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Review of Rokinon Af 24mm F/28 Fe Lens for Sony E

In my review of theSamyang AF 24mm f/ii.viii Fe I tell you why I call up that Samyang has made a few compromises besides many in order to continue it pocket-size.

Sample Images

Nigh images in this review tin be establish in full resolution here.

Specifications

Diameter 61 mm
Length 37 mm
Filter Thread 49 mm
Weight 93 m
Max. Magnification one:vi.4
Close Focusing Distance from the sensor 0.20 chiliad
Number of aperture blades 9 (rounded)
Elements/ Groups 7/7

The Samyang ii.viii/24 sells for $279 at amazon.com or B&H and for 299€ at amazon.de (affiliate links). If yous purchase the lens through i of these affiliate-links I become a small compensation with no boosted toll to yous.

Contents

  • Sample Images
  • Specifications
  • Build Quality
  • Size,Weight and Handling
  • Manual Focus
  • Autofocus
  • Optical performance
    • Bokeh
    • Flare resistance
    • Vignetting
    • Baloney
    • Sunstars
    • Sharpness
  • Compared to other lenses
  • Decision
        • Phillip Reeve
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Build Quality

The Samyang has a metallic mount but I think it is of less durable aluminium. The rest of the lens is made from plastics. The focusing band is wide plenty but doesn't feel as smooth as that of nigh Sony FE lenses.

The lens hood is a scrap flimsy, rather sparse and cheap plastic. It is the right size to protect the front chemical element from most damages but too pocket-sized to actually have whatever issue on the flare resistance.

In general the Samyang 2.viii/24 feels a niggling cheap. Not as cheap equally your typical $99 kit lens but Sony's more affordable lenses feel nicer.

Samyang lenses have a reputation for declining more often and having higher variance than most competitor's lenses. We certainly have had our share of bad copies from them (more than than half). There is no public information on the newer AF-lenses but according to a trusted source they oasis't improved in this aspect. I call back this is one reason why Samyang can offer their lenses at very competitive prices. This outcome is in part offset by the generous warranties of upward to 5 years.

Size,Weight and Handling

The 93g Samyang is a very pocket-size lens which makes the modest FE ii/28 expect big. Only Smayang's own 2.eight/35 is smaller and lighter.

The size is the Samyang's near important quality. If your focus is on a very low-cal and pocket-sized kit and then at that place is no real alternative to the  tiny 2.8/24.

Manual Focus

As mentioned before the focusing ring feels ok with a trivial loftier resistance and a difficult to describe lack of smoothness. I have used worse, but again every Sony lens has a nicer feeling focusing ring. As every other E-mount AF lens the focus is past wire merely at least information technology does non depend on the speed with which you plow the focus band. The focus throw is short at about 80 degrees. All in all a below average performance.

Autofocus

I used the Samyang 2.8/24 on the older a7II with a rather dated AF module. Commonly information technology is a bit slow but reliable. Non so with the Samyang: I had higher number of misfocused images than I would have expected or had I used my FE 2/28 or FE 4/16-35. I didn't investigate this farther with another camera but it made me savour the Samyang even less.

AF is mostly quiet merely at times you hear a scraping dissonance.

Optical performance

The Samyang has a narrower field of view than my other 24mm lenses so information technology is more similar a true 25mm or 26 mm lens.

Bokeh

Out of focus highlights are rendered quite smoothly by the Samyang 2.8/24 merely there are distinctive onion rings in some scenarios too as meaning bokeh fringing.

Scenario ane: Shut Altitude with enervating groundwork

Scenario 2: Close focus, less demanding background

Scenario iii: Medium distance focus, demanding background

Scenario 4: long Distance with demanding Background

And then for a wideangle bokeh is skilful in most scenarios but there are some scenarios where it gives less than ideal results.

Flare resistance

The Samyang's flare resistance is below boilerplate past modern standards. There is very little ghosting but veiling flare is an issue in more than demanding scenarios. I would rate it better than almost any legacy 24mm lens simply on par with the Iron 4/16-35. I took quite a few images where veiling flare resistance was a existent issue and I find this to be pretty limiting for landscape photography.

not how veiling flare kills the contrast in the darker parts of the prototype

Vignetting

At 3.3 stops broad open the Samyang set up a new record for whatsoever lens I have tested so far. This means that the extreme corners are basically at f/9 when the lens is used wide open. Numbers improve a little every bit you stop down merely the remain close to 2 stops.

This is easily corrected only it costs some time and increases noise in the corners.

