A question I often get, is what kind of lenses I recommend to always have in my bag. It often depends on your shooting style, but is there one thing I feel everyone should have available, is an extreme wide-angle lens.
I shoot events and concerts, and Im there to document, so its important to not only deliver closeups, but also wide-angle to show the whole experience at a show. There are two things my employer always want delivered from a show; pictures that shows the whole stage and pictures that shows the audience. Both those are almost impossible at most stages with a 35mm, 50mm or similar.
So why do I recommend the Samyang 14mm F/2.8? Is it the best? No, not at all. But what you get for your money and what it can deliver for that price, is so good, it works for most people in most situations. Samyang 14mm F/2.8 is currently on sale for under NOK 6000 in Norway (On sale for USD 399 at B&H). This is the numbers for the Sony E mount I use. You also get the AF version for Canon. And a MF version for most mounts.
Sigma 14mm F/1.8 and Sony 14mm F/1.8 is the two most pros are aiming for. But in my opinion, they cost so much more then the Samyang and deliver more then most people need. You don’t need a Ferrari to drive to the store. An Audi is doing a good job too. The Sigma is close to NOK 18 000 in Norway (USD 1600 at B&H) and the Sony is NOK 17 000 (USD 1600 at B&H).
My point here, is not to convince you that the Samyang is just as good as the the other two, but to tell and show that a cheaper options sometime can be a good choice if your budget isn’t the biggest.
Pro’s:
Cheaper then most others
Center sharpness is good
Small
Does the job
Con’s:
A bit soft in the corners
Not good for video
AF a bit behind the pro options
Flare can be an issue
So, if you want an cheaper alternative to a good wide-angle, Samyang 14mm F/2.8 is a good choice. Not only at concerts and events, but also for landscape and astrophotography.
Keep shooting and stay focused!