14mm 2.8 Samyang vs Bower

Hi,
I was under the impression that the 14mm f/2.8 from Samyang/Rokinon and Bower were the same optic in different package (re-labelled).

From B&H they suggest not to use the Bower on full frame ( http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …4mm_f_2_8_Ultra​_Wide.html )
but the disclaimer is not there for the samyang (
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …4mm_f_2_8_Super​_Wide.html ).

Can someone shed some light on my confusion?

Best regards,

B&H is wrong. It is the same lens.

Mike is right. I've got the Rokinon. There is at least one more brand, but I can't think of it. All the same lens, just different badging.

GeoKras1989 wrote in post #17453549
Mike is right. I've got the Rokinon. There is at least one more brand, but I can't think of it. All the same lens, just different badging.

Bell & Howell and Vivitar. There might be more.

Furlan wrote in post #17453859
Bell & Howell and Vivitar. There might be more.

ty

Thanks for the info.

Just received mine from B&H thursday Great price and works great on my 6d. No worries.

Here are all of the different names I have seen for the lens:


Samyang
Bower
Bell & Howell
Rokinon
Vivitar
Pro Optic
Walimex Pro

msowsun wrote in post #17454128
Here are all of the different names I have seen for the lens:


Samyang
Bower
Bell & Howell
Rokinon
Vivitar
Pro Optic
Walimex Pro

How is the IQ on this vs a Tokina 11-16?

I have been disappointed with both copies of the 11-16 I have had (barrel distortion is pretty severe) and was wondering if this lens is any better.

Would be primarily used for nighttime star shooting...

Fast351 wrote in post #17455805
How is the IQ on this vs a Tokina 11-16?

I have been disappointed with both copies of the 11-16 I have had (barrel distortion is pretty severe) and was wondering if this lens is any better.

Would be primarily used for nighttime star shooting...

14mm is really not an Ultrawide on an APS-C camera.

I once owned the Tokina 11-16 and did not notice any barrel distortion. Most reviewers say it has very little distortion for an ultra-wide lens. Maybe you are confusing barrel distortion with Perspective distortion? In any case the Samyang/Bower 14mm has more distortion than the Tokina 11-16mm.

Sorry, I guess maybe I had the name of the distortion wrong, but I would like to see someone take a look at this image and tell me what I'm seeing:

http://fast351.com …e2014/large4/im​g_0647.jpg

In the center you can see a little star trailing like what you'd expect with a 25 second exposure. But on the edge (most prominent on the upper right corner) there is a SIGNIFICANT trailing, and you can even see that in live preview mode where there isn't time exposure to adjust for.

Is this just a bad lens?

That's probably coma; worse the farther from the center you get.
Worse on one side/corner than others due to lens assembly/tolerances not being perfect.

A related question about the Samyang/Bower/Rokinon brothers: why are the prices so different for the various nameplates?
14mm f2.8 at B&H:
Bower $259
Samyang $329
Rokinon $399

Why would anyone buy the Rokinon or Samyang when the Bower is the same lens?

I bought a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 from B&H for $297, new, no shipping charges. I think it one of the best lenses I own.

EDIT: I bought it in December. Now it is $399. Odd.

yellowt2 wrote in post #17456974
That's probably coma; worse the farther from the center you get.
Worse on one side/corner than others due to lens assembly/tolerances not being perfect.

A related question about the Samyang/Bower/Rokinon brothers: why are the prices so different for the various nameplates?
14mm f2.8 at B&H:
Bower $259
Samyang $329
Rokinon $399

Why would anyone buy the Rokinon or Samyang when the Bower is the same lens?

For the same reason people buy Leica's and think boxes and and lens caps are more important
than the actual product. I just purchased the Bower version from B&H and its fine. Samyang and
Rokinon look and sound like they belong on a lens on the other hand Bower splashed across a
huge lens cap not so good.

Yes, it looks like coma. The Tokina 11-16mm is known to have coma in the corners when used wide open. Stopping down a little helps. The Samyang/Rokinon/Bower 14mm is said to have very little coma.