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goldenarrow · 04-01-2011, 11:41 AM

Any new info about the rebranded Samyang 14mm? Initial tests were phenomenal but then I hear nothing about it now. Ken Rockwell says it is crap. The Germans at Photozone were giving it high praise from test results. Whom to believe??? I read Lowell's PF forum Samyang Club and the last entry was from last year. Anyone still using this lens and what about some opinions compared to the 15mm Pentax Ltd! Optical results are what I am looking for mostly. Thanks for any help!

**Lowell Goudge** · 04-01-2011, 02:42 PM

look in the lens club forum.

I have started a club for samyang lenses.

In there I have posted a few shots from the 14mm (13 mm vivitar but it is the same thing)

I find hte lens very good indeed, with no CA noticable at all, and can confirm the monor barrel distortion noted in the origonal reports.

I have shot using this lens on both Digital and full frame (film using my PZ-1) , and can also confirm that there is little or no apparent vignetting even on full frame. I cant comment about CA at the extreme fringes of a full frame camera however, as my full frame shots were all B&W

VaughnA · 04-01-2011, 02:47 PM

Originally posted by goldenarrow

Any new info about the rebranded Samyang 14mm? Initial tests were phenomenal but then I hear nothing about it now. Ken Rockwell says it is crap. The Germans at Photozone were giving it high praise from test results. Whom to believe??? I read Lowell's PF forum Samyang Club and the last entry was from last year. Anyone still using this lens and what about some opinions compared to the 15mm Pentax Ltd! Optical results are what I am looking for mostly. Thanks for any help!

That would definitely make me more interested..

goldenarrow · 04-01-2011, 05:02 PM

Lowell,
Thanks for the idea. I had already looked and it seems like a nice lens but wondering if there are more recent reviews and opinions. Just seems a little too quiet for a lens that should be making waves.
GA

**Lowell Goudge** · 04-01-2011, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by goldenarrow

Lowell,
Thanks for the idea. I had already looked and it seems like a nice lens but wondering if there are more recent reviews and opinions. Just seems a little too quiet for a lens that should be making waves.
GA

I think it is that these are MF lenses

I have all 3 samyangs. The fisheye, the 85 and the 14mm. I have adapted an approach of AF for zooms but MF ffor primes. I am actually surprised about how few contributors to the samyang club.

**jeffshaddix** · 04-02-2011, 06:30 PM

Originally posted by VaughnA

That would definitely make me more interested..

Agreed. The 14mm Samyang looks great as long as you can handle the size and distortion.

goldenarrow · 04-02-2011, 06:39 PM

Lowell, sounds like you have made an investment to experiment with all of them. I am not sure yet about the 14mm but I am sure that I don't need that many extra lenses. I have a smattering of primes and zooms, some AF, some MF. An MF at 14mm is not that much of a deal, so it looks nice on paper. The bugaboos seem to be wavy distortion and individual quality control.

goldenarrow · 04-02-2011, 06:41 PM

Originally posted by jeffshaddix

Agreed. The 14mm Samyang looks great as long as you can handle the size and distortion.

I wonder how it compares to the Pentax 15 Ltd? Sharpness and flare control look good by the test reviews.

**Lowell Goudge** · 04-02-2011, 07:10 PM

I have not seen a lot of wavy distortion just barrel distortion

In terms of "investment"' yes. But they all vet use. The 14 fills a bit void in my lenses as I had nothing below 24.

GibbyTheMole · 04-02-2011, 07:49 PM

According to Ken Rockwell, the quality of your lens doesn't matter anyway. He also wrote a bad review of a Pentax DSLR in spite of never actually holding it or even seeing a photo of it or a photo taken with it.

So I don't put too much stock in his opinion.

selar · 04-02-2011, 07:58 PM

Originally posted by GibbyTheMole

According to Ken Rockwell, the quality of your lens doesn't matter anyway.

Just the sort of comment from a toilet photographer, who tells you to fart before taking a photo....

goldenarrow · 04-02-2011, 08:39 PM

Originally posted by GibbyTheMole

According to Ken Rockwell, the quality of your lens doesn't matter anyway. He also wrote a bad review of a Pentax DSLR in spite of never actually holding it or even seeing a photo of it or a photo taken with it.

So I don't put too much stock in his opinion.

Yeah, when he is wrong, he is dead wrong. Not much difference to flipping a coin in the air and calling heads or tails...

