Samyang creates 8mm F2.8 fish-eye lens for Sony NEX and Samsung NX: Digital Photography Review

Samyang creates 8mm F2.8 fish-eye lens for Sony NEX and Samsung NX

Published Jun 11, 2012 | dpreview staff

Samyang 8mm 1:2.8 UMC Fish-eye

Coming soon on sale!

Krakow, June 11^th 2012 - Samyang Optics proudly informs that by the end of June we will release the newest Samyang 8mm 1:2.8 UMC Fish-eye lens tailored for Sony NEX and Samsung NX cameras.

Samyang 8mm 1:2.8 UMC Fish-eye is currently the smallest and the brightest Fish-eye lens compatible with compact cameras featuring APS-C sensor. It perfectly combines high optical value, impressive lens speed and exceptionally compact sizes.

Its sophisticated optical construction relies on the system of 10 lenses arranged in 8 groups. They include, among others, one aspherical (AS) lens and two lenses made of extra low dispersion glass (ED). This provides perfect sharpness for the entire field of view and maximum aperture of f/2.8. Obviously all surfaces of the lenses were covered with multi-layered UMC anti-reflective coatings adding to the high contrast and splendid light transmission.

Samyang 8mm 1:2.8 UMC Fish-eye will be marketed with Sony E (NEX) and Samsung NX mount. In both cases its maximum angle of view will amount to 180 degree, with the minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters.

Release date and the expected price will be separately announced on a later date.

Comments

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jackgreen

My Samyang in front of GX1
http://500px.com/photo/8535625

Jun 14, 2012permalink

rich889

Sony does make the Sony DT 11-18mm f4.5-5.6 wide-angle zoom Alpha lens that will fit the NEX cameras via their LA-EA2 adapter. Although a costly solution (the LA-EA2 Alpha to NEX adapter is roughly $350) is does provide another route to AF lenses (Sony and Zeiss) on the NEX. The 11-18 becomes the equivalent of a 16.5-27mm zoom.

Jun 13, 2012permalink

zoozig

I agree, the LA-EA2 is costly, but it transforms your good NEX into a great one. I got tired of waiting for the E-mount Zeiss to become available in the stores so I got the AL-EA2 and a 16-80 Zeiss and wow! The focus speed and accuracy even in dark rooms is something. Sure the camea gets bigger but it looks a lot "sexier" as well. You make a very good point. Too many people complain about the lack of quality lenses without even thinking of the possibilities the LA-EA2 opens.

Jul 8, 2012permalink

Vitruvius

Why are there only fish eyes and then 24m (equiv) and up lenses for NX system? I like the NX-20 but I can't find a good wide angle zoom? Is there a good quality 10-20 for NX with OIS? The 18-55 kit lens for the NX-20 may have good optics but the zoom feels like garbage quality.

Jun 12, 2012*permalink

plasnu

8mm Ultrawide, please.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

timedrun

I don't know if it's me being stupid, but although I see mention that the lens is small I can't seem to see any dimensions. Anyone got any sizes?

Jun 12, 2012permalink

Diopter

Another frivolous release for the NEX starving for more useful lenses.
:-(

Jun 12, 2012permalink

peevee1

So, the fisheye 8mm/3.5 was not enough? They'd better produce a rectilinear prime with those specs.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

Peiasdf

The lens packs a lot of hardware into a small size. The diagram makes it look almost empty but the cutaway show how packed it is.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

lajka

FTW. Samyang as you see up till now, doesn`t make zooms. It`s Tokina you should pray to. Actually Sigma makes one, the 10-20. Should it be top quality may I recommend Cooke, Angenieux or Zeiss. These boys make lense for super 35 format which is close to APS-C. I just can immagine such one f.ex. Cooke 10-20/2.8, weight 5 pound price 50.000$. Start working FTW.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

FTW

I can afford a 50000$ lens, that is not the point. The point is what you need and want to spend for it. I do not need fish-eye, I have one in my Nikon systems if I need such a shot and NX redresses the picture perfectly. The Zeiss 24 is a wonderful lens, but, who needs 24. That is well done in portrait shooting, but not a useful idea. I have 17-85 Nikon, 12-24 Tokina, 12-24 Sigma, 11-16 Tokina, on the Nikon/Fuji systems, but for Nex i need an adapter since no correct lenses are available. Sigma made a 19 mm that is quiet good, but why 19, why not 14 flat wide angle, why a 30-2.8 and not a 30-1.4, why could Sony or Zeiss not make a 12-24 or a 10-20, they are old hares in that business and know how to do it. I see from Sony only useless things, a 50lens, who needs that on an apsc. A crappy 30mm, instead of a high value 1.4 -35 mm, a new 18-200 made by Tamron for 750$ that can not reach the water to the 18-200 video lens they have and is just 100$ away from the "new" crappy one.

Jun 14, 2012*permalink

FTW

Sony has to start studying the market. They lose money, but look how many crap they made, sometimes huge things that, once sold, where discontinued and those who bought it are sucked. And then, the prices, wow, Sony is a champion in pricing. So, let us live with hope, use third party lenses with adapters, fortunately the NEX system is flexible, but, building a system that needs adapters and other people's lenses is another way to collect lorries on other manufacturers back.
Sony really needs to listen to their customers and do something, includes that f.....g video button issue on the NEX-7

Jun 14, 2012permalink

FTW

I await a correct top quality zoom, 10 to 20 mm or 12 to 24 for NEX, not a fisheye.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

Louis_Dobson

Silly me. I was just wondering why Samyang were wasting their time making lenses for a dead system that has no lenses when the penny dropped...

