Rokinon 24mm F1.8 AF For Sony E Mount: Bright, and Compact for Astrophotos

With the new wide angle, the Rokinon lenses manufacturer is expanding its range of autofocus optics with the “Sony E” mount for the full-format mirrorless cameras such as the “Alpha 7” and “Alpha 9” series as well as the brand new Alpha 1. The new Rokinon 24mm F1.8 AF lens is said to be very suitable for astrophotography, ie if you want to capture nocturnal landscapes including the starry sky. It offers a focus button that automatically focuses on infinity, whereby this infinity setting can be set in advance exactly for the respective camera.

Of course, with its strong, but not yet extremely wide, image angle of 83.7 degrees, the lens can also be used excellently for many other subjects and reportage photography. With the very high open aperture of f/1.8 and the short minimum distance of 0.19 meters, a lot can be creatively staged, especially since nine aperture blades promise beautiful bokeh. Since the lens is relatively compact and light (230 g) despite the high light intensity, it fits well with more compact camera models such as the Alpha 7c and is also well suited for photo applications where you are on the road for longer and want to carry less weight.

The Rokinon 24mm F1.8 AF has a new function called “Custom Mode” with an LED display for astrophotography. With this user mode, it can be operated via the newly designed focus hold button, because it enables the focus to be set directly to infinity by pressing the button when calling up the “Custom Mode”. Since the factory-set value can vary slightly depending on the camera housing, this practical function enables the exact camera-specific infinity focus value to be saved and called up later. If the focus value set via the LED display does not match, this is indicated by a red LED. When the photographer then presses the button, a focus value is automatically set to the stored value, with the LED changing to green.

Thanks to Rokinon’s latest optical technology, this wide-angle fixed focal length with a large aperture achieves a high resolution from corner to corner even in its maximum 1.8 setting. A total of 11 elements in 8 groups with 7 special lenses (2 ASP, 3 HR, 2 ED) ensure optimal image quality. The 24mm is particularly suitable for astrophotography, as it delivers images with minimized spherical aberration and coma.

The wide angle lens has a bright open aperture of f1.8 for beautifully blurred backgrounds. This large aperture gives photographers more control over the depth of field so that they can isolate their subjects from the background. The circular aperture with nine blades ensures a soft, creamy, and natural-looking bokeh.

The lens offers a wide field of view of 83.7 degrees and a short minimum focus distance of 0.19 m. This allows you to take photos in different environments, whether indoors or outdoors. the 24mm F1.8 AF weighs only 230 grams and is just 71.5 millimeters long. It’s compact in size and low weight increase mobility when used with compact mirrorless E-mount cameras.

Price and availability

The Rokinon 24mm F1.8 AF lens for Sony E mount cameras is now available to pre-order on the Bhphotovideo.com website for $499.

Rokinon 24mm F1.8 AF Specifications

• Focal Length: 24mm
• Maximum Aperture: f/1.8
• Minimum Aperture: f/22
• Lens Mount: Sony E
• Format Compatibility: Full-Frame
• Angle of View: 83.7°
• Minimum Focus Distance: 19 cm
• Maximum Magnification: 0.21x
• Optical Design: 11 Elements in 8 Groups
• Diaphragm Blades: 9
• Focus Type: Autofocus
• Image Stabilization: No
• Front Filter Size: 58 mm
• Dimensions: 65 x 71.5 mm
• Weight: 8.1 oz / 230 g

Recently, Viltrox has also released a new Sony E mount lens: Viltrox 24mm F1.8 FE, supports autofocus and can be fitted with 55mm filters, which is now available to buy for $429.