I just wish this lens had IS for low light and portraits with flash. This is an amazing lens.Very sharp wide open and no improvement when stopped own. Touching the telescope, even ever so slightly, will introduce vibrations which will ruin the photograph. in the rain. Rudy, why didn t you include any L lenses from canon? An h-alpha filter would still be useful for your D500, but much more so if it were modified! Even if I wanted a 135mm lens (and the 70-200mm f/2.8 is more versatile) it would be the Nikon 135mm f/2 DC lens. RATING. (purchased for $860), reviewed March 9th, 2017 Before I go any further, Id like to share a photo from Gabriel Millou of the Andromeda Galaxy using a Canon 1300D. There is no agreement about what Bokeh means. Yuri toropin tests a bunch of lenses on Flickr which is a great source. Colour and contrast is great. Otherwise this lens is absolutely incredible. I hear great things about the Canon 200/2.8 L but do not have one. Sharpness, contrast and the natural vignetting on full-frame cameras is awesome! Back in 1999, Sony released the F505, their first digital camera with a Carl Zeiss lens. The images were collected using a Canon EOS Rebel T3i camera riding on a Fornax Mounts LighTrack II. You can barely tell it's a pond.#3: Duck.Birds with bokeh are fine. To actually learn to compose the photos so that the background complements the image instead of being something that must be blurred away. I need fast auto-focus, predictable focus lock and natural, vibrant color rendition. The 135mm focal length is absolutely perfect for the Heart and Soul Nebulae if youre using a crop sensor DSLR camera. These include canon lens for night photography along with good budget lenses for astrophotography. The first telephoto lens of choice, especially recommended for beginners, is the 135mm F2.5 SMC Pentax. The Rokinon 14mm F/2.8 was the first lens I had ever used like this, and these aspects do not hinder the astrophotography experience whatsoever. The Precious - sharp images, fast focus, perfect weight, reference-quality build. Below, are a few examples of astrophotography images Ive taken with lenses of varying focal lengths. Latter looks quite professional.. tanie i dobre opinie 9 opatek lub Biznes HUMAN Sport Insect Architektura Specjalne Krajobrazy Martwa natura Podry People 2023 Obiektyw o staej ogniskowej On the 135/2 all you've got is the bare metal. Tiring. In 3 months I got loosy focus ring. If 135mm f2 works for you, then fine. I actually have to walk 1/2 way up the stairs to be able get folk in the frame. OK guysTOS rule number one "Posts that are not respectful of other individuals (be they members or not) are not welcome here.". Several functions may not work. 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. I cant wait to try this lens out during the winter months on some wide-field targets in Orion. There is no doubt that the 135L deserves it excellent reputation for image quality. We take OM System's new 90mm prime F3.5 macro lens out and about around Seattle, in search of sunlight, people and very tiny things to get up close and personal with. The flat lens hood design allows you to easily take flat frames with the Rokinon 135mm using the white t-shirt method or using a flat panel. What I see is a photographer who should maybe instead stick to the kit lens, and learn composition first. I love this lens, The Sharpest Lens available for Eos cameras IMO 200mm Astrobin photos (not taken by me): https://www.astrobin.m USM F2.8 L II How about the sigma 50mm f1.4 Art? I got this lens because of portraiture. Amazing colours, contrast, bokeh, everything! The Samyang 135mm F/2 easily lives up to its hype and should be near the top of your list of purchases if you are new or experienced in the field of astrophotography. The Canon 135mm f/2 is no less impressive on a full-frame camera. Let's dig in. Very sharp even at f2, build quality, price, weight, autofocus is fast, bokeh, No IS, flare, autofocus isn't quite as consistent as some newer lenses, focus speed, image quality, predictability, Image quality, build like a tank, focus ring, weight. Your images have a chance at remaining sharper once critical focus has been achieved, but now you have lost the extra light-gathering power you wanted. 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. Exterem apertures are extrems (wether it's full open or closed) that should be reserved for extrem cases. In an effort to save money, Id like to start using a Canon 80D that we already own to start picking targets and imaging. As you know, camera lenses come in varying focal lengths, apertures, and optical quality. Bokeh == Visual character of the lens optics to render light and color mixing together. This is actually worse than just plain obsession with blur. Every different lens design has different "bokeh" even when the lenses are by specs same, like Canon 135mm f/2 vs Samyang 135mm f/2 are both same, but both render differently, even when both have same DOF. You are entitled to your opinions, and I respect that! They just wanted to increase their joy from photography. In this post, Ill share my results using an affordable prime telephoto lens for astrophotography, the Rokinon 135mm F/2.0 ED UMC. The Bokeh includes as well all that is in the focus, but mainly talked about how it comes visible in out of focus areas. We think it rises to the challenge. 