It has a been a long time since I’ve reviewed a Samyang lens (two years, to be exact). Samyang seems to have gone through a bit of a restructuring during that time, rebranding as LK Samyang. The LK Group is a South Korean conglomerate involved in various industries, including manufacturing, electronics, and engineering. It is known for its activities in producing a range of products such as electronic components, industrial equipment, and system solutions. In other words, they seem to be the financial backers for Samyang’s next chapter of optical development. Part of that next chapter includes a strategic partnership with fabled German optical company Schneider-Kreusnach, with the first lens from that partnership being the Schneider-Kreuznach x LK Samyang 14-24mm F2.8 FE that I am reviewing today. Now obviously “Schneider-Kreuznach x LK Samyang 14-24mm F2.8 FE” doesn’t exactly just roll off the tongue, so I will be referring to the lens more simply as the LK Samyang 14-24 in this review. It’s a very intriguing lens for a lot of reasons. You can find my full thoughts in the video review linked below or by reading the text review here. If you just want to see some photos, check out the galleries below.

*This product provided by LK Samyang under license from Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the Sony a7RV along with the Sony Alpha 1 that serve as my benchmark cameras for Sony lenses. You can visit the product listing for the LK Samyang 14-24mm here.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comparison to other E-mount Wide Angle Zooms

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sigma released their first 14-24mm F2.8 zoom for DSLR mounts right as that chapter was closing in 2018. It was one of my favorite Sigma zooms of their “ART” era on DSLRs, so I was delighted when Sigma released a new version for Sony mirrorless in 2019. I had a blast with that lens, as Sigma did a good job shrinking it to be a better match for smaller mirrorless cameras. It had a few significant shortcomings, however, including the fact that a bulbous front element meant that you couldn’t use screw on filters. It was also still pretty big, a full 131mm long and weighing in at nearly 800g. It’s also expensive with an MSRP north of $1500 at the moment due to shifting market pressures.

LK Samyang has aggressively designed a lens that addresses all of those shortcomings. The LK Samyang 14-24 is compact and lightweight (445g), can use traditional filters (77mm), and is considerably less expensive at $1200 USD. That last point might still be a sticking point, however, as while Sigma has carved out a market position where they can demand a little higher price, Samyang has traditional occupied a more budget tier. This collaboration with Schneider is clearly a push upmarket, and it is too soon to see if consumers can mentally adjust.

I had a chance to check this lens out briefly at its public introduction at Japan’s CP+ convention back in late February, and I was immediately intrigued by this new direction for LK Samyang and the unique partnership with Schneider. I loved the compact size, the quick autofocus, and even the close focus capabilities of the lens, though it was hard to really evaluate the optics in a few shots at the LK Samyang booth.

But now I’ve had a chance to evaluate the lens more thoroughly, so enjoy some of the photos I took during my review period.

Images of the LK Samyang 14-24mm F2.8 FE

Images taken with the LK Samyang 14-24mm F2.8

_________________________________________________________________________

GEAR USED:

Purchase the LK Samyang 14-24mm F2.8 @ B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

___________________________________________________________________

Purchase the Sony a7RV @ B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon | Camera Canada | Sony Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

__________________________________________________________________

Purchase the Sony a7IV @ B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon | Camera Canada | Sony Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Want to support this channel? Use these affiliate links to shop at: B&H Photo | Amazon | Adorama | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Ebay | Make a donation via Paypal

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Keywords: Schneider-Kreuznach x LK Samyang 14-24mm F2.8 FE Review, Schneider-Kreuznach, LK Samyang, Scheider, Samyang 14-24mm, 14-24mm, F2.8, FE, Ultra Wide Angle, 77mm, Schneider 14-24, LK Samyang 14-24, Full Frame, Review, Sony Alpha 1, Sony a7RV, Review, Hands On, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Sharpness, Bokeh, Flare Resistance, Autofocus, Image Quality, Sample Images, Video, Photography, let the light in, weathersealing, #letthelightin, DA

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.