Samyang 14mm f2.8

[soundimageplus]

Pictures taken with a Samyang 14mm f2.8 in Nikon Mount fitted to an Olympus E-PL1 with a Novoflex F Mount > M4/3 adapter.

All shots taken at f2.8

Its really rather good. You should see the full frame Leica M9 shots - madness!!

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[Rawfa]

The results are nice but isn´t the lens way too bulky for the EPL1?...

 

[soundimageplus]

The results are nice but isn´t the lens way too bulky for the EPL1?...

Its a big lens on the Olympus yes - whether its "way too bulky" is down to the user surely. Below is a Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 on a GF1 and it dwarfs the camera, but the person who put the combination together got great results and enjoyed using it.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/photobyrichard/4334358452/" title="gf1 - Super Saiyan 3 transform! by Richard @ Auckland, on Flickr">

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What we use and how we use it, is down to our own personal preference. I'm not saying use it or don't use it, merely posting some pictures taken with that combination.

Heres another interesting lens.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubinjoni/4047848142/" title="My father II by luka.rubinjoni, on Flickr">

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Click on the image to link to flickr and see the other pictures of this "killer" lens.

 

[Krang]

Hehe. I also own a "PHOTOSNAIPER" lens. It's a black, a bit less bulky version. 500mm if I remember correctly.

Do you get sharp images out of it? Mine is very grainy. Maybe I should just clean the aeons of dust…

 

[soundimageplus]

Its not mine. Belongs to a man in Serbia, who posted some pictures of it on a flickr group I started. If you follow the link through (click on the picture) he's got more pictures and a short piece on using it.

 

[PeterB666]

The images are surprisingly sharp. I can see that it would be very useful lens although it isn't compact but there are few choices in manual focus lenses around that focal length. On that basis alone, I could see it finding its way into some kit bags.

The bokeh seems pretty mediocre but that isn't a killer. It certainly isn't bad and is probably more related to the moderately wide focal length.

For those that don't need manual focus, then it would probably be worth waiting to see what the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 and future Olympus wide (believed to be 12mm) primes are like. Both of wich should be quite compact and give you AF as well but only electrially driven manual focus.

 

[soundimageplus]

The images are surprisingly sharp. I can see that it would be very useful lens although it isn't compact but there are few choices in manual focus lenses around that focal length. On that basis alone, I could see it finding its way into some kit bags.
For those that don't need manual focus, then it would probably be worth waiting to see what the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 and future Olympus wide (believed to be 12mm) primes are like. Both of wich should be quite compact and give you AF as well but only electrially driven manual focus.

Very much my thoughts and pretty much the reason for getting it. Its mainly for video on a GH1 and Canon 550D, where I use MF all the time anyway. Its certainly sharper (and faster) than any of the Panasonic or Olympus kit zooms at 14mm or the Panasonic 14-140.

Its a bit of a pain for stills, since on a lens this wide its very difficult to see changes in sharpness, even with a magnified view, unless its wide open. I found I was constantly having to to put it to f2.8, focus & then set it back to the aperture I wanted. Zone focusing or using the hyperfocal distance is also very difficult for close focusing since there is a huge amount of travel on the lens barrel from 10' downwards.

However the sharpness and general "pop" make it worth persevering with.

Hopefully the 14mm f2.8 might arrive sometime soon. I photographed one at the Focus on Imaging show back in February, since then nothing. As to the possible 12mm, we live in hope!!

 

[PeterB666]

Its a bit of a pain for stills, since on a lens this wide its very difficult to see changes in sharpness, even with a magnified view, unless its wide open. I found I was constantly having to to put it to f2.8, focus & then set it back to the aperture I wanted.

That's the nature of the beast when working with a manual aperture which is required with this type of lens on the Pen.

Zone focusing or using the hyperfocal distance is also very difficult for close focusing since there is a huge amount of travel on the lens barrel from 10' downwards.

Actually I see that is a plus for accurate focusing.

However the sharpness and general "pop" make it worth persevering with.

Hopefully the 14mm f2.8 might arrive sometime soon. I photographed one at the Focus on Imaging show back in February, since then nothing. As to the possible 12mm, we live in hope!!

It is going to be a f/2.5, but I expect the difference will come with more vignetting and rely on software correction.

I would find the 12mm useful but 14mm isn't wide enough to justify a gain of around 1 stop.

How about someone make a 10mm f/2.8 or faster manual focus lens which is also well corrected for distorsion and vignette free? I would buy it.

 

[soundimageplus]

I would find the 12mm useful but 14mm isn't wide enough to justify a gain of around 1 stop.

How about someone make a 10mm f/2.8 or faster manual focus lens which is also well corrected for distorsion and vignette free? I would buy it.

There is hope I guess in that Panasonic seem to have realised that fast primes are what people want. Hence their rumoured re-invention of the 25mm f1.4 in m4/3 mount.

The problem is, as you say, the area of fast W/A primes. Its not a particularly great area in DSLR's and because of the 2x crop in m4/3 it can't be easy.

However its something many people want. The clamour for a 12mm F2/2.8 is almost deafening. Whether they can make one in a small enough package remains to be seen, particularly as I'm sure we all want 20mm f1.7 quality from it!