Reddit reviews Rokinon 12mm F2.0 NCS CS Ultra Wide Angle Lens Sony E-Mount (NEX) (Black) (RK12M-E)

If you're just starting out, learning to "zoom with your feet" while using a prime is some of the best advice I can give. You'll be a better photographer for it. You'll also appreciate the wide f1.8 aperture for low light.

I can't speak to the quality of the 55-210mm, but I've never been a big fan of the cheap telezooms with variable max apertures (f6.3 in this case when zoomed in at 210mm is disgusting). I can appreciate that it would be important if you want to get kid action shots, though. Just know that you'll need really bright conditions to be able to use a fast shutter speed at a reasonable ISO while zoomed all the way in.

Would also recommend comparing the Sony 35mm/1.8 to the Sigma 30mm/1.4 before you buy. I just got the Sigma a few weeks ago and have been floored by the sharpness. It's about $60 cheaper, too.

If I were in your situation, I'd go for your second option (16-50mm kit + a prime). I have the 16-50mm and very rarely reach for it, but understand that it's nice when you start out to have a range of focal lengths to play with.

Alternatively, just get the a6000 body only + a prime, and once you get a feel for what you type of shooting you do most, rent a wide prime or a better quality telephoto to help decide what to buy next. I wish someone had told me not to waste money on the low-end kit lenses early on. If you get serious about photography, these will just clutter your bag, and camera shops will only quote you insulting offers when you try to sell them.

It looks like the price has been reduced on amazon.ca to be on par.

Adorama: $289.99 + $43.44 + exchange +duty? = $450+CAD

Amazon.ca: $467.69 CAD with free prime shipping

If you're just getting into it, I would consider a camera body that costs $500 USD or less. My own personal recommendation is the Sony A6000. The body and kit lens is small and compact compared to a traditional DSLR like the Canon T6i and performs just as well. It also has the option of being able to mount vintage lenses on it due to it's smaller form factor and the lens mount being closer to the sensor. This means you can get good but cheap manual lenses from back in the day for often times $100 USD or less plus a $18 USD converter mount.

If you have any questions about this camera system (i own the A6000) or in general, please feel free to ask either through comments or pm me. Shameless plug (https://instagram.com/snappedbyandy for example photos)

Also. It sounds like you want to take a lot of landscapes, and for that you want a lens with a low focal length. Now, the kit lens that comes with cameras is nice and all, but if you want some real stunning pictures, you'll get a better quality prime wide-angle lens. "Prime" meaning the lens can't zoom and "wide-angle" meaning you have a wider field of view. Since it doesn't need to move, there's less glass needed, and the quality of the picture is better. Something that's 12mm to 20mm should do the trick. I'll link a personal recommendation below should you choose to go with the A6000.

Again, i want to emphasize to buy used if possible. Especially on lenses. You'll get severe discounts compared to buying something brand new. Typically people take good care of their lenses, and if you can meet the person before buying, a little legwork can save you a bundle of money.

Camera with kit lens (i recommend buying used/refurb locally if possible)

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Mirrorless-Digitial-3-0-Inch-16-50mm/dp/B00I8BICB2/ref=sr_1_5?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1539180473&sr=1-5&keywords=a6000&dpID=41AEqhgdLtL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Recommended wide angle lens for landscape with the A6000:

https://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-Ultra-Angle-Mount-RK12M/dp/B00JD4TAWI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539180938&sr=8-1&keywords=rokinon+12+e+mount

an example of a good vintage lens:

https://www.amazon.com/Minolta-MD-50mm-Japan-Mount/dp/B008QFXYYU/ref=sr_1_16?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1539180558&sr=1-16&keywords=minolta+rokkor

an example of a converter to convert the mount of a vintage lens to the Sony E-mount

https://www.amazon.com/Fotasy-NEX-VG30-NEX-VG900-NEX-FS100-NEX-FS700/dp/B00E5T5BJW/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1539180630&sr=1-3&keywords=md+to+e+mount&dpID=41RFJ6J3P1L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch


Guy with a dedicated blog to attaching vintage lenses to the Sony E mount system (he uses a Sony A7, which is more expensive, but the A6000 uses the same mount system, so it still all applies):

https://phillipreeve.net/blog/affordable-manual-lenses-for-the-sony-alpha-77r7ii7rii-and-7s/

Got one, love it, really like DSLR form factor though so make sure to get your hands on one before buying. Also yeah you can pretty much adapt anything and ive just been using the 10-15$ adapters. Kinda hard to beat a 50mm 1.7 for 5 bucks, and like you I don't shoot sports or portraits and find I enjoy hand focusing, if you're pressed for time focus peaking is pretty helpful. I was shooting with someone and as I was driving I asked them the get a shot, them being unfamiliar with full manual asked , "how? And how do I know what to focus to?" So without looking I reached across gave the focus ring a spin and the shot came in perfect, moral of the story is manual will become second nature after a while. Youll just get a feel for what you need. I would Def keep the 7100 as a backup if able, I still find myself reaching for my Canon at certain times.

