C100: 35mm 1.4 - Sigma or Samyang?

MattDavis

MattDavis

Well-known member
I've bitten the bullet and decided to get into Primes. Now looking for a 35mm.

I've got the Sigma 50mm 1.4 and the Samyang 85mm 1.4, both have given me superb results, the Samyang's stepless iris and excellent focus action in addition to tack sharp results at T2 to T2.8 have endeared me to Samyang.

But I hear good things about the Sigma 35mm 1.4, whilst I found the Samyang 35mm Nikkor a bit 'meh' wide open, and the focus mechanism was a little clonky to infinity (looked like a cam ran out of room just before the end).

So, just wondering, is the Sigma 35mm 'betterer enough' than the Samyang 35mm Cine version to warrant not having stepless iris? Or is the potential to own the 24 and 16 Samyangs enough to stick with Samyang throughout? (and quite possibly ditching the Sigma 50/1.4 for a Samyang example when/if they release one)

I'd like CP2s but clients won't pay the difference.
 
I actually own the Sigma 35mm 1.4, Samyang 35mm 1.4 and Sigma 18-35mm 1.8.

I use and love the Sigma 35mm 1.4 for full frame photography - i'd say it's the best lens I've ever had for that purpose. The Samyang doesn't get used much at all and I only have it since I doubt it would sell for very much at all. But when it comes to using a fast 35mm lens on the C100, I see absolutely no advantage with either of those primes compared to the Sigma 18-35mm unless you REALLY need that extra half a stop. It's just as sharp and has just as nice bokeh as the Sigma prime (way better than the Samyang!!). It might be the only zoom in the world where you don't lose anything (more than half a stop) over the made for full frame primes.

Any reason for not considering the 18-35mm?
 
draculr said:
I actually own the Sigma 35mm 1.4, Samyang 35mm 1.4 and Sigma 18-35mm 1.8
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Phwoar! Dude, you're serious!

draculr said:
Any reason for not considering the 18-35mm?
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Only my ignorance. :cheesy:

It's not a lens that's popped up on my radar at all, but hey - this is why I love the forums so much. Thank you sir, I will look into it.

I've been switched away from zooms and onto primes because they seem (with my experience of the Sigma 50 and Samyang 50 vs Tokina 11-16, Canon 17-55 and Canon 24-105) to function a little better at the magic f2.8 where we have enough bokeh and a little more sharpness. Most zooms only start to function at f2.8 and don't come 'on song' until f4. If the 18=35 is f1.8, then that would hit that sweet spot.
 
In my opinion, the Samyang 35 is not nearly as good as the Samyang 85 in terms of construction and handling. The 35 has some CA as well. I've never used the Sigma 35, but I replaced my Samyang 35 with a Canon 35L even though it was 3 times the cost.

Outside of some old manual lenses and a bad copy of a Sigma 20mm 1.8 that I had, I've never used a lens that actually became noticeably sharper stopped down on a 1080p sensor. I'm sure that the Sigma 18-35 is perfectly sharp and you can still benefits on bokeh and corner light loss when stopping down the lens to 2.8 or 4.0.

Basically, I would not suggest choosing the Samyang 35 over the other options based on your experience with the Samyang 85.
 
I've had excellent luck with the Samyang 35mm... it's at least on par with the 85mm. The 24mm is rather poor by comparison and not up to snuff with the 24mm f1.4 L II from Canon.

To my eye virtually every lens I've used (excepting the Angenieux Optimo 15-40mm t2.6) becomes visibly sharper on 1080p upon stopping down. The Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 at 18mm is as sharp in the center at f1.8 as it is at f5.6, but it gets sharper at the edges stopped down and zoomed in stopped down. It is certainly the sharpest EF-mount zoom I've used, but I haven't used the 24-70mm L II. It's an amazing lens.
 
MattDavis said:
It's not a lens that's popped up on my radar at all, but hey - this is why I love the forums so much. Thank you sir, I will look into it.

I've been switched away from zooms and onto primes because they seem (with my experience of the Sigma 50 and Samyang 50 vs Tokina 11-16, Canon 17-55 and Canon 24-105) to function a little better at the magic f2.8 where we have enough bokeh and a little more sharpness. Most zooms only start to function at f2.8 and don't come 'on song' until f4. If the 18=35 is f1.8, then that would hit that sweet spot.
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Not a problem, It really is a game changing lens for crop sensors.

...and yes come to think of it, I have been through quite a few 35mm lenses!
 
LOL, I note that in reviews of the Sigma 18-35, the subject of dodgy autofocus rears it's head. Yup, that's Sigma. My 50mm 1.4 was an untrustworthy dog as a stills lens, but is sweet as a video lens. Looks like it's the same for other Sigmas too.

