Rokinon AF 18mm F 2 8 FE Review | 54 Data compared

The Rokinon 18mm F2.8 AF for Sony E is an affordable, ultra-lightweight ($399.99) lens featuring a compact plastic design, 58mm filter support, and fast, quiet autofocus, according to PCMag. While it offers a wide 100.1-degree field of view and good sharpness when stopped down, it faces competition from the Tamron 20mm F2.8, which is cheaper and more durable. Key drawbacks include an all-plastic, non-weather-sealed build, noticeable vignetting at f/2.8, and soft performance at maximum aperture on high-resolution sensors, says PCMag. The lens also suffers from a loose manual focus ring, making it better suited for casual use than demanding professional applications.

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 FE lens as a highly portable, budget-friendly, and lightweight (145g) ultra-wide-angle option for Sony cameras, featuring outstanding sharpness and fast, precise autofocus. While praising its performance, the review notes drawbacks, including a lack of weather resistance and susceptibility to flare when shooting against bright light, alongside moderate vignetting.

The OpticalLimits review of the Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 FE lens highlights its position as a ultra-compact prime lens designed to counter the trend of increasingly bulky mirrorless gear. Its primary pros include an exceptionally tiny size and lightweight build (weighing just 145g), a smooth focus ring, a non-extending barrel, and a standard 58mm filter thread. Optically, the lens achieves a very good center sharpness at f/2.8, which sharpens further into an excellent "sweet spot" at f/5.6. Additionally, it exhibits very low field curvature and maintains quite good lateral chromatic aberrations, making it highly portable and functional for daily use. However, the lens comes with several notable cons regarding its construction, performance, and autofocus capabilities. The reviewer notes a "toy-like" build quality due to an untextured plastic lens barrel, despite featuring a sturdy metal mount. Mechanically, the autofocus speed is slower than expected, accompanied by noticeable micro-adjustments and faint operational sounds. Optically, the image borders and corners are soft at f/2.8 and require stopping down to f/4 or f/5.6 to catch up. Finally, the lens suffers from extreme native vignetting...

The Lonely Speck review compares the budget-friendly Rokinon Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 FE with the premium Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 for astrophotography, highlighting the Zeiss as the superior performer with excellent edge-to-edge sharpness, minimal coma, and robust, weather-sealed construction featuring an OLED display. While the Zeiss delivers professional-grade results, its drawbacks include high cost, significant vignetting, and noticeably softer corners when used wide open. Conversely, the Rokinon Samyang 18mm f/2.8 shines as an ultra-portable, 145g alternative that provides good star point quality with low coma at a much lower price point, making it a high-value option. It sacrifices build quality, featuring a plastic construction with a flimsy hood, and exhibits inferior sharpness and heavier vignetting compared to the Zeiss, along with a buzzing autofocus motor.

The Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 (also sold as Rokinon) is a remarkably compact and ultra-lightweight full-frame prime lens for Sony E-mount cameras, weighing just 145g (5.11 oz) with a small 58mm filter thread. Designed as part of Samyang's "tiny" series philosophy, this budget-friendly optic ($329 USD at launch) targets travel and landscape photographers seeking a portable, wide-angle solution that easily fits into a jacket pocket. Optically, it relies on a complex formula where 8 out of 9 glass elements are specialized (including extra-low dispersion, aspherical, and high refractive index elements) to maximize clarity and sharpness across the frame while keeping the physical footprint minimal. The lens excels in several key areas but carries a few design compromises due to its physical size and low price point. On the positive side, its linear STM motor delivers fast, accurate, and near-silent autofocus that supports advanced body features like Sony's hybrid AF and Eye AF. Central resolution is excellent wide open at F2.8, global contrast and color rendering are highly impressive, and it exhibits strong lateral chromatic aberration control alongside solid flare resistance....

The Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 FE is an ultra-wide, highly affordable prime lens for full-frame Sony mirrorless cameras, valued for its exceptionally compact size and low 145g weight. Optically, the lens delivers very good to excellent sharpness across the broader center of the frame at f/2.8, with the soft corners catching up nicely to match the borders by f/5.6. It exhibits a moderate and manageable 1.8% native barrel distortion, low field curvature, and average lateral chromatic aberrations that are easily corrected. The manual focusing mechanism operates smoothly "by wire," and the physical length of the lens remains completely fixed during operation. However, the lens sacrifices premium material design, resulting in a somewhat toy-like, cheap plastic build quality over a metal mount. Its autofocus response is slower than expected, frequently making small micro-adjustments before fully settling on its target. The small front element leads to a severe native vignetting of roughly 3.4 stops at f/2.8, which remains highly visible even at f/8 unless digital auto-correction is turned on. Out-of-focus background bokeh can also lean toward the rough side. Ultimately, while it...

The Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE is an exceptionally small, lightweight, and low-cost super wide-angle lens designed for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras, yielding a sweeping 100-degree field of view. According to the Focus Review article, its primary advantages are its highly competitive price tag of €365 and its extreme portability, weighing a mere 145 grams with a highly compact plastic housing. Furthermore, the lens features a reliable, fast, and quiet autofocus system that fully supports Sony's native Eye AF and facial recognition, alongside producing sharp center-frame image quality right from the maximum f/2.8 aperture. However, the reviewer highlights several notable drawbacks, particularly regarding its optical performance in demanding scenarios. The lens lacks weatherproofing, and its overall and micro-contrast are a bit soft compared to its competition, lending a "less spicy" look to the images. Optically, there is a clear gradient to the corners, which remain unsharp at wide apertures and require stopping down to f/5.6 or f/8 to achieve corner-to-corner crispness for architecture or landscape photography. Additionally, the lens exhibits visible wide-open vignetting, minor chromatic aberrations, and an irregular, wavy...

The Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 FE, reviewed by Shotkit, is highlighted as an exceptionally budget-friendly and compact ultra-wide-angle lens for Sony mirrorless cameras, weighing just 145g. It offers impressive center sharpness, fast autofocus, and a competitive price point, making it ideal for travel, vlogging, and, when stopped down, dramatic landscape photography. Conversely, the lens compromises on build quality, utilizing plastic construction and a flimsy hood to achieve its small form factor. Significant limitations include corner softness at f/2.8, heavy vignetting, and a lack of weather sealing.

The Rokinon 18mm F2.8 AF Sony E is an affordable, ultra-lightweight wide-angle prime lens designed for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. Weighing just 5.1 ounces and measuring 2.4 by 2.5 inches, its main advantages include its highly compact plastic build, quick and quiet autofocus performance, and a complete absence of focus breathing, making it exceptionally well-suited for handheld videography. Optically, the lens performs decently well for its budget price, though landscape photographers will need to narrow the aperture to f/8 to achieve crisp, uniform resolution from the center to the edges of the frame. However, the lens cuts several critical corners to maintain its low price point and lightweight footprint. It struggles significantly with high-resolution sensors like the 60MP Sony a7R IV, failing to deliver razor-sharp details when shot wide open at its maximum f/2.8 aperture. Additional drawbacks include a visible edge vignette at f/2.8, a modest mustache-curve barrel distortion that lacks an in-camera JPG correction profile, a loose manual focus ring with poor resistance, and a total omission of dust or splash weather protection. Because of these shortfalls, the...

The Rokinon 18mm F2.8 AF Sony E is an ultra-lightweight and compact wide-angle prime lens designed for full-frame Sony cameras, receiving an average 3.0 rating from PCMag. Weighing a mere 5.1 ounces and measuring 2.4 by 2.5 inches, its primary advantages include its highly portable plastic build, quick and quiet autofocus performance that fully supports Sony’s internal tracking features, and a lack of focus breathing which makes it well-suited for video recording. In terms of image quality, the lens delivers decent center resolution at its maximum f/2.8 aperture but requires users to stop down the aperture to f/8 to achieve crisp, uniform sharpness from the center to the edges of the frame for traditional landscape photography. However, the lens cuts several corners regarding optical performance and construction, making it less than ideal for high-resolution sensors like the 60MP Sony a7R IV unless stopped down. Notable drawbacks include a prominent vignette at f/2.8, visible mustache-curve barrel distortion that requires post-processing software to correct, and a loose manual focus ring that lacks standard resistance. Additionally, the physical build entirely omits dust and...