Review Rokinon 24mm f2.8
If you are looking for an affordable wide angle, E mount lens, the Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 FE may be just what you want. This Full-Frame, Autofocus pancake lens is less than $140 at Amazon. You won’t find a better lens at this price. This Rokinon lens is also branded as Samyang. It is not easy to make wide angle lenses without some distortion or vingetting, but this lens has neither.
The autofocus is quick and accurate. Color rendition and contrast are consistently good.
While the body is plastic, it has an aluminum shell and this gives it a solid feel. The bayonet mount is metal unlike many budget lenses which use a cheaper mount material to keep costs down. The lens is surprisingly light and compact making it great as a walkaround, street lens. The competing Tamron 24mm f/2.8 lens is much longer and heavier. And the Tamron has a noticeably slower autofocus. The Sony FE 28mm f/2 is not as wide and costs twice as much. The Rokinon 24mm f2.8 is a full-frame equivalent of 38.4mm, making it ideal for street photography, landscapes and architecture. There is a lightweight lens hood that is included, but considering how wide the lens is, I wonder how much light would be blocked.
The downsides are that the lens is a bit soft wide open at some focal distances. This has not been an issue for me as I rarely shoot wide open. See Sweet Spot of a Lens. At apertures smaller than f/3.5, the lens is consistently good, and vignetting is barely noticeable. This vignetting is easily managed using the lens profiles found in editing software such as ON1 Photo RAW or Adobe Lightroom. Review Rokinon 24mm f2.8
Another weakness is that the lens is not weather sealed and could be susceptible to dust. This is not a lens you’d take out in a heavy rainstorm.
For affordable decent glass, this autofocus prime lens is an excellent value. It is also the least expensive prime lens for Sony e mount cameras. I’ve been pleased with the shooting I have done so far. Married to a Sony A5100, this makes a lightweight, compact camera system. I’ve always liked the results of shooting close to your subject. Gives you better 3-D modeling and this lens does not distort features like some wide angle lenses.
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