Pergear, Review

Review: Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II (FF)

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Introduction

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

It has generally been difficult to find ultra wide-angle prime lenses for any system until a few years ago. If you wanted a lens as wide as 14mm your only options were from Sony, Canon, or Zeiss for a lot of money that no ordinary man could afford. It has gradually changed and there are several affordable manual lenses available now. One of them is the Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II, which for about €240 seems to be a bargain. Let’s see if it’s any good!

Sample Images

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here.

Specifications

Focal Length 14mm
Angle of View 114°
# of Aperture Blades 10
Max Aperture f/2.8
Min Aperture f/22
Min Focus Distance 22 cm
Filter Size 82mm (with included accessory)
Lens Mount

Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Leica L
Weight 500
Size (D x L) 68.2 x 78 mm
Elements/Group 13/9
Pergear 14mm 2.8II Lens Construction

Variations

This is the second generation of this lens. You can see the physical differences in the following table.

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Pergear 14mm f/2.8, Original vs. Mark II

The improvements compared to the original lens are: smaller size, enhanced flare control, improved close-up capability, convenient filter attachment through a snap-on filter mount, and a metal lens cap instead of the plastic cap of the first generation.

You can buy this lens from Pergear’s official store! List price: €214 (Affiliate link)

You’ll get a discount using this link.

Handling

The Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II is a fully manual lens, with manual focusing, manual aperture setting, and no electrical contacts. It is not weather-sealed and being built all metal it feels heavy for its size  -like similar manual lenses built of metal.  It gives the impression of being assembled tightly and very well built. Opposite to most of lenses at this focal length (including the original version of this lens), the diameter of lens is constant. The focusing ring is quite big and turns smoothly about 110°, it is damped with relatively good friction.

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z 7ii | Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II | Filter Holder and Lens Cap

The aperture ring, near the front of the lens, is clickable with variable distance between f-stops. The ring click stops at half stops between 2.8 and 5.6, from which point it only clicks at each full stop. It is confusing as the half-stop clicks have the same distance as the full-stop clicks from f/5.6 and as there are no electric contacts, you cannot see the aperture values, unless you stop looking at the viewfinder or the LCD display and look at the lens instead. I’m happy to see that they have fixed the alignment issue and the aperture ring click stops exactly at the printed values for each aperture. The metallic lens cap is simply and securely put on the lens with suction/friction.

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z 7ii | Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II | Filter Holder with ND Filter

Together with the lens, you get a metallic lens hood of bayonet type with an 82 mm filter thread, which enables you to put filters in front of the lens.

Optical Features

Sharpness (Infinity)

For the infinity sharpness test, we look at three areas of the image, center, mid-frame, and corner, see highlighted areas in the image below!

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z 7ii | Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z 7ii | Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II | Infinity Sharpness

The center sharpness is very good right from f/2.8. The sharpness becomes excellent at f/4 and at f/5.6 it seems to be at its peak. At f/8 it is still excellent, f/11 very good, f/16 “just” good, and at f/22 it is OK.

The good news is that it is the same story in the midframe, excellent.

In the corners, the sharpness is OK at f/2.8, but the contrast is very bad and due to strong vignetting it is too dark. It gets a lot better at f/4, but the contrast is still low. At f/5.6 we get good sharpness. At f/8 and f/11 both the sharpness and contrast are very good, but still visibly darker than the rest of the frame. The diffraction takes some of the sharpness at f/16 and even more at f/22.

Sharpness (Close-up)

Close-up sharpness is excellent from f/2.8, Its peak performance is at f/4 though. It is excellent all the way up to f/11. The diffraction effect makes the image less sharp at f/16.

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

Lens Distortion

Nearly zero distortion. If you want a real zero distortion a +2 in LR/PS will do that. Very well done.