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. Image quality, weight and value for money. Olympus 4x Optical Zoom f/2 Lens; 25-100mm (35mm Equivalent) Show More. At 135mm, you can get really creative about the object or objects you shoot and where you position them within the frame. Although typically unused in astrophotography, I did get a chance to see the beautiful bokeh this lens creates when shooting at F/2. We were surprised by just how much difference there was between these AI-powered image enlargers. A promising start, no doubt, but not a master yet! If You can afford it, buy it! 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. I've missed shots at wide apertures because the DOF is so extremely thin. 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! The 135 is lighter, but that's its only advantage. I really don't want to count all the pores - and the hairs coming out of them (eeeew!) The moment I tried the Samyang 135mm F2 for the first time after purchasing it, I immediately felt that it was a very special lens. Hate these presumptuous kinds of articles and headlines. Chris referred to the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM as 'a little gem'! The spec sheet for the Rokinon 135mm F/2 boasts a number of qualities, with the ones listed below being the most important when it comes to night photography and astro. Flip on through what we found, and see how the lens performs in the real world in our sample gallery. Will this ever get old? You might never need another lens in the overlapping range at 135mm there isn't much difference between the separation afforded by f/2 vs f/2.8, and the latest 70-200s are plenty sharp. Will I be able to capture the heart nebula with the lens youre talking about or would I need to modify my camera as well? If anything the argument in favor of even smaller and lighter 85/1.4s (like the 600g Sigma DN) is stronger than ever, and I say that as someone that loves shooting at 135-150mm. This looks to be an excellent lens with fantastic results. i also have the 300mm f4.5 non ED nikkor which is quite nice . Cost. Recently, the FAA announced that recreational drone pilots in the USA can request LAANC authorization to fly in controlled airspace at night. Another drawback is the focal length. The 135 L handles this well. Thanks, Chris, hi Trevor my name is sagar i have same lens but i have one question why lot of stars are appearing in my image which is taken thru rokinon 135mm, Your email address will not be published. I had of course heard that this lens is supposed to be very sharp, but I had never before had such a full blown "wow" experience when reviewing the sharpness of a lens. The combination of a wide aperture and very little light lost in transmission makes very high shutter speeds possible. So I feel I'm being cheated. Seems like a great lens. As such, it applies most directly here to areas of an image that are out of focus. The shallow depth of field present at its maximum aperture does indeed create a pleasing bokeh. If you shoot things in motion on a Canon body, and need some reach without massive bulk, this is the one I recommend. Ive captured a lot of deep-sky astrophotography targets from the northern hemisphere, but Im usually in too deep to capture an entire region of space at once. If you aren't completely set on the 135mm, the 200mm f/2.8L is a fantastic lens and i think its less expensive than the 135mm f/2L. Lots of older lenses no longer satisfy. Excellent color and saturation, a virtually perfect lens. I have the Canon 135 f/2 and loved it from day one. Some lenses are incurable. Astrophotography is one of the ultimate tests of lens quality, as long exposure photography of deep-sky objects in space can highlight issues that are hidden during daytime photography. I should mention that I have only tested this full-frame lens using my astrophotography DSLRs, all of which are crop-sensor camera bodies. Tamron has announced its 11-20mm F2.8 Di III-A RXD ultra-wide angle zoom will be made available for Fujifilm X-mount. But will live with it as it provides good protection of the front element. If you want autofocus and great value for money, buy the Canon 135mm, as it has almost the image quality of the Samyang, and you can get it for under $1,000 new. however i started to realise how every subject might actually be a cardboard cutout being photographed. Were those taken with the Canon telephotos you spoke of, and the full spectrum modified camera and the clip in filter? Another article that I read only the headline and saw a couple of samples then jumped directly to comments. Fast focus, Super sharp, Well built, Awesome for low light. Agreed. Also, we ought never question or diminish the joy of others. 