**Lowell Goudge** · 04-03-2011, 05:08 AM

It is a shame everyone is bent out of shape (pun intended ) over a suspect review

If you are concerned about distortion look at my post in the samyang club

This is an unaltered shot except for resizing. Use a photo editor to straighten out what little barrel distortion there is and judge for yourself

I am willing to bet that you find it hard to see anything else. While there are lenses that may have less distortion , find me a full frame 14mm at this price. Is it perhaps bigger than some other 14/15 mm lenses yes, but so what.

At the end you either buy it for what it can do, or you pass on it because of what you believe it can't. It's your money, but don't quote a disreputable review as the reason. And then propagate that review

goldenarrow · 04-03-2011, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

It is a shame everyone is bent out of shape (pun intended ) over a suspect review

If you are concerned about distortion look at my post in the samyang club

This is an unaltered shot except for resizing. Use a photo editor to straighten out what little barrel distortion there is and judge for yourself

I am willing to bet that you find it hard to see anything else. While there are lenses that may have less distortion , find me a full frame 14mm at this price. Is it perhaps bigger than some other 14/15 mm lenses yes, but so what.

At the end you either buy it for what it can do, or you pass on it because of what you believe it can't. It's your money, but don't quote a disreputable review as the reason. And then propagate that review

Actually, the distortion mentioned came from the photozone review, not KR. Plus, KR is the one who mentioned QC buried in his opinionated "review". I am curious about manufacturing variability - I want to hear from actual users if they have experienced poor optical quality. We see this famously with Sigma. Like I mentioned before, KR can be right 50% of the time. So, even though we know that KR is a crank, he can prompt me to ask good questions.

But generally, I agree, we should make our decisions based on what works for the individual. The older I get, it seems I am more able to make my own decisions and not rely on strong-willed personalities to defer to.

**Lowell Goudge** · 04-03-2011, 10:50 AM

If you are concerned about distortion for the samyang 14 look at this shot. I believe there are enough straight lines to judge

This is a scanned shot from 3200 ISO film uncropped(36x24mm frame)

Distortion is there but easily managed

04-01-2011, 11:41 AM	#1
goldenarrow Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs. Photos: Gallery Posts: 501	Samyang 14mm Any new info about the rebranded Samyang 14mm? Initial tests were phenomenal but then I hear nothing about it now. Ken Rockwell says it is crap. The Germans at Photozone were giving it high praise from test results. Whom to believe??? I read Lowell's PF forum Samyang Club and the last entry was from last year. Anyone still using this lens and what about some opinions compared to the 15mm Pentax Ltd! Optical results are what I am looking for mostly. Thanks for any help!

04-03-2011, 10:17 AM	#14
goldenarrow Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs. Photos: Gallery Posts: 501 Original Poster	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge It is a shame everyone is bent out of shape (pun intended ) over a suspect review If you are concerned about distortion look at my post in the samyang club This is an unaltered shot except for resizing. Use a photo editor to straighten out what little barrel distortion there is and judge for yourself I am willing to bet that you find it hard to see anything else. While there are lenses that may have less distortion , find me a full frame 14mm at this price. Is it perhaps bigger than some other 14/15 mm lenses yes, but so what. At the end you either buy it for what it can do, or you pass on it because of what you believe it can't. It's your money, but don't quote a disreputable review as the reason. And then propagate that review Actually, the distortion mentioned came from the photozone review, not KR. Plus, KR is the one who mentioned QC buried in his opinionated "review". I am curious about manufacturing variability - I want to hear from actual users if they have experienced poor optical quality. We see this famously with Sigma. Like I mentioned before, KR can be right 50% of the time. So, even though we know that KR is a crank, he can prompt me to ask good questions. But generally, I agree, we should make our decisions based on what works for the individual. The older I get, it seems I am more able to make my own decisions and not rely on strong-willed personalities to defer to. Last edited by goldenarrow; 04-03-2011 at 10:22 AM. Reason: added text

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04-01-2011, 02:42 PM	#2
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,892	look in the lens club forum. I have started a club for samyang lenses. In there I have posted a few shots from the 14mm (13 mm vivitar but it is the same thing) I find hte lens very good indeed, with no CA noticable at all, and can confirm the monor barrel distortion noted in the origonal reports. I have shot using this lens on both Digital and full frame (film using my PZ-1) , and can also confirm that there is little or no apparent vignetting even on full frame. I cant comment about CA at the extreme fringes of a full frame camera however, as my full frame shots were all B&W

04-01-2011, 02:47 PM	#3
VaughnA Banned Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,363	Originally posted by goldenarrow Any new info about the rebranded Samyang 14mm? Initial tests were phenomenal but then I hear nothing about it now. Ken Rockwell says it is crap. The Germans at Photozone were giving it high praise from test results. Whom to believe??? I read Lowell's PF forum Samyang Club and the last entry was from last year. Anyone still using this lens and what about some opinions compared to the 15mm Pentax Ltd! Optical results are what I am looking for mostly. Thanks for any help! That would definitely make me more interested..

