10 Best Camera Lenses 2026 in the United States

The Samyang 12mm F2.0 AF lens is a compact and lightweight prime lens designed specifically for Canon RF-S mount APS-C cameras. Its ultra-wide 12mm focal length covers a broad 99.1° angle, making it excellent for capturing expansive landscapes, architecture, and night skies with immersive detail. The bright f/2.0 aperture is a standout feature, allowing more light to enter the lens, which helps in low-light situations like indoor shooting or astrophotography, while also enabling some background blur for creative effects.

Optically, this lens includes special elements and coatings to reduce common issues like distortion and color fringing, which are important in ultra-wide lenses. Its 7-blade aperture also contributes to smooth bokeh and attractive starburst effects on bright lights. Autofocus is driven by a linear STM motor, offering quick, quiet, and smooth focusing that suits both photography and video well.

Weighing only 7.5 ounces and measuring just over 2 inches, this lens is very portable and weather-sealed, making it a reliable companion for travel or outdoor shoots. As a prime lens, it doesn’t offer zoom flexibility, so you’ll need to move physically to frame your shots. It’s built for APS-C sensor cameras with Canon RF-S mount and is not compatible with full-frame cameras without cropping. This lens is ideal for photographers seeking a high-quality ultra-wide prime for travel, architecture, night photography, or creative wide-angle shots with good low-light ability, balancing sharp optics, a fast aperture, and solid build in a compact package.

The Samyang 85mm F1.4 lens is a solid choice for Canon EF and EF-S users looking for a prime lens tailored for portrait photography. Its 85mm focal length is excellent for flattering portraits with natural perspective. The bright f/1.4 aperture stands out by allowing great low-light performance and creating a smooth, creamy background blur that makes your subject pop.

Autofocus is fast and quiet thanks to its Dual Linear Ultrasonic Motors, which is helpful if you also shoot video or want less distraction while focusing. The lens features weather-sealed construction and lightweight aluminum alloy, making it durable and easy to carry outdoors. The optical design with 9 elements in 7 groups and Ultra Multi-Coating helps reduce unwanted glare and maintains sharp, color-accurate images on full-frame cameras. A 9-blade rounded diaphragm contributes to the attractive bokeh effect.

On the downside, this lens does not include image stabilization, which might be noticeable when shooting handheld in low light. Also, while the lens is reasonably compact and light at about 1.1 pounds, it might be slightly heavier than some other 85mm primes, but still manageable. The 77mm filter thread is a common size, making it easy to add filters for creative effects. This lens fits photographers who want high image quality and excellent background separation in portraits without breaking the bank, though you should keep in mind the lack of stabilization if your camera body doesn’t offer it.

The Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 lens is a lightweight and compact wide angle lens designed specifically for Sony E mount full frame and APS-C cameras. Its ultra-wide 18mm focal length offers a broad view, making it great for landscapes, architecture, or interior photography. The aperture range of f/2.8 to f/22 allows decent low-light performance and some control over depth of field, though it’s not the brightest lens available.

It features quiet and reliable autofocus with a stepping motor (STM), which is helpful for both stills and video without distracting noise. The lens is built with a durable metal mount and strengthened glass, ensuring it can handle regular use. Weighing just over 5 ounces and measuring around 2.5 inches, it is very portable and easy to carry around. However, this lens does not have image stabilization, so handheld shots in low light might be more challenging unless your camera body offers stabilization.

The 58mm filter thread is a useful size for adding filters like polarizers or ND filters. While it’s a prime lens, meaning it has a fixed focal length, this allows it to deliver sharp, high-resolution images but without the flexibility of zoom. This lens suits photographers who want an affordable, quality wide angle option for their Sony cameras, especially if portability and image sharpness are priorities. It may be less ideal for those needing image stabilization or zoom versatility.