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z 7ii | Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z 7ii | Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8

Vignetting

Quite strong vignetting, which is not so unusual at f/2.8 for such a wide lens. Although it improves a little by stopping down, unfortunately, it does not disappear and even at f/8 there is more than 2 stops vignetting. To get rid of it you have to fix it in post.

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Vignetting Chart | Pergear 14/2.8 II on Nikon Z 7ii
  • f/2.8: 3.2 EV
  • f/4.0: 2.5 EV
  • f/5.6: 2.2 EV
  • f/8.0: 2.1 EV

Focus Shift & Aberrations

There is no LoCA visible and there is no issues with LaCA either, well done again.

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z 7ii | Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II

Flare Resistance

According to Pergear this Mark II version of the lens has enhanced flare control compared to the original version. While it is true, it is far from good. This is the weakest point of this lens as you can easily get flares of different kinds. You must be very cautious with the sun (or any strong light source) in all circumstances in or near the frame.

In some cases, when the sun/light source is just outside the frame, you can get rid of the flare effectively by throwing a shadow on the front lens element with your hand or something else. See tab “H” compared to tap “G”!









Coma

Ultra-wide-angle lenses are an obvious choice for starry sky or astrophotography, especially if they are fast. This lens with its f/2.8 max aperture should definitely be considered if it has a decent coma control.

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

The Pergear 14mm f/2.8II suffers only very mildly from coma in the extreme corners and edges of the frame. It’s there but it is more or less negligiglbe. In other words, while it is not perfect, it is more than good enough for astrophotography.

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Pergear 14mm f/2.8 | 2.8 | © Iván Ferrero

Sunstars

This 14mm lens with its 10 bladed aperture can produce distinct sunstars from f/4. They get a little more defined by stopping down but you only get marginally longer rays at smaller apertures.

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

  • Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f

Focus Breathing

This Pergear lens has some small focus breathing. How bad or good it is, depends on the the videographer, but for most it should be OK.

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z 7ii | Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II | Focus Breathing

Bokeh

This is not a lens to expect any nice bokeh from, but if you get really close, like as close as it is possible (0.22 m), you can get some background blur in the images.

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f2./8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8

Conclusion

I LIKE AVERAGE I DON’T LIKE
Sharpness
Price
Distortion Control
Chromatic Aberrations Correction
Sunstars
Size
Coma		 Sharpness in the Frame Corners
Focus Breathing		 Flare Control
Vignetting

The Pergear 14mm f/2.8II is a full-frame affordable fast ultra-wide angle lens with many strengths. While it is not free from weaknesses, it is a real value for money. Its biggest issue is the flare control. The vignetting is on the higher end of the scale, but that can be easily fixed in post. On the other hand, its sharpness, near-zero distortion, great chromatic aberrations correction, and low coma make this lens great for architecture photography, indoor photography, nightscape photography, and astrophotography. It is also great for landscape photography if you watch out for the sun. With a maximum aperture of f/2.8, It is a good ultra-wide-angle lens in its own right, but with a price tag of $290 or (€270), it is a bargain that you cannot go wrong with, especially if you are on a budget.

If you are interested in buying this lens or any of the lenses in the Alternatives section, you can support our efforts by using the links below or given under each lens. It won’t cost you a penny and it won’t affect the price, but it will help us a little.

You can buy this lens from Pergear’s official store! List price: €214  (Affiliate link)

You will geta  discount by using the link above.

or at: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.de for $289 (Affiliate links)

Alternatives

Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D

Completely manual. Good sharpness. One stop faster. Coma is worse than the Pergear wide open at f/2 but gets to the same level at 2.8. It’s a little bit larger than Pergear. It costs more than 2.5x the Pergear but lets double the light in. If the extra speed is important for your, no matter of cost, this could be the 15mm lens for you.
Buy new: amazon.com, amazon.de, amazon.co.uk for $828 (Affiliate links)
Buy used: ebay.com, ebay.de, ebay.co.uk, ebay.fr, ebay.com.au  (Affiliate links)

