High-speed prime lenses, such as this full-frame 35mm f/1.4 Rokinon (made by the South Korean optics firm Samyang), are favorites for reasons we never tire of trotting out: Large apertures provide beautiful, soft-focus fore- and backgrounds, and they enable fast, action-stopping shutter speeds. At $500 (street), this Rokinon is by far the least expensive 35mm f/1.4 on the market today, but it forgoes core modern-era features such as autofocus and an automatic diaphragm. If you like automated shooting, you should probably stop reading here.
