Samyang 14mm f2.8 --- Lens Review and Sample Shots

[JTPhotography]

Can't say enough good things about this Samyang 14mm (using it on a full frame 5d). This thing is great, super fun and endless ways to get creative with it. An awesome value at under 400 bucks. As far as night sky photography, it is the perfect lens because it is sharp and wide and you're gonna be shooting in manual anyway. Having started out in film with full manual cameras, I really like going back to shooting all manual anyway. Here are just a few example shots. Keep in mind, the dog and cat where shot at f2.8 with the camera prefocused and nearly sitting on the ground, I wasn't looking through the viewfinder, just waited til they reached minimum focus distance (less than 12 inches) then snapped. Fun!

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[matthewo]

very nice, the 85mm 1.4 is pretty good too btw. i have the rokinon version for nikon. samyang, rokinon, vivitar, bower all the same lens, just pick best price

 

[Samerr9]

That is very nice.. I called the dealer today

As I already have the 16-35 2.8 I don't think the 14 will do me so good in my case.. But I am condsidering the 8mm fish eye..

How are you dealing with manual focus?

 

[JTPhotography]

Manual focus isn't bad, with the dog and cat it was kinda tricky, but most of what I do is sky shots, and the DOF is so huge that it is just a matter of finding that one focus point.

 

[Samerr9]

Honestly I want to get it as my brother engagement party is on 2 Feb.. so I will be taking photos and I want to take fisheye shots of the ball room.. any experience with that?

 

[480sparky43 42]

It might be worth mentioning this lens is rectilinear and not a 'fisheye'.

Samyang is also sold under the names Vivitar, ProOptic, Bower, Opteka, Bell & Howell, Rokinon and Falcon.

 

[TheBiles]

That is very nice.. I called the dealer today

As I already have the 16-35 2.8 I don't think the 14 will do me so good in my case.. But I am condsidering the 8mm fish eye..

How are you dealing with manual focus?

I love this lens, and I just set it at f/5.6, focus to 1m, and forget it. The depth of field is insane at 14mm, so you never have to worry about focusing unless you want to get something exactly at the minimum focal distance. Couple of my favorite shots with it:


Highland Lake Inn Brunch (8 of 10) by Quentin Biles, on Flickr


Georgia Tech vs Clemson (8 of 19) by Quentin Biles, on Flickr

 

[Samerr9]

It might be worth mentioning this lens is rectilinear and not a 'fisheye'.

Samyang is also sold under the names Vivitar, ProOptic, Bower, Opteka, Bell & Howell, Rokinon and Falcon.

Also the 8mm is not fisheye? Because that is what I am considering..

That is very nice.. I called the dealer today

As I already have the 16-35 2.8 I don't think the 14 will do me so good in my case.. But I am condsidering the 8mm fish eye..

How are you dealing with manual focus?

I love this lens, and I just set it at f/5.6, focus to 1m, and forget it. The depth of field is insane at 14mm, so you never have to worry about focusing unless you want to get something exactly at the minimum focal distance. Couple of my favorite shots with it:

Really beautiful shots Thanks for the tip..

 

[rexbobcat]

The 8mm is fisheye.

The only thing I worry about is the distortion. The rather bad mustache distortion is hard to correct and when it's corrected the photo has to be cropped a bit.

Yes it's a bargain at its price point, but why buy a super wide if I have to crop it later to get rid of the distortion anyways....

 

[480sparky43 42]

Also the 8mm is not fisheye? Because that is what I am considering.

The 8mm is a fisheye. The 8mm also a crop-sensor lens, meaning it won't cover the sensor of a 'full-frame' body.

You can, however, cut the petals off the 8mm and get almost a full circular fisheye on a full-frame.

 

[Samerr9]

The 8mm is fisheye.

The only thing I worry about is the distortion. The rather bad mustache distortion is hard to correct and when it's corrected the photo has to be cropped a bit.

Yes it's a bargain at its price point, but why buy a super wide if I have to crop it later to get rid of the distortion anyways....

Also the 8mm is not fisheye? Because that is what I am considering.

The 8mm is a fisheye. The 8mm also a crop-sensor lens, meaning it won't cover the sensor of a 'full-frame' body.

You can, however, cut the petals off the 8mm and get almost a full circular fisheye on a full-frame.

Thank you so much for the feedback.. You made me change my mind.. Because I was planning to use it with the 5dmkii and as mentioned it is kind of meaning less if you need to crop and I have the 16-35 already.. Ill keep the $400 the lens I am dreaming of for a while , the 70-200 mkii I hope I will be able to get it in Jan 13

 

[jake337]

Any links to side by side tests with other 14mm primes and zooms that have 14mm in their range?