Howdy Partners
we are officially back from Monterey Car Week
and I got something really cool to talk about with you
if you’re a photographer this is a very important video
because I have found the best thing to buy for under $350
yes right now
this is not a sponsored ad
this little guy this little cup of joy right here is 350 bucks on Amazon Prime
and that is the Rokinon 35 millimeter
1.8 autofocus lens for the Sony full frame camera
now I don’t know if for all cameras at 350 bucks
but if you can get your hands on this lens specifically
I would why
I miss the days of going around town and taking pictures on
like a 28
24 or 35 pancake
uh nobody really makes a pancake lens anymore
especially for the Sony full frames
(primes) are always big the sigmas are really big
G masters are also really chunky and heavy
and this is the best sweet spot that I can find
where it’s wide enough where I’m not going to miss out on anything
and it’s also tight enough where I can get some good portraits
good details sharp shots
and no distortions so for the Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance
I actually challenged myself to go ahead and shoot all of my digitals
on this lens and none other
so I’m gonna go ahead and show you some shots right now of that event
let me tell you this lens and camera combo
is lethal I love it
I added a CPL to it cause that’s extremely important when shooting cars
and metal and glass and all that
you don’t want any weird glares
but for the concept of how cheap this lens is
how usable it is I can hide it behind my arm
I can go ahead sneak out a quick shot and keep talking with it
without it making me look like I’m struggling to decide
if I wanna be a photographer
or sales guy at the same time
and it’s a really really nimble lens
is it the fastest auto focus
no uh
is it smooth when it comes to the auto focus ring
yes and you have this custom mode here
that you can make the manual focus or aperture adjustments as well
I wouldn’t pick this for a track day obviously
cause it’s not something that’s really quick
I have my 28 to 70 gmaster for that
but overall this lens is an amazing little powerhouse of a piece of glass
this is it’s light
it’s well built
it comes with a little carrying case if that’s something that matters to you
and uh honestly
it’s so cheap I could consider it a beater um
and something that would be a nice
tight little prime that I can use on a day to day basis
not worry if it breaks
because I can just buy it on Amazon Prime and get it same day delivered
or next day uh
with no problems this is it
it’s really great all around lens
as far as the photos are concerned that I’m showing you here
they’re really not edited
it is amazing the way that it captures all the colors is extremely sharp
and considering I come from a photo journalism background
I don’t like editing I really
I genuinely hate editing uh
so I try to do everything in camera
I shot that day with a very high aperture
low ISO quick shutter speed
you know that way I can go ahead and make sure that I get the shot
it’s sharp it’s tack it
it has a lot of contrast the drop off in the shadows on this lens are amazing
and honestly I just
I really think it’s the best 350 bucks you’ll ever spend
as a photographer who shoots on Sony
or any other platform if it’s in that same pricing bracket for you as well
the Rokinon 35 1.8 is definitely a surprise of the trip
I got tons of cool content coming
as a little recap vlog that I’ll post on the TikTok and shorts as well
and uh
yeah thanks for all the support as usual
probably make some prints from the shoots that you saw
and I will see you next time, cheers!