Thought on Samyang 14mm F2.8 canon lens

[Astronutjob]

Hello iv been looking to add a really wide angled lens to my collection for milkyway and widefield shots etc? iv seen afew peoples images taken with this lens that look pretty good, is this a good choice? or are there better lenses for the price? It says its an aspherical lens? what is the difference between a spherical lens and an aspherical lens photowise? also i would be using it with a Canon 600D how would the field of view compare with this compared to my canon 18mm-55mm kit lens set at 18mm?

[baggywrinkle]

I too have looked at the Samyang lenses. They get some mixed reviews, some say they are not worth the money and some say that they are good value for the price.

Here's one:

http://alikgriffin.com/samyang-14mm-f28-review-and-sample-photos

And here's another:

http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/532-samyang14f28eosff

[Psychobilly]

Check out some of the shots by Mike73 and Saturn5  both of them use the Samyang 14/2.8  on full frame bodies ....

I have recently bought one to use with a 5D Mk III but it came with a generous helping of cloud in the box so I haven't had a chance to use it yet...

Peter...

[davew]

Be careful when you read daylight reviews. Some can say a lens is great and some it's bobbins. We require different things from our lenses at night. We want them to do the almost impossible.

The images I've seen so far would indicate it's a reasonable lens to use. The imagers Peter indicated have had success and if he says he bought one to use on a 5D III then I'd listen. ( I'm a creep )

It will give a wider view than you might think against your 18mm.

Search out the Imaging - widefield.

Dave.

[Psychobilly]

Samyang have changed the design especially the coatings I'm not sute when they did it and how you can tell easily ...

I'm currently looking at the sat loops to decide if it worth an 80 mile round trip and mile walk each way carrying the kit to try and get the image i have in my mind to fistlight the combo... If I didnt have to be up early for work tomorrow it would be an easier decision to make..

The smaller sensorwont push the lens performance quite as hard  as a full frame one...I might take two bodies to compare...

Peter...

[MooMoo]

It is a good lens if you get a good one, some are soft focusing some are not, they also have Moustache distortion that needs to be corrected, but if you get a good focusing one the pics I have seen look good.

[Psychobilly]

The jury is still out on my example... So far I have only tried it under less than ideal conditions - It was blowing a gale the other night and there was a lot of moisture in the atmosphere - so will wait until I have before deciding what to do...

Peter...

[stoffe]

Hello

I own a Samyang 14 mm and I use it with a Nikon D600 (FX/Fullframe body) camera and I am very satisfied, I can only speak for the Nikon variant but the Canon one should be the same I think. It is a very sharp lens but it lacks good antireflex coating and it is very easy to get lens flares if a lamp on a long distance is in the field of view.

Here is some astrophotos that I have taken with Nikon D600 and Samyang 14 AE lens.

Aurora Borealis at my backyard

http://astronet.se/view_image.php?id=2794&mode=large

Milky way seen from Gotland.

http://astronet.se/view_image.php?id=2729&mode=large

I have just turned my camera 180 degree and after that I took this one.

http://astronet.se/phpBB3/download/file.php?id=1652

And yes, I am satisfied with this lens that I bought second hand. The negative side of this lens is the bad antireflex coating as already mentioned and no autofocus. Some users also have problem that thay could not focus to the infinity and the distance scale is showing totaly wrong.