Samyang 8mm F 2 8 UMC Fisheye Review | 54 Data compared

The LensTip review of the Samyang 8 mm f/2.8 UMC Fisheye highlights this manual-focus lens as a highly competitive option designed specifically for APS-C mirrorless cameras like Sony and Samsung systems. The lens receives exceptional praise for its optical performance, delivering sensational image sharpness in the centre of the frame and excellent resolution at the edges, even when wide open at its maximum f/2.8 relative aperture. Mechanically, it boasts a compact, lightweight, and sturdy casing with an immobile rear element that creates a well-sealed structure protected against dust and dirt. Furthermore, the lens exhibits low chromatic aberration, high light transmission, and excellent astigmatism control, all of which culminate in a very high price-to-quality ratio. Despite its strong overall score, the review points out a few specific shortcomings in its performance and design. A primary optical disadvantage is its noticeable vignetting, alongside some vulnerability to ghosting and flares when working against bright side light due to a built-in petal hood that is slightly too small for the large convex front element. On the body itself, while the manual focus ring operates...

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Samyang 8mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC Fisheye as a compact, budget-friendly manual lens for mirrorless cameras, delivering outstanding central sharpness from f/2.8 and excellent edge-to-edge resolution by f/5.6-f/8. It features a lightweight (217g) metal-mount build, offering great value at roughly £270 for a stereographic fisheye lens. Drawbacks include the lack of electronic coupling, requiring full manual control over focus and stop-down metering, with a stiffly damped focus ring. While generally high-performing, the lens exhibits noticeable chromatic aberration at the edges and slight corner vignetting at wider apertures, according to the review.

The Samyang 8mm f/2.8 UMC Fisheye II is an ultra-wide prime lens tailored for Fujifilm X-mount mirrorless cameras, offering a unique 12mm equivalent full-frame perspective. The reviewer notes that despite retailing for a very affordable £280, the lens boasts an impressively solid metal build that is both weighty and exceptionally compact—comparable in size to two GoPro 4 cameras back-to-back. Optically, it surprises with high sharpness, great contrast, and excellent control over flare. Because it produces a massive depth of field, users can set the aperture to f/8 and focus between 1 meter and infinity to shoot comfortably all day without readjusting. Additionally, standard Fujifilm camera metering functions flawlessly in aperture priority and manual modes, and the extreme lens distortion is easily corrected in Photoshop via plugins. The review explicitly breaks down several distinct pros and cons of the lens. On the positive side, its primary pros include being very cheap compared to native Fuji XF lenses, highly compact ("tiny"), easy to operate, and robustly constructed from metal. It also features well-dampened focus and aperture rings while delivering great image contrast...

This review evaluates the Samyang 8mm F2.8 UMC Fisheye E-mount lens, which the reviewer purchased for 279 GBP and tested across various film, APS-C, and full-frame camera resolutions. The reviewer awards the lens high marks, specifically giving it perfect 5/5 scores for sharpness, color, and build quality. It is highlighted as a great, compact option that delivers fast performance, wonderful sharpness in the center when wide open, and sharp corner-to-corner results when stopped down. Furthermore, the unique design employs a "proportional" projection that reduces edge distortion compared to competitors, providing a 180-degree field of view that feels less distracting than alternatives like the Sony lens adaptor. On the negative side, the lens lacks autofocus (AF), though the reviewer notes this manual-focus-only design is hardly an issue for a fisheye lens. The distortion and flare control receive slightly lower but still strong scores of 4/5 and 4/33/5 respectively in the overall summary. Finally, the reviewer offers a practical warning for users to keep an eye on their finger placement while holding the camera, as the extreme wide-angle view makes it easy...

The Lonely Speck review highlights the Rokinon 8mm f/2.8 UMC Fisheye II as an excellent, specialized tool for mirrorless cameras, particularly favored for astrophotography due to its sharp, fast f/2.8 aperture and 180-degree field of view. Key pros include the ability to capture long exposures up to 60 seconds without star trailing, a lightweight design, and the capability to produce high-quality "defished" panoramas in post-processing. Conversely, the manual-only lens lacks autofocus and electronic EXIF data communication, features no filter threads, and requires specialized square filter setups. The review notes potential quality control variations, yet concludes it is a high-value, sharp performer, especially when utilizing the precise infinity focus for landscape and night sky photography.

The Samyang 8mm f/2.8 fisheye lens for the Fuji X system is reviewed as an amazing value for money that delivers outstanding, tack-sharp image quality without noticeable color fringing. A major benefit highlighted for Fuji users is its fast f/2.8 aperture, which outperforms the f/3.5 configurations found on its Nikon and Canon counterparts and makes it an excellent choice for astrophotography. Furthermore, despite its incredibly small size and low weight, the physical build feels very solid and pairs nicely with compact camera bodies like the Fuji X-T1 or X-E1. Conversely, the main drawback noted is that the lens is strictly manual focus only. However, the reviewer states this is a minor issue in practice because the ultra-wide focal length provides a large depth of field, making precise focus incredibly easy to achieve. Another distinct feature that could be viewed as a limitation depending on user preference is the built-in lens hood that cannot be detached, meaning standard filters cannot be easily attached. Overall, the review highly recommends the lens, emphasizing that its natural distortion can be controlled effectively to double...