Edit: Just buy extra batteries off the bat, number one complaint of mine is those things run dry quick especially for long exposure. Also get a standalone charger, charging in camera is miserably slow.
And this Lens is fantastic,
Rokinon 12mm https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD4TAWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yGVkybXA6XTJZ or the 14mm Roky, I use it all the time

I had looked at henrys and amazon but looking again I'm seeing there is a newer NCS model of the lens so yeah that's a pretty good price for $340 USD given it's $399 on amazon right now (but has sold as low as $315 USD). However I'd not think of it as an OMG I HAVE TO BUY IT as samyang/rokinon lenses go on sale frequently....

If you get some GAS over a amazon "deal" a quick look at one of the price trackers can often "cool your jets":

A quick check shows the current price is only great if you compare it to the recently jacked up price (amazon and vendors selling on amazon do this often right before a "sale") it's been a lot cheaper cheaper most of this year:

https://ca.camelcamelcamel.com/Rokinon-RK12M-Ultra-Angle-Mount-NEX/product/B00JD4TAWI?context=search

After going stargazing with my girlfriend in Tennessee in a somewhat darker part of the state and taking some pics (can see a few here) with my Son a6500, I really want to start getting more into astrophotography. My main lens is the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8, but I have a few others at my disposal as well (including a 50mm f/1.1 manual lens and the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8). I plan to pick up the Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 at some point soon.

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Without buying tons of new equipment (like a new camera, I know that Sony is now known as the "star eater", and I'm considering picking up another Canon camera but I don't want to buy tons of new lenses) what would you guys recommend for me? I'm wanting to start capturing the Milky Way and eventually start taking pictures of planets and galaxies. I currently live in NE FL, but don't mind doing a little travel every now and then for better shots. I plan to move to middle TN in the next few months.

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I want to eventually invest in a good starter telescope as well, because I know that can vastly help with capturing planets, and galaxies too, from what I've heard?

so this - https://www.amazon.com/Samyang-SY12M-Ultra-Angle-Cameras/dp/B00KT0UH72

and this - https://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-Ultra-Angle-Mount-RK12M/dp/B00JD4TAWI

same lens? The Samyang is $100 less....

Seems like the Kamlan would fit. Is 50mm the best lens for you? Most of the photos on here are with a wide-ish angle lens.

I can recommend the Samyang/Rokinon 12mm F2.0

https://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-Ultra-Angle-Mount-RK12M/dp/B00JD4TAWI

Relatively cheap and it lets in so much more light compared to the F3.5 kit lens. I like a wide angle shot though. My Fuji is APS-C.

> What would constitute entry-level? Maybe something like a T7i?

Yep, that would be entry-level for sure.

> If I were to get a Sony later down the line, could I use an adapter to keep my lenses, or would I be better off selling and then re-buying?

Adapters exist, but the autofocus isn't going to be the same as it is on native bodies. I would personally re-sell, or I'd just go with Sony to begin with and save yourself the headaches down the line.

> If I'd like to do landscape, astrophotography, and maybe some cityscapes, what should I go with? I figure maybe a short focal length lens for landscape, and a telephoto for astrophotography?

Actually all of those (in my opinion) would call for wider-angle lenses. That makes selecting a lens pretty easy.

If you're considering Sony from the start, you can snag a used a6000 for about $450. It's a really solid body even though it's a bit older and would be perfect to start out with. Grab a starting kit lens, either the 16-50mm OSS or 18-55mm OSS and you've got a starting setup for about $650. At that point, you can add more lenses based on what you need. An extremely popular astro lens for mirrorless cameras is the Rokinon 12mm f2: it's a manual lens, but it's wide and lets in a ton of light which will let you get photos of the night sky much more easily than the kit lens will, and the resulting images will be cleaner.

If you're considering starting out with something like a Canon or Nikon instead, I can add some additional suggestions.

Oh man, that'll be such a great move! You're going to have so many great photo subjects! I did some research and it looks like this lens is supposed to be a great one for the E mount. It has very solid reviews. I think your 19mm will be good for town photography, but I'd have a lot of confidence in a 12 being able to get everything you want in a shot for big landscapes, like all the mountains and fields and lakes. It looks like the Rokinon in particular handles low light well, which was always my favourite thing about my 50mm 1.4f (RIP). Hope this helps a little! One of my friends purchased an E mount right before moving to Japan and she LOVES it.

