Samyang AF 12mm F2 X

Andy Westlake examines Samyang’s first autofocus lens for Fujifilm X-mount cameras

A decade ago, Samyang was known for making fully manual lenses that offered decent optical performance and robust metal construction at an affordable price. But in 2016, it reinvented itself as one of the first third-party makers to produce autofocus lenses for Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras. In April 2021, it introduced its first APS-C format AF lens, the AF 12mm F2 E, and then six months later, translated this design into the Samyang AF 12mm F2 X: its first autofocus optic for Fujifilm’s X-mount cameras.

With its broad 99.1° angle of view (equivalent to 18mm on full frame), large aperture and wallet-friendly £399 price tag, this lens offers an enticing proposition for X-system users interested in subjects such as landscapes and architecture. They would, after all, have to pay more than twice as much elsewhere to get an autofocus lens with such a wide view. The most obvious alternatives are the Zeiss Touit 12mm F2.8, which is a stop slower and yet costs £839, or the Fujifilm XF 1024mm F4 R WR OIS ultra-wide zoom (£949).

Fujifilm users may be slightly miffed to find that they have to pay £40 extra compared to the Sony E-mount version of this lens, but that presumably reflects the development costs of supporting a new mount. It still represents a surprisingly small premium over the older manual focus Samyang 12mm F2 NCS CS, with its £329 list price. So is there a catch?

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