Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5 review

Go extra-large on your viewing angles with the astonishing Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5 lens

5 Star Rating
Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5 review
(Image: © Matthew Richards)

Digital Camera World Verdict

There are ultra-wide prime and zoom lenses aplenty, but the Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5 beats them all for sheer viewing width. Measured on the diagonal of the frame, you get an astounding 130 degrees. That’s as good as it gets, without going fisheye. Better still, the lens delivers sharp, practically wraparound vision with virtually no distortion whatsoever. Don’t be put off by the lack of autofocus, you really won’t need it.

Pros

  • +

    Full metal jacket

  • +

    Incredible viewing angle

  • +

    Silky smooth focus ring

Cons

  • -

    No autofocus, but who cares?

  • -

    No depth of field markers

  • -

    No weather-seals

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Developed for Canon EOS full-frame DSLRs, Samyang’s XP (XPert) range of premium quality manual-focus prime lenses aims for top-drawer image quality. They’re designed to fully meet the needs of cameras with 50 megapixels or more under the bonnet, and the ability to shoot 8K video. There are currently five on the market, ranging from 10mm to 85mm in focal length. The Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5 edition delivers a world-beating viewing angle for rectilinear (non-fisheye) lenses. (It's worth noting that this lens is called the Rokinon SP 10mm f/3.5 in the US market.)

• Read more: Best fisheye lenses

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 


His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 


In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.