Samyang 21mm F 1 4 ED AS UMC CS Review | 54 Data compared

The ePHOTOzine review describes the Samyang 21mm f/1.4 UMC CS X as a compact, robustly built manual prime lens for mirrorless APS-C cameras, highlighting its bright maximum aperture, excellent sharpness, and ease of handling. Key advantages include its internal focusing mechanism, great contrast, and a character that suits photographers seeking a portable, bright optic. Conversely, the lens is limited by its fully manual design, lacking electronic contacts for EXIF data or automated in-camera corrections. The lack of autofocus (AF) and an automatic diaphragm means it is unsuitable for fast-paced action, while the omission of a depth-of-field scale complicates zone focusing for street photography.

The Trusted Reviews analysis describes the Samyang 21mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC CS as an affordable, fast, and robust manual focus lens for mirrorless cameras, offering excellent center sharpness and high contrast thanks to aspherical and extra-low dispersion elements. While praised for its, low-light performance and fluid manual focus, it is limited by a complete lack of electronic communication, leading to no EXIF data and requiring manual aperture control. Key drawbacks include noticeable vignetting and edge softness at f/1.4, requiring stopping down to f/2.8 for optimal performance. Additionally, the lack of autofocus and image stabilization makes it less suitable for fast-paced shooting, making it a better choice for deliberate, stationary, or landscape photography.

The What Digital Camera review highlights the Samyang 21mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC CS as a highly capable manual-focus prime lens specifically optimized for mirrorless systems, earning a top score of 5 out of 5 stars. It is built with an 8-element-in-7-groups optical arrangement—including three aspherical lenses and one extra-low dispersion element—to drastically minimize color aberrations while preserving high contrast. The core pros emphasized in the review include its robust, durable build quality, a fluid manual focus ring, and exceptional image sharpness that is already excellent at f/1.4 in the center and plateaus beautifully between f/3.5 and f/5.6 across the frame. Additionally, its nine-blade aperture yields circular, aesthetically pleasing bokeh, its internal focusing mechanism prevents filter rotation, and its sub-£300 price tag offers immense value. However, the reviewer notes several distinct cons that potential buyers must consider, centered entirely on its fully mechanical design. The most prominent drawback is the complete absence of electronic contacts on the lens mount, meaning no Exif metadata is recorded by the camera and automatic body-based lens corrections are unavailable. It lacks any form of...

The Samyang/Rokinon 21mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC CS is a highly capable, fast manual-focus lens designed for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras. Structurally, it features eight elements in seven groups, including one extra-low dispersion and three aspherical elements to control aberrations, alongside an internal focusing system and a 58mm filter thread. Its standout pros include exceptional image sharpness that peaks between f/3.5 and f/5.6, minimal barrel distortion, well-controlled chromatic aberrations, and a robust yet lightweight build quality. Furthermore, its fast f/1.4 aperture facilitates an extremely shallow depth of field, and the lens ring mechanisms offer a smooth, fluid operation. Conversely, the lens has several notable cons, primarily stemming from its completely manual design. It lacks autofocus and optical stabilisation, and contains no electronic contacts, meaning it cannot relay focal length or aperture metadata to the camera's Exif data. Additionally, users will experience noticeable corner shading (vignetting) at f/1.4, which only fully disappears when stopped down to f/2.8. Finally, because the lens is no longer easily available brand new, buyers must rely on the second-hand market, where it typically...

The Samyang 21 mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC CS is a fast, manual-focus wide-angle prime lens specifically designed for mirrorless camera systems with APS-C or Micro Four Thirds sensors. According to the comprehensive review by LensTip.com, the lens delivers exceptional optical performance, particularly standing out for its excellent image quality and resolution in the centre of the frame. It also features highly praiseworthy correction against bright light—with minimal ghosting and flares thanks to its multi-layer UMC anti-reflection coatings—alongside imperceptible spherical aberration and surprisingly low, well-controlled barrel distortion. Furthermore, lateral chromatic aberration remains minimal, ensuring clean contrast transitions across images. However, the lens has several physical and optical drawbacks highlighted in the LensTip summary. A primary mechanical complaint is that Samyang completely omitted a depth of field scale on the lens barrel, a decision considered a major mistake for a purely manual-focus instrument. Additionally, the focus ring relies on a relatively short 130-degree rotation throw to span from the minimum distance to infinity, which is slightly too low for precise manual adjustments. Optically, the lens suffers from notable astigmatism, peaking at...

The Rokinon 21mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC is a highly impressive, compact prime lens designed specifically for APS-C and Micro 4/3rds mirrorless camera systems. Optically, the lens delivers exceptional resolution, strong contrast, and impressive sharpness even when shooting wide open at f/1.4. It outperforms competitors like the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 in side-by-side sharpness comparisons. Additional pros include an attractive, dense, and glossy physical build with a smoothly damped manual focus ring. Its 9-bladed rounded aperture creates pleasant real-world bokeh and excellent sunstars. Furthermore, chromatic aberrations, vignetting, barrel distortion, and lens flare are all minimal and well-controlled.

The Samyang/Rokinon 21mm f/1.4 is a manual-focus lens designed for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless systems, providing a versatile 31.5mm equivalent field of view that slots neatly between traditional 28mm and 35mm focal lengths. Weighing only 290g, it features a highly portable, compact build with a solid mix of plastic and metal. Optically, the lens stands out for its excellent resistance to flare and chromatic aberration, its pleasing close-up bokeh, and its strong central sharpness once stopped down. It is particularly effective for landscape work when shot at optimal apertures and offers Micro Four Thirds shooters a compact, 42mm-equivalent option where edge performance is less of a concern. However, the review highlights several distinct weaknesses, particularly concerning its physical handling and wide-open optical performance. The focus ring is criticized for being overly loose and easily moved by accident, and the lack of a hyperfocal scale makes street photography more difficult. At f/1.4, the lens suffers from softness at medium-to-long distances, and its corners remain weak until stopped down to f/2.8, peaking only at f/5.6. Additionally, the lack of weather...