Part 2: A review of the Samyang 8mm f/2.8 fisheye for Fuji X

Over three years ago, I posted a review of the Walimex 8mm f/3.5 fisheye for Nikon. Since then I have sold all my Nikon gear and switched to the Fuji X system. Naturally, one of the first lenses I acquired was the Fuji version of the fisheye. Since the original article is still one of the most popular ones on this blog, I thought it might be time to write an update.

Samyang Fisheye

Impressions: Samyang Fisheye for Fuji

The Fuji version of the Samyang fisheye simply put represents an amazing value for the money that you pay. It’s awell-built lens and feels really solid despite its incredibly small size and low weight. There is a built-in lens hood that cannot be detached. The accompanying cap sits nice and tight. Put on the Fuji X-T1 or X-E1 cameras, the fisheye looks quite nice.

There is a nice little bonus for owners of the Fuji x system: this version sports a fast aperture of f/2.8 instead of the f/3.5 configuration of its Nikon/ Canon sibling. This makes the lens an excellent choice for astrophotography. Like all Samyang/ Walimex lenses this fisheye only comes with manual focus. However, this is not a problem since any fisheye lens provides large depth of field. Focusing is therefore easy and I yet have to create an unsharp photo. The focus and aperture ring are solid and have the right amount of resistance for my taste.

Samyang Fisheye
Compact: The Samyang Fisheye surrounded by the Fuji 14mm & 35mm

Image quality

The form factor is important but at the end of the day most people are rather interested in the image quality of the Samyang fisheye. To make it short: I love this lens. My version is tack-sharp and the resulting images are gorgeous. I have not seen any color fringing. This is based on my own personal assessment and not some kind of pixel-peeping exercise. I therefore use the Samyang 8mm f/2.8 fisheye quite a bit. It’s actually one of my favourite lenses. If used properly, you can even nicely control the natural distortion of any fisheye and use it as an amazing wide-angle lens.

Without a doubt, I highly recommend the Samyang 8mm f/2.8.

The Samyang 8mm f/2.8 fisheye can be purchased at Amazon.com

Below is a small gallery with sample images.

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