Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 FE II

Five years ago, Samyang unveiled its first autofocus lens, the AF 50mm F1.4 FE. One of the first third-party autofocus lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras, it was a decent first effort and capable of delivering very attractive images. But it was somewhat unrefined operationally, particularly in terms of autofocus.

Clearly the firm has learned a lot in a short time, because it’s now moved on to its next generation of lenses. The new AF 50mm F1.4 FE II we’re looking at here isn’t some modest reworking of the existing lens, but instead is a completely new design packed full of extra features.

At £599, the new optic costs £100 more than its predecessor did at launch. This makes it considerably more affordable than Sony’s FE 50mm F1.4 ZA (£1,299), but just £50 less than the