Review: Rokinon 12mm F2.0 NCS CS Ultra Wide Angle Lens Sony E-Mount Lens

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For years I used Prime Lenses and preferred them over telephoto lenses. Eventually, I decided in 2019 that it was time to lighten my gear before an international flight and purchased a Sony SELP18105G E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS lens. This lens has been my go-to lens since then. But, it’s just ok for night work and not so great for starry night shots. So I decided to get a Rokinon 12mm F2.0 NCS CS Ultra Wide Angle Lens Sony E-Mount lens. This lightweight wide-angle lens is super and once I upgrade my Sony Camera to a newer model this will be the perfect lens for low-light work.

Features

Information taken directly from the Amazon Sales Page

“Made just for mirrorless mounts is the new Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 NCS CS lens. It is available in Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Samsung NX, Sony E, and Micro Four Thirds mounts. Its 35mm focal length equivalency for MFT cameras is 24mm, for Canon M cameras it is 19.2mm, and for the other three mounts, 18mm. With an f/2.0 maximum aperture, it is particularly effective in low-light capture and can control shallow depth of field for precise subject focus with pleasing out-of-focus backgrounds. It offers a minimum focus distance of 7.9″. The lens’s impressive optical construction consists of three Extra-low Dispersion elements, one aspherical, and one hybrid aspherical element. The nano-crystal coating is applied to the inner surface of the two front-most lens elements to minimize ghosting and flare and improve overall image clarity. The Rokinon 12mm accepts front filters and provides a 67mm diameter thread. Length: 2.33 Inches (59.1mm)” – Amazon Sales Page Quote

• Sagittal lines (thick lines) represent the contrast
• This lens is compatible with all APS-C Sony E Mount interchangeable lens cameras
• Nano Crystal Coating System (NCS) for increased light transmission and reduced internal reflections
• Aperture range f2.0-22, Ultra Wide 12mm Fixed Focal Length, minimum focusing distance of 7.9 inches
• Optimized for excellent optical quality and true ultra-wide 110-degree edge to edge coverage with APS-C sensor digital cameras
• Utilizes 3 high precision (2 Aspherical + 1 ED) lens elements for superior image quality
• Built for Mirrorless cameras, takes a 67mm filter size. Focus type: Manual Focus

Rokinon 12mm F2.0 NCS CS Ultra Wide Angle Lens Sony E-Mount Lens – The Review

I have had the Rokinon 12mm F2.0 NCS CS Ultra Wide Angle Lens Sony E-Mount Lens since June 2022 but I haven’t used it much. Honestly, in the last year, I haven’t been out that much and the photography work I did didn’t require this lens.  But during the testing of the lens, I was very happy with the results. There was a lot of noise but a lot is because of the failing sensor in my old camera.

For this review, I’m going to keep it short. There are a lot of great and trusted reviews out there. Many of them go into great detail about the images taken. Because of my camera and its issues, I’d prefer to do a short real-life review and share a few of the images that were shot with the lens. All of the images were then edited to bring out the best in the photos.

This camera is a manual lens, which means you have to shoot in manual mode and focus the camera yourself. The easiest way for me was to set the camera to aperture priority and the focus to infinity. That way I know that at 3 to 4 ft out and further the camera should always be in focus. I then use focus peaking and focus magnification to make sure my images look good and are in focus.  Tripods are also useful to help with low light conditions or just to get sharper images.

None of the images taken had a Polarizing Filter. I still haven’t purchased one and may not buy one until my big shoot.

If you are looking for a fast, lightweight camera lens that can be used for night shoots, the Rokinon 12mm F2.0 NCS CS Ultra Wide Angle Lens Sony E-Mount Lens might be the camera lens for you. Just remember you have to be comfortable using the camera in manual mode for everything.