Ok, finally here're some sample images taken with the EOS 5D II and converted via Canon DPP. Please note that we did NOT apply any image corrections here. The lens does not supply EXIF data but you should be able to recognize the f/2.8 images due to the heavy vignetting at this setting.
Click on a thumbnail to view the original file (opens in a separate window). Please note that the originals are FULL SIZE samples
(=several megabytes) thus requiring a significant amount of bandwidth so please take care of the limited resources here.
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/1600s
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/500s
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/320s
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/800s
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/400s
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/5000s
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/400s
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/400s
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/500s
Make
Canon
Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Speed
200
Focal Length
50.0mm
Aperture:
f/0.0
Exposure
1/5000s
Verdict
Samyang 14mm f/2.8 IF ED Aspherical UMC may be the surprise product of the season. It's very affordable yet performing up there with the very best big boys. However, it's not a flawless lens, of course. Its primary strength is an extremely high resolution across the image frame combined with minimal CAs. There're few if any lenses which can rival the Samyang here which is nothing short of sensational for such an low cost product (again - see the provided sample images if you question our findings). There's a tiny bit of field curvature but it's really not overly field relevant. The quality of the bokeh is also very decent for a lens in this class. The huge bulk-like front element can produce flare problems but we've seen a similar behavior with competing lenses including the all-mighty Nikkor AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8 ED. The biggest weakness of the Samyang is the rather extreme amount of complex barrel distortion (mustache style) which is difficult to correct during post-processing. If you're into architecture photography this will produce headaches. Another problem is the rather hefty light falloff at f/2.8-f/4 although that's rather typical for an ultra-wide angle lens. Our sample had a rather strange focus characteristic but once we were aware of the infinity focus setting (see the introduction) the real world results matched our lab findings.
The mechanical quality of the Samyang lens is surprisingly high. Most of the main body is made of metal whereas you can feel the cost cutting measurements in the plastic parts (front cap) but even so the quality is very decent. To date Samyang lenses are purely mechanical beings - there's no electronic coupling whatsoever. The EOS version does not provide AF nor an electronically controlled aperture so the compatibility is limited to the camera mount. This may be something to get used to but it's probably an acceptable compromise regarding the fantastic value of the lens. Hopefully we'll see several more wide angle lenses by Samyang in the future - what about a small 18mm f/4 for instance ? :-)
(architecture photography) 
