I was very sceptical about this lens but I actually love the outlining. Not every day that a compact modern lens is delivered that actually has character. Feels a little bit like a more vintage lens in terms of size and rendering, without the 'drawbacks' of bad flaring, low contrast and manual focus. Nice review (got a lot more info here on the character than in other reviews), and nice addition to the lens line up.
Love my 50mm f/2.5. FYI you can put a filter on the lens itself and then put the hood on, just like the Zeiss 35mm f/2.8. This is what I do on my 50mm, have a protector filter on the lens, then put the lens hood on over it. Works great for when I'm in a crowded area bashing my camera up against people, as even the filter is protected by the hood.
Your reviews are actually DEFINITIVE. I personally find Tamron to produce little warm tones, both onmy A7M3 and M2. My Viltrox 85mm produce beautiful colors. But my 28-200 Tamron produce bit warm to my liking.
Wanted to love this lens but my tests showed the following compared to Sony 35mm f/1.8. I set both lenses in the same F stop: 2.8. Same white balance. Put the resulting video in Catalyst Browse and that is what catalyst reported: 35mm at f/2.8 Shutter speed ended up as 1/1000. 24mm at f/2.8 shutter speed ended up 1/500. Plus 24mm had way more vignetting in video, jpegs, and RAW compared to 35mm. And 35mm lens is not even a G lens. That 24 mm lens does not deserve G mark at all. It is losing the whole stop of light compared to 35mm lens at the same F stop 2.8, so Sony lied. I was taking videos and pictures of a completely white wall. Plus coloring was way off for 24mm. The resulting image was bluish while 35 mm resulting image was true white. There is no good 24mm compact lens for Sony at all. Viltrox? Nope. Samyang? Nope. I have not tried Sigma one. Should I?
Barrel distortion is automatically corrected when the lens is used on the A7R3 in all jpeg file size options and the in camera lens distortion correction function becomes inoperable, so this correction can be left in the "off" postion with this lens in jpeg. Great job with your review (as always) Dustin. I like this little Sony lens and for those that don't shoot a lot of critical wide angle photography the cost/performance ratio is favorable. Easy to take along in a camera backpack and have handy when you need it.
Thanks Dustin. Once again, a balanced view of the lens you are reviewing. You provide great analysis for people interested in using equipment in the real world. Just great work.
I just picked up this lens to use on the FX3 and FX6. It looks good, and interestingly, lens distortion correction is locked on and you can't disable it, this goes for both cameras. For my purposes the presumed quality drop is a non-issue. But I would have liked to have the option, in some scenes I actually want lens flaws. The 40mm is fantastic too.
So, since the 25mm Batis and the 24mm f2.8G are about $100.00 difference used... which would be better do you think? I am a news and sports photographer who values 1. fast AF 2. excellent build quality AND character/quality of image... I have the 50mm 2.5G and I do like it a LOT but I also have the 18mm Batis and I LOVE it too... I'm torn, as you can see.
I have the set of three for street photography to go along with my A7c. Makes an excellent little set up. That body with the 40mm in this series is my go to for throwing a camera set up in my bag when I’m just walking around or on my normal daily routine.
Oh man, that's a great combo for street photography. I've just bought the 40mm for my A7R IV and i have the 16-35mm f4 PZ zoom. I thought long and hard about getting the 35mm f1.4 instead of the 40mm but love the 40mm focal length and couldn't get my head around the bulky size of that 35mm. I'll get the 24mm f2.8 next and then an 85mm which I think should cover me for pretty much everything :)
Hello, Dustin, thank you for the detailed review! Would you recommend to get this lens as an addition to the Sigma 28-70mm? My main reason would be the extra bit of wide angle, the compact size and also the weather sealing.
That's not a bad idea, for sure. It allows you to go a little wider if you need to. You might also consider the Sony 20mm F1.8G as an alternative to get you a little wider and also give you a brighter maximum aperture to work with.
Splendid review. Quick question: can the 24mm lens hood be used on the 40mm and 50mm, are they interchangeable? I'm assuming the lens caps are all interchangeable. One more: do you think the 40mm or the 50mm would pair well with the Tamron 28-200mm as a dedicated prime? The prime would be in the bag for a bit of fun and to provide a little more light and bokeh when needed. The alternative would be to pair the 28-200mm with a faster prime but curious to get your thoughts. I like to travel light and compact. 🙏U for these helpful and enjoyable reviews.
