Category Archives: Samyang

Review: Samyang AF 18mm 2.8 FE – The affordable UWA lens

Introduction

18 2.8 af fe samyang review a7rii a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp contrast resolution sharpness bokeh
Samyang FE 18mm 2.8 AF on Sony A7rII

A small, lightweight and very affordable 18mm lens can be an interesting option for many photographers. It can extend the viewing angle compared to a midrange zoom significantly and if you only rarely delve into ultra wideangle photography it can also be a great option, as you will have less money sitting idle in your lens cabinet. The Samyang 18mm 2.8 AF wants to be exactly this lens, but the question remains, how high a toll the small size took on its optical performance. Let’s find out about that in this review!

Sample Images

18 2.8 af fe samyang review a7rii a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp contrast resolution sharpness bokeh
Sony A7III | Samyang 18mm 2.8 AF | f/3.2
18 2.8 af fe samyang review a7rii a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp contrast resolution sharpness bokeh
Sony A7III | Samyang 18mm 2.8 AF | f/3.2
18 2.8 af fe samyang review a7rii a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp contrast resolution sharpness bokeh
Sony A7III | Samyang 18mm 2.8 AF | f/2.8
18 2.8 af fe samyang review a7rii a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp contrast resolution sharpness bokeh
Sony A7III | Samyang 18mm 2.8 AF | f/8.0
18 2.8 af fe samyang review a7rii a7rv a7riv 42mp 61mp contrast resolution sharpness bokeh
Sony A7III | Samyang 18mm 2.8 AF | f/5.6

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Review: Samyang 10mm 3.5 XP

Introduction

samyang 10mm 3.5 xp review 42mp 61mp sony a7rIV a7rIII a7rII contrast resolution color wide angle ultra wide
Samyang 10mm 3.5 XP via Sigma MC-11 on Sony A7rII

The Samyang 10mm 3.5 XP is a bit of an odd lens. It is still the widest lens for DSLRs, but it was announced at a time when no one really cared about DSLRs anymore. And it came out after the Voigtländer 10mm 5.6, which surely didn’t help the marketing department. And in the meantime we also got the Laowa 9mm 5.6, which is even wider, has great optics and is small at the same time. So is there still a reason to get the Samyang 10mm 3.5 XP in 2022? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Images

samyang 10mm 3.5 xp review 42mp 61mp sony a7rIV a7rIII a7rII contrast resolution color wide angle ultra wide
Sony A7rII | Samyang 10mm 3.5 XP | f/8.0
samyang 10mm 3.5 xp review 42mp 61mp sony a7rIV a7rIII a7rII contrast resolution color wide angle ultra wide
Sony A7III | Samyang 10mm 3.5 XP | f/8.0
samyang 10mm 3.5 xp review 42mp 61mp sony a7rIV a7rIII a7rII contrast resolution color wide angle ultra wide
Sony A7III | Samyang 10mm 3.5 XP | f/6.3
samyang 10mm 3.5 xp review 42mp 61mp sony a7rIV a7rIII a7rII contrast resolution color wide angle ultra wide
Sony A7rII | Samyang 10mm 3.5 XP | f/3.5
samyang 10mm 3.5 xp review 42mp 61mp sony a7rIV a7rIII a7rII contrast resolution color wide angle ultra wide
Sony A7III | Samyang 10mm 3.5 XP | f/4.5

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Review: Samyang AF 75/1.8 FE

“Tiny but ABSOLUTE” that’s Samyang’s claim for their AF 75/1.8 FE lens. One could add that it is one of the cheapest lenses for the system. So what can you expect from a 230g lens for $399? Read on if you want to know.

Samyang AF 75/1.8 FE Review

Most images in this review can be found in full resolution in my Samyang AF 75/1.8 FE flickr set. There you can also browse samples in a very high quality browser.

 

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Review: Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP

Introduction

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Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP via metabones adapter on Sony A7rII

Back in 2018 Samyang – mostly known for cheap manual focus lenses like the 14mm 2.8 and the 85mm 1.4 at that time – wanted to show what they are capable of and released the first lens of their “Premium MF XP Series”, the Samyang 50mm f/1.2 XP. These faster XP lenses are only available for Canon EF mount and it seems they were devoid of any size constraints during development and even come with electronic contacts and electronic diaphragm controlled by the camera.
Despite all this it seems no one bought them though – was it due to bad marketing, lack in optical qualities or simply because of the massive size of these lenses? Let us find out in this review!

Sample Images

samyang 50mm 1.2 xp premium mf canon ef sony a7r 42mp review sharpness bokeh coma vignetting contrast
Sony A7rII | Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP | f/1.2
samyang 50mm 1.2 xp premium mf canon ef sony a7r 42mp review sharpness bokeh coma vignetting contrast
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP | f/1.2
samyang 50mm 1.2 xp premium mf canon ef sony a7r 42mp review sharpness bokeh coma vignetting contrast
Sony A7III | Samyang 50mm 1.2 XP | f/1.4

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Review: Samyang AF 35/1.4 FE – High Performance with Issues

The Samyang AF 35/1.4 FE is the most affordable in the croweded field of fast 35mm AF E-mount lenses. I this review I try to answer the question if it is a smart buy.

Samyang AF 35/1.4 FE Review

Most images in this review can be found in full resolution in my Samyang AF 35/1.4 FE flickr set. There you can also browse samples in a very high quality browser.

 

Continue reading Review: Samyang AF 35/1.4 FE – High Performance with Issues