Samyang 8mm f3.5

 
Samyang 8 mm

Samyang 8 mm

Samyang 8mm f3.5 CS fisheye

Samyang 8mm f3.5 specification

Focal length:8mm
Weight: 435g
Minimal focus distance:30 cm
Max aperture: f3.5
Number of aperture blades:6 straigth
Dimensions:75*75mm
Compatibility: Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony/Minolta
Field of view on Canon Aps-C: 167 degrees
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Samyang 8mm f3.5 lens mounts compatibility

The lens can be find under the following names:Samyang, Pro optic, Bower, Walimex, Opteka, Vivitar, etc. The lens is designed for Aps-C cameras, possible to use on FF cameras as well but dark frame going to be visible around the image(Can crop afterwards).
Lets say straightly: The Samyang 8mm f3.5 is a very interesting option. Why ? For this money one cannot buy any similar product. As a bonus the lens is very sharp at f5.6.

Samyang 8mm f3.5 is a manual focus lens with no electric connection what does it mean ?

The Samyang 8mm is a manual focus lens, with mechanically controlled aperture.
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What does it mean ? Autofocus won’t work. No Exif data, no pixel peeping, cannot check afterwards which aperture, shutter speed etc the actual picture has been taken. By your eyes you cannot judge, I’ve tried. What can work to set the distance to 0.65m at f5.6, (or check a depth of field table) and from 30cm to infinity everything going to be in focus. This is the theory, in reality needs to check the pictures on the computer, because the lens is often wrongly calibrated. If you want to set aperture to f5,6, turn the ring to f5.6 but the same time the viewfinder going to be darkened. Either focus wide open, after adjust aperture, or live with the dark view of the viewfinder. Metering works on my Canon 30D camera, some exposure compensation perhaps needed here and there.

Built quality:

I don’t used the lens for years, but seems the lens very well have put together. Using filters perhaps not so easy. Moderate size/weight also welcomed.

Optical quality:

For a lens of this focal length, the optical quality is very good. Strong distortion is expected.

Recommendation:

If you need this focal length, and don’t want to spend a fortune, this lens is highly recommended. In reality this lens a high quality product at a reasonable price.

Alternatives:

Simply you cannot get anything similar for this amount of money. The autofocusing Tokina 11-16mm or Sigma 10-20mm lenses are more expensive and doesn’t give the same view. The Samyang 8mm is very good at f/5.6 at the top of that. All Sigma, Canon, Nikon fisheye lenses are much more expensive than the Samyang.

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 Posted by at 8:08 pm