There's quite a number of rather exotic third party manufacturers out there. Some come and go whereas others are here to stay. Samyang, a Korean manufacturer, is clearly in this 2nd group. In fact they are also OEMing their lenses to "brands" such as Bower, Rokinon or Walimex.

Those interested in a fast 135mm, who are either on a budget or don’t need autofocus for their work, should certainly consider this lens. It’s more than capable of delivering sharpness on a par with high-end lenses, but at a fraction of the cost.

*will serve for portraits *will accompany my 24-70 f/2.8 II while traveling *definitely a great bargain

*incredible sharpness; contrast; colour and bokeh at any aperture *beautiful rendering *short minimal focusing distance *price

*very critical manual focusing, split-field or microprism screen necessary ; needs getting used to *slightly heavy

The Samyang 135mm T2.2 VDSLR II ED UMC ($649) is a lens that delivers images with incredible clarity, even at its widest aperture, captures a heck of a lot of light, and features geared operation for cinema use.

Extremely sharp from edge to edge; No distortion; Geared for cinema use; Dual aperture and focus scales; Wide aperture

Not the most comfortable lens to use handheld; Some fall-off at t/2.2

This manual focus telephoto lens offers a fast f/2 maximum aperture for a price of around £380, which seems very good value for a 135mm lens with an f/2 maximum aperture.

As a lens for photographing the stary skies, it is excellent.

The Samyang range of hybrid cinelenses is topped by this the 135mm T2.2. It is also with the 100mm T3.1 macro lens the largest in the hybrid cine range. This is not a full on cine lens as the price and size immediately tells you but what you get for the money really opens up a whole new world for...

Samyang has been making waves with its latest line of AF lenses, but is primarily known for its range of incredibly sharp, manual focus optics. At 135mm, this lens is firmly in portrait territory, and its wide f/2 aperture returns seriously smooth out-of-focus areas, or bokeh, ideal for creating...

Apple has given select media outlets and YouTubers access to the new iPhone 14 ahead of when it begins arriving in customers' hands on Friday, September 16. There are two models of the ‌iPhone‌ 14, the standard 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 14 and the larger 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus.

The Apple iPhone 14 is no match for the just-released iPhone 14 Pro, but if you ignore that, it’s one of the most effective phones around.

Great cameras, front and back, Fast performance, Good battery life, Innovative safety features

Design too familiar, Some average features