Wide angle lenses

FE 10-18 ?

 

I have the 10-18, a great lens, I use it on my A6000 and it produces excellent images.

 

Another vote for the E 4/10-18 which served me well on the NEX-6. Be sure to be able to test before buying or return it, some copies aren't sharp at one edge of the frame. My second copy was OK.

 

12mm f/2 samyang

 

Yes.

 

Is the 12mm Samyang not a large lens?
I had the 14mm Samyang and it was huge, I didn't keep it.
The Voightlander 10, 12 and 15mm lenses are small and excellent IQ but a bit pricey.

 

The Samyang 12mm f/2 is APS-C specific and shorter than the 14mm f/2.8 FE.
The Samyang/Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 is a very good lens too, just large on the a6000, as Paul mentioned.

 

The 12mm f2 is about the size of the 20mm f2,8 AFD nikkor but has a 67mm filter thread. Larger than the 24mm Sony and 60mm Sigma but not much.

 

Sony 10-18 f4, Samyang 12mm f2, Sony 16mm f2.8 (+VCL-ECU1), Sigma 19mm f2.8, Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8, Sony 16-35mm f4, Zeiss batis 18mm f2.8, Samyang 14mm f2.8, Voigtlander 12mm f5.6 and the new Laowa 12mm f/2.8
A lot of options for all budgets!!
You have to think if you want also to do night photography (better a lens with ~f2) or use nd filters (square or circular) for long exposures.
For samyang 14mm f2.8 and Voigtlander 12mm f5.6 if you want to use nd filters you need a different holder because the hood is not detachable.
After a lot of reading and because I wanted something more wide (I was using for a year the Sony 16mm) i pull the trigger on the samyang 12mm.
Still i have not received the lens but I can definitely recommend it!!

Spoiler

 

^ Nice size comparo pic.
Note: That Samyang 14mm f/2.8 must be the new model for mirrorless. It's missing the added extension at the mount of my FE Rokinon. Must be based on their announced release of an AF version of the 14mm f/2.8.

 

I have the 10-18 on an A6000. It is very good, though not cheap. I bought it because I was not sure how wide I wanted to go, and a few mm makes a notable change on the wide end of things, so the range was nice to have while I figured out what I like.

But, I generally prefer primes, so I am now thinking of swapping it out for either a 12mm or 15mm prime. Maybe both, if my financial adviser (aka wife) can be persuaded.

 

If you're at all interested in astrophotography I'd definitely recommend the Rokinon/Samyang 12/2.0.

I just posted this in the lens sample image thread, taken as stacked photos on the a6000 with a decent amount of post processing:


The lens seems remarkably well suited to Milky Way photos, this is a cruder example taken as a single exposure in a light-polluted metropolitan area:

 

I would say go with the 10-18. Even though I have never had one. It is highly recommended, produces nice sunstars, and most importantly, it has a flexible focal range varying from wide to ultra wide. The only negative is the F/4 max aperture isn't the greatest if astro is what your after.
I did have the Rokinon 12mm before I got the SEL1635Z. It is inexpensive, pin sharp, has fantastic MFD, and it is about as fast as you will get in a UWA. I loved the Rokinon and highly recommend it. However, there are a few things to consider before buying one.

• It is a UWA prime, not a wide angle. That is an important distinction, so is that FOV in your wheel house? UWAs can lead to pointless photos if not used properly.
• It makes terrible Sunstars. Something many people treasure in a landscape lens. The Rokinon produces messy 5 point stars.
• It is manual focus. Shouldn't be an issue for a UWA, but some still want AF

 

Good timing on this thread...glad to see the unprocessed image you posted as I don't do much PP...currently have a Samyang 12/2.0 on its way.
Have tried the Milky Way my manual Canon 17/4.0 and 20/2.8 on the APS-C NEX-7.
The 17/4.0 seemed wide enough but I couldn't get enough definition without some star-trailing.
The 20/2.8 was better but I still wasn't satisfied.
So after some research, and considering the manual Canon 15/2.8, I finally decided it wasn't a big enough step and settled on the Samyang 12/2.0.
Hope to have decent conditions this month to try it out.

 

Roundball It is a great lens. you'll be happy with it. But the photo you are referring to has surely been processed. What he was showing was a single exposure astro shot vs a multiple stacked exposure. Both are processed images. To get great milky way shots, post processing comes with the territory not matter what lens you use.

 

Guess I could have been more clear...really meant I'm not into the whole "multiple exposure" thing and was glad to see the single exposure he posted...my PP learning curve is limited to the basics like highlights/shadows/contrast/sharpness, etc...

 

Yeah the adjustments for the second image could easily be done in Lightroom, heavy use of dehaze filter +/- contrast/clarity/tone curve, noise reduction and maybe a gradient/regional filter or two.