Discontinuity Vignetting
f/2.8 3.iii EV
f/4 2.v EV
f/5.half dozen 2.1 EV
f/8 one.9 EV
f/xi 1.9 EV

Distortion

The Samyang ii.eight/24 displays pretty complex distortion which can't be easily corrected by manual adjustments. -4 in LR gave the all-time results but visible distortion remains. At the time when I write this review (9/2018) the is no contour bachelor in LR but this might modify in the time to come.

earlier: no correction. after: -4 correction.

Sunstars

Since the Samyang has nine rouneded aperture blades you get fuzzy 18-pointed stars at most apertures. At f/xvi they are somewhat defined past won't excite anyone.

Sharpness

f/2.8:Good sharpness in the eye, okayish midframe and softish corners..

f/4:Very sharp in the center, practiced in the midframe area und however softish corners.

f/v.6: Very good beyond well-nigh of the frame just the corners remain somewhat soft.

f/8: Corners are okay now.

f/eleven: Corners ameliorate a petty while the center is a tad softer.

Not a very impressive performance. The Samyang 24/2.8 FE is abrupt enough for many applications simply about whatever competing lens is sharper.

Compared to other lenses

Voigtlander 3.5/21: The Voigtlander is also a very modest lens but it weights and costs twice as much. I think it is a more bonny lens since it overcomes all the Samyang'due south weaknesses except the potent vignetting.

The Sony FE 4/16-35 ZA is well-nigh 5 times as big and heavy and about three times as expensive. It is besides a little sharper and much more versatile because of the larger zoom range.

Legacy ii.8/24 lenses. I compared the Samyang to the Minolta MD 2.8/24 (plan Dr.) which is 1 of the improve classic 24mm lenses. I found the sharpness pretty similar (at f/8). The Samyang has better flare resistance, smoother bokeh and is much smaller AF while the Minolta is more affordable and more enjoyable to handle.

Zeiss Loxia 2.4/25:The half a stop faster, four times as heavy and much more expensive Loxia is of course the technically better lens. It is a lot sharper. From f/2.iv information technology is sharper across the frame than the Samyang ever gets. In regards to CA, contrast, flare resistance and sunstars the Loxia is also superior. So if yous take your mural photography serious get for the Loxia.

Zeiss Batis 2/25: A tiny piffling bit little weaker than the Loxia simply bulkier and with AF it also runs circles around the Samyang.

Sony FE ii/28: The not much more expensive Sony weights 200g which is twice every bit much merely very little overall. It outperforms the Samyang in any attribute only distortion and is a stop faster. Unlike with the Samyang I found the AF to be very reliable. So unless you put a lot of emphasis on modest size I would ever recommend the Sony over the Samyang. It is also a little wider than 28mm so rather shut in focal length.

Conclusion

pros
  • Minor Size
  • Price
  • Bokeh (near of the fourth dimension)
average
  • Build Quality
  • Sharpness
cons
  • Flare resistance
  • Circuitous Baloney
  • Very strong Vignetting
  • Unreliable AF (at least on a7II)

Every lens is a compromise betwixt performance, price and size. The Samyang AF 2.viii/24 Atomic number 26 puts a very small size and relatively low price over performance. and I would similar to offering two points of view here.

If small-scale size and low toll are important to you the Samyang could be a very good fit: Information technology is one of the smallest and most affordable E-mount lenses available and offers a adept performance in well-nigh settings. I would prefer information technology over well-nigh whatsoever legacy 24 mm lens which would perform worse overall and exist much larger.

If on the other hand performance is very important to y'all and so almost alternatives will perform better the Samyang 2.eight/24 needs to be stopped down to f/eight to deliver a sharp epitome and it retains very strong vignetting at these apertures. Even more annoying tin exist the the below boilerplate flare resistance which is very relevant for a wideangle lens.

Personally I didn't warm to the Samyang AF ii.8/24. While appreciate the very small size and low toll they come with a few compromises likewise many but I tin can see some appeal for very price and/or size minded photographers.

The Samyang 2.8/24 sells for $279 at amazon.com or B&H and for 299€ at amazon.de (affiliate links).
If this review was helpful to you lot, please consider using 1 of my affiliate links. I volition receive a pocket-sized commission on your purchase and there is no added toll to you. Cheers?

More Sample Images

  • Sony Fe lenses: The honest Guide for the a7 series
  • Guide to Macro Lenses for the Sony a7 series
  • Long-term Review: Sony Atomic number 26 2/28: A Smart Compromise

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Source: https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-samyang-af-2-4-28-fe-at-least-its-small/

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