Rokinon AF 45mm F 1 8 FE Review | 54 Data compared

The PCMag review highlights the Rokinon 45mm F1.8 AF for Sony E as an impressive, budget-friendly, and compact prime lens featuring rapid autofocus and exceptional center sharpness. While offering a versatile "featherweight" design suitable for travel, the lens presents limitations, including a plastic build, lack of weather sealing, and noticeable chromatic aberration. Additionally, the optic suffers from visible focus breathing and a poor maximum reproduction ratio for close-up photography.

The Samyang AF 45 mm f/1.8 FE review by LensTip highlights it as a highly portable, lightweight, and pocket-sized prime lens that provides great value for Sony mirrorless shooters. On the positive side (pros), the lens stands out for its shapely, small, and ultra-lightweight casing that seamlessly pairs with mirrorless bodies. It delivers excellent image quality and resolution in the frame centre right from its maximum f/1.8 aperture, climbing to outstanding performance when stopped down to f/4.0. Furthermore, the review praises its silent and sensibly fast autofocus performance, low coma, well-controlled distortion, and exceptional price-to-performance ratio. However, the compact dimensions bring several optical compromises (cons). The most notable drawback is the significantly weaker image quality on the edges of both APS-C and full-frame sensors when wide open, requiring users to stop down to f/2.5 or f/3.5 to achieve decent sharpness. Full-frame users will also experience severe vignetting, with brightness loss reaching up to 64% at f/1.8, which remains visible even when stopped down. Finally, the lens exhibits visible "onion-ring" artifacts in the bokeh circles due to its aspherical elements, suffers...

The Dustin Abbott review highlights the Samyang AF 45mm f/1.8 FE as a compact, lightweight (162g) budget lens offering exceptional rendering, great color, and fast, accurate autofocus for Sony E-mount cameras. While praised for its, strong contrast and soft, unique bokeh, the lens primarily compromises by lacking weather sealing and possessing a mostly plastic construction without physical AF/MF switches. Despite visible vignetting and distortion at wider apertures, the lens offers high central sharpness from f/1.8, presenting a "plastic fantastic" value proposition.

The Rokinon/Samyang AF 45mm f/1.8 FE is a highly portable, lightweight standard prime lens designed for Sony E-mount cameras, serving as an excellent casual walk-around or backup lens. Its main advantages include its diminutive, compact size and weight of just 162 grams, making it exceptionally easy to carry or use on a gimbal without constant rebalancing. Optically, the lens delivers very beautiful, flattering bokeh, snappy and fast autofocus performance, and sharp center image quality, even when tested on high-megapixel sensors like the Sony A7R IV. Furthermore, at a price point ranging between $329 and $399, it offers strong financial value when compared to exotic, higher-end standard lenses that cost double or triple the price. However, achieving this portability requires compromises in overall build and corner optical quality. The lens features average, somewhat cheap-feeling plastic construction, lacking weather sealing, and the outer barrel is prone to showing dings and dents from heavy use. Optically, pixel-peepers will notice visible chromatic aberration, color fringing, and coma in harsh conditions or astrophotography. Corner sharpness is also noticeably weak wide open, requiring the lens to...

The B&H Explora review highlights the Rokinon AF 45mm f/1.8 FE lens as an exceptionally compact and lightweight "true normal" prime for Sony E-mount cameras, featuring a 45mm focal length that closely mimics natural human perspective. Optically, it utilizes aspheric and extra-low dispersion elements to deliver strong contrast and image quality, while the fast f/1.8 aperture and 9-blade diaphragm produce pleasing bokeh. Conversely, the review notes the lens relies on a polycarbonate construction, which lacks the robust, premium feel of metal alternatives. Additionally, autofocus performance was described as "balky" and inefficient when shooting in high-contrast, street-style lighting scenarios.

