Rokinon Tilt-Shift 24mm F3.5

Conclusion

The Rokinon 24mm F3.5 Tilt-Shift full frame lens is a niche product, offering specific functionality not found on any other current Pentax K-mount lens.

Straight Shifted Tilted

The build quality is high. Fully made of metal, its numerous moving parts operate accurately, without undue friction but without feeling loose. The shift and tilt movements offer a large range of possibilities not normally available to photographers. Controls are easy to find, understand, and operate, feeling intuitive and natural. The designers did not reinvent the tilt-shift lens but imitated the common design choices made by Canon and Nikon (the two main current manufacturers of tilt-shift lenses).

Manual controls are easy and precise. The focus ring is large, well dampened and accurate. The aperture ring is easier to move than we would prefer, resulting in a few occurrences of unexpected aperture changes.

The optical performance is a mix of highs and lows. For instance, sharpness in the center is very good, while performance in the edges and corners is far from impressive. Shifting and tilting does not improve things, nor does it degrade the results much.

Chromatic aberration and purple fringing are superbly controlled— an outstanding result. On the other hand, flare and ghosting results are below expectations, a sign that the coatings used on the optical elements are not up to the highest standards. Vignetting is noticeable at all apertures, and gets worse when the lens is shifted.

Bokeh is generally pleasing, especially at wider apertures. Highlights get more defined as the aperture closes, and the shape of the iris becomes visible. Many recent lenses use a large number of curved aperture blades, while the 24mm has only six straight blades.

Those optical limitations are, to some extent, unavoidable. It is tough to build a tilt-shift lens without some compromises. A photographer must learn to work with those limitations to achieve results otherwise almost impossible to obtain in any other way. A clinical scrutiny of the optical performance might hide the myriad of possibilities that it offers. At less than half the price of a comparable lens from Canon or Nikon, we feel that Rokinon/Samyang did not cut too many corners, and produced a very robust offering.

Pros

  • Very good build quality
  • Unique tilt and shift functions, easy to operate
  • Very good sharpness in the center (APS-C sweet spot)
  • Superb control over chromatic aberration and purple fringing
  • Manual focus easy and accurate
  • Wide field of view well in line with intended purpose
  • Close focusing

Cons

  • Strong distortion and vignetting, especially when shifted
  • Lower than expected sharpness on the edges and corners
  • Poor control over flare and ghosting
  • Aperture ring not stiff enough
  • No hood

Pricing

The Rokinon 24mm tilt-shift F3.5 currently sells for $799 in the US. In the UK, the MSRP is £679, while in Canada, the street price is a steep $1059 CAD.

Price history can be found below (US-only, other regions coming soon):

Rating

Build Quality 
 8
Sharpness 
 7
Bokeh 
 8
Aberrations 
 7
Distortions 
 6
Handling 
 9
Value 
 8
Overall 
 7.6 (Good)

Who is it For

This lens is a specialized tool, not ideal as a general wide angle lens. It is designed for photographers who know what they are doing or want to learn how to do it. It will be particularly useful for architecture and landscapes.

The Bottom Line

The Rokinon 24mm Tilt-Shift is a welcome addition to the K-mount lineup. It is refreshing to see third-party manufacturers stray away from the common lens designs to explore the possibilities that specialized lenses offer. While not being perfect, the Rokinon is a worthy lens for anyone interested in tilt-shift photography.

The lens can be purchased at authorized dealers worldwide, including B&H Photo— the largest Pentax dealer in the US.  Also, be sure to check the user reviews or post your own if you already own this lens.

Comments

 

 


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