Samyang 10mm F2.8 ED AS NCS CS

Conclusion

Over the course of this review, we've taken an in-depth look at the optical performance and handling of the Samyang 10mm F2.8 ED AS NCS CS ultra-wide prime lens.  With its extreme field of view of 109.5°, this lens deserves extra recognition by the Pentax community, as it's the widest non-fisheye prime available in the K-mount.

The Samyang 10mm is a specialty lens for photographers requiring the widest possible coverage of their surroundings in a single photo.  It's the perfect tool for documenting tight spaces and shooting creative landscapes, starscapes, or cityscapes.  It pushes the APS-C system to its limits in terms of field of view, and it does so at a rather affordable price of $529.

While the lens isn't perfect in all areas, it delivers exceptional sharpness, which is what primes do best.  What really impressed us was the fact that its edge and corner sharpness was almost as good its centers.  Other strengths of the lens include minimal distortion (considering its wide field of view), resistance to ghosting, and hardly any visible fringing.  Its weaknesses include vignetting at wide apertures and the potential for very distracting flare and internal reflections in harsh lighting conditions.  We recommend using live view to fine-tune the focus setting when shooting at wide apertures, as oftentimes relying on the distance scale or viewfinder simply isn't good enough, despite the wide depth of field.  Although its outer barrel is made mostly of plastic, the 10mm feels like a premium lens and it is relatively light and compact, meaning that it will fit in just about any camera bag.

The Samyang 10mm is among the widest lenses currently in production for Pentax DSLRs, only rivaled by Sigma and Tamron 10-20mm and 10-24mm zooms.  Based on our prior comparative reviews (Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 vs 10-20mm F4-5.6 and Tamron 10-24mm vs Sigma 12-24mm vs Pentax 12-24mm), we can safely conclude that the Samyang lens is considerably sharper than any of the zooms, although the Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 (a premium zoom, $629) does come close.  The Samyang also exhibits fewer chromatic aberrations.

Pros

• Widest rectilinear prime available for Pentax
• Exceptionally sharp across the frame
• Fast F2.8 aperture
• Unobtrusive barrel distortion
• Good contrast
• Minimal chromatic aberrations
• Resistant to ghosting
• Nice starburst effect at night
• Compact and easy to carry
• Automatic aperture control (full P, A/Av, S/Tv, M mode support)
• Affordable price ($529)

Cons

• Prominent vignetting at F2.8 and F3.5
• Difficult to focus on nearby subjects through the viewfinder
• Harsh bokeh / sub-optimal for close-ups
• Not possible to use lens filters
• Prone to harsh flare in strong, direct light
• No in-camera lens corrections
• Only 1 year of warranty in the US
• Potential quality control problems

Rating

The Bottom Line

One must understand that with such a wide field of view, the Samyang 10mm is not a jack of all trades.  It shines when you really need those few extra degrees compared to other ultra-wide lenses, but it gives you limited flexibility to crop and doesn't render as nearly much detail in distant objects as a 12mm or a 14mm lens would.  While it can be used for close-ups in the hands of skilled users, it doesn't excel in this area.

This lens is for serious photographers who want that extra bit of sharpness than a zoom can't deliver.  We'll mention once again that it performs exceptionally in the corners and edges, and this is complemented by minimal chromatic aberrations.  Thus, we highly recommend it for those high-quality ultra-wide shots that longer focal lengths just can't capture in one go!

Recommended Applications

• Real-estate (interiors and exteriors)
• Astrophotography (star trails, starscapes)
• Vehicle interiors
• Landscapes
• Cityscapes
• Architecture

Where to Buy

The Samyang 10mm F2.8 is available under a variety of brand names worldwide, such as Bower, Rokinon, Phoenix, or Falcon.   If you live in the US, support us by getting your copy at B&H Photo, and enjoy free shipping and hassle-free returns!

Click here to order your copy of the Samyang 10mm F2.8.

If you'd like to post your own review of this lens, you can do so in our lens database.