Samyang has announced the launch of its new V-AF lens family, designed for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. The new range has been designed primarily for shooting video. The first lens in the line-up will be the V-AF 75mm T1.9, though Samyang's roadmap has a further four V-AF lenses due for release by the end of 2023. These include 20mm, 24mm, 35mm and 45mm primes - all with a maximum iris of T1.9.
One compelling feature of the new lens range is its unified form factor across the lens line-up. Each of the five primes will share the same physical dimensions of 73 x 70mm, and will weigh less than 300g. The aim of this is to provide increased compatibility with gimbals and drones, eliminating the need to re-balance your gimbal when changing lenses. Unlike most other cine lenses, the V-AF range will feature autofocus.
Each lens will also sport a tally light on the front, and on the side. Tally lights are used in professional video protection to provide a clear visual indicator to presenters or other crew members that a camera is live and recording. These can take the form of a separate accessory, so having such a feature built neatly into a lens cuts down on extra gear if your camera doesn't already have such a built-in tally light. A custom switch and button on the lens barrel have also been included, giving easy access to video-specific functions like Focus Save.
An innovative front-mounted bayonet mount, with electronic contracts, promises further innovative add-ons - including, it is speculated, to include anamorphic lens attachments.
Samyang states that all V-AF lenses will be sharp enough to support resolutions up to 8K, and each lens is color-matched to prevent noticeable color shifts when swapping between lenses.
Detailed technical information about each lens has yet to be revealed, but we do know they'll have a nine-blade diaphragm to generate "superb, natural-looking bokeh".
The Samyang V-AF 75mm T1.9, which will be the first of the new lens series to go on sale, has been on show at The Photography Show in the UK. The 24mm and 25mm are set to go on sale this year, with the other two planned for a 2023 introduction. Pricing is anticipated to be around $630 / £599 each.
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