04-01-2011, 05:02 PM	#4
goldenarrow Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs. Photos: Gallery Posts: 501 Original Poster	Lowell, Thanks for the idea. I had already looked and it seems like a nice lens but wondering if there are more recent reviews and opinions. Just seems a little too quiet for a lens that should be making waves. GA

04-01-2011, 07:44 PM	#5
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,892	Originally posted by goldenarrow Lowell, Thanks for the idea. I had already looked and it seems like a nice lens but wondering if there are more recent reviews and opinions. Just seems a little too quiet for a lens that should be making waves. GA I think it is that these are MF lenses I have all 3 samyangs. The fisheye, the 85 and the 14mm. I have adapted an approach of AF for zooms but MF ffor primes. I am actually surprised about how few contributors to the samyang club.

04-02-2011, 06:30 PM	#6
jeffshaddix Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,473	Originally posted by VaughnA That would definitely make me more interested.. Agreed. The 14mm Samyang looks great as long as you can handle the size and distortion.

04-02-2011, 06:39 PM	#7
goldenarrow Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs. Photos: Gallery Posts: 501 Original Poster	Lowell, sounds like you have made an investment to experiment with all of them. I am not sure yet about the 14mm but I am sure that I don't need that many extra lenses. I have a smattering of primes and zooms, some AF, some MF. An MF at 14mm is not that much of a deal, so it looks nice on paper. The bugaboos seem to be wavy distortion and individual quality control.

04-02-2011, 06:41 PM	#8
goldenarrow Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs. Photos: Gallery Posts: 501 Original Poster	Originally posted by jeffshaddix Agreed. The 14mm Samyang looks great as long as you can handle the size and distortion. I wonder how it compares to the Pentax 15 Ltd? Sharpness and flare control look good by the test reviews.

04-02-2011, 07:10 PM	#9
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,892	I have not seen a lot of wavy distortion just barrel distortion In terms of "investment"' yes. But they all vet use. The 14 fills a bit void in my lenses as I had nothing below 24.

04-02-2011, 07:49 PM	#10
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275	According to Ken Rockwell, the quality of your lens doesn't matter anyway. He also wrote a bad review of a Pentax DSLR in spite of never actually holding it or even seeing a photo of it or a photo taken with it. So I don't put too much stock in his opinion.

04-02-2011, 07:58 PM	#11
selar Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,042	Originally posted by GibbyTheMole According to Ken Rockwell, the quality of your lens doesn't matter anyway. Just the sort of comment from a toilet photographer, who tells you to fart before taking a photo....

04-02-2011, 08:39 PM	#12
goldenarrow Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs. Photos: Gallery Posts: 501 Original Poster	Originally posted by GibbyTheMole According to Ken Rockwell, the quality of your lens doesn't matter anyway. He also wrote a bad review of a Pentax DSLR in spite of never actually holding it or even seeing a photo of it or a photo taken with it. So I don't put too much stock in his opinion. Yeah, when he is wrong, he is dead wrong. Not much difference to flipping a coin in the air and calling heads or tails...

04-03-2011, 05:08 AM	#13
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,892	It is a shame everyone is bent out of shape (pun intended ) over a suspect review If you are concerned about distortion look at my post in the samyang club This is an unaltered shot except for resizing. Use a photo editor to straighten out what little barrel distortion there is and judge for yourself I am willing to bet that you find it hard to see anything else. While there are lenses that may have less distortion , find me a full frame 14mm at this price. Is it perhaps bigger than some other 14/15 mm lenses yes, but so what. At the end you either buy it for what it can do, or you pass on it because of what you believe it can't. It's your money, but don't quote a disreputable review as the reason. And then propagate that review

04-03-2011, 10:50 AM	#15
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,892	If you are concerned about distortion for the samyang 14 look at this shot. I believe there are enough straight lines to judge This is a scanned shot from 3200 ISO film uncropped(36x24mm frame) Distortion is there but easily managed