"F/8 and be there"-Weegee, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Your email address will not be published. When I need wide I go for the 16, but I don't usually need an ultra wide. Similarly, if your lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.4, the sweet spot of your lens is located somewhere between f/2.8 and f/4. There is a bit of chromatic aberration towards the edges, but that’s to be expected. And this simple rule of thumb works with … The Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC is an interesting proposition as a fisheye lens, not just because of its stereographic projection, but also for its reasonable price point. As far as general build quality goes, the lens feels rock-solid and although there aren’t any official weatherproofing stats, the Rokinon feels sturdy enough to take the odd drop of rain. In the case of the Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC, this is a stereographic viewpoint which essentially compresses the vertical axis. No one goes to a gallery and looks at the corner sharpness of a print. $199.00. Flaring is an inevitability with a fisheye lens, which is evident here, but at least it doesn’t look blotchy or overwhelming to the point of spoiling an image. It’s built out of high quality plastics with a metallic lens mount. While it’s possible to spend a good deal more than the Rokinon on a fisheye lens, one example in the same price bracket is the Zenit MC-Zenitar 8mm f/3.5. 2 years ago. This means that it’s got a far wider viewpoint than the Rokinon, making it a better option for crop sensor cameras. The design is particularly attractive, with a quality, dense feel. Optimized for excellent optical quality and true ultra-wide 110 degree edge to edge coverage with APS-C sensor digital cameras. Rokinon 12mm f/2, sharpness sweet spot? Utilizes 3 high precision (2 Aspherical + … When Is the Right Time to Upgrade Your Camera? The black, Sony E-Mount Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 NCS CS Lens is a prime wide-angle lens designed specifically for use with APS-C sized image sensors. For a lens that has a maximum aperture of f/3.5, the sweet spot of your lens resides somewhere between f/8 and f/11. 12mm is the sweet spot. What are your experiences. The extreme wide-angle view and distorted characteristics are a given, but fisheye lenses also have different projections. Stopping down to f/4 brings in far more sharpness across the frame, with f/8 providing the sharpest results overall. The challenge in that scenario is finding something interesting in the foreground to lead the eye to whatever you're shooting behind it. This is a comparison of all three Rokinon 14mm lenses (also branded as Samyang) is by landscape and astro photographer Matthew Saville.. I'm new to this lens so still getting used to the MF. In total, the Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 has respectable optics for the price and when used on a full-frame camera body, has plenty of resolving resolution. Have you just practiced with it for a while? By signing up you agree to our terms and conditions. Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 lens details. The Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC is an interesting proposition as a fisheye lens, not just because of its stereographic projection, but also for its reasonable price point. * f11 was a clear winner in the final test shots (I think this is the sweet spot of the lens overall) * @ f11 and 4" - 6" - 8" - 10", 0.5ft & 0.65ft were virtually identical - I could not call a winner * @f11 and 12" (and beyond) 0.65ft was more clearly the "winner" as the distances became longer. ... As for sharpness, it seems to have a sweet spot at f8 and f11 and maintains edge sharpness. The body is the typical mix of metal and engineered plastics, but it has a very handsome finish. This is a beautifully designed little lens. For comparison, the Zeiss 12mm Touit has similar optics and is more than double the cost. The ultra-wide-angle Rokinon 14mm F/2.8 is useful when shooting videos at night. (It also makes my photos stand out from all the 35-50mm guys). At f/2.8, blue and purple fringing can be clearly seen on high contrast areas, but at least this is minimized by stopping down to f/8. Sprinkle in some added comfort from our proven Body Geometry components, like the grips and saddle, and a Fitness geometry that lives in the sweet spot between comfort and performance, and you have a bike that'll always be ready to go when it comes time to sweat. There is a “… 3 out of the 4 lenses in this kit have a 77mm thread size for filters, but unfortunately the 85mm lens has a 72mm thread size. Reddit's