At 12:15 the horrible barrel distortion of the Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 lens. The quite similar in size and weight full frame SIGMA 24mm F3.5 DG DN lens has far less barrel distortion, is equally sharp but is a slower lens. Also the similar full frame autofocus Samyang/Rokinon FE 24mm f/2.8 design for mirrorless cameras has very little barrel distortion but is not sharp at corners full open. Of course most cameras can conceal digitally many optical problems of lenses and especially affordable convenient kit lenses and that is very good. My opinion is that such optical issues for a prime lens at that price is unacceptable.
Isn't this something that's meant to be picked up in post? I mean, Sony designed these lenses deliberately with this in mind? (for the price point and size etc).
Great review. I keep this lens parked on my A7SIII and I don’t think twice about taking my camera everywhere with me now vs. before with that kettlebell they call a 24-70, lol. Image quality competes with g master in my opinion, especially considering the price.
At 16:56 "Stopping on down to f/5.6 also produces little advantage" but visible on screen there is a noticeable drop in sharpness when switching from f/4 to f/5.6 =(. That's my biggest concern about this lens, the corners become _worse_ as you stop it down. I hoped this one, at this price point, might be able to work for occasional hardcore landscape/architecture photos when stopped way down.
@@DustinAbbottTWI what I meant is this: media.giphy.com/media/Y0gl7Ht6U4RutGARef/source.gif You can see fine lines on the coat, edges of the numbers and leaves besides them... well, pretty much every little detail blurs a bit when lens goes from f/4 to f/5.6, along with a slight but also noticeable drop in contrast. Since I shoot landscapes/architecture very often I'm particularly nitpicky about this =/. Maybe I shouldn't quoted you because I wasn't really arguing, it just seemed rather generous to call that change 'a little advantage' =). Ah, and thanks for the review. Your reviews are pretty much the only ones that fully deserve the word 'definitive'.
IDK why but I think wide prime lenses with such a massive barrel distortion are kindda cool! This lens can be used as around 20mm fisheye lens without the profile! Lol BTW I still hope you consider to put lenses with small and light construction like these 3 on your apsc camera or even the 21mp crop mode of A1 to show if they are a solid choice as a hybrid ff & apsc option by testing them on your great chart. Thanks for your admirable efforts.
That's an interesting question. I suspect they are pretty close, but I didn't really test the two lenses in similar situations, so I can't definitively say.
Hi Rich - I'm curious, too, and my Samyang contact hasn't gotten back to me about that. If so, that's ridiculous on Canon's part. Sony's wide catalog of third party lenses is its single greatest advantage.
Hi @Dustin Abbott, where i am this sony lens and the samyang 24mm f1.8 are the same price differing only about 20 bucks. Which would you suggest given the value? Thank you.
The Samyang is better optically, while the Sony has the better build and will probably keep its value better. How important is the wider maximum aperture to you?
@@DustinAbbottTWI thank ou for the feedback. Samyang would cost be more once I add the lens Dock to it. I would actually cost me 50 bucks more. I enjoy having larger aperture to shoot astro and the depth of field it offers. Might just wait for the samyang price to drop but I think its unlikely. Decisions. May just go for the 24mm f1.4 gm but I already have the 20mm f1.8 sony.
Thank you again for a very informative review. I recently swapped my Tamron 24mm f2.8 for a Samyang 24mm f2.8, because I wanted the smallest wide angle lens for my Sony A7C to take to restaurants and social functions. You compared the Sony 24mm f2.8 lens to other competing lenses especially the Samyang 24mm f1.8 which is larger, but I think that Samyang's 24mm f2.8 is a more direct competitor. Even though this lens has been out for a while, I believe that this is just about the smallest and lightest full frame E mount lens that is available. Yet no one seems to have compared it to the newer lenses. What are your thoughts, especially regarding optical performance?
