DxOMark published their test results for the Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC (AE) lens. Here is an updated list of the best performing 24mm lenses for the Nikon D800 camera:
| Lens | Price | DxOMark Score | Sharpness |
| Carl Zeiss Distagon T 25mm f/2 ZF.2 | $1,699 | 34 | 22 |
| Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED | $1,899 | 34 | 17 |
| Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC | $669 | 33 | 21 |
| Carl Zeiss Distagon T 25mm f/2.8 ZF.2 | $1,004 | 23 | 15 |
DxOMark conclusion on the Samyang 24mm f/1.4:
The best performing 24mm lens on the Nikon D800 is, surprisingly perhaps, not the relatively new AF-S Nikkor 24mm f1.4G ED but the marginally more affordable manual focus Zeiss Distagon T* 2,0/25 ZF.2. As we can see from the DxOMark score it’s highly corrected, like the Nikkor, but along with a more modest maximum aperture it has noticeably higher peak sharpness. Although the Nikkor is a superb performer, the Zeiss is sharper at every aperture. Even at the initial aperture, the Zeiss has better sharpness and uniformity than Nikkor at f2.0. In third place is the Samyang. It has almost the same DxOMark score, while peak sharpness surpasses even that of the excellent Nikkor.
Given the price, the Samyang is a tempting choice but it lacks the outright performance of both the Nikkor and the Zeiss where it counts most for this type of lens. Nevertheless, performance is still very good at the wider-apertures, and as this model has both the convenience of a built-in CPU and an auto-aperture it’s a far more attractive proposition than the EF mount version is to Canon users. It’s not the best performer optically, that title goes to the Zeiss and if you must have AF, the choice then is limited to the Nikkor, however the Samyang is a decent performer and offers great value.
