Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical Review

This Samyang 85mm f/1.4 is a classic portrait lens for Pentax shooters. It's a big, bright prime that gives you that creamy background blur right out of the gate. It's manual focus only, which is a deal-breaker for some, but for the price, you're getting a lot of glass.

The f/1.4 aperture is the star here, landing in the 88th percentile. That means you get excellent subject separation and bokeh, scoring an 85th percentile there. Sharpness is decent in the 59th percentile, but don't expect optical perfection wide open. The manual focus is smooth, but the 3.3-foot minimum focus distance isn't great for close-ups. And with no stabilization, you'll need steady hands or good light.

At around $240, the value proposition is straightforward. You're paying for the aperture and the portrait focal length. You're not getting autofocus, stabilization, or weather sealing. But if you want that 85mm f/1.4 look on a Pentax full-frame camera without spending a fortune, this is one of the few ways to do it.

Compared to the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 or the Meike 55mm f/1.8, those are autofocus lenses, but they're for different systems (Z-mount, etc.) and often different sensor sizes. For Pentax, your main competition is other manual lenses or much more expensive Pentax-branded glass. Against a zoom like the Panasonic 14-140mm, this Samyang destroys it in low-light and background blur but loses badly in versatility. It's a specialist tool.

Buy this if you're a Pentax shooter who loves portraits, you're comfortable with manual focus, and your budget is tight. Skip it if you need autofocus for moving subjects, shoot in shaky conditions, or want a lens you can use for more than just people pics.