Yes that samyang is super small, first lens I tried though it seem to have aperture problem so I had brought it to rma to check. Though samyang 1.8 is super interesting option and maybe nicer when balancing with a7siii (probably it was made for it and 2.8 more for c)
Not sure who these lenes are really for. On the one end the at the price point you start to approach F2.8 zoom lenes like Tamron 28-75, Sigma 28-70. On the other end you have Samyang's tiny series with brighter aperture, better image quality and lower price. When we talking about prime lenes, we are talking at least F1.8 or F2 because you sacrificed versatility for that. The image quality is just ok, steping down aperture on any other prime lenes you will get better result, the distortion is horrendous, is something you usually see on a super zoom lenes. I wouldn't call this kind of optical performance "strong". Not many people care about all the switches or aperture ring, you already have dials on camera for that. The only advantage might be been native, but in Sony system you can basicaly treat every lens as native. Sony really need to step up their game for these compact prime lenses.
I bought one, even though I own the Tamron 28-75 (great lens) and the Sony 24-105. I got it for video to throw on a gimbal. That Tamron 28-75 is really good, but zooming the lens throws off the gimbal while you zoom. With the 24mm f/2.8, I can hit a custom button on the back to switch to APSC/Super 35 mode and get a bit more of a zoomed in look without shaking up the gimbal for a few seconds. The lighter weight is nice too when you have to hold a gimbal for 7-12 hours at weddings. For still photography, I wouldn't have bothered with it considering the other lenses I already own.
Size (Samyang is not big by any means but Sony is kind of pancake-ish), aperture ring, slightly faster and a bit more precise AF motor and overall G-label lens aesthetics.
Half price is an exaggeration (the price difference is $100), but yes, the Samyang is a great lens. The Sony advantage is better build and possibly better autofocus, though I didn't actually see a difference.
Another reviewer claiming that distortion is not good. Distortion is a lens characteristic, not an issue and it can add to images if you're a good enough photographer. If you're an amateur you'll perpetuate the myth that distortion is an issue that constantly needs correction.
If a lense is heavily dependent on software wizarding, keep it away. A masterful designed lense works even on a plane of film just by optical correction. This software profile wizarding is SO disruptive to the art of lensemaking.
Kidding? For example recently Nikkor 28mm f2.8 while has an easier focal to design and build and with its plastic mount and far worse build quality is 300$! Sigma 24mm f3.5 is also 550$!
I was very sceptical about this lens but I actually love the outlining. Not every day that a compact modern lens is delivered that actually has character. Feels a little bit like a more vintage lens in terms of size and rendering, without the 'drawbacks' of bad flaring, low contrast and manual focus. Nice review (got a lot more info here on the character than in other reviews), and nice addition to the lens line up.
Glad to help out!
Love my 50mm f/2.5. FYI you can put a filter on the lens itself and then put the hood on, just like the Zeiss 35mm f/2.8. This is what I do on my 50mm, have a protector filter on the lens, then put the lens hood on over it. Works great for when I'm in a crowded area bashing my camera up against people, as even the filter is protected by the hood.
Nice!
Your reviews are actually DEFINITIVE. I personally find Tamron to produce little warm tones, both onmy A7M3 and M2.
My Viltrox 85mm produce beautiful colors. But my 28-200 Tamron produce bit warm to my liking.
Thanks for the nice feedback.
Wanted to love this lens but my tests showed the following compared to Sony 35mm f/1.8. I set both lenses in the same F stop: 2.8. Same white balance. Put the resulting video in Catalyst Browse and that is what catalyst reported: 35mm at f/2.8 Shutter speed ended up as 1/1000. 24mm at f/2.8 shutter speed ended up 1/500. Plus 24mm had way more vignetting in video, jpegs, and RAW compared to 35mm. And 35mm lens is not even a G lens. That 24 mm lens does not deserve G mark at all. It is losing the whole stop of light compared to 35mm lens at the same F stop 2.8, so Sony lied. I was taking videos and pictures of a completely white wall. Plus coloring was way off for 24mm. The resulting image was bluish while 35 mm resulting image was true white. There is no good 24mm compact lens for Sony at all. Viltrox? Nope. Samyang? Nope. I have not tried Sigma one. Should I?
Hmmm, interesting. The Sigma 24mm F2 is nice. I personally love the Samyang AF 24mm F1.8, myself.
