Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm
Samyang CS SY16M-C 16mm
What Buyers Say
Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm
This Nikon 18-55mm lens is widely praised for its sharpness, light weight, and excellent value for money, especially as a kit lens. Users highlight its vivid colors and quiet autofocus, though some note the plastic build feels fragile and the barrel can wobble at extended focal lengths. Overall, it's considered a fantastic starter lens that outperforms its modest price point.
Pros
- Sharp image quality
- Lightweight and portable
- Excellent value for money
- Vivid color reproduction
- Quiet autofocus
Cons
- Plastic build feels fragile
- Barrel wobbles at extended focal lengths
- No image stabilization
- Loose tolerances can affect focus
Samyang CS SY16M-C 16mm
The Samyang 16mm f/2.0 manual focus lens receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for its exceptional sharpness, micro-contrast, and image quality, especially given its affordable price. Users love it for landscape and astrophotography, praising the fast f/2.0 aperture and solid build, though many note it is quite large and heavy on APS-C bodies. Manual focus is generally well-accepted for static subjects but challenging for moving ones. A few buyers were surprised by its size due to misleading product images but still found the optical performance excellent.
Pros
- Exceptional sharpness
- Great micro-contrast and rendering
- Fast f/2.0 aperture
- Solid build quality
- Excellent for landscapes and astro
Cons
- Large and heavy on APS-C
- Challenging for moving subjects
- Manual focus only (no AF confirm chip on some)
- Misleading product images (size mismatch)
- Not ideal for full frame (vignetting)
Scores
Specifications
| Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm | Samyang CS SY16M-C 16mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | zoom | wide-angle |
| Focal Length Min | 18 mm | 16 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 55 mm | 16 mm |
| Elements | 7 | 13 |
| Groups | 5 | 11 |
| Aspherical Elements | 2 | 2 |
| ED Elements | 1 | 1 |
| Coating | Super Integrated Coating | UMC |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/3.5 | f/22 |
| Min Aperture | 3.5-5.6 | f/2 |
| Constant | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 | 8★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Nikon F | Canon EF-S |
| Format | APS-C | APS-C |
| Weight | 0.20 kg★ | 0.58 kg |
| Filter Thread | 55 mm | 77 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | pulse stepping motor★ | manual focus only |
| Stabilization | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Stabilization Stops | 4 stops★ | — |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 55 mm★ | 200 mm |
Pros & Cons
Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm
- Strong macro (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong stabilization (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
- Strong social proof (86th percentile)86th %ile
- Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
Samyang CS SY16M-C 16mm
- Strong macro (81st percentile)81st %ile
- Strong optical (78th percentile)
- Below average af (15th percentile)15th %ile
- Below average bokeh (19th percentile)19th %ile
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
- Below average user sentiment (32nd percentile)
Pricing
Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm offers 8.5x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 97 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 20 specs.