The mouse has hovered over the 'buy' button on all three lenses tonight, but just had one of those 'responsible adult' moments - what if I (shock, horror) were to buy a 5D Mk3? I'm not being serious (yet) but it's something to think about. The 35mm 1.4 is FF, the 18-35 is for crops (please correct me if I'm wrong) - and that explains the 'bang for buck' thing. Bother. As dilemmas go, it's quite a nice one.

Okay, so has anyone managed to de-click the 18-35? LOL, not really serious but would be gobsmacked if it were possible.
 
I also want to vote for the Samyang 35mm. So nice to focus an great IQ. But I must admit I'm no pixel peeper, so your milage might vary. But I will check out the Sigma 18-35 soon too, just to see what all the rave is about;)
 
I was in love with the Samyang 35mm...until I met the Sigma 18-35...! Now I feel I have no use for the Samyang any more...
The Sigma is like having three 1.8 primes in one lens...and with the price around 800$...what else can you ask?
 
MattDavis said:
I've bitten the bullet and decided to get into Primes. Now looking for a 35mm.

I've got the Sigma 50mm 1.4 and the Samyang 85mm 1.4, both have given me superb results, the Samyang's stepless iris and excellent focus action in addition to tack sharp results at T2 to T2.8 have endeared me to Samyang.

But I hear good things about the Sigma 35mm 1.4, whilst I found the Samyang 35mm Nikkor a bit 'meh' wide open, and the focus mechanism was a little clonky to infinity (looked like a cam ran out of room just before the end).

So, just wondering, is the Sigma 35mm 'betterer enough' than the Samyang 35mm Cine version to warrant not having stepless iris? Or is the potential to own the 24 and 16 Samyangs enough to stick with Samyang throughout? (and quite possibly ditching the Sigma 50/1.4 for a Samyang example when/if they release one)


I opted for the Sigma 30mm f1.4 over the 35mm as it equates to 45mm on the C100. I love this lens and would feel constrained if i had chosen the 35mm.
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i recently bought the sigma 18-35mm 1.8 and am blown away by this lens. i only own FF canon DLSR's so i had no plans on using the 18-35mm for photography.

people here have suggested the sigma's AF is suspect? who care if your mounting on the C100? this lens is sharper wide open than my canon 35mm 1.4. super creamy zoom. can't say that about any of my canon lenses. i can zoom so smooth it feels like a servo zoom compared to any other zoom i have and i have a lot.

i used to occasionally use my canon 16-35mm 2.8 which is pretty sharp wide open but will never use that lens again. also, there's quite a bit of shallow DOF if you shoot near 35mm @ 1.8.

david
 
david_p said:
people here have suggested the sigma's AF is suspect? who care if your mounting on the C100?
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Yes, good point, but as a stills lens, on a 550D/7D, Sigma AF sucks. Having said that, I have no professional interest in marketing myself as a photographer. Absolutely not.

Even though I am on record for hating DSLR videography, I still do it - and have this awful feeling that a 5D Mk3 might become part of my life. I really don't want to go spending money on lenses that won't work on FF... But hey, I dunno. This was a journey to Primes, not 'variable prime' zooms. I'd use a 1.4 at 2 to 2.8 - maybe the 1.8 of the Sigma at 2-2.8 is just as good - it certainly sounds like it. Samyang's use of hard stops, stepless iris and toothed wheels for Follow Focus are also big draws, even if I have to pony up £500+ for a Follow Focus system that will actually get used.
 
My gob is smacked. Thanks, Anatusa...

Actually, $3500 is quite a steal for a good cine lens like this and if they take the Sigma optics and are willing to rebuild it like the Duclos 11-16 conversion, I guess that says a lot for the original design.

BTW, does anyone remember a test of Sigma glass against PL stuff using a Red One? IIRC, the conclusion was that Cookes and Zeiss had the advantage for being consistent between lenses and accurately set up, but Sigmas sort of held in there so long as you played the game of checking focus with an external monitor and dealt with the clicky iris. Just wondering...
 
hi erik,

I've had the same results with the 18-35mm. I wasnt sure id really need this lens since i have a 35mm 1.5 prime & a canon 16-35mm 2.8. after using this new sigma i doubt ill ever put those other lenses on my C100 again. i really appreciate having a zoom rather than a prime for most of my shooting and im not giving up any IQ in the least by using this lens over my other canons. another huge bonus is how smooth the zooming dial works. creamy like butter!

david
 
Fantastic, thanks Erik. I'm renting the 18-35 for a shoot this Friday. It should be perfect for some set ups I have in mind.


Parish Digital Cinema
DePere, WI
 
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