Samyang 18mm f/2.8 AF Super

This Samyang prime is a fixed 18mm ultra-wide lens for Sony E full-frame cameras. It suits anyone who shoots interiors, architecture, landscapes or cramped city streets. One frame can take in a whole room or a broad stretch of coastline. Samyang introduced it in 2019.

The appeal is a wide view in a very small package. The trade-off is a short features list: no stabilization, no sealing and no zoom. Photographers who rely on those may want a bigger lens. Those who value low weight and simple handling get a lens that is easy to keep mounted.

At 5.1 oz (145 g), this lens is very light. It is 2.5 in (63.5 mm) across and 2.38 in (60.5 mm) long. A screw-in filter must match the 58mm thread. A 58mm polarizer or ND filter is a small, light addition to a kit.

An 18mm focal length on a full-frame sensor gives a very wide view. Indoors, you can stand in a corner and still include most of a room. Outdoors, a building and its forecourt fit in one frame. The lens also works in narrow streets where stepping back is impossible. As a prime, you set framing by moving yourself, not by zooming.

The maximum aperture is f/2.8. At 18mm, depth of field stays deep even wide open. A landscape frame can keep nearby rocks and distant hills sharp together. The aperture's real value is light. It lets you work in dim churches or at dusk without pushing ISO far.

Close focus sits at 0.8 ft (25 cm). You can move right up to a foreground detail, a gatepost or a tiled floor, and still hold the wider scene behind it. That near-far layering gives wide shots a sense of depth. Our optics score for these specifications is 76 out of 100.

This lens has no built-in image stabilization. At 18mm, small hand movements record less than they would at longer focal lengths, so plenty of handheld shots still work. In truly dim light, a tripod or a higher ISO helps.

There is no weather sealing against dust and moisture. The lens is better matched to dry days, covered markets and indoor work than to rain-soaked landscapes.

The front element also lacks a fluorine coating. On lenses that have one, that layer helps water and oil slide off the glass, which eases cleaning in the field. Without it, a soft cloth and a little more care will do the job.

The optical design uses three aspherical elements. Their specially shaped surfaces help correct distortion, which can make straight edges bow. That is useful for interiors and architecture, where straight edges are common. Three low-dispersion elements help reduce chromatic aberration, where colors focus differently and leave fringes along high-contrast edges such as branches against a bright sky. Focusing is internal, so the barrel does not extend while you shoot.