Laowa 14mm f/4

It is a completely manual lens. Although it is sharp, it has some field curvature, which makes the sharpness uneven across the frame. It is one of the smallest and lightest of all lenses in the alternatives list, it is one stop slower than the Pergear though but is about twice the price. Between this one and the Pergear, I’d go for the Pergear.
Buy new: amazon.com, amazon.de, amazon.co.uk for $449 (Affiliate links)

7Artisans 15mm f/4 Asph

This is also a fully manual lens with very good sharpness. Coma is at the same level as the Pergear. It is one stop slower than the Pergear but costs about 10% more.
Buy new: 7Artisans, $299 (Affiliate links)
ebay.com, ebay.de, ebay.co.uk  $359 (Affiliate links)

Voigtländer 15mm f/4.5 Super Wide Heliar

It is very sharp, has high micro contrast, excellent flare resistance, and the most beautiful sunstars in a very compact package. It has very good coma performance too.  Electric contacts transfer the lens data to the camera. It is one of the smallest and lightest of all lenses in the alternatives list, it is 1.3 stops slower than the Pergear though, but one of the most expensive lenses in this alternative list. If its slow speed or price does not bother you, go for it as this is, both optically and practically, the best lens in this list.
Buy new: amazon.com, amazon.de, amazon.co.uk for $550-$650 (Affiliate links)
Buy used: ebay.com, ebay.de, ebay.co.uk,   $489 (Affiliate links)

NISI 15mm f/4 Asph

This is also a fully manual lens with very good sharpness but a wavy distortion. Coma is at the same level as the Pergear but the NISI has better flare resistance. It is one stop slower than the Pergear but more than 2.5x expensive. If you are doing a lot of landscapes with he sun in the picture then you might want to consider this lens but the price is double the Pergear and is one stop slower.
Buy new: amazon.com, amazon.de, amazon.co.uk for $479 (Affiliate links)
Buy used: ebay.com, ebay.de, ebay.co.uk,   $389 (Affiliate links)

Samyang MF 14mm f/2.8 mk2

Fully manual. It has the same optics as the previous/original iteration of the Samyang 14mm f/2.8, but with new improved housing. This Samyang does not offer any way to use filters and has huge and difficult-to-fix distortion. Sharpness is not as good as the Pergear. For the about the same price I would go with Pergear. Available with Canon, Nikon, Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon M, and MFT mounts.

Samyang SP/XP 14mm f/2.4

One of the largest, heaviest, and most expensive lenses in this alternatives list. Good sharpness, distortion is much higher though. Coma is more or less about the same. Available only with Canon EF, and Nikon F mounts. It costs almost 3 times the Pergear.

Irix 15mm f/2.4

The largest lens in the list. Although good, I consider it too large.

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Buy new: amazon.com, amazon.de, amazon.co.uk, amazon.fr, amazon.com.au  (Affiliate links)
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More Sample Images

Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Review pergear 14mm f/2.8 II FF fullframe full-vrame APS-C nikon z6 Z6ii z50 z30 zfc z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f fc Sony FE Fuji X canon rf m43 review nikon z z-fc z30 z50 test sharpness bokeh coma vignetting Flare 24mp nikon z6 z6ii 46mp nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf nikon z f
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/2.8
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8
Nikon Z6 | Pergear 14mm f/2.8II | f/8

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here.

Further Reading

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Martin

Martin M.H. lives outside Stockholm, Sweden. He is a M.Sc. in Computer Technology but he has been a passionate photographer for over 45 years. He started his photographic adventures when he was thirteen with an Agfamatic pocket camera, which he soon replaced with a Canon rangefinder camera that his mom gave him in his teenages. After that he has been using Canon SLR, Nikon SLR manual focus and Autofocus, Sony mirrorless crop sensor, Nikon DSLR and Nikon Mirrorless. He has photographed any genre he could throughout the years and you can see all kind of images in his portfolio. During the later years though it has been mostly landscape, nature, travel and some street/documentary photography.

