Samyang 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC

Testers found the improved UMC version very sharp in the centre wide open and acceptable at the full-frame edges, with coma and astigmatism kept low and lateral colour only moderate. At its price it was judged a serious rival to far more expensive 14-24mm zooms set to 14mm.

The recurring criticisms are complex moustache distortion that is hard to correct by hand, heavy vignetting on full frame at f/2.8, and the impossibility of using front filters. Flare resistance improved over the very first batch but remains only fair against strong light sources.

Owners mostly buy it for astrophotography, real estate and landscapes, and many call it the best value ultra-wide they have owned. Infinity focus with live-view magnification is easy, and the Sony E version adapts well to IBIS bodies once the focal length is entered manually.

Common complaints are sample variation (decentred copies and infinity stops past true infinity), the lack of EXIF data on Sony, the length of the E-mount barrel and the distortion profile, which needs a lens profile in post.