Jun 12, 2012permalink

JWest

Sony NEX might not have many lenses, but it's hardly a dead system. ;)

Jun 12, 2012permalink

Peiasdf

Is this 8mm f/2.8 not a lens?

Jun 12, 2012permalink

kapanak

I hope that was sarcasm. Otherwise, you are severely ignorant.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

forpetessake

The fastest growing system is dead? What kind of logic is that?

Jun 12, 2012permalink

Promit

Fastest growing system? No. Fastest selling system camera, maybe. But the rest of the *system* is niche. Which is fair, I suppose... the common tale is that very few people ever buy lenses other than the kit zoom, and the NEX is a great kit zoom auto setting camera. Just look elsewhere if you want a good camera system.

Jun 13, 2012permalink

marike6

Don't know if you're silly, but your comment sure was. Sony, with NEX, and their phenomenally good sensors that m43 users can only dream of, is innovating at a rapid pace. Samsung is a newer player, but they've been building some wonderful cameras and lenses for a while now. Clearly lens makers have noticed.

Samyang has already offers the 8 3.5 Fisheye but also have an excellent 7.5 3.5 Fish that they made for m43. It's was likely trivial to make it brighter and create a new mount for it.

But honestly, your comment just sounds like m43 fanboy trolling.

@Promit You're discounting the countless video shooters using NEX as well as users with stacks of Leica glass looking for a small APS-C body. The NEX E-mount is the very best for adapting MF lenses, so for many there is no need to look anywhere else. They make cameras with superb IQ, class leading sensors, LCDs and EVFs. Clearly the camera giant Sony is far from being a niche player.

Jun 13, 2012permalink

Promit

You're pretty much proving my point. Adapted manual lenses is a perfectly fine thing to do, but you're not buying into the E system at that point. You're just buying a camera body which happens to be a very good platform for manual lenses as long as you don't need stabilization. I'm not discounting the video shooters or the Leica glass shooters at all; in fact they're kinda central to what I said.

The camera bodies are hot sellers, but the E system as a whole is not. (Although I'll openly admit that the Zeiss 24mm sales are way higher than I expected.) Maybe that will change in a year or two.

Jun 13, 2012permalink

FTW

Make lenses for it, it awaits only that, and copy the system in a slight bigger size with FF chips, that would be the big deal. And, hell of a Christ sick, MAKE LENSES for it. WE NEED LENSES, is that so hard to understand, SONY?

Jun 14, 2012permalink

FTW

In a year or two there is other stuff, then our NEX is old fashion. It's here and now, not in two years. Don't think that way, if you die in 2 minutes you wasted your time.

Jun 14, 2012permalink

lajka

Hej Samyang. Why not a model in Leica M-mount so we can use it with adapters on: Ricoh GRX, Fuji-Pro, Sony Nex, without need of buying a lens for each model. Or maybe that`s what you want? You can still make one for Samsung since it`s korean and it`s mount not allowing m-adopters is hopeless.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

lajka

Actually, to simplify the problem, you can settle on 39 screw mount, cheaper and even more universal. C`mon Samyang, you can do it.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

audijam

if you can afford a Leica why would you settle for a Samyang?! like...put $20,000 rims on a Hyundai Accent????????

Jun 12, 2012permalink

lajka

audijam. Have you heard about Bessas, Zorkis, Feds. These are film models that can be had for 50 bucks up. Beside the fact that Leica doesn`t make one. Finally, I do have Leica, it`s 20 years old M6 and you probably had in mind Leica Monochrom which I can only dream of possesing, which I don`t.

Jun 14, 2012permalink

John

better look closely Sean, the alpha lens is much larger than this one. Still works well but is twice the size. I have this model for my m4/3 Panasonic and it works quite well.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

Valentinian

Hi - is it still fish eye on the m4/3 ?

Jun 12, 2012*permalink

Vasyl Tsvirkunov

Valentinian: fish eye is fish eys, no matter what crop factor it is. This particular announcement does not mention m4/3. There is Samyang m43 7.5/3.5, would not mind getting to 6mm though - if you go extreme might as well go all way. 2.8 is not really that necessary for fisheye, DoF is nearly meaningless at those focal distances, nice nevertheless.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

kingsix87

Large aperture in fish eye lenses is not for DoF, but for speed :)

PS. I hope the price is closer to Samyang 8mm f/3.5

Jun 12, 2012*permalink

Louis_Dobson

Valentinain, Samyang do a native MFT fisheye.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

pcblade

Silly you. I was just wondering why Samyang were wasting their time making lenses for a dead system ;-)

Jun 12, 2012permalink

flipmac

Thought this came out a few months ago (as Rokinon) see: http://www.thephoblographer.com/2012/02/13/review-rokinon-8mm-f2-8-fisheye-sony-nex/

Anyway, good to see more lenses for the NEX, even if it's a somewhat specialized fisheye lens.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

Olga Celle

I read that review. Not a bad one but the lens is tested on a NEX 5.
A customer who bought this lens forhis NEX 7 complained about some problems at the edges of the photo---see review in B&H
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/876970-REG/Rokinon_28fe8bk_se_8mm_f_2_8_UMC_Fish_Eye.html

Sep 21, 2012permalink

Jogger

does this lens fill the frame up, or does it project a cricle onto the imager??

Jun 12, 2012permalink

Vasyl Tsvirkunov

8mm fish is pretty much the exact frame on APS-C and complete circle on FF. To get circle on crop frame you need something like 4.5mm -- Sigma is actually making that kind of lens.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

sean lancaster

Odd that pricing hasn't been announced when I was able to pre-order this lens on Amazon.com last week for my NEX at $399.

Jun 12, 2012permalink

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