16 thoughts on “Review: Pergear 14mm f/2.8 II (FF)”

  1. Nice review again Martin, this compact cheap lens is quite interresting, could be great for astro-landscapes and astro time lapses 🙂 . Since it’s Pergear it will be also sold as Brightin Star ? I see a plan parallel glas element at the back ? Is this to correct for field curvature introduced by cameras with a thick filter stack like the Sony’s , Nikon cameras are generally better suited for compact wide angles* Especially legacy wide angle lenses perform less well on Sony bodies. KR Bjorn

    Reply

    1. I think depending on camera mount they may use rear elements of different thickness to account for differences in filter stack.
      If that is actually the case that would be a pretty smart approach.

      Reply

      1. Wouldn’t it be neat if Voigtlander made a feature on their M mount lenses where you could slide a rear corrective element onto certain lenses (much like a rear filter attachment) to optimize them for Sony (or other) cameras’ filter stack? This way they could make M mount lenses that could be used in the E-mount market and M Mount market, be used with an AF adapter, and they wouldn’t have pressure to discontinue lenses that don’t sell well in the e-mount market. I wonder if that would be feasible from the perspective of optical engineering.

        Reply

        1. It would actually be easily feasible.
          I know a guy who used a Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 with a self made rear filter on a camera with ultra thin sensor stack modification to restore its original performance like on a stock camera.

          Reply

  2. I think it’s time for these manufacturers to finally st…, I mean, acquire a better coating technology. This seems to remain their only major weakness, beside lack of any quality control. It’s nice to see gradual improvements though, sometimes in pretty large steps. The difference in body design between MKI and MKII alone is quite something.
    I’m too afraid of getting a decentered Chinese lens to take risks with them yet (communication issues, return costs + large import tax that goes to waste), but I’d avoid this lens anyway because of flare issues. If it was a portrait lens or something, I could work around it, but with 14mm… Perhaps MKIII will have it all?
    Nice review Martin, it was a pleasure to read it. Thank you!

    Reply

    2. I think its not only the coatings. The edges of the lenses, the interior baffles need a lot attention as well, but also the optical design should be taking into account reflections between the elements and where they go. But wen you introduce this extra optimisation factor, you probably loose a bit on other abberations.Better new type of coating helps (Nano, Arneo et cetera) a lot but it’s not the only thing. All the stuff costs more money. I admire how quick the optical industry in China is developping.

      Reply

  3. I bought this lens on Amazon.de, it arrived within 10 days, it’s great quality, but I found a problem with putting the filter ring on the lens. There was quite a bit of play when fitted and the ring could not be tightened into a tight grip on the bayonet. I contacted both the dealer and the factory, the response was immediate, they wanted to send a video with this problem. The feedback was also immediate, they sent me a video of them fitting the ring right at the factory. I found that the worker has to exert a lot of force to snap the ring into place. And I was afraid to use so much force that I wouldn’t damage the lens itself. This is my warning: Don’t be afraid to use that power and everything will be OK. Otherwise, the lens itself has, in my opinion, excellent focus up to the corners at f5.6-f11 even with my Sony A7Riii camera.

    Reply

  4. Interesting looking lens and some lovely sample images. I keep promising to get myself some interesting third-party lenses but so far apart from the Helios 44 for my Z6 I have failed miserably

    Reply

  5. Hi Martin,

    thank you for this really useful review!
    I’m repeatedly astonished at the results these simple lenses can achieve.

    When I just tried to buy one in the Pergear store, the discount code doesn’t work. Was the offer time limited?

    Greetings from Germany
    Valentin

    Reply

        1. Hi Alberto, I will try but not sure I can get a quick response right now as it is the Chinese New Year, and from Feb 10 to Feb 17 they have got holidays. I ask and if I get a response I’ll send an email to you.

          Reply

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