Samyang Rokinon 24mm f/1.8 AF Compact Lens for Sony E Review

The Samyang Rokinon 24mm f/1.8 is a lightweight, compact prime for Sony shooters. It's built for full-frame cameras and gives you a wide field of view that's great for environmental portraits and tight street scenes.

With an f/1.8 aperture, it pulls in a lot of light for low-light work. Just know it's not a zoom, so you'll be moving your feet to frame the shot. That's the trade-off for the small size and bright aperture.

This lens is a bit of a mixed bag. The build quality is excellent, landing in the 90th percentile, and it feels solid. The bokeh is surprisingly smooth for a wide-angle, hitting the 80th percentile. But the autofocus is just average, sitting at the 49th percentile. It's fine for still subjects, but don't expect blazing speed for action. And there's no stabilization, so you'll rely on your camera body or a steady hand.

At $359, it's priced as a solid mid-range prime. You're paying for the compact design and that f/1.8 aperture. For the money, you get great build quality and good optical performance, especially for portraits and street shots. But you're giving up some autofocus speed and stabilization you might find in more expensive lenses.

Compared to the Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM, this Samyang is way cheaper and lighter, but you lose out on ultimate sharpness and autofocus performance. Against a zoom like the Sony 24-240mm, you gain a much brighter aperture and better image quality, but you sacrifice all that versatility. The Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 is a similar budget option, but it's a tighter focal length. This Samyang gives you a wider view, which is better for cramped spaces.

Buy this if you're a Sony shooter who wants a small, light, and bright wide-angle prime for casual shooting, street photography, or environmental portraits. Skip it if you need fast autofocus for sports, want weather sealing, or need a lens that can do everything.