Barrel distortion is automatically corrected when the lens is used on the A7R3 in all jpeg file size options and the in camera lens distortion correction function becomes inoperable, so
this correction can be left in the "off" postion with this lens in jpeg. Great job with your review (as always) Dustin. I like this little Sony lens and for those that don't shoot a lot of critical wide angle photography the cost/performance ratio is favorable. Easy to take along in a camera backpack and have handy when you need it.
This whole series is a very useful one.
Great review, thanks! I just missed a bit more of info on the Astro side, but I understand that is hard to gather such info during summer… :)
Take a look at the text review for a bit more.
Thanks Dustin. Once again, a balanced view of the lens you are reviewing. You provide great analysis for people interested in using equipment in the real world. Just great work.
My pleasure.
I just picked up this lens to use on the FX3 and FX6. It looks good, and interestingly, lens distortion correction is locked on and you can't disable it, this goes for both cameras. For my purposes the presumed quality drop is a non-issue. But I would have liked to have the option, in some scenes I actually want lens flaws.
The 40mm is fantastic too.
They are excellent lenses
So, since the 25mm Batis and the 24mm f2.8G are about $100.00 difference used... which would be better do you think? I am a news and sports photographer who values 1. fast AF 2. excellent build quality AND character/quality of image...
I have the 50mm 2.5G and I do like it a LOT but I also have the 18mm Batis and I LOVE it too... I'm torn, as you can see.
I can understand that. I suspect the newer G lens will have the faster autofocus, so I would lean that way.
I have the set of three for street photography to go along with my A7c. Makes an excellent little set up. That body with the 40mm in this series is my go to for throwing a camera set up in my bag when I’m just walking around or on my normal daily routine.
That's a nice combo, for sure.
Oh man, that's a great combo for street photography. I've just bought the 40mm for my A7R IV and i have the 16-35mm f4 PZ zoom. I thought long and hard about getting the 35mm f1.4 instead of the 40mm but love the 40mm focal length and couldn't get my head around the bulky size of that 35mm. I'll get the 24mm f2.8 next and then an 85mm which I think should cover me for pretty much everything :)
Hello Dustin!
Have you tried installing a lens hood from a 24 mm lens to a 50mm lens, is it suitable?
It would be nice if Sony would launch a 2/85mm or 2/90mm from the compact G series with aperture ring and function button…
Hello, Dustin, thank you for the detailed review! Would you recommend to get this lens as an addition to the Sigma 28-70mm? My main reason would be the extra bit of wide angle, the compact size and also the weather sealing.
That's not a bad idea, for sure. It allows you to go a little wider if you need to. You might also consider the Sony 20mm F1.8G as an alternative to get you a little wider and also give you a brighter maximum aperture to work with.
Splendid review. Quick question: can the 24mm lens hood be used on the 40mm and 50mm, are they interchangeable? I'm assuming the lens caps are all interchangeable. One more: do you think the 40mm or the 50mm would pair well with the Tamron 28-200mm as a dedicated prime? The prime would be in the bag for a bit of fun and to provide a little more light and bokeh when needed. The alternative would be to pair the 28-200mm with a faster prime but curious to get your thoughts. I like to travel light and compact. 🙏U for these helpful and enjoyable reviews.
I think the hoods are interchangeable. And sure, they would pair nicely with the Tamron for some versatility.
At 12:15 the horrible barrel distortion of the Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 lens. The quite similar in size and weight full frame SIGMA 24mm F3.5 DG DN lens has far less barrel distortion, is equally sharp but is a slower lens.
Also the similar full frame autofocus Samyang/Rokinon FE 24mm f/2.8 design for mirrorless cameras has very little barrel distortion but is not sharp at corners full open.
Of course most cameras can conceal digitally many optical problems of lenses and especially affordable convenient kit lenses and that is very good.
My opinion is that such optical issues for a prime lens at that price is unacceptable.
I'm definitely in agreement that its a really high amount of distortion. My favorite comparable lens is the Samyang AF 24mm F1.8.
Isn't this something that's meant to be picked up in post? I mean, Sony designed these lenses deliberately with this in mind? (for the price point and size etc).
Great review. I keep this lens parked on my A7SIII and I don’t think twice about taking my camera everywhere with me now vs. before with that kettlebell they call a 24-70, lol. Image quality competes with g master in my opinion, especially considering the price.
