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amazon Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 reviews
Supported by a Full Frame sensor and an E-mount bracket, the Samyang FE 14mm F / 2.8 provides a super-wide-angle viewfinder, large aperture, and autofocus features. It is one of the rare ultra-wide-angle E-mount lenses for landscape, astro, and occasional mixed-use applications like architectural and interior photography under available light. The lens produces decent colors and sharpness, but with slow focus. As a trade-off, we gain compactness and price as well as stunning images courtesy of ultra-wide-angle effects.
The Samyang exudes enough sturdiness and beauty for its price and compact size. Weight balance on a mounted Sony A7 body is not at all disturbed with this lightweight lens, allowing for less tiring one-handed operation. The lens has a built-in hood so there is no filter use, although the filter can be mounted on the outside of the filter holder. What disappoints me is that the lens has no weather resistance for use in extreme environmental conditions.
The main specifications of the Samyang 14mm F / 2.8 lens are such that
Lens-type: Prime lens.
Most Compatible Sensor: Full Frame.
Metric Fahrenheit = 14 mm.
Most extreme viewing angle = 113.9°.
Aperture: F / 2.8 – F / 22.
Number of blades: 7.
Maximum Magnification Ratio: 0.12X.
Weight: 505gr.
Dimensions: 97.5 mm x 85.5 mm.
The lens case is neatly folded and the six faces are printed “AF” to focus on one thing only: This is a lens with AF.
First impression in hand is the hard but cool metallic casing.
The hood is made of metal, however, this hood is too loose to be of any protection when mounted on the lens and too fragile to survive any accidental knocks.
Pretty compact and very light. This makes me admire; can be said to be a plus point.
On a Full Frame sensor, the lens provides ultra-wide viewing angles of 113.9° at 14mm.
The focus ring of the lens is smooth and gliding. Before I had a 50mm F/1.4 AF lens, but it was not as smooth as this turned out.
On the outer lens, Samyang features Ultra Multi Coating to reduce flare, ghosting, and all other unwanted optical effects.
The rear of the Emount is constructed in stainless steel with electronic contact pins. The lens is made in Korea.
where can you get a Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 online
Samyang SY14MAE-N 14mm F2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Lens for Nikon AE: Buy it now
Samyang SY14M-C 14mm F2.8 Ultra Wide Fixed Angle Lens for Canon: Buy it now
Samyang SY14M-S 14mm F2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Lens for Sony Alpha: Buy it now
Samyang SY14M-P 14mm F2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Lens for Pentax: Buy it now
Optical Performance
Image Quality
For its price, the Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 offers excellent image quality. The lens provides images sharp and detailed from corner to corner, with reasonable sharpness from the center of the frame even wide-open at a maximum aperture. Stopping down the lens will further enhance its performance, with pronounced corner sharpness. This makes it useful for landscape shots and architectural photos in which edge-to-edge clarity is indispensable.
Chromatic Aberration and Distortion
Some chromatic aberration will show, CA being the extended color fringe that can occur in cases of high contrast. While some CA might show up during high-contrast situations, it is generally very well controlled and can be corrected in post with no problem. Distortion levels are fairly low, but like on all ultra-wide lenses, expect barrel-like distortion from edge to edge of the frame. In editorial, this is manageable and can be compensated for via lens profiles.
Vignetting
Vignetting or the gradual falloff of light in the corners of the image is encountered at the widest aperture of F2.8, but it is rather mild compared to other ultra-wide lenses. As aperture closure begins and continues through smaller apertures, the gradient somehow becomes less noticeable. Thus, vignetting in most cases is trivial and fluffy to matter in good images or be corrected with a heavy hand.
Flare and Ghosting
The decent performance of the lens regarding flare and ghosting is due to the multi-layer coating that reduces reflections effectively while enhancing contrast. Some flare will go uncontrolled if aimed directly into a strong light source; otherwise, it is well controlled by this lens. It has a great performance against backlighting and is designed essentially for scenes having such difficult light conditions.
