Samyang/Rokinon Remaster Slim 21mm/28mm/32mm: They Did The Thing. More Thoughts.

Can I be honest here? Sure, I can. This is my space. Thank you me. (Welcome to the inner machinations of an only child’s mind. That is what I am chalking it up to anyway.)

I am a bit staggered by something.

I expected this Remaster Slim kit to feel more toy like or suffer some manner of performance issue but the only way I can say it is that it feels like a real lens. And a good one. This lens system was trying to do so much at such a reasonable price point that I expected much more compromise. Other third party companies have marketed more expensive offerings with many features left off of the table. I am not throwing shade. I have nothing against that Lensbaby kit. Just stating fact. Here? Any compromise in performance I have noticed, only vignetting really so far, is slight, will likely be addressed by a Lightroom lens profile one day, and is shared with any pancake lens I have ever used even from native camera manufacturers. Ok, flaring? But I have thoughts on that below on why that does not really bother me.

I see no downsides so far while creating a whole new thing basically. This is Samyang’s Tamron 35-150mm in my book. I am glad because their last two tries seemed to crib Tamron firsts. Specifically their 28-75mm and 35-150mm zooms. Not only have they now found their own lane but they smashed it out of the park from what I see so far. It has me hoping they make another slightly larger normal to short tele version. Maybe a 50mm/65mm/85mm about the size of a 50mm lens. Maybe f/2-2.8? There I go again. Wish listing the mess out of everything. Let me just be happy that they got this right.

For giggles, here are some images taken yesterday with the 28mm f/3.5 lens module. As an added bonus I have discovered goofy flaring when shooting directly into the sun. This does not bother me at all.

I expect this with a small pancake lens sans hood.
I do not want to put a hood on something so small.
I like them.

The pics.

Weekly yard work done I took a quick long way home spin to see what I could capture.

Thoughts.

For background these were all taken without much care. It is compact point and shoot at it’s compact point and shooty-ist. Hey, that scene might be neat. Point. Shoot. With full-frame. And I can change the focal length at will. I could not ask for better.

I am honestly trying not to gush, but this is nearly transformational with regards to a full frame camera and lens combination.

So not only did they create an honest to goodness full frame pancake lens for Sony. They went further. They created a small lens system that provides three focal length lenses for the price of one. Split three ways each focal length costs $133. Innovation and value… with a carrying case thrown in…

…and it just works?

Surprisingly good AF performance.
Acceptably sharp.
I like the colors.
Decent bokeh considering the humble aperture specs.
Makes for a jacket pocket friendly pairing.
Manages to look good while doing it.

And a full frame camera and lens a bit thicker…

Used the similarly sized Sony 20mm E lens since the Remaster Slim is not in their database yet.

…and slightly shorter…

…than the current APS-C Instathreadface darling.

Sidebar: I have nothing against the X100. I do not want that smoke. I too have been charmed by its ways for a time. But for comparison’s sake you could pick up the OG A7C and the Remaster Slim kit for about the same amount of spend with access to full-frame and three focal lengths. You could save even more if you go the similar APS-C sensor route. (31.5mm/42mm/48mm full-frame equivalent.) Not saying you should… but you could. (And… <psst> …you can actually purchase the Sony cameras and Remaster Slim kit. Again, no shade meant. Them’s the facts. New X100s have been unobtanium for a while now.) And we are back in 3, 2, 1…

Video addendum:

Video AF is swift and accurate but chattery enough that an off camera mic will be needed. I tested this quickly with my chosen off camera lav mic solution…