Samyang 16mm F2 ED AS UMC CS

Bokeh

A fast, wide-angle lens should be capable of producing good bokeh when focused close up. The Samyang 16mm F2.0 has over three-quarters of a rotation of focus devoted to objects closer than a meter, so our review will emphasize this range of focus.

F2.0 F2.8
F4.0 F5.6
F8.0 F11
F16 F22

As seen above, it provides beautiful fall below F5.6, and moderate fall off to F8.0. Accompanying the slender depth of field and pleasant bokeh is the vignetting mentioned earlier in the reviewing process. This can help further pull details in the center of the frame out with the natural highlighting this combination produces.

Of note is a slight amount of swirl bokeh. Though this does not detract from its general rendering of out of focus objects, it is important to mention. When dealing with pin points of light in dark backgorunds, it becomes very apparent as a noticeable pinching of the orbs of light.

Christmas lights taken at F2.0

Right edge of Christmas lights @F2.0, 100% crop

 

Top Center of Christmas lights @F2.0, 100% Crop

The 15mm Limited does not suffer from this, but is also two full stops slower and lacks rounded aperture blades. Below are comparative views of the same scene at F4.0

Samyang 16mm @F4.0

Right edge of Samyang 16mm @F4.0, 100% Crop

Top Center of Samyang 16mm @F4.0 100% Crop

As you can see from the 100% crop, the swirl bokeh apparent at F2.0 is gone, and only distortion from the lens itself is apparent as stretching of the spheres of bokeh towards the edges of the frame.

Pentax 15mm Limited @F4.0

Right edge of Pentax 15mm Limited @F4.0, 100% crop

Top Center of Pentax 15mm Limited @F4.0, 100% crop

The 15mm Limited shows a harsher, more angular bokeh than the Samyang. This is due to the rounded aperture blades of the Samyang 16mm F2.0. Even wide open at F4.0, the 15mm Limited exhibits some inverted starbursting due to the angular nature of the aperture blades.

Verdict

The Samyang has the edge in creating a pleasant bokeh. Even though there is a small bit of swirl bokeh present when used wide open, it quickly becomes undistorted and renders a beautiful blur at slightly smaller apertures. Compared to the 15mm Limited, the bokeh produced by the Samyang 16mm is superior.

Starbursts

The Samyang 16mm F2.0 can produce visually appealing 8-side starburst effect down to an aperture of F9.0. In harsh broad daylight, as well as streetlamp lit settings, the circular apertures blades make for a great amount of starburst

Starburst sample – Daylight @F9.0

Verdict

As a general landscape and close-up lens that produces good bokeh, the Samyang 16mm is compreable in quality to the 15mm Limited. This lens rates very close to the 15mm Limited in terms of the pleasant bokeh that it can produce. The swirl bokeh found in our review could be a quality control issue that was limited to the samples we reviewed, as users on our forum have not noted this as an issue.


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