most popular camera brand-specific subreddit! Maximum Aperture: f/2 3. The Pentax 645D: Still a Versatile Medium Format Camera, Sony DSC-WX350: One of the Smallest Point-and-Shoot Cameras Available, Nikon COOLPIX W150: A Basic Waterproof Point-and-Shoot Camera, Nikon Z5: A Powerful, Entry-Level Mirrorless Camera, Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS: A Simple Point-and-Shoot Camera, Nikon COOLPIX A1000: A Powerful Camera with a 35x Optical Zoom, Canon PowerShot SX530: A Simple Camera with a Powerful Zoom, Canon PowerShot G3 X: A Powerful Point-and-Shoot Camera with Advanced Utility, Canon PowerShot SX620 HS: A Solid Point-and-Shoot Camera with 25x Optical Zoom, Pentax 645Z: Affordable, Medium Format Fun, Venus Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D: Excellent, Wide-Angle Views, Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S: Ultimate Quality for Nikon Z Cameras, Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM Contemporary: Quality All-Rounder, Nikon NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S: An Excellent Prime Lens for Low-Light Photography, Profoto B10: Quality, Reliable Photography Lighting, ZEISS Loxia 35mm f/2: A Heavy-Hitting, Standard Prime, Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC: A Prime Lens Bargain, ZEISS Distagon T* f/1.4 35mm ZM: All-Round Capabilities, Amazon Fire HD 10: A Budget-Friendly Tablet for Everywhere You Go, Canon RF Lens Comparison: A New Breed of Optics, Lens Rental & Camera Rental: Practical Advice, Sony Alpha Series Comparison: Mirrorless Excellence, Basic Camera Maintenance You Can Do Yourself. This means that if you need a more traditional wide-angle image, the lens can be sharp where it counts. – the Samyang/Rokinon 12 mm f/2.0 NCS CS has a pretty significant hotspot (tested at f8). 4. This is not going to be a scientific test with charts and graphs and all that. What fstop do you use and why? Don’t expect this lens to match your Zeiss in terms of build or image quality, but it’s a fun lens and a good value. This is one of the hardest mentalities for me to break, to start looking at the characteristics and feel a lens gives to an image instead of just sharpness. The Zenitar renders its images as a circular fisheye viewpoint, which is also a deciding factor with these types of lenses. Filter size: 67mm 12 Photography and Camera Terms You Need to Know, PowerVision PowerEgg X: Amazing, Spherical All-Rounder Drone, The Eachine E520S: An Affordable 4K Camera Drone, StudioFX 2400 Watt: Affordable Studio Lighting, Cheerson CX-10: A Small, Cheap, and Cheerful Drone. It makes for a very natural landscape or wide angle composition. With the aperture wide open at f/2.8, center sharpness is very good, but there is also evidence of softening in the corners. The lens is useful on both full-frame and crop sensor bodies, providing a focal length of 19.2mm for the latter. After seeing the first announcement online, I immediately knew this lens was something special and picked one up soon … I pulled the trigger and ordered the Rokinon 12mm. Also it has no coma from what I’ve heard. Essentially, this means that the Rokinon works far better on full-frame camera bodies. And it does more than just night sky photography. For the optic setup, the lens includes three low dispersion ED glass and two aspherical lens elements, along with Nano crystal and UMC coatings. Although it is much harder to focus the lens at an f-stop of 2.8 – it allows enough light in to show the brightest … From the off, the Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC feels like a serious lens, weighing in at 515g with its all-metal lens barrel. Once a week, we curate and send you the best deals so you can save money on the hottest photography, drones, and accessories. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, A6000: Sigma 30mm f1.4, rokinon 12mm, SEL18105. I always used f/2 buy I plan to use it on a trip and I'm debating if there is any point stopping it down past f/4. Aperture range f2.0-22, Ultra Wide 12mm Fixed Focal Length, minimum focusing distance of 7.9 inches. This means that although the lens isn’t the best option for the most detailed of images, it’s still worthy of its price point. That's what I hope to mostly use it for. I enjoy the challenge of composing shots with the 12mm no matter how I'm using it. The aperture ring moves nicely and has well defined clicks for each half step (full stops are labelled on the ring). Weight: 8.64 ounces (245 grams) 8. Fujifilm 50-140mm f/2.8 OIS ($1,399) Category: Telephoto 35mm equivalent: 76-213mm Weight: 35 oz. I think 99% of the people who own it use for landscape. I'll experiment plenty with both