Rokinon 8mm F 3 5 UMC Fisheye Review | 54 Data compared

The Samyang 8mm f3.5 Fisheye CS II is a manual focus lens valued for its compact size, affordability (under €300), and unique creative potential. A major benefit of this second version is the removable lens hood, which allows for near-180-degree shots on Full Frame cameras (after cropping out the black borders), though it remains most practical as a sweeping 12mm-equivalent ultra-wide lens on APS-C bodies. Due to its deep depth of field, the lack of autofocus is rarely an issue, as almost everything beyond 50 centimetres remains automatically sharp. The lens performs perfectly on Nikon bodies thanks to their mechanical aperture system and built-in electronic chip that saves EXIF data, making it an excellent budget choice for expansive landscapes, crowded event photography, and immersive point-of-view (POV) action shots. However, the lens comes with several technical drawbacks and system limitations. Performance is heavily restricted on non-Nikon systems, such as Canon, where users cannot control the aperture from the camera body, resulting in excessively dark viewfinder images. Optically, the lens is very soft and blurry at its maximum f3.5 opening, requiring users...

The Samyang 8mm f3.5 CS II Fisheye is a well-built, budget-friendly manual lens designed for APS-C sensors, offering a dramatic 174 to 180-degree field of view. Its robust construction features a predominantly metal body and a removable plastic lens hood that protects the protruding, curved front element. Since it lacks electrical contacts on the Canon EF mount variant, it does not transmit EXIF data, which can confuse camera light meters and cause exposure inconsistencies. However, focusing is highly user-friendly; by setting the lens to its hyperfocal distance (around 1.5 metres) at f/8, everything stays sharp, turning the camera into an easy "point-and-shoot" system. Optically, the lens delivers several distinct pros and cons regarding image quality and usability. On the positive side, center sharpness is good wide open and becomes exceptional when stopped down between f/5.6 and f/11. Additionally, it is highly affordable and can even be adapted for use as a "circular" fisheye on full-frame cameras when the hood is removed. On the downside, the lens suffers from soft edges across all apertures, severe chromatic aberration, and purple fringing in...

The Samyang 8mm f/3.5 UMC CS II is an entry-level manual-focus fisheye lens highly praised for being a fun, creative tool that delivers high-value performance for its price point. Built with a robust metal mount and a smooth 2cm wide focusing ring, its most prominent physical update from the previous version is a detachable petal-type lens hood. Removing the hood allows the lens to be used on full-frame cameras to capture circular fisheye images, although it is designed for APS-C sensors. For Nikon shooters, the lens stands out because it includes electronic contacts that transmit focus confirmation and exposure data directly to the camera viewfinder. Optically, the lens offers an expansive 180-degree angle of view, creating vivid colors and sharp image quality in the center of the frame. The primary pros include its excellent value for money, robust construction, vibrant color rendering, and sharp center optics, which become sharp across the entire frame when stopped down between f/5.6 and f/11. On the downside, the cons include poor edge sharpness when shooting wide open at f/3.5, complete lack of autofocus and...