Impressive expanses - Landscape photography with the new Samyang AF 12mm F2.0
as part of our Online Photo Days
Michael Ziegann, the well-known photography YouTuber, tested the new Samyang AF 12mm F2.0 E in the beautiful Osnabr?ck countryside. Here he shows you in a video why he likes to use this model for landscape and architectural photography.
Samyang 12mm f/2.0Which Lens do you normally use for landscape and architectural photography?
At the moment I usually use the Samyang MF 12mm F2.0. It has never let me down, even in low light and adverse conditions. The Samyang MF 12mm is a real "always on" lens with a wide angle of view, high speed and fantastic imaging performance, with which I can cover all conceivable subject worlds in landscape and architectural photography. I was therefore all the more excited to test the new Samyang AF 12mm F2.0 E to see whether the optimized autofocus variant could keep up with the MF.
Now you've already created a test video or two, how do you go about your test preparations?
Before I receive a Lens for testing, I gather the necessary information, i.e. I find out about the technical data and features. Then it's time to choose the location. As there are an incredible number of opportunities for great shots in the far north, it's usually quite easy for me to find a suitable location, but sometimes I do my location scouting via internet research. The direct exchange with like-minded people is also very important to me. Then I look at the most important characteristics such as feel, image quality, vignetting, distortion, chromatic aberrations etc. I have had the best experiences with this approach.
Michael ZiegannWhat advice would you give to ambitious young photographers in the field of landscape photography or aspiring photography YouTubers?
The most important thing is to take a lot of photos and to familiarize yourself with the subject of photography as much as possible. At the beginning, it also makes sense to talk to like-minded people and get inspiration from others or observe trends in the respective medium. It is also important to approach things slowly, create content and not aim for large collaborations straight away. Practice makes perfect and that pays off in the end. Be authentic and sharpen your own profile. As far as landscape photography is concerned, I can only advise you not to choose the standard locations that most landscape photographers head for. There are still so many beautiful corners to discover.
Now to the new Samyang AF 12mm F2.0, what do you think of the new feel of the AF 12mm?
With a weight of only 213 g and its compact size of around 59 mm in length, the Samyang AF 12mm F2.0 E really doesn't weigh much and can be stored in almost any bag, which is a big plus point. It feels good in the hand and the new design looks more modern and of higher quality.
Samyang 12mm f/2.0 Michael ZiegannHand-held shots in low light, possible or rather difficult?
There are situations in which the ambient light is too weak to be able to photograph the subject handheld without blurring. This is the case, for example, in bad weather, indoors or in the evening at dusk or when shooting at night. In this case, there are two options: Either increase the ISO value, which can lead to image noise, or open the aperture so that more light can fall on the sensor. The latter is not a problem with a fast Lens such as the Samyang AF 12mm F2.0. Here, the aperture can be opened up to F2.0 and the shutter speed reduced. This makes the Samyang AF 12mm F2.0 the ideal lens for astrophotography in particular.
Now that you have tested the new Samyang AF 12mm F2.0, what is your conclusion?
The new Samyang AF 12mm F2.0 feels very good in the hand and impresses with its wide angle of view and open aperture. With its quiet and precise autofocus, it also has important features for professional filming, which is another plus point. Thanks to its all-round weather protection, the Lens is also ideally equipped for outdoor shots in adverse weather conditions, as was the case with me during the video shoot. Unfortunately, the lens is currently only available for Sony E to APC-S and has one or two weak points with lens flares, so I have to make a small deduction. Otherwise, the new Samyang AF 12mm F2.0 fulfills all professional requirements and can be used for many different shooting areas thanks to its high speed and short focusing distance. So I give it a big thumbs up. More about my test and conclusion in the video.
You can find more pictures and videos on Youtube or on his Instagram channel.