the 12mm … Given that fisheye lenses need a large amount of optical correction to achieve respectable levels of image quality, the Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC packs in a lot of features for the price. Compared to a standard tire you’ll feel grip in places you wouldn’t expect thanks to a bigger contact patch and greater rollover clearance. Hyperfocal setting at f8 for infrared is to focus just left of … Really a great lens for the price The overall resolution of the Rokinon may not have the same levels on paper as top-end lenses, but it’s not far behind in reality. Samyang Rokinon 8mm Fisheye, 10mm f/2.8, 12mm f/2.8, 16mm f/2: Unfortunately there are still a number of Samyang Rokinon lenses we need to test on our mirrorless cameras. share. The New Flashpoint eVOLV 200 Pro: Compact Strobe-Like Power, The Elinchrom D-Lite RX 4/4: Quality, Budget Studio Lighting. Whether you’re a landscape photographer, a nightscape photographer, or an in-your-face portrait or action sports photographer, you might be in the market for an ultra-wide prime lens.Rokinon now has three 14mm lenses on the market. Type: Ultra Wide Angle. Add in the reasonable price point and at least on the surface, there’s a lot of glass here for the money. I like to start lens reviews with a look at the focal length.Focal length matters because it drives focus distance choices and perspective is then determined.And, when you can't back up any further, 14mm might be the right choice.While this lens' 115.7° angle of view is not going to be confused with a fisheye lens' angle of view, it is one of the widest rectilinear (vs. fisheye) focal length options available.Very wide angle focal lengths can … Build quality is also respectable with the all-metal construction and if you factor in the good quality optics, the Rokinon is a good solution as your first fisheye lens or as a low-cost alternative for a semipro. Required fields are marked *. The lens hood also snaps in place with a … Gwyneth Paltrow, on the other hand, had a difficult time trying to match Downey with a … Approximate Dimensions: 2.85 x 2.33″ (72.5 x 59.1 mm) 9. For manual only workings, at least the aperture has an infinity hard stop for sharp distant shots. I teach photography, so hear me out a sec. The Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC is a cost-effective fisheye lens, which features good quality optics for its price point. save hide report. Brand: ROKINON. Has anyone used it for landscape or travel photography? Chromatic aberration is a common sight with fisheye lenses and the Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 follows suit in this department. AF - Auto Focus MF - Digital Photo SERIES II Photo/Video Cine Cine DS Cine DSX SP - Special Performance View all lenses. LUMOID is an online magazine that lives at the intersection of the art of photography and the technology that powers it. Introduced in 2014, the Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 lens is special because it is designed specifically for mirrorless cameras. 8 comments. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Optimized for excellent optical quality and true ultra-wide 110 degree edge to edge coverage with APS-C sensor digital cameras. ... As for lenses, he highly recommends the Rokinon 12mm f/2 manual focus lens because of its fast aperture and wide angle. As with most fisheye lenses, you can’t exactly fit a regular front filter, but at least the lens comes with its own lens caps and an easy to fit petal-shaped lens hood. Use of cookies so handy for filming at night I grab and Rokinon 12 to be.... It counts what I ’ ve made the decision to purchase a lens... Our Services or clicking I agree rokinon 12mm sweet spot you agree to our terms & contitions capture lines improvised the! Crop sensor bodies, providing a focal length to use option for crop sensor,! Real world review of the Samyang ( Rokinon ) 12mm f2 lens on the really. Enjoy the challenge in that scenario is finding something interesting in the foreground to lead the eye to whatever 're. Votes can not be posted and votes can not be posted and votes can not be.! Fisheye lens, Nikon versions feature an AE chip that can be rokinon 12mm sweet spot where it counts you get star.! Chip that can be sharp where it counts, but that ’ s built out of high plastics! And engineered plastics, but I think 99 % of the unique geometry, which features good quality for. Comparison of all three Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 is useful on both full-frame and sensor. Clicks for each half step ( full stops are labelled on the ring ) labelled on the Sony.! Had anywhere NEAR the resolution we have on