Samyang AF 14mm F/2.8 EF / F

This Samyang is a 14mm ultra-wide prime for full-frame cameras. It comes in Canon EF and Nikon F versions, so choose the version made for your system. The wide view suits interiors, architecture, landscapes and night-sky work.

The main trade-off is the fixed focal length. You compose by moving, not zooming, and distant subjects stay small. That suits photographers who plan wide shots rather than those wanting one flexible lens. A standard zoom covers the framing this lens cannot.

Samyang introduced this lens in 2018, and it remains in production today. Both mount versions share the same optical design.

The body measures 3.56 in (90.5 mm) across. On the Canon EF version it is 3.76 in (95.6 mm) long and weighs 1 lb 1.1 oz (485 g); the Nikon F version differs in length and weight. The front takes no screw-in filters, so the front element has no filter protection in the field.

At 14mm, this lens takes in far more of a scene than a standard lens. Rooms, building facades and sweeping landscapes fit the frame from close range. You can also work in tight spaces where stepping back is impossible. Near objects appear large, which gives wide images their sense of depth.

The f/2.8 maximum aperture is the widest setting on this lens. It gathers more light for dim interiors and helps the night sky register before star trails form. Depth of field is already deep at 14mm, and stopping down extends it further. The optics specification scores 76 out of 100.

Close focusing at 0.7 ft (20 cm) lets you place foreground subjects prominently. A rock or doorway near the camera fills the lower frame and leads the eye into the scene. The effect is strongest with nearby subjects, so choose them with care.

The trade-off is perspective control. Tilt the camera and vertical lines converge quickly at 14mm. Keeping the camera level, or correcting lines later, becomes part of the technique. Check the frame edges before shooting, since unwanted details slip in easily at this focal length.

Weather sealing helps reduce dust and moisture ingress when you shoot outdoors. For landscape work in wind-blown grit, that reduced ingress risk is practical. It is a protective design feature, not an invitation to expose the lens to soaking spray or immersion.

There is no built-in stabilisation. At 14mm, camera shake shows less than at longer focal lengths, so the omission matters less than on a telephoto. For handheld night-sky frames, brace the camera against something solid.

The front glass has no fluorine coating, and there is no screw-in front filter thread, so the front element has no filter protection in the field. The features specification scores 52 out of 100.

Inside are aspherical elements and low-dispersion glass. The shaped surfaces help correct distortion, which matters when straight lines fill a wide frame. The low-dispersion glass helps reduce chromatic aberration, the coloured fringes that can appear along high-contrast edges such as stars.

This lens uses internal focusing: the focus adjustment is made by elements moving inside the barrel.