Samyang continues to move onwards into autofocus territory, now presenting us with their first AF Nikon F fit lens, the full frame AF 14mm f/2.8. Definitely in the class of the ultra-wide, the 14mm lens is demanding of manufacture and of technique, so let's see how it stands up to the competition, using for this review the 45mp Nikon D850 body.
Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 F Handling and Features
This is a chunky lens, but not excessively so, weighing in at a reasonable 474g. This balances well with the Nikon D850, slightly front heavy because of the huge front element, but still comfortable in use. Starting at the front, there is a built-in petal lens hood that offers some protection for the large, domed front element. There is no filter ring. This is, of course, a full frame lens, offering a field of view of 116.6 degrees. If used on an APS-C format body the "35mm equivalent" becomes 21mm, with a field of view of 92.8 degrees.
Behind this is the wide, electronic, manual focusing ring. This offers full-time manual focus, so after AF operation further tweaks can be made without having to engage an MF mode. The action is very smooth, with just the right amount of resistance. Focusing is down to 0.2m, or 0.66 feet, giving a maximum magnification of 0.15x. There is no distance scale on the lens.
The only other feature is the AF/MF switch. The bayonet mount is well machined in metal and looks as well made as the rest of the lens. The standard of construction is very high. The lens is also weather sealed, a very useful feature.
The optical formula is 15 elements in 10 groups, including 2 Aspherical, 1 ED (Extra Low Dispersion) and 4 HR (High Refractive Index) elements. The lens utilises Samyang's UMC (Ultra Multi Coating) to suppress flare and ghosting. The diaphragm consists of 7 rounded blades, intended to improve the bokeh of the lens.
The AF, driven by a linear stepping motor, is silent, swift and accurate, and indeed the general handling is equally smooth. A 14mm lens can be quite challenging to get the best out of, but this one handles so beautifully that the actual operation never intrudes on the image making process. The wide sweep of the field of view is particularly useful for interior architectural shots, but many other areas of subject matter can also be tackled, from landscapes to portraits. Portrait subjects might appreciate us not being too close as ultra-wide lenses do tend to result in quite distorted facial features. In many shots, a strong foreground interest will avoid large, blank areas close to the camera.
Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 F Performance
Central sharpness is excellent from f/2.8 right through to f/16, in fact moving up to the category of outstanding at f/8. It is still very good at f/22, which is an impressive performance.
The edges are good at f/2.8 and f/4, improving to very good at f/5.6 and to excellent at f/8 and f/11. The standard is still very good at f/16 and f/22.
Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 MTF Charts
How to read our MTF chartsThe blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges.The scale on the left side is an indication of actual image resolution as LW/PH and is described in detail above. The taller the column, the better the lens performance. For this review, the lens was tested on a Nikon D850 using Imatest. |
CA (Chromatic Aberration) is very tightly controlled throughout the range of apertures, both centre and edge. It will not be a problem, even under the most demanding conditions.
Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 Chromatic Aberration Charts
How to read our CA chartsChromatic aberration (CA) is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more. For this review, the lens was tested on a Nikon D850 using Imatest. |
There is -3.09% barrel distortion present, but this is to be expected in an ultra-wide lens. If necessary, further correction can be made in-camera or in software, but for many subjects, this will not be an issue.
An ultra-wide lens will at best only have limited flare protection from the built-in lens hood, but the coatings are excellent and the lens is actually pretty much flare free, even against very bright sunlight. The hood does, however, offer some useful physical protection for the vulnerable front element.
Bokeh is not really a major expectation for an ultra-wide lens and sometimes the out of focus effects, especially in the corners, can be slightly harsh, but in normal circumstances the overall look is good. Considering the angle of view, this is very satisfactory.
Looking at vignetting, at open aperture the corners are some -1.7 stops darker than the centre, reducing to -1.5 stops at f/5.6, -1.4 stops at f/8 and -1.2 stops from f/11 onwards. This slight darkening of the corners can actually enhance many images and is fairly modest for such a wide lens.
Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 F Lens Review - Verdict
Value For Money
The Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 F lens is priced at £649.99. The new Samyang lens does look remarkable value for money, especially considering the high standard of manufacture and the high optical quality.
Alternatives for Nikon fit include the:
- Nikon 14mm f/2.8D ED, £1609
- Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art, £1679
Samyang also offers the 14mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC manual focus lens at £349.
For more options have a look at the Top 21 Best Samyang Lenses or the Top 28 Wide-angle Landscape Lenses.
Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 F Verdict
With a highly competitive price tag, high quality all around and an especially fine optical performance, the Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 lens for Nikon F certainly more than justifies its cost. Against the competition, it holds its head up high and hits a very sweet price/performance point that makes it a very serious contender for those seeking a 14mm lens. A definite Editor's Choice.
| A magnificent ultra-wide lens for Nikon users, at an amazing price. |