Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 Wide - Review

Product Review: Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 Wide Angle Auto Focus Lens for Sony E-Mount, Black (IO24AF-E)

If you're looking for a high-quality wide-angle lens for your Sony E-mount mirrorless camera, the Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 lens is definitely worth considering. This lens has been designed to work with both APS-C and full-frame cameras, making it a versatile and valuable addition to your gear bag. Let's take a closer look at what this lens has to offer in this detailed review.

Design and Build Quality

Firstly, let's talk about the design and build quality of this lens. The Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 is a compact and lightweight lens that measures just 2.46 inches in length and weighs only 3.68 ounces. The lens barrel is made of high-quality plastic and has a matte black finish, giving it a sleek and professional look.

The lens is constructed of 7 elements in 7 groups, which includes aspherical and high-refractive index elements to reduce chromatic and spherical aberrations. This ensures that you get sharp and crisp images with minimal distortion. Moreover, the glass is ultra multi-coated (UMC), which reduces flare and ghosting, and helps to produce clear and vibrant images.

The Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 features a 49mm filter thread, making it compatible with a wide range of filters. The lens hood, which is included in the box, screws directly onto the filter thread and is a nice touch to prevent direct light hitting the lens.

Auto Focus Performance

The Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 lens has an internal focusing mechanism, which means the lens does not extend while focusing. It also means the manual focus ring does not rotate during autofocus, making it easy to use a polarizing filter on this lens.

When testing the autofocus, I was impressed by its speed and accuracy. The lens uses a stepping motor (STM) that delivers fast and precise autofocus performance. The lens locks onto subjects quickly and quietly, making it ideal for shooting video as well as stills. Overall the autofocus on this lens is reliable and should not disappoint.

Image Quality

Now let's talk about the most important aspect of any lens - the image quality. I was impressed with the image quality produced by this lens. The Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 lens delivers sharp and detailed images with good contrast and color rendition. The lens does an excellent job of controlling chromatic aberration, and there is minimal distortion even at the edges of the frame.

The lens also has a minimum focusing distance of 9.5 inches, making it ideal for capturing close-up shots. This is particularly useful if you want to capture details or shoot macro photos. The maximum aperture of f/2.8 is fairly fast, and it's good to see that sharpness is maintained across the aperture range.

It's worth noting that the lens does not come with any image stabilization, so you will need to rely on your camera's built-in stabilization or use a tripod in low light situations. Overall, the image quality produced by the Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 lens is excellent and makes it a great choice for landscape, street and architectural photography.

Conclusion

The Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 lens is a great wide-angle lens that offers excellent image quality, fast and reliable autofocus, and a compact and lightweight design. It's a versatile lens that can be used with both APS-C and full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras, making it a valuable addition to any photographer's gear bag.

Despite its affordable price point, the Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 lens does not compromise on quality. The UMC coating and aspherical elements ensure clear, sharp and vibrant images, and the fast autofocus is quick and quiet. If you're looking for an affordable and high-quality wide-angle lens for your Sony E-mount camera, then the Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 is definitely worth considering.

Overall, the Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 lens has scored high among users, with 4.3 out of 5 stars and over 232 customer reviews. Based on my experience, I can easily recommend this lens to anyone who is serious about their photography and wants to take their wide-angle shots to the next level.

Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8 Wide

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