Nikon D800E, Rokinon 14mm 2.8, exposure 10 seconds, f5.6, ISO200

Once in a while I get the urge to shoot something completely different. I am a big fan of extreme wide angle shots, however, most of my assignments require high speed standard and short to medium telephoto lenses. I rented the Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 for a few jobs in 2012 and was absolutely blown away by the images it produced. I couldn’t justify buying one since I don’t have much use for it. Instead, I ended up getting the bargain priced Ronikon 14mm 2.8 in Nikon mount. How good is this lens?
find out after the break

Nikon D800E, Rokinon 14mm 2.8, exposure 0.8 seconds, f5.6, ISO400

The performance of this lens is definitely up there, it can hang with the best, if you don’t mind manual focus, and since depth of field is already insane wide open, mf should not be a problem.

Nikon D800E, Rokinon 14mm 2.8, exposure 2.5 seconds, f5.6, ISO320

However, the lens is not without flaws. First thing I noticed was that it focused way beyond infinity when focus was set to the infinity mark and the shots where unusable. I found the true infinity mark to be at just under 2 meters. Once I adjusted focusing accordingly, it produced stunning results. Its main strength is an extremely high resolution across the image field. This lens is already sharp at 2.8, although the files exhibit a mild glow, which is gone after stopping it down to 3.5. CA is there but I doesn’t consider it a problem, since it can be easily corrected in post.
The biggest drawback might be the huge bulk-like front element which can cause flare problems and there is no cheap way to attach filters, the only filter holder I am aware of is the Lee kit SW150, which ironically costs almost as much as the lens. The biggest weakness of this bargain-wonder-lens is the high amount of difficult to correct barrel distortion.

Nikon D800E, Rokinon 14mm 2.8, exposure 20seconds, f5.6, ISO100

The mechanical quality of this lens is very high. Most of the main body is made of metal and the focusing ring has just the right amount of resistance, which makes it a joy to use. I ended up with the chipped version which allows the lens to communicate the aperture setting to the camera and shows focus confirmation in the viewfinder, which I found ineffective for landscape shooting because of the infinity problem, however, it does work for close focusing. Despite those flaws the lens is a fantastic value. I just wish I had bought it earlier. You can save a few bucks by getting the non chipped version. It is also worth noting that the Rokinon is small and light compared to the Nikon 14-24mm, the Rokinon weighs in at 1.21 lb (552 g) whereas the Nikkor 14-24mm comes in at at hefty 2.13 lb (969 g). For me this certainly is an issue, especially when traveling.

Nikon D800E, Rokinon 14mm 2.8, exposure 10 seconds, f8, ISO320

This full frame lens is available in most mounts and I can only highly recommend it, especially if you own full frame Canon, Sony or Nikon.

You can get the lens from Adorama in Nikon mount, Sony mount or Canon mount. Adorama also has a deal on a non chipped Pro-Optic 14mm (same thing different name, also branded as Samyang, Bower, Vivitar)
Or you can get the lens from BH in Nikon mount, Sony mount or Canon mount.

Lens is constructed with two ED lens elements, one hybrid aspherical lens element and one glass aspherical lens element
Focal Length: 14 mm
Maximum Aperture: f/2.8
Minimum Aperture: f/22
Camera Mount Type: Nikon, Canon EF, Sony Alpha, Pentax.
Format Compatibility : Full Frame and anything smaller
Angle of View: 115.7°
APS-C Picture Angle: 89.9°
Minimum Focus Distance 0.9′ (27.43 cm)
Groups/Elements 10/14
Dimensions (DxL) Approx. 3.43 x 3.78″ (87 x 96.1 mm)
Weight 1.21 lb (552 g)

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