A strange thing happened when I started using this lens: Rokinon/Samyang AF 45mm f/1.8 FE

This serves as an addendum to my earlier review post.

A strange thing happened when I started using the Rokinon/Samyang AF 45mm f/1.8 FE.

I have stopped shooting film.

Have a couple of film cameras currently loaded with film that have been abandoned. Will go back to them I am sure, but for now I have lost interest. This had me wondering why.

While being way too angular and shiny to properly ape the aesthetics of my favorite type of film cameras, SLRs, this combination does a wonderful job of approximating the size and weight of these SLRs.

Other nice 50mm Sony lenses on the market and tried are simply too large or even too slow to make carry about combinations for me. Aside from the price I am still not drawn to the Zeiss 55mm. Not interested in longer than 50mm and it is just a bit larger and more expensive than I would like. Size, cost, and slight slowness of focus are what hobbled an otherwise great lens in Rokinon/Samyang’s own 50mm f/1.4. But size, weight, and general form factor are not what is currently keeping these other film cameras and lenses on a shelf. Have had a small 50mm in the form of the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8. But as I have cataloged before that lens is not special. And while we are at it no other native Sony lenses I have tried have been special either no matter the size or cost.

Then walked in the Rokinin/Samyang 45mm f/1.8. As noted it delivers a proper SLR lens size and weight approximation. It does also focus very fast, very accurately, and very silently for video and stills. While truly appreciated and addressing a major flaw with many other 50mm-ish Sony primes this is not what put other film cameras on a shelf. So what did?

Special images are exactly why I still shoot film here in the year 2019.

And this Rokinon/Samyang digital lens also creates special images. Very special images. It regularly creates images that put a broad smile on my face. And for me, that is largely the whole point.

I can prattle on about colors, blur, contrast and such attempting to quantify what essentially defies technical categorization or I could show you what I am on about in image form. I choose the latter. Below are my favorites so far and here is an ongoing album.