Samyang AF 24mm F1.8 FE review: top versatility and value for Sony shooters

This Samyang / Rokinon autofocus lens for Sony full-frame cameras is great for everyday shooting and long into the night

Samyang AF 24mm F1.8 FE
(Image: © Future)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The combination of a wide viewing angle and fast aperture rating makes this Samyang AF 24mm F1.8 FE lens ideal for astrophotography as well as for everything from sweeping landscapes to architectural interiors. It’s smartly turned out, very nicely engineered and delivers superb performance in all respects, from the speed and accuracy of its virtually silent autofocus system to its image quality. And it’s great value at the price.

Pros

  • +

    Highly impressive image quality

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    Customizable focus hold button and mode switch

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    Tough weather-resistant construction

Cons

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    Not quite a distortion-free lens

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    Minor vignetting when shooting wide-open

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Samyang launched an AF 24mm F2.8 FE autofocus prime for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras back in 2018. Almost qualifying as a pancake lens, it’s just 37mm in length and weighs a mere 120g. Three years down the line, the new Samyang AF 24mm F1.8 FE lens is 1.33 f/stops faster and about twice the physical length and weight, but it’s still quite diminutive at 65x72mm and 230g. The faster aperture makes this a candidate for one of the best lenses for astrophotography and for shooting indoors, where the similarly wide viewing angle of 83.7 degrees enables you to shoehorn more into the image frame, when contending with cramped interiors. As usual, this Samyang lens is also available under  Rokinon branding, as the Rokinon 24mm F2.8 AF Sony E.

Specifications

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.