It is great for traveling light, for sure
At 16:56 "Stopping on down to f/5.6 also produces little advantage" but visible on screen there is a noticeable drop in sharpness when switching from f/4 to f/5.6 =(. That's my biggest concern about this lens, the corners become _worse_ as you stop it down. I hoped this one, at this price point, might be able to work for occasional hardcore landscape/architecture photos when stopped way down.
I'm not sure I saw a drop in sharpness, but there's not a significant gain.
@@DustinAbbottTWI what I meant is this: media.giphy.com/media/Y0gl7Ht6U4RutGARef/source.gif
You can see fine lines on the coat, edges of the numbers and leaves besides them... well, pretty much every little detail blurs a bit when lens goes from f/4 to f/5.6, along with a slight but also noticeable drop in contrast. Since I shoot landscapes/architecture very often I'm particularly nitpicky about this =/.
Maybe I shouldn't quoted you because I wasn't really arguing, it just seemed rather generous to call that change 'a little advantage' =).
Ah, and thanks for the review. Your reviews are pretty much the only ones that fully deserve the word 'definitive'.
IDK why but I think wide prime lenses with such a massive barrel distortion are kindda cool! This lens can be used as around 20mm fisheye lens without the profile! Lol
BTW I still hope you consider to put lenses with small and light construction like these 3 on your apsc camera or even the 21mp crop mode of A1 to show if they are a solid choice as a hybrid ff & apsc option by testing them on your great chart. Thanks for your admirable efforts.
I did shoot with it a bit on the a6400 and a6600, but my reviews are so long already that I don't want to add APS-C into the mix.
@@DustinAbbottTWI what are your thoughts on buying this exclusively for an aps-c camera? I’m considering getting this for my a6400 as a travel lens.
Thanks Dustin, appreciate your review.
You’re welcome.
Hi,thanks for your interesting review.
Do you think image quality wise the tamron 24 mm f2.8 lens is in pair with the Sony lens?
That's an interesting question. I suspect they are pretty close, but I didn't really test the two lenses in similar situations, so I can't definitively say.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Ok.Thanks.It would be great if you did a comparison one day!
Seems like an awesome trio for street photographers.
Agreed.
Does correcting the barrel distortion crop the image resulting in lower resolution / megapixel count? That distortion is alot.
No
Hi Dustin, I have 14f1.4gm, 85mm1.8, which one do you recon 40 or 24? For daily street, park use.
I like the 40mm for street.
Thank you for your review!
You mentioned Samyang AF 24mm F1.8, but actually that lens isn't available for masses )
Why not? I got mine over a week ago.
@@maxsr3236 where did u get it from? I was also looking for that lens on amazon, bnh n adorama but it isn't available yet.
@@manusadhi8484 it was a prime day deal on amazon Germany. Maybe Europe got an early shipment.
It is starting to roll out, and is well worth considering.
Hi Rich - I'm curious, too, and my Samyang contact hasn't gotten back to me about that. If so, that's ridiculous on Canon's part. Sony's wide catalog of third party lenses is its single greatest advantage.
Hi @Dustin Abbott, where i am this sony lens and the samyang 24mm f1.8 are the same price differing only about 20 bucks. Which would you suggest given the value? Thank you.
The Samyang is better optically, while the Sony has the better build and will probably keep its value better. How important is the wider maximum aperture to you?
@@DustinAbbottTWI thank ou for the feedback. Samyang would cost be more once I add the lens Dock to it. I would actually cost me 50 bucks more. I enjoy having larger aperture to shoot astro and the depth of field it offers. Might just wait for the samyang price to drop but I think its unlikely. Decisions. May just go for the 24mm f1.4 gm but I already have the 20mm f1.8 sony.
Thank you again for a very informative review.
I recently swapped my Tamron 24mm f2.8 for a Samyang 24mm f2.8, because I wanted the smallest wide angle lens for my Sony A7C to take to restaurants and social functions.
You compared the Sony 24mm f2.8 lens to other competing lenses especially the Samyang 24mm f1.8 which is larger, but I think that Samyang's 24mm f2.8 is a more direct competitor. Even though this lens has been out for a while, I believe that this is just about the smallest and lightest full frame E mount lens that is available. Yet no one seems to have compared it to the newer lenses. What are your thoughts, especially regarding optical performance?
