Samyang 16mm f/2.0 ED AS UMC CS
Summary
The Samyang 16mm f/2.0 ED AS UMC CS is a solid optical performer — a ultra-wide prime (24mm equivalent) with f/2 maximum aperture. The lens is priced at approximately ~$500 USD. Please check the official product page for sample images, manuals, and firmware updates.
Genre Suitability
- Excellent for: Landscape, Street, Portrait, Sport, Wildlife
- Adequate for: Nightscape, Travel
- Avoid for: Architecture, Macro
Strengths
- Well-controlled aberrations
- Smooth, pleasant bokeh
Weaknesses
- Noticeably soft corners wide open
- Noticeable distortion visible in architectural subjects
- Noticeable vignetting wide open
- Below-average flare resistance
Specifications 19/20
| Optical construction | 13 elements in 11 groups (2 aspherical, 1 ED) |
| Coating | UMC |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| Max aperture | f/2 |
| Sweet spot | f/4 |
| Aperture blades | 8 |
| Sunstar points | 8 (sharp — straight blades) |
| Max magnification | 0.19x |
| Min focus distance | 200mm |
| AF motor | Manual focus |
| OIS | No |
| Weather sealed | No |
| Aperture ring | Yes |
| Clickless aperture | No |
| Focus ring | Yes |
| Focus by wire | No |
| Distance scale | Yes |
| Rotating front | No |
| Tripod mount | No |
| Weight | 600g |
| Diameter | 83mm |
| Length | 115.7mm |
| Filter thread | 77mm |
| Year | 2015 |
MTF Charts
| Position | 10S | 10M | 30S | 30M |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.97 | 0.98 |
| 2mm | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.98 |
| 4mm | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.96 | 0.95 |
| 6mm | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.95 | 0.95 |
| 8mm | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.90 | 0.91 |
| 10mm | 0.96 | 0.97 | 0.82 | 0.80 |
| 12mm | 0.92 | 0.96 | 0.68 | 0.75 |
| 14mm | 0.85 | 0.95 | 0.56 | 0.67 |
| Position | 10S | 10M | 30S | 30M |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| 2mm | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| 4mm | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.96 |
| 6mm | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| 8mm | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| 10mm | 0.99 | 0.97 | 0.98 | 0.85 |
| 12mm | 0.99 | 0.97 | 0.98 | 0.79 |
| 14mm | 0.99 | 0.95 | 0.99 | 0.67 |
Optical Quality 14/14
| Center (wide open) | 1.5 |
| Corner (wide open) | 0.5 |
| Center (stopped) | 2.0 |
| Corner (stopped) | 1.5 |
| Coma | 1.0 |
| Astigmatism | 2.0 |
| Spherical aberration | 1.5 |
| Longitudinal CA | 1.5 |
| Lateral CA | 1.5 |
| Distortion | 0.5 |
| Vignetting (wide open) | 0.5 |
| Vignetting (stopped) | 2.0 |
| Bokeh | 1.5 |
| Flare resistance | 0.5 |
Sharpness
- Good center sharpness wide open
- Noticeably soft corners wide open
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Good corner-to-corner sharpness stopped down
Aberrations
- Well-controlled longitudinal CA
- Well-controlled lateral CA
- Moderate coma at the extreme corners
- Negligible astigmatism
- Well-corrected spherical aberration
Rendering
- Smooth, pleasant bokeh
- Noticeable vignetting wide open
- Vignetting essentially gone by f/5.6
- Below-average flare resistance
Distortion
- Noticeable distortion visible in architectural subjects
All optical scores are based on lab measurements and field tests from trusted review sources. For details on how we score lenses, see our scoring methodology.
Genre Fit
~ Nightscape Photography 3/5
Nightscape Photography prioritizes coma control, astigmatism correction, and a fast aperture for short star exposures.
- Moderate coma at the extreme corners
- Negligible astigmatism
- Fast f/2 aperture
- Well-controlled lateral CA
- Good center sharpness wide open
- Noticeably soft corners wide open
- Well-controlled longitudinal CA
- Noticeable vignetting wide open
- Well-corrected spherical aberration
✓ Landscape Photography 4/5
Landscape Photography prioritizes corner-to-corner sharpness at stopped-down apertures and good flare resistance.
- Good corner-to-corner sharpness stopped down
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Noticeable distortion visible in architectural subjects
- Well-controlled lateral CA
- Well-controlled longitudinal CA
- Vignetting essentially gone by f/5.6
- Below-average flare resistance
- Negligible astigmatism
- Moderate coma at the extreme corners
✗ Architecture Photography 2/5
Architecture Photography prioritizes geometric precision with minimal distortion and even corner sharpness.
- Good corner-to-corner sharpness stopped down
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Noticeable distortion visible in architectural subjects
- Well-controlled lateral CA
- Vignetting essentially gone by f/5.6
- Below-average flare resistance
✓ Street Photography 4/5
Street Photography prioritizes sharp stopped-down performance and a fast enough aperture for low light.
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Fast f/2 aperture
- Good center sharpness wide open
- Below-average flare resistance
- Well-controlled longitudinal CA
- Moderate coma at the extreme corners
~ Travel Photography 3/5
Travel Photography prioritizes balanced image quality in a lightweight package.
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Heavy at 600g
- Fast f/2 aperture
- Below-average flare resistance
- Well-controlled longitudinal CA
✓ Portrait Photography 4/5
Portrait Photography prioritizes smooth bokeh and critical center sharpness wide open for subject isolation.
- Smooth, pleasant bokeh
- Good center sharpness wide open
- Well-controlled longitudinal CA
- Well-corrected spherical aberration
- Noticeable vignetting wide open
✓ Sport Photography 4/5
Sport Photography prioritizes sharp wide-open center performance to freeze action at fast shutter speeds.
- Good center sharpness wide open
- Fast f/2 aperture
- Well-controlled longitudinal CA
- Well-controlled lateral CA
✓ Wildlife Photography 4/5
Wildlife Photography prioritizes center sharpness across apertures for distant subjects.
- Good center sharpness wide open
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Fast f/2 aperture
- Well-controlled longitudinal CA
- Well-controlled lateral CA
✗ Macro Photography 2/5
Macro Photography prioritizes stopped-down center sharpness and high magnification for close-up detail.
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Low magnification (0.19x)
- Noticeable distortion visible in architectural subjects
- Well-controlled lateral CA
- Well-controlled longitudinal CA
- Well-corrected spherical aberration
- Smooth, pleasant bokeh