So I've thrown some samples up on the other thread (you can find the samples here https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/8749898947/albums/rokinon-50mm-f-1-2), haven't updated em this morning, but some first impressions are perhaps a day overdo for reporting in...
I really like the Rokinon 50mm f/1.2, really really like (love), which was a huge surprise as my generation (and myself) has grown up on 100% autofocus so a manual focus lens was very risky for me as my prior MF experience has been with the original M, because you had to for some cases with it's slow AF, and macro photography as that's another you have to use MF in most cases to get the shot. But, I've had just enough former manual focus experience, which is to say some, to try it. I'm very glad I did.
So first of all let me qualify who should be interested; this lens is not for everyone (duh), most folks interested in something like this probably already have a 5D and an f/1.2L of some kind, truth told you're better off keeping it as the L's still have a (very) slight edge in IQ (and of course have AF, real EXIF data, native correction data) and the M system is a backup / personal system for these folks, that's me, I went personal use only for my photographic needs and went light only as the 5D and L's were getting left at home due to weight/bulk, so I sold my L's and 5DIII, but have missed a fast prime ever since as I'm a people shooter, that is one of the my favorite photographic genres is portraiture, candid preferably but studio will do just as good. I have been, up to now, using the nifty fifty (50mm f/1.8 STM) adapted as it's light and punches way above it's weight and cost. There's just not much point lugging around a 50mm f/1.2L adapted on an M, sorry, it's not appropriate to put mildly, sure you can, but don't. Most folks should skip this article and just grab a nifty and adapt if you're wondering about this lens. But, if your taste buds are accustomed to L-like bokeh quality and sharp wide open results, and you'd rather have quality over quantity (IE you'll miss some shots in MF that you could've grabbed in AF), don't mind dropping $499 on a lens and love 50mm on a crop (80mm) IE portraiture, and want a small/light native offering for you M, or are just curious, read on.
First up, the IQ off this sucker is phenomenal. I shoot f/1.2 on this thing whenever I feel like it, which of most of the time It's real joy to shoot as when you nail the focus the results are beautiful. Sure, I miss quite a few shots due to operator error as MF relies on my skill, or lack thereof frankly as I'm really wet behind the ears with Manual Focus but I feel it comes down to a quality over quantity as the shots I do grab are off the hook good. But, the nifty fifty or even 50mm f/1.4 USM, you really need to stop down a full stop for improved sharpness and contrast in particular for acceptable results. This guy, nope. Knock yourself out wide open. Results do improve stopped down, but I'd say it's pretty minimal, at least 80% of IQ is already available wide open, which benchmarks other folks have run on this lens show. IQ does improve going up to around f/2, but after that it tapers off and you're stopping down to stop down vs on the 50mm f/1.8's (any of em) or 50mm f/1.4 USM, you need to drop to f/2.8 and f/2 respectively for decent results. The 50mm f/1.2L, also gains from stopping down, but like the Rokinon, it's just fine wide open, and stopping down isn't as dramatic, or necessary, improvement. The Rokinon also shares the same "drawing", that is quality or style of bokeh as the Canon 85 f/1.2L in particular, which I love. Other folks have said this and I'll second it.
What's really telling is I shot my first video with it last night, not by choice, I had my camera in my hands and my kids were being cute and my wife demanded I press the red button to record video, I was horrified I wasn't using DPAF, dynamic IS, yada yada yada, but alas I had this guy mounted. Well, the video turned out awesome. I can see why the movie industry loves MF lenses and fast primes, I've only shot one video on a fast prime before. Man, shooting a fast prime in video is just awesome as shooting photos with a fast prime, you're just doing so at 60 frames per second.
Colors and tonality are excellent. Period, the end Okay seriously, it's very Canon-esque (not quite though, it's a bit neutral-gravity vs the Canon punch, but not flat like Sony's by any means, very pleasant), which I've written before about optics and indicated that even though I don't prefer Sony's colors, interesting enough, I sometimes poke around at the Sony forum and note that whenever a Canon optic is adapted, the colors, hues and tonality are at least 50% better which tells me half of Canon's secret sauce is optics, not just color profiles on the DIGIC processor. Ditto for many a Carl Zeiss lens mounted on a Sony, it's just so much better, optics do influence your tones and colors a bit and this lens is not a "bad" formula. Not 100% Canon though, but not bad at all. I'm sure I'll write more on this subject as I get more expereince with the lens.
But, I've noted I'm sure it's the camera or the fact it's a third party lens, or, the fact my camera doesn't have electronic data like focal length being made available, but exposure metering is a bit iffy with it. Not bad, totally post-able, but I may monkey with different metering here over the next few days as I've noted it's erratic. Minor complaint, but notable. Vignetting is well controlled, as is distortion. There's some CA, it improves stopped down. Side note, the Sony E mount and Canon EF-M mount, both weigh 385g, vs the 4/3 mount weighs 375g; there's a strong possibility the Sony E mount and Canon EF-M mount may be the same / similiar optic, that is designed for 1.5x instead of 1.6x mag which is good as vingetting is more forgiving on the EF-M mount in the same way EF lenses are more forgiving with light falloff / vignetting on EF-S mount bodies IE nifty fifty / 35 f/2 lenses, etc. Pure speculation though, but in any event light falloff and vingetting which is common on a fast prime is not a problem on this lens.