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. One of them is simplicity: A clear, simple subject that constitutes a shape, standing out and contrasting against a calm and simple background. The Samyang 135mm f/2 lens is very wide in astrophotography terms. The inset picture is a magnified view of the bottom right corner of the frame. This is a very practical way to plan your next astrophotography project, and especially handy when using a wide field lens like the Rokinon 135mm F/2. The shot of the cat could certainly be improved through cropping, though. The 135L is half the weight of the 70-200 2.8IS. Perhaps it's not a big thing, but for a L-graded lens this feature should be expected. Now I wonder why people are never happy even on 3rd day of a new year :) Come on guys just think "Micael Widell" was working over holiday period to publish this free article ;). Technical Specifications Looking for specific info? Jordan's twin brother Gordon is back to review the cinema-focused Canon EOS R5 C! This image of NGC 7000 was done at F/4 at iso 800 with a Canon 20D mod. The lens shows a very slight pincushion distortion, but it's well under 0.1% of frame height, an excellent performance by any measure. She's cold? Looking forward to allow purchasing the Canon 200mm f/2.8L II USM. Still, all things considered, I prize this lens very highly and can not imagine giving it up. 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. Lagoon and Trifid wide field IC1396 nebula in Cepheus - wide field image. My guidescope is a 5in F5 Jaeger's achromat with a 2.3x Barlow, and a 9mm illuminated reticle eyepiece. Smooth but contrasty. I bought my lens in mint condition for $350 from Japan, but I see that some retailers are asking significantly more. 135mm F2.0 The optical design includes one extra-low dispersion lens element to control chromatic aberration, contributing to sharp, color-accurate imaging, and each of its lens elements features Ultra Multi-Coating to improve light transmission and reduce ghosting and flare. Juksu, your point is well taken. I almost bought one, but couldn't manage that focal length and DoF with moving subjects and manual focus. this lens typifies modern design being confined to sharpness, colour & bokeh. 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. However, when my Canon "L" lenses are used at f8 they are all very sharp and the 135L does not blow the others away. Family moments are precious and sometimes you want to capture that time spent with loved ones or friends in better quality than your phone can manage. You will see why. Shoot shiny metal at a wide aperture and you'll see some very extreme purple fringing. Ive set the f-stop to F/2.8, to sharpen up the stars a bit. Simple as that! What is it like shooting with one today? For this reason, a combination of a good light pollution filter, and the use of flat calibration frames are recommended. I was expecting a lot more of an article that says "the best telephoto lenses for astrophotography". The lens hood is not petal-shaped, which is great news for those using this lens for astrophotography. 21P Giacobini Zinner NGC1499 California Barnard 8 Cr399 Coathanger North America and Pelican Veil nebula HORGB M11 cluster area Valerio, I sold my Canon Lens because in Nikon Lens there is a Defocus control option, very usefull in a daylight photos, as portrait. 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. Prime lenses are typically lighter as they do not need the additional glass and mechanics required to zoom at varying magnifications. An update to the Mini 11, the new camera adds parallax correction capabilities, automatic flash control and a multi-function twist lens. For DPReview, it's also an opportunity for a good old-fashioned camera fight. But again i am just at the beginning and i also do not want to use now a telescope. This has several advantages from less demanding tracking accuracy, to being able to use a lower ISO setting. you can see here a lot of photos mostly shot with the f/4 version. I stopped reading after the part where someone I don't know told me I "should" be doing something. Here are our top picks for the canon lenses for astrophotography. The best of them, Nikon's 70-200E, is just as sharp all but the very best primes - ie, already too sharp for most portrait work. thank you for that great review and also the explanations. Add To Cart. Begun in 1975, the Pentax K-mount legacy continues to this day. Rokinon FE14M-C Lens. Does this work well with any of the 1.4x / 1.7x / 2.0x Teleconverters (extenders / barlows)? 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? 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. Definetely the most sharpest lens which I have ever seen. It is the lens I use as a reference point to compare all new lens acquisitions to after purchase to determine if they need to be returned for repair or replacement. You may need to refocus your subject as the temperature changes throughout the night. I have had a blast with a samyang, but a used 135mm f2.8 is VERY . Digital camera types . The EOS R6 II arrives in one of the most competitive parts of the market, facing off against some very capable competition. The reason the 135mm lens was that it was the longest lens that would focus with a Leica rangefinder. Samyang 135 f/2 astrophotography gallery Below some pictures I made using Samyang 135 lens with QHY163 mono camera and iOptron Smart EQ Pro mount. http://www.idyll.com/135. It has just