I've never tested the Samyang 24mm F2.8. Yes, the 24mm F1.8 is larger, but it is still incredibly small and light and so much better a lens.
Yes that samyang is super small, first lens I tried though it seem to have aperture problem so I had brought it to rma to check. Though samyang 1.8 is super interesting option and maybe nicer when balancing with a7siii (probably it was made for it and 2.8 more for c)
i wonder how do these lenses compare to the good ol sony 28 f2...
I never reviewed that lens, so I don't know.
Which one sharper samyang or that sony
I would say the Samyang is a little sharper.
Whats the tripod's name on 4:32?
You can find it here: bhpho.to/3vL8YWy
Dustin - will you not be able to get rid of the distortion for video - I know you can for photo.
Absolutely. The profile in camera will correct distortion for video as well.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks Dustin much appreciated 👍
Could you use the lens on an apsc?
Yes. The focal length is changed by the 1.5x crop factor, but the lens works just fine.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Do you think it woudl perform better than, for example, the Viltrox 23mm f1.4 or the sigma 16mm f1.4?
Is it weather sealed?
Yes it is
Not sure who these lenes are really for. On the one end the at the price point you start to approach F2.8 zoom lenes like Tamron 28-75, Sigma 28-70. On the other end you have Samyang's tiny series with brighter aperture, better image quality and lower price. When we talking about prime lenes, we are talking at least F1.8 or F2 because you sacrificed versatility for that. The image quality is just ok, steping down aperture on any other prime lenes you will get better result, the distortion is horrendous, is something you usually see on a super zoom lenes. I wouldn't call this kind of optical performance "strong". Not many people care about all the switches or aperture ring, you already have dials on camera for that. The only advantage might be been native, but in Sony system you can basicaly treat every lens as native. Sony really need to step up their game for these compact prime lenses.
I suspect a lot of video shooters will be very interested in these lenses.
I bought one, even though I own the Tamron 28-75 (great lens) and the Sony 24-105. I got it for video to throw on a gimbal. That Tamron 28-75 is really good, but zooming the lens throws off the gimbal while you zoom. With the 24mm f/2.8, I can hit a custom button on the back to switch to APSC/Super 35 mode and get a bit more of a zoomed in look without shaking up the gimbal for a few seconds. The lighter weight is nice too when you have to hold a gimbal for 7-12 hours at weddings. For still photography, I wouldn't have bothered with it considering the other lenses I already own.
Why to by Sony FE 24mm F2,8 if you can have for a half-price awesome Samyang 24mm F1,8 (i have it)
Size (Samyang is not big by any means but Sony is kind of pancake-ish), aperture ring, slightly faster and a bit more precise AF motor and overall G-label lens aesthetics.
Half price is an exaggeration (the price difference is $100), but yes, the Samyang is a great lens. The Sony advantage is better build and possibly better autofocus, though I didn't actually see a difference.
The Tamron 24mm f2.8 is the much better deal. A third of the price, comparable sharpness, perhaps better flare resistance, and it can do 1:2 macro.
Yes, but it also has much poorer AF, a cheaper build, and zero features.
❤❤❤
Ah now I don't know what to buy :/
Ok distortion is scary here, pass
Check out the Samyang AF 24mm F1.8. It's my favorite of the 24mm non-GM lenses.
Samyang is 1.8 dof, Sony 2.8..dof
They were compared at the same apertures.
Another reviewer claiming that distortion is not good.
Distortion is a lens characteristic, not an issue and it can add to images if you're a good enough photographer.
If you're an amateur you'll perpetuate the myth that distortion is an issue that constantly needs correction.
Any lens flaw can be used to advantage in some situations, but that doesn't stop it from being a lens flaw.
If a lense is heavily dependent on software wizarding, keep it away. A masterful designed lense works even on a plane of film just by optical correction. This software profile wizarding is SO disruptive to the art of lensemaking.
That's not everyone's point of view, but it certainly a common one.
For this price…NO. $300 is a fair price.
Kidding? For example recently Nikkor 28mm f2.8 while has an easier focal to design and build and with its plastic mount and far worse build quality is 300$! Sigma 24mm f3.5 is also 550$!
I just don't think that's reasonable. There's nothing close to the quality of this lens at that price.