[toni-a]

With new arrival of Chinese manufacturers and their new products I am seeing this as a very positive thing.

So I am interested in getting some of their gear.however I don't want to gamble high and get expensive gear for the time being, let's say 250$ should be the max for a lens.

I am considering yongnuo 35mm f2.0 and one of those ultrafast manual focus lenses any suggestions

My considerations for the time

[Brightcolours]

The Yongnuo 35mm f2 is a very bad little lens, worse even than the not so good 50mm f1.8 Yongnuo. We discussed this before.
The Canon EF 35mm f2 does a much better job, and you should be able to find it under $250 now that it is out of production and replaced. The only weakness of the Canon are the soft extreme corners.
 
To quote lenstip:
"On full frame the results are simply tragically weak. At the maximum relative aperture the MTFs barely exceed 15 lpmm and the highest possible result can be achieved by f/11; still even there the lens cannot go higher than 30 lpmm."
That does show clearly in the sample images.

There is nothing which speaks for the Yongnuo.

Why not be interested in actually new designs, than the badly copied Canon old designs by Yongnuo?

[toni-a]

my experience with yongnuo 50f1.8 was positive, only reason I gave it as a birthday present is having the 50f1.4, it it is as good as the 50 I am satisfied.

now other than yongnuo what exotic items you recommend ?

[Brightcolours]

my experience with yongnuo 50f1.8 was positive, only reason I gave it as a birthday present is having the 50f1.4, it it is as good as the 50 I am satisfied.
now other than yongnuo what exotic items you recommend ?

See the lenstip review for how bad it (Yongnuo 35mm f2) is. I know of no valid argument to choose it over the better Canon 35mm f2.

For under $250, I can not think of any Chinese lens to recommend you.

From the chinese lenses, Klaus found that the Laowa 105mm f2 STF is a most lovely lens. The Laowa 60mm f2.8 2:1 macro is another pretty good lens.
The Mitakon 85mm f1.2 also is an interesting lens, obviously one for those who like to experiment with big apertures. If you usually stop down lenses, I see no reason to buy any primes and stopped down zoom lenses perform just fine, usually.
The Korean Samyang has interesting 16mm f2 and 10mm f2.8 lenses for APS-C, and a 12mm f2.8 fisheve for FF.
A bit longer lenses, the Mitakon 135mm f2.8 is very affordable (but so are old 135mm f2.8 lenses which can be adapted with simple cheap adapters), and the Samyang 135mm f2 has quite stunning optics, almost rivaling those of the Zeiss 135mm f2.
All those are MF.

[toni-a]

what about this one ?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Opteka-Aspherical...B00KGE4VS2

[Brightcolours]

That 6.5mm fisheye has a decent reputation. It is a rebranded lens from Samyang, from before Samyang started to internationally sell lenses under its own name.

[davidmanze]

I'm not quite sure of what this lens is being 6.5mm, is it in fact a M3/4 design which is being sold with a Canon adapter?    It has a 180° FOV with a removable hood!yet the 8mm Samyang (Optica) also has a 180° FOV.

[Brightcolours]

Hmmm, it is said that the Opteka 6.5mm f3.5 is in fact the SAME as the Samyang 8mm f3.5?

http://michel.thoby.free.fr/SAMYANG/Earl...eport.html

[toni-a]

I do own the rokinon 8mm fisheye, so no need to replace it with this one.

[Rover]

I would not waste any money on silly stuff like the Yongnuos (that would be very difficult to get rid of, to boot). YMMV.

Sure, we all get the itch to try something new and different sometime, but... this is not it. Trying a fisheye lens for a change is a nice idea. I get that from time to time.

 

P. S. I know of a Canon lens that is cheap and punches way above its weight. I had it for 4 years and was never really disappointed... please welcome...

http://www.opticallimits.com/canon-eos/1...rt--review