a hint of chromatic aberration on very bright stars and, if highly enlarged by 400-800%, the stars in the very corners barely begin to show a touch of astigmatism. So I sold it for nearly what I bought it for and chalked it up to a learning experience. Due to the weight, at times I didn't move my shooting position and just zoomed to a composition that worked. The Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens makes an excellent indoor sports lens. At f/32, it's pretty soft, but less so than a lot of lenses at that aperture. For those of you that like to pixel-peep, have a look at the single image frame captured using the Rokinon 135mm F/2.0 ED UMC at F/4. Otherwise, on FF body this lens is wonderful. How's that for an endorsement? Creamy smooth bokeh. Any good ones apart from the Big Boys. Perhaps this impression of unreal sharpness is strengthened by the contrast to the extremely creamy bokeh you typically get in the same photo. At least not in my camera (Sony A6000), the focal length in a crop sensor does not make it very suitable for portrait, the photo detail is something else, but without AF that type of photography with that focal distance and at least 80 cm of the subject it requires too much dedication, with how comfortable the DMF approach mode is for that type of photography Also in my mount it does not have any communication with the camera (it does not have a chip, it only has it for Nikon). I think the readers would welcome contributions from other members' experiences. Zeiss Jena or Oberkochen? But in the rush to make hybrids why are aren't we giving video shooters the tools they need? its useful to keep in mind these bokeh circles are the result of light sources bright lamps from autos Christmas lights streetlamps etc and are seriously overused in articles on lenses with strong subject\ backround seperations, they approach parody in the way they characterise subject separation, for most purposes and in most portrait situations its less highlight dominant backrounds that grace a photo. It improves slightly stopped down. Did anybody use this lens for DSLR astrophoto? Micael Widell is a photography enthusiast based in Stockholm, Sweden. AF ring feels loose compared to my other L lenses. (purchased for $970), reviewed March 17th, 2011 Here is a recent ones taken with the canon xs and a lens. If you have pictures taken using the Rokinon 135mm F/2 lens, please feel free to share your results in the comments section (links to Astrobin, Flickr or your personal gallery are fine). Plus it is harder to attach than other lens hoods. Yes, she's isolated. These are affordably available on eBay, and result in perfectly round star images, the way nature intended them to be. Lots of wet blankets around here. 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. Really like the large focusing ring. I am no stranger to the full manual control of this lens, for both aperture and focus. I would! The thing is, on my APS-C body the 100mm is challenging enough. I think youll find that this lens is behind some of the most amazing wide-field astrophotography images online! One very popular lens for bokeh fiends is the Canon 85mm F1.2it can produce extremely creamy out of focus backgrounds. Proper composition, light and retouching are much prefferable to crazy gooey bokeh. We sell a wide variety of digital cameras from all the top brands like Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, Fujifilm, Pentax, Leica, Samsung, and more. Wonderful image quality, lots of detail, contrasty, subject separation, fast and accurate AF, bright viewfinder, solid construction, unobtrusive in use, No weather sealing, makes all my other lenses look poor (even the 'L' zooms that, when I first got them, imagined could hardly be improved on). 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. This allows for less aggressive camera settings for night photography such as using a lower ISO setting and shorter exposure. No rear seals - since the 17-40 Canon has added rear seals to L lenses, to help in weather sealing. Target for bortle 9 astrophotography? 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. The lens has 14 stops when turning the aperture. Do you expect me to gawk? Now - THAT's a lens everyone should have ;). I do not think telephoto lenses would be suitable for use with your modified camera. 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. I haven't seen compassion with the excellent Zeiss lens you quote (That BTW costs at least 3.5-4 times, yet a good comparison as similar to Zeiss, Samyang believes in providing the exceptional Image Quality, with Manual focus) but compare with Canon's L 135mm F2.0, that by many reviews, is considered as one the best Canon lenses ever made (Not . Even if the background is very close to your subject, somehow the optical construction in the 135mm lens will still manage to separate the background beautifully. I have an old 135/2.5 Takumar that is not bad at all, for the price. When I was on my way home after purchasing my first 135mm lens (the Samyang/Rokinon one) I took a few quick snapshots just to try out the lens. They're heavy, and expensive, but you can carry one lens instead of three, and can vary the compression and field of view to a significant degree - from nearly normal, to long portrait focal lengths. It would not surprise me if modern lenses were useable at full aperture. Contrasty, saturated, nice colours. Do you have a link to Yuri's photo stream? That is the story.