rokinon/Samyang sharpness holds up with the teleconverter. I think the flange that prevents the Nikon 1.4X to work with other lenses is the part Lou removed. So it might fit the Rokinon/Samyang.

Great post, thanks for showing.

Cheers,

Mike

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:59 am

Nice test! Also, glad to hear the problem with it as a tube lens is only vignetting. It would be good on MFT then.

Beatsy · Post by **Beatsy** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:25 am

Lou Jost wrote:Nice test! Also, glad to hear the problem with it as a tube lens is only vignetting. It would be good on MFT then.

Yes, I think it would Lou - in terms of the image projecting OK. However, it is a big, heavy chunk of glass and will definitely need good support at the lens end as well as under the camera. Space could be an issue, especially if you're on an automated rail. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it as a tube lens at all.

Beatsy · Post by **Beatsy** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:46 am

mawyatt wrote:Steve,

Yes, fantastic as a manual 135 f2 but poor as a tube lens as previously reported here.

https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... sc&start=0

Mike

Oh, duh! You know, I completely forgot I'd posted that! Seems the sharpness of my brain is becoming inversely proportional to that of my lens collection

Soz.

Thanks for your other comments too.

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 8:11 am

Mike, I ended up not getting the Rokinon. Yes, there is an extra tab on the TC14E III to keep it from being mounted on most older Nikon lenses, and I removed that. I am sure the TC thus modified would work on the Rokinon in Nikkor mount, and would remove the vignetting. But then you might as well just use a longer prime tube lens.

mawyatt · Post by **mawyatt** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 8:20 am

Lou Jost wrote:Mike, I ended up not getting the Rokinon. Yes, there is an extra tab on the TC14E III to keep it from being mounted on most older Nikon lenses, and I removed that. I am sure the TC thus modified would work on the Rokinon in Nikkor mount, and would remove the vignetting. But then you might as well just use a longer prime tube lens.

Lou,

Sorry, I had thought you had the Rokinon also.

Yes, my thought was a 190mm f2.8 that might be really good as a tube lens, even though the 135 isn't. Would probably be a really sharp normal usage 190mm f2.8 as well.

Just not sure I'm willing to grind off the tab of my Nikon TC1.4 to find out!!

Cheers,

Mike

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 3:10 pm

If you can get the mount screws to screw out properly so that you can take the mount off before grinding the tab off, there seems to no risk. If you can't remove the mount, as happened to me, then yes, it is a tense operation!