Jul 26, 2012

Pentax 14mm F2.8 vs Rokinon 14mm F2.8

Introduction

Pentax 14mm and Rokinon 14mm

Did you know that Pentax manufactures a fast 14mm lens that's a whole stop faster than the DA 15mm F4 Limited? We've known about the lens for a while, but this is the first time that we had the chance to test it. In this comparative review we will take a detailed look at the Pentax DA 14mm F2.8 and compare it to the Rokinon 14mm F2.8, a new budget ultra-wide angle lens with similar specifications. Apart from the optics, however, the two lenses are quite different, as the Rokinon can only focus manually and doesn't accept filters.  In this review we'll be using the Rokinon mostly as a benchmark.

At this time the DA 14mm is one of the lowest-rated primes (by our users) in the Pentax lens review database with an average rating of 8.81. One would think that the average rating would imply that this is one of the cheaper Pentax lens available, but unfortunately this isn't the case. The Pentax 14mm lens retails for $749.00 at most major retailers, and the used price is on average $200 less than new.

While there are only four reviews of it in our database, the Rokinon has an average user rating of 9.25, and it retails for only $399.00 at most major retailers.  The same 14mm F2.8 lens is also sold under the Samyang, Bower, and Pro Optics brand names.

Does the Pentax DA 14mm deserve the rating it has received in the lens review data base? How does the Rokinon 14mm compare to the Pentax 14mm?  Is it worth getting the Pentax 15mm Limited over the DA 14mm? Read on to the find the answers.

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