Rokinon 100mm F/28 Macro Lens for Fujifilm X Reviews

The Rokinon 100mm F2.8 ED UMC Full Frame Telephoto Macro ($599) comes in at an attractive price point when compared with many other autofocus macro lenses of similar focal lengths, and it's plenty abrupt, especially at the narrower apertures used to attain a reasonable depth of field when working at loftier magnification. It's not the equal to some other options in sharpness, just you'll have to pay quite a chip more to get a stabilized, autofocus lens with impeccable functioning, like our Editors' Pick Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED ($729.00 at Amazon UK) (and y'all'll need a Nikon camera to use information technology). The Rokinon lens is available in several mounts, and is also sold in a version optimized for video employ.

Pattern and Features
Like other Rokinon lenses, the 100mm F2.8 ($729.00 at Amazon UK)  is bachelor in a standard edition that's designed like a traditional photographic lens, and a second version that's got some special features for pro cinematographers—in this case that's the Rokinon Cine DS T3.1 ED UMC Full Frame Telephoto Macro ($729.00 at Amazon Britain) . And the verbal aforementioned two lenses are sold as the Samyang 100mm F2.viii ED UMC Macro ($729.00 at Amazon UK) and the Samyang VDSLR II 100mm T3.1 ED UMC Macro ($729.00 at Amazon United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland) at the aforementioned respective price points. Bated from the make name on the barrel, at that place's no departure between the Rokinon and Samyang lenses; the lens optics are identical regardless of your choice of brand and design.

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We received the standard photo version of the lens with Rokinon branding for review in a Nikon mount. Information technology tin can also be purchased in Canon EF, Four Thirds, Pentax Thou, and Sony A SLR mounts, and Canon M, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Samsung NX, and Sony E mirrorless mounts. The SLR lens measures about 4.viii by 2.viii inches (HD), while mirrorless versions are roughly 6.ix by 2.8 inches. Weight varies from i.vi pounds to one.7 pounds depending on the mountain.

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The lens supports 67mm front filters and includes a reversible hood. Its body is mostly high-quality plastic, not that far off from mod Nikkor lenses in feel. There's a physical aperture ring that is uncoupled with almost versions of the lens—the aperture narrows immediately, so your viewfinder dims and depth of field is visible as you end downwardly. The exception is the Nikon mount version; it has a coupled aperture that can be fix manually in half-stop increments or controlled electronically via your camera body (the Nikon D810 ($729.00 at Amazon Britain) supports third-terminate adjustments). It'due south a nine-bract design that gives out-of-focus highlights a circular await when stopped down.

Full 1:1 magnification is supported at the minimum 12-inch focus distance. The focus ring is covered in a rubberized texture so you tin can turn it comfortably—much more than and so than the geared focus mechanism of the Cinematics version—and information technology has calibration markings in meters, anxiety, and magnification. At that place is a depth of field scale printed on the barrel, but it only has markings for the set focus point and f/22, making information technology somewhat useless for scale focus. That's non a surprise for a telephoto lens, and specially not when you consider that working at shut distances creates a very shallow depth of field. The lens has a fairly long throw, requiring a 180-degree turn to go from infinity to the minimum focus altitude. But about of that is in the the close-upwardly expanse of the range; at that place's not much divergence between the longest (5 feet) marked position and the difficult stop at infinity.

Image Quality and Conclusions
I used Imatest to see how the 100mm Macro performs when paired with the 36-megapixel Nikon D810. At f/2.viii the lens scores 2,292 lines per picture height on a centre-weighted sharpness test, a figure that exceeds the i,800 lines we like to come across in an image. Our test is center-weighted, and the 100mm puts up great numbers in the middle third—3,025 lines—and but they drop off at the middle third (i,943 lines) and the outer third (1,351 lines) of the frame, which means that subjects at the edges of the your frame aren't going to exist a flake muddy at f/ii.eight.

At f/4 the overall functioning improves to 2,813 lines, with numbers evening out for the well-nigh office—the centre is still very stiff (3,625 lines) and the eye third is very crisp in its ain right (two,513 lines), but the outer edges however fall behind (1,640 lines). The lens continues to better every bit the aperture is narrowed. At f/v.6 the average score is 3,176 lines based on a iii,797/3,067/ii,099-line split up. At f/8 the edges proceed up with the rest of the frame, netting a 3,472-line center-weighted score with the periphery showing an excellent 2,738 lines. The best performance is at f/11; the average improves to iii,601 lines with crisp (three,189 lines) edges.

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Diffraction sets in at f/16 and drops the average score to three,378 lines, but the lens is still quite usable there. You may be tempted to stop down to f/22 or f/32 to improve depth of field when working at full magnification, just be enlightened that yous'll accept a hit in image quality by doing so. At f/22 the lens drops to 2,823 lines, and it shows just 1,961 lines at f/32. Distortion is a nonissue, which is expected of a macro lens.

The Rokinon 100mm F2.8 ED UMC Full Frame Telephoto Macro isn't an impeccable performer—it shows some edge softness at wide apertures—only information technology's very sharp throughout most of the frame, even at f/2.eight, and well-baked at the edges when working at the narrower apertures that are frequently used for high magnification. Whether information technology'due south labeled Rokinon or Samyang, the lens performs admirably all the fashion downward through f/16. Manual focus isn't for everybody, simply it's fine for photographers who work on a tripod and with Alive View to frame and focus images with precision. The Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/100 is an expensive alternative if you prefer a metal build and a wider maximum aperture, but its maximum magnification is limited to half life-size. If you're looking for a better all-around lens you may find information technology worth the extra money to become with a macro prime with autofocus and vibration reduction, like the Micro-Nikkor 105mm; it'due south pricey, just it impressed us enough to earn our Editors' Selection.

Rokinon 100mm F2.8 ED UMC Full Frame Telephoto Macro

Cons

The Bottom Line

The Rokinon 100mm F2.eight ED UMC Total Frame Telephoto Macro is a fine lens for macro shooters who prefer manual focus, but you lot'll have to give upwardly optical stabilization.

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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/rokinon-100mm-f28-ed-umc-full-frame-telephoto-macro

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