#7: Leaves.That doesn't work. [emailprotected]. Is there a reason why a 135/2.8 or even 135/4 would provide significantly different images? The flawless image quality is only half the story though. Large emission nebulae like the California Nebula (pictured below) are a great choice for this focal length. (purchased for $900), reviewed December 14th, 2006 The other one is the inevitable and persistent regret that, because of chromatic aberration, the full 75mm aperture of this beautiful lens can not be used in full visible spectrum photography. 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. (Suggesting that diffraction limiting is only part of the story with lens softness at tiny apertures.). With this lens you don't need to do much if any post processing. But you just know that there is the professionalism that is lacking here -- and the writer's Instagram page confirms that. Great reach for street shots. That's why I really enjoy shooting portraits with it. That means that it doesnt require a robust equatorial telescope mount as a larger, heavier telephoto lens would. I wish every lens was this good!! This is a stunning lens, clearly one of the very best lenses that Canon produces, this is in the same world class as the 35 1.4, 85 1.2 L lenses. Really, just an amazing lens, easily worth the $800-900 it commands on the street. (purchased for $900). 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. IQ will rival any other lens. All of them are extremely sharp and produce mouth-watering bokeh, and all of them are reasonably priced for what you get. So, for Joe User or especially for Jane Client, one really has to look closely to see much of a difference. parts of your main subject extend beyond the DOF range it will never look flat. Focal length is great. The Rokinon 135mm F/2 ED UMC lens. At around $900 US very good price for quality no IS. Manual focus on wide angle lens, for landscapes, ok, if you have a reliable manual focus system, which Samyang, at least in my mount, does not have. For the rest there is Sigma 135 /1.8 Art also fantastic value lens. (purchased for $700), reviewed October 9th, 2012 I have a Nikon d 500. OTOH you can now get a 70-180 f2.8 zoom that weights virtually the same and is only a tiny bit longer (Tamron's on E mount, like 20mm longer than the AF SY or most other modern 135s), and there's lighter than ever 85/1.4s (eg Sigma's DN for L/E mount) that can achieve a very similar look while coming in at 600g, tho at an even higher price. Bokeh is buttery smooth, best you can get from a 135mm. I put quotes around the ones that are written on the lens. Pocketable. IS would also help outside with wind. The F/2.0 maximum aperture of the Rokinon 135mm lens offers a chance to collect a serious amount of signal in a single shot. here some information (sorry only in italian) http://www.astrovale-usm/index.html It also focuses really fast and accurate and is light. (purchased for $899), reviewed March 19th, 2012 But the Rokinon f/2 version fits into a different market. The lens is available on eBay for around $200. Particular properties of modern 135/2 lenses are resolution with e.g. Standards have risen in recent years. Everyone assumes their definition is the "true" one. (purchased for $890), reviewed October 21st, 2005 I have just acquired my astrophotography set up thanks to all your videos and doing some research. 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. This summer I'm going to try the lenses out for LRGB images to see how they perform. The difference between modern and old telephoto lenses is probably similar to the difference between my APO and an old Jaegers 5in F5. Robert. Together they still weight less than any modern 135mm :>. Its a trade-off, and one that seems to surface time and time again in this hobby. After the first exposure in M mode, the camera throws an error saying Error please press the shutter button again. However, I find the process tedious, and prefer single, manually guided, long exposures which seem to have deeper colors. I got my first 400 around 50 years ago, and I must say that each step forward feels like a revolution, for a while. The colder temperatures will make DSLR astrophotography much more practical, and there are plenty of great targets to choose from. We have come to accept that most lenses are strong in only one or two of these three factors, that I personally focus on when researching lenses to buy. 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. Nothing just makes sense about the review -- the writer does not really understand the lens he is reviewing, very basic concepts are wrong. It's bokeh is comparable to the 85mm 1.2 but IMO not as nice. Thanks, I mainly use for head shot photography. If you're using or are looking to buy the Samyang or Rokinon 135mm F/2, please let me know what you're imaging with it or any questions you may have in the comment section below.