Samyang 24mm f/1.8 AF

A featherweight 24mm f/1.8 that focuses stupidly close and won't empty your wallet. Bokeh snobs should look elsewhere, but everyone else will have a blast.

What surprised us most is how close this thing focuses. A minimum focus distance of 190mm with 1:4.7 magnification puts it in near-macro territory, and our database backs that up with macro performance in the 86th percentile. That's genuinely useful for detail shots, food photography, or getting creative with foreground elements. Autofocus is also a standout, landing in the 86th percentile thanks to the Linear STM motor. It's quick, quiet, and reliable on modern Sony bodies. Optically it's solid but not spectacular, sitting around the 73rd percentile. Sharp enough in the center, decent contrast from the UMC coating, but don't expect edge-to-edge perfection wide open.

The Samyang 24mm f/1.8 sits in a weird spot. Against the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN, you're trading zoom flexibility for a full stop of light and full-frame coverage. The Sigma is sharper and more versatile, but it's APS-C only. The Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 is wider and cheaper, but again APS-C and not weather sealed. If you're on full-frame Sony and want a fast wide prime without selling a kidney, the Samyang is the only real game in town at this price. The Nikon Z 17-28mm f/2.8 and Tamron 28-300mm are different beasts entirely, zooms for different systems or different purposes.

At $399 USD, this lens is a steal for what you get. Weather sealing, fast autofocus, near-macro capability, and a bright f/1.8 aperture in a 230g package? Sony's own 24mm f/1.4 GM costs over three times as much. If you're on a budget and want a versatile wide prime, this is the obvious choice. Just don't expect GM-level optics or build.

The Samyang AF 24mm f/1.8 is the lens you grab when you want a fast, wide prime that won't weigh down your bag or your bank account. At 230g with weather sealing and a bright f/1.8 aperture, it punches way above its price class for Sony E-mount shooters. The one thing to know? This is a compact wide-angle workhorse that nails the fundamentals, even if the bokeh won't make anyone swoon.

If you're shooting portraits or anything where background blur matters, this isn't your lens. The bokeh is firmly in the bottom quarter of our database, and you'll be fighting the optics for every shot. Go grab an 85mm f/1.8 instead, or if you need the 24mm focal length with beautiful rendering, start saving for the Sony GM. Also skip this if you're on an older Sony body like the A7 II, since you might not get full feature support.

Buy it if you want a lightweight, fast, weather-sealed wide prime for Sony full-frame and you don't want to spend over $400. The near-macro close focus is a bonus that makes this lens more useful than most 24mm primes. Skip it if bokeh quality or edge-to-edge sharpness are your top priorities, or if you're on an older Sony body that might not play nice with the firmware.