Rokinon HD 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye 8mm
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
What Buyers Say
Rokinon HD 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye 8mm
This Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 fisheye lens is praised for its excellent value, solid build, and creative potential, especially on APS-C cameras where it delivers a full-frame diagonal fisheye effect. Users love the fun perspective it adds to landscapes, portraits, and skateboarding or astro shots, though they note it requires manual focus and aperture control. Some edge softness and chromatic aberration are mentioned, but these are correctable in post. Issues with full-frame cameras (heavy vignette) and inconsistent compatibility with certain Nikon bodies (e.g., D3500) are recurring drawbacks, and a few users reported a broken focusing ring or cheap-feeling barrel.
Pros
- Great value for money
- Solid build quality
- Fun and creative perspective
- Sharp when stopped down (f/5.6-f/8)
- Lightweight and compact
Cons
- Manual focus only
- Soft edges wide open
- Chromatic aberration at edges
- Not ideal for full-frame cameras (heavy vignette)
- Incompatible with some Nikon bodies (e.g., D3500)
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens is widely praised as an excellent all-in-one travel and walkaround lens for APS-C E-mount cameras. Users consistently highlight its sharpness, compact size, light weight, and versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range. While many note it is not ideal for low light and some report significant vignetting at the wide end, the overall sentiment is very positive, with most considering it a great value kit lens upgrade.
Pros
- Sharp image quality
- Compact and lightweight
- Versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range
- Effective optical image stabilization
- Fast and accurate autofocus
Cons
- Significant vignetting at 18mm wide end
- Not ideal for low light photography
- Variable aperture limits brightness at telephoto
- Some copies may have quality control issues
- Slight autofocus lag compared to premium lenses
Scores
Specifications
| Rokinon HD 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye 8mm | Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | fisheye | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 8 mm | 18 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 8 mm | 135 mm |
| Elements | 10 | 16 |
| Groups | 7 | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1 | 1 |
| ED Elements | — | 2★ |
| Coating | super multi-layer coating | — |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/22 | f/3.5 |
| Min Aperture | f/3.5 | 3.5-5.6 |
| Constant | ✗ | ✗ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 6 | 7★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony E |
| Format | APS-C | APS-C |
| Weather Sealed | ✗ | ✗ |
| Weight | 0.43 kg | 0.33 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 67 mm | 55 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | Linear motor★ |
| Stabilization | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 305 mm★ | 450 mm |
| Max Magnification | — | 0.29x★ |
Pros & Cons
Rokinon HD 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye 8mm
- Strong social proof (77th percentile)
- Strong macro (67th percentile)
- Below average bokeh (6th percentile)6th %ile
- Below average af (15th percentile)15th %ile
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
- Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
- Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong versatility (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong aperture (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
Pricing
Rokinon HD 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye 8mm offers 2.5x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 92 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 21 specs.
