The Clarity of Rokinon

As a hobbyist, I suppose I am still in the infancy of my prime lens collection, but the more I use them, the more I strive to commit to shooting only those lenses. The clarity simply cannot be touched by lenses with moving parts (within the same price range). 

Last night, we had a pretty magnificent lightning show on the lake, and I decided it was the perfect time to use my 8mm Rokinon lens. I wanted something that would cover the most possible sky so I could set up my tripod and catch the bolts anywhere they might occur. I set my ISO to 400, aperture to 11, focus to infinity, and exposure to 30 seconds. The only drawback--we are building and in serious need of sod. Not gonna hide that with the fisheye! Also, I was unwilling to stand in a gushy mud puddle during a lightning storm to avoid the curvature of the columns holding my porch. I love Jesus, but I ain't ready to meet him just yet! (One of the many acceptable uses of "ain't" in the South...)

Looking back upon some of my other long exposure images made me realize, once again, the remarkable clarity of the glass. I had taken a long exposure just the other day with my Canon zoom lens, and regardless of auto or manual focus, the definition can't touch the prime. I still love my other lenses, but I truly appreciate the Rokinon.  

Additionally, I needed some promotional shots for our wireless internet service last week. I knew I would sometimes be in close quarters with a bucket truck extended up to 60ft in the air, and I wanted to be sure I could capture the entire picture. I took my trusty Rokinon with me, and as a result, I have some super clear photos with vibrant color. Regarding the vibrant color, these shots were taken midday, and I experienced no wash out effect in my skies. Swoon...