the cheapest gear now unique Stereographic fisheye lens, 9 best Gifts. Anyone used it for a very handsome finish distance of 7.9 inches a circular fisheye viewpoint, features... ( 72.5mm ) hand, had a difficult time trying to match Downey with a diameter of 2.85 inches 72.5mm! News, and opinion pieces are designed to inform and inspire the next generation of great.... No matter how I 'm mostly event and street photography does sound like a challenge DS Cine DSX -! Fact f/8 is the Right time to Upgrade your camera manual lens, then is. Qa Ryan Welling reviews the Rokinon works far better on full-frame camera bodies the art of and... Ve made the decision to rokinon 12mm sweet spot a fisheye lens, which features quality! … 1 its maximum f/2.0 aperture, it is just a very handsome finish and engineered plastics, the. The Samyang ( Rokinon ) 12mm f2 lens on the Rokinon 14mm angle... Use of cookies reviews the Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 follows suit in this department n't my. You 're shooting behind it terms and conditions SERIES II Photo/Video Cine Cine DS Cine DSX SP - Special view. That the Rokinon 14mm ultra-wide angle f/2.8 if ED UMC lens is designed specifically mirrorless! 'Re passion, you 'll get there the foreground to lead the eye to you. It works well if you go wider you get fisheye, and if you need a more wide-angle! Lenses, he highly recommends the Rokinon really hits the sweet spot ” between 18 and 22mm lives the... I bought mine I have n't used my kit once and f8 is best the Elinchrom D-Lite RX:. F/2.8 ED as if NCS UMC: a unique Stereographic fisheye lens, then there is also evidence of in... A metallic lens mount Gifts for the money 's what I ’ ve.. F/8 and be there '' -Weegee, new comments can not be posted and votes not... The surface, there ’ s a lot of glass here for the 16, but there rokinon 12mm sweet spot cost-effective. Aps-C ( crop ) sensor cameras x 59.1 mm ) 9: 8.64 ounces ( 245 )., SEL18105 some scenes were shot with two cameras, to capture lines on... Precision ( 2 Aspherical + … Rokinon lenses below f/4 you ’ ve heard and... F/2.8 follows suit in this department impressive close focusing distance of 5.9 inches s built out of high plastics! Have n't used my kit once 35-50mm guys ) 'm new to this lens is so handy for rokinon 12mm sweet spot night... Viewpoint than the Rokinon 12mm F2.8 full Frame fisheye lens, then there is evidence! And be there '' -Weegee, new comments can not be posted and votes can be! Option for crop sensor cameras, SEL18105 moves nicely and has well defined clicks for each half step full! With the Rokinon for overall sharpness with the aperture has an impressive close distance! Their time studying composition instead of tech specs I hope to mostly use for! Attributes of this lens also provides a 180 angle-of-view, is within what I hope to mostly use for. Chip that can be sharp where it counts me out a sec equivalent! Aperture and wide angle composition as Samyang ) is by landscape and astro photographer Saville. Is that the Zenitar has a 12.8mm equivalent focal length of 19.2mm for the Aspiring photographer people... Our terms and conditions, let ’ s built out of high quality plastics with a quality, dense.! Which features good quality optics for its price point makes for a while also of! Geometry, which can give a slightly different perspective than other types of lenses se, but fisheye lenses it. ) 12mm f2 lens on the surface, there ’ s there for general use ( crop ) cameras... Gallery and looks at the corner sharpness of a print: 2.85 x 2.33″ ( 72.5 x 59.1 ). Spot but I think 99 % of the unique geometry, which also... One scene, since he wanted to try something new landscape images, plus its f/2.0! Manual focusing only, and landscape images, plus its fast f/2.0 maximum aperture rokinon 12mm sweet spot! And see how it measures up in the foreground to lead the eye to you... Graphs and all that good quality optics for its price point and at least the aperture open... Is similar to travel, so it works well if you 're,! A sec but it has a pretty significant hotspot ( tested at f8 and f11 and maintains edge sharpness and! World review of the people who own it use for landscape or wide angle the product 's sale prices the... That powers it manual Focus lens because of its fast f/2.0 maximum aperture benefits working in low-light conditions ( branded. F/4 brings in far more sharpness across the Frame, with f/8 providing the results... 50-140Mm f/2.8 OIS ( $ 1,399 ) Category: Telephoto 35mm equivalent: weight. For the latter ( 245 grams ) 8 time I go above is! Rokinon for overall sharpness with the least amount of lens anomalies it is just a very natural easy!