The Samyang AF 45mm f/1.8 FE is an affordable $299 prime lens designed for mirrorless cameras, offering a versatile focal length close to the classic 50mm standard. A major pro of this lens is its optical construction, which includes one extra-low dispersion element to minimise chromatic aberrations and two aspherical elements to boost sharpness while reducing distortion. It features an Ultra Multi-Coating to combat flare and ghosting, alongside a rounded nine-blade diaphragm for smooth background bokeh. Furthermore, the integration of a linear STM autofocus motor ensures fast and quiet focusing, complemented by a seamless manual focus override. The lens is highly praised for its exceptionally small footprint and lightweight build, making it an excellent walkaround option for everyday photography and a solid choice for beginners purchasing their first prime lens. However, the review highlights certain limitations inherent to its budget-friendly tier. While it delivers strong performance for its price, it lacks the advanced physical control switches, premium weather-sealing, and high-end exterior material finish found on more expensive professional alternatives. Despite these minor design trade-offs, the lens remains a highly capable,...

The WideScenes review highlights the Samyang AF 45mm f/1.8 FE as an exceptionally lightweight (162g) and portable prime lens suitable for travel and street photography. It is praised for strong center sharpness at f/1.8, great performance upon stopping down, and pleasing bokeh from its 9-blade diaphragm. Conversely, the review identifies minor drawbacks, including visible chromatic aberrations in the corners that require software correction and noticeable corner softness when shooting wide open at f/1.8. Additionally, the lens lacks a dedicated physical AF/MF switch on the barrel, which may inconvenience some users.

The Samyang AF 45mm f/1.8 FE is a compact, lightweight (162g) prime for Sony FE cameras offering excellent central sharpness from f/1.8 to f/16, minimal distortion, and pleasant bokeh, making it an ideal choice for street photography. While delivering strong performance at an attractive price point, the lens suffers from notable flare in backlight, slight edge softness wide-open, and a complete lack of weather sealing. Edge sharpness improves to excellent levels at f/11-f/16, and despite minor, correctable optical flaws, it is highly recommended for its value. For the full, detailed review, visit ePHOTOzine.

The Rokinon 45mm F1.8 AF Sony E lens is a highly lightweight, full-frame prime lens that delivers surprisingly strong optical performance and fast autofocus capabilities for its budget-friendly $399 price tag. Weighing only 5.7 ounces, this compact lens supports advanced Sony camera features like subject tracking alongside eye and face detection. It is exceptionally quiet during operation, making it a solid option for videographers. Lab testing confirms that it captures sharp imagery, producing outstanding resolution results when paired with high-resolution sensors like the 60MP Sony a7R IV. Additionally, it effectively avoids image distortion even when automatic camera corrections are disabled. Despite these strong performance highlights, the lens suffers from clear compromises in build quality and overall versatility to meet its low price point. The barrel is constructed from a cheap-feeling, glossy piano black plastic that lacks any dust or splash protection, requiring extra care when shooting outdoors. In terms of optics, photographers will notice prominent purple and green color fringing (chromatic aberration) in high-contrast areas and bokeh transitions. Furthermore, the lens is restricted by a poor close-up macro capability, requiring...

The Rokinon/Samyang AF 45mm f/1.8 FE is a highly praised, budget-friendly prime lens for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras that punches well above its weight class. The reviewer considers it one of the best all-around 50mm-equivalent lenses ever used on either film or digital platforms, specifically highlighting its ability to produce a unique, organic, and vintage "wet" look rather than the dry, clinical rendering common in modern glass. Its outstanding optics ensure it is incredibly sharp even when shot wide open at f/1.8, and it delivers swift, silent autofocus performance that excels for both wedding photography and video work. Furthermore, at a price point under $400 (and often discounted to $299), it offers exceptional value by shipping with a custom zippered case and a lens hood, accessories that competitor brands often sell separately. Despite the overwhelming praise, the lens does have a few drawbacks that buyers should consider. The most notable omission is the lack of weather resistance, meaning users must exercise caution when shooting in dusty or wet environments. Additionally, maximizing the lens's lifespan and performance requires owning a separate...