Lens build is good, that is it's light for how much glass is in it but it's still solid and balances well on the M5 with it's grip and relative weight (they both weigh around 400g thus it's not a unbalanced combination). Some folks have criticized Rokinon / Samysang's for being less than L IE they're not built like tanks with fully polycarb weatherproof builds. I prefer the lighter build of the Rokinon, it's very M-esque, that is make it tough but make it light at the sacrifice of weatherproofing and total tank durability. I'd argue the point of having this lens is to have a high quality fast prime option that isn't as heavy as a tank, it fits the bill nicely with the only build complaint might be the lens mount cap; I like that Canon one better; come to think of it, I have an extra EF-M mount cap, I'll swap it out. The front cap is good though and the included hood is VERY useful (I don't like hoods, but, I've shot enough into the sun, and, with how large the front element is this being a fast prime, you need a hood, don't one hand jury-rig it)
Manual focus ring is excellent. On first grab before I shot the lens when I unboxed it I thought it was a bit stiff, but, using the lens, you need some resistance as f/1.2 is quite touchy. Not too much resistance to ever be a complaint. It's think it's just right. Side note, M3 with EVF, M6 with EVF or M5 with it's built-in EVF are strongly recommended for focus peaking to really make Manual focus more do-able. It could've gone without saying, but for those newbies, I'll say it.
Dustin Abbott noted his copy had some slight mount rocking; mine after the second day exhibits very minor mount rock too. I just assume it's because it's a non-Canon made mount it's not a perfect fit, just 99.9% fit. That's forgivable IMO. If it becomes a problem as time goes on, I'll report it, but considering DA didn't report it being progressively worse, it's likely N/A.
I grabbed mine on a $100 off sale. At $399 this lens is a slam dunk. At $499, ehhhh, it may only be $100 difference, but value wise, you are competing with the nifty fifty at $100 refurb and 50mm f/1.4 USM at $219, this thing does not exist in a vacuum with the EF adapter out there. If it were $399 all the time this would be an easier decision in terms of what value it brings it brings to the table.
It does however highlight the need for a speedlite which I am not a flash user, I'm a natural light shooter, except Weddings I'll rent em. I'm not sure how well a non-electronically connected does with a speedlite though as those evaluate conditions for flash based off declared focal length (I believe anyways), but, next time the 270EX II goes on a $79 refurb sale I'll snap one up as having these awesome portrait shots just screams I wish I had a bounce flash firing when I shoot; natural lighting be darned, it's nice to have a bounce flash for shallow portraiture, period.
Overall I'm happy with this guy. I'm 99% sure at this point the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM and EF to EF-M adapter are going up on eBay / CL soon as I kept the adapter with the explicit use of a fast prime option and this thing just destroys the 50mm f/1.8 STM in terms of bokeh quality, and it's not just a stop faster, but, you can shoot at f/1.2 without NEEDING to stop down to f/2.8, I mean it effectively makes the 50mm f/2.8 STM with f/1.8 emergency option really, IMO. Same goes for the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, I've loaned him before and it's a f/1.4 lens you should stop down to f/2 for, but, it has better bokeh than the f/1.8 in terms of quality, but the Rokinon cleans both their clocks in terms of bokeh quality and results wide open, it just doesn't do AF.
I'd like to see Canon make a lens like this with native crop for EF-M mount at 50mm and f/1.4 or faster, but truth told I dunno they'll ever do it. They have yet to do it for the EF-S mount after what, 14 years? Highly doubtful they'll make a Rokinon 50mm f/1.2 equivalent for EF-M mount, ever, especially since you have that 50mm f/1.8 STM you can adapt for most peoples needs. So if you want a really fast native prime for 50mm on a crop, this is it, but, be ready to pay some nice cash and have 400g weight along with you and put up with Manual focus. But, there's something to be said about manual focus, it makes you stop and think, opens you up to new focus possibilities as you have to think about your shot and rack the focus yourself, and on a shallow capable lens like this, that's a good thing. Truth told on my 5DIII mounting the EF 85 f/1.2L was the pits as you need to target the subjects (in portraiture) eyes with your AF, which wasn't easy btw, I mean in the time you setup your AF to do what you want in the composition you want, you could've done Manual focus override in the same time, and throwing an EVF with focus peaking into the mix levels that playing field frankly. This lens makes a lot of sense as even if a fast native option existed with AF (which one doesn't), the depth of field you have to play with makes setup of even AF, take time that had you just grabbed the manual focus ring and done it, you'll arrive at the same place in the same time. The difference is mainly did you nail it, or miss it which practice makes perfect. AF will hit it of course, but MF you could misjudge, but both take time at this DOF is the point, about the same time, so don't be shy just because it's Manual focus. I'm not big on buying something I might return should I not like it, but many vendors have 30 day no question return policies, this lens is an excellent opportunity to take that advantage/risk on if you're interested. I took the risk, and I can tell you I ain't returning it unlike many reviewers who are sent samples that have a due date, I love mine and will keep mine and bought it for me, not to review but it'd be a small injustice for me not to report this small gem as a fast native prime for portraits is badly needed for the M.
I'll probably have more thoughts or revise my thoughts as more time goes by with this guy, so stay tuned.
