Available in a range of mounts, and both Four Thirds and Samsung NX versions, the Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC is an attractive lens for CSC users wanting a fast prime. Samyang's 35mm f/1.4 AS USM features a fast f/1.4 maximum aperture that's two-thirds of a stop faster than an f/1.8.

The Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC is the company's most expensive lens to date, but at a street price of around ￡320 it is only about 25% of the price of a comparable optic from the likes of Canon, Nikon and Sony. This means that the Samyang model is around ￡1,000 cheaper than its rivals.

A fully-manual prime lens with a fast aperture at a bargain price

Bright aperture; build quality

Weak performance at wide aperture

If Samyang's name is unfamiliar then now is a good time to find out more about the brand, which has been in the market since 1972 serving the industrial television sector. The company also makes high-spec lenses, optical accessories and a zoom-telescope.

Bright aperture; build quality

Weak performance at wide aperture

Samyang continues to surprise us regarding the quality of their recently released products. The full format Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC is capable of delivering a very high quality straight from f/1.4 - at least within the tested APS-C scope. The contrast level is a bit reduced at max.