The Samyang 12mm F2.0 has been a asset in my real estate and landscape photography. Being a manual focus lens, it will definitely slow your shooting down and require you to consider composition. There will be no spray and pray with this lens! I have realized that after using it for some months, my thought process has improved tremendously when it comes to capturing shot. It requires an attention to detail that lacking when using a autofocus lens, I have to pay close attention to ensure that my photos are sharp.
The lens is well made for a lens in the $300-400 price range and higher. It is constructed out of high quality plastic with a metal mount. The lens hood clicks into place and stays put, it serves its purpose of reducing lens flair relatively well. Stopping all the way down to F2.0 will still allow you to get some sharp images.
As I stated before, I have been using the lens for landscapes and real estate photography with excellent results. When the aperture is stopped down to f/4.0 or higher, the lens is extremely sharp. There may be some chromatic aberration in some high contrast shots when shooting sunlight through windows, but that is cleared up in post processing. I have had good results when shooting landscapes or lit buildings at night. The image quality does not leave much to be desired. I have worked a number of realtors whom have been satisfied with the quality of the images I was able to produce. I have found that the lens gives the effect of being in the room due to such a wide field of view.
This lens is ideally suited for architecture and landscapes as there is not autofocus; I attempted to use the lens at a skatepark and I had to focus on an area with hopes that a skater would ride through that area, the results were fair.Overall, the Samyang is a great lens and a bargain for the price. With a little practice and focus peaking, learning how to get a sharp images is pretty easy. Focus peaking is a system used on Sony e-mount camera to highlight the sharp areas of a photo.
