The Samyang 135mm f/2

[Astro_mark_c]

I currently have the Fuji 55-200mm lens, but all I hear / read is how good the Samyang 135mm f/2 is for astro.  Is there any point getting the lens when I could just use my current one at 135mm?  I mean fuji optics are stunning and the lens is razor sharp.  Only beneifit I could see is the Samyang 135mm has a faster aperture.

 

Thoughts?

[vlaiv]

1 hour ago, Sidecontrol said:

Only beneifit I could see is the Samyang 135mm has a faster aperture

and there you go ... For someone not owning sharp lens at 135mm - Samyang F/2 is rather nice solution. If you are happy with your Fuji 55-200mm then just use that.

[JonF]

29 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

and there you go ... For someone not owning sharp lens at 135mm - Samyang F/2 is rather nice solution. If you are happy with your Fuji 55-200mm then just use that.

Agreed. The Samyang F2 is great, and that super fast aperture is fantastic for terristrial subjects as well, but if your Fuji is good and sharp, stick with it.

Generally speaking, don't get obsessed with gear, once you get over a basic quality threshold (which you're already over) the biggest variable is the photographer.

[david_taurus83]

Bearing in mind its also recommended to stop the Samyang down to F4-F5 for better sharpness...

[Louis D]

4 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

Bearing in mind its also recommended to stop the Samyang down to F4-F5 for better sharpness...

Which kind of defeats the purpose, it would seem, of having an f/2 lens.  Often, it's just the edges aren't sharp, so using a smaller sensor may obviate the need to do that.  In the past, I used a full frame Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens on an APS Canon camera to photograph dance recitals without using flash.  At full frame, there was a bit of vignetting and sharpness falloff, but cropped on the APS sensor, there was pretty much none even at f/1.4.  I will admit I generally shot at f/2.5 to get enough depth of focus to have a dancer's entire body in focus front to back.  However, I would open it up to f/1.4 for poorly lit dances.

[wxsatuser]

The Samyang can be quite variable in quality my own one is just fine at f2 with just one corner a tad out and not to noticeable with the widefield.

[JonF]

53 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

Bearing in mind its also recommended to stop the Samyang down to F4-F5 for better sharpness...

Christopher Frost's review of this lens found it to be very sharp in the centre and sharp in the corners at f2. He demoed it as very sharp ascross the frame at f2.8. Dustin Abbott in the US found much the same.