Autofocus and Manual Focus
Autofocus Performance
The Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 is a manual focus lens, meaning there is no auto-focusing mechanism. This is a reasonable design and considered the norm for ultra-wide lenses at this price point since the form factor benefits from the compactness and lightweight that comes with manual focus. While practical auto-focusing is indeed a drawback for some, this very design allows for meticulous manual adjustments, which could pay off in situations where exact focus counts.
Manual Focus Operation
Focusing manually with the Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 is enjoyable with a very smooth focus ring for manual focus. The long throw of the lens allows good space for fine-tuning. Distance and depth-of-field markings on the focus ring can assist with accurate focusing, especially in landscape and architectural work.
Focus Peaking and Magnification
For users of Sony mirrorless cameras, focus peaking and magnification features are available for manual focusing. For example, during focus peaking, the areas of the image that are in focus are highlighted, which makes achieving sharpness easier. Similarly, the user can use the magnification function to zoom in on the live view screen for more precise focus, especially with ultra-wide views for critical sharpness.
Usability and Versatility
Wide-Angle Perspective
The 14mm SAMYANG lens makes for an ultra-wide field of view, and is, therefore, most effective when taking pictures of huge landscapes, massive architectural objects, and constricted interiors. The creative opportunities that wide angles allow, with massively exaggerated perspectives, tantalize viewers, giving way to images that have great depth and great scale.
Astrophotography
With wide aperture and focal lengths, this lens is perfect for astrophotography. With the F2.8 aperture, it gathers enough light to obtain star fields and other celestial objects using short exposure times. The sharpness and very little chromatic aberration make this lens appropriate for nighttime photography.
Travel and Outdoor Photography
Its compact and lightweight design makes the Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 quite handy for travels and outdoor photography. In addition, the lens is weather-sealed for better durability under different environmental conditions. It is great with its wide angle, influential sharp performance, mobility, and ability to capture beautiful landscapes or architectural details on the go.
Landscape and Architectural Photography
Landscapes and architecture can find optimal results with this lens. It is the best in terms of use, with wide angles and high resolution. It gives sharpness, low distortion, and very little chromatic aberration, which helps in capturing detailed, accurate representations of structures and natural scenes.
Great Value
Cheap Price
The Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 is notable for price, has extremely decent performance within the price range, making it fairly sensible for budget photographers looking for a wide-angle lens with decent image quality and solid build. It thus makes a very interesting decisional element in every borrowing capacity balancing performance and money spent, making it open to an amateur photographer or professional depending on their reserving choices.
Performance vs Price
In performance, the Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 captures a high point in optical quality alongside usability for the price at which it comes. The images are crispy and sport very little distortion and chromatic aberration. Thus, it is a strong performer in its class. The fact that it does not come with autofocus is a trade-off in getting a lower price. Still, the operation of manual focus fits many applications, especially landscapes and astrophotography.
Long-Term Value
Equipped with durability and performance, the Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 affords long-term value for people seeking dependable ultra-wide lenses. With its weather-sealed body and sturdy materials, it can be reasonably expected to withstand the rigors of usage in various situations. However, the performance of this lens, combined with its very affordable pricing, makes it a wise purchase for photographers looking for reasonably priced high-end wide-angle lenses.
Conclusion
The Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 is an incredible ultra-wide-angle prime lens with an interesting combination of performance, build quality, and pricing. Its impressive sharpness and absence of chromatic aberration allow it to fit in various photographic applications that include landscape, architecture, and astrophotography.
While its use of manual focus may not suit everybody, it certainly gives additional control and remains one of the features of the compact and lightweight lens. Along with weather sealing, it adds to the versatility of this lens suitable for outdoor and travel photography.
All in all, Samyang FE 14mm F2.8 gives an excellent value in the ultra-wide lens category. It offers high-level optical performance at a price attainable by both amateur and professional photographers. It therefore stands out in the vast number of choices available for any photographers searching for a strong yet lightweight ultra-wide-angle lens for Sony E-mount cameras in terms of build quality, performance, and affordability.