I have 3 lenses (none of them amazing)

16-55 kit lens

Rokinon 12mm Wide Angle

https://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-Ultra-Angle-Mount-RK12M/dp/B00JD4TAWI


55-210 zoom lens

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNJWSDS/ref=twister_B07H2LR77Y?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Try: https://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-Ultra-Angle-Mount-RK12M/dp/B00JD4TAWI

> I want to be able to get shots of the milkyway/night sky, landscape, I will definitely use stabilization because I have shaky hands, will probably do 4K video (but not primarily) I know I'll get a tripod too. What are the benefits of a full frame?

I've done astro on my A6000, you just need to pair it with the right glass. Rokinon / Samyang 12mm F2.0

Thanks. Yep everything is from the A6000. Many of those are with the kit lenses, but the long exposures of the milkyway was done with this lense: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JD4TAWI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hi,

I have a Sony a6000 but can't decide between 2 lenses for astro / landscapes.


Rokinon 24mm F1.4 ED AS IF UMC (RK24M-E)

or

Rokinon 12mm F2.0 NCS CS (RK12M-E)

Thanks !

I own the Sigma 30mm 1.4 http://amzn.to/2hSCySn , it is a sharpness beast at a great price. That is what I use for street photography. The Roki 24mm 1.4 http://amzn.to/2hSGe6x is a manual lens, if that matters to you. The Sony 35mm 1.8 http://amzn.to/2iCMNxU isn't quite as awesome as the Sigma 30mm IMHO, but the OSS makes a difference, especially in low light. If you had an a6500, I would not recommend the Sony over the sigma... due to the IBIS. In your case, however, I only have a slight preference for the Sigma. It's a close call.

Unfortunately... going wider than that generally comes with higher prices or smaller apertures, so you'll find you don't use them as often as you may think. The Sigma 19mm 2.8 http://amzn.to/2hSHUNn is a great, inexpensive lens. Rokinon makes a lot of good wide lenses, but again, manual focus. For Astrophotography, the Roki 12mm 2.0 http://amzn.to/2iRLIjz is hard to beat.

Are these the same lens? samyang vs. rokinon

https://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-Ultra-Angle-Mount-RK12M/dp/B00JD4TAWI

I just put the whole lens name- f/2 is lowest possible for that lens, this photo was at f/5.6

I've booked 2 vacations for this year, Peru (machu pichu) and California (Yosmite, Nappa Valley). As such, I've decided that I'd like to purchase a camera to photograph my adventures. After a ton of reading, I've narrowed down my choice to Sony a6000 (due to its compact size, i'll be doing a ton of hiking) with the 16-55m kit lens. In order to take advantage of all the landscapes, I'm also looking to purchase a wide lens, the rokinon 12mm. If its possible, I'd appreciate the any feedback on these choices, if there are better alternatives etc. My budget is around is capped out at $1,000. Also, is there any difference between these two lenses besides the prices?

https://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-Ultra-Angle-E-Mount-RK12M-E/dp/B00JD4TAWI/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1493678699&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=rokinon+12mm+e+mount

https://www.amazon.com/Samyang-SY12M-E-BK-Ultra-Angle-Cameras/dp/B00KT0UH72/ref=pd_pgd_B00JD4TAWI_B00KT0UH72?pf_rd_p=2971640562&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00JD4TAWI&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=E46TJNBVKRFH54V4T49T

From my understanding these are identical, just branded different for whatever reason.

Thanks!

I was about to order the Rokinon F2.0 12mm for my a7ii and realized it is designed for a crop sensor. This Mieke lists full frame sensors as if it is compatible, but also says it is for a crop sensor, so I'm a bit skeptical. Is there something out there in the <$300 range that will offer a 12-14mm focal length in a fast lens for full frame? I don't care if it's manual focus, since it's all I do anyway. Lower the f-stop the better, obviously, but I exclusively shoot in low-light.

There's a Canadian duty calculator here:
https://www.crossbordershopping.ca/calculators/canadian-duty-calculator

It varies quite alot depending on if the item was made in Canada/US, the type of item, etc.

For example, if I were to buy a this $399 USD lense from the US, it would end up costing around $540 CAD + another $60 in duties (estimated). The same lense on Amazon.ca is also around $540 after tax. Not to mention the time it takes for me to go across the border to pick it up.

Thank you I really appreciate it!


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD4TAWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_eYmdAbHAV2FNX

Hey man. Just wanted to let you know that the rokinon 12mm f/2.0 is going for $277 new on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-Ultra-Angle-Mount-RK12M/dp/B00JD4TAWI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518490684&sr=8-1&keywords=rokinon+12mm