Samyang just made a huge lens announcement and we have plenty of new lenses for both A and E mount cameras! We also have some lenses covering the Full Frame sensor area of the A7-A7r cameras. Here are all the lenses with preorder links to the BHphoto preorder page (Click on the blue link to see the direct preorder page with pricing info):
8mm f/2.8 UMC Fish-Eye as Sony E mount (Click here).
10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS lens as Sony E mount (Click here) and as Sony A mount (Click here).
12mm f/2.0 NCS CS lens as Sony E mount (Click here).
8mm T3.1 Cine UMC Fish-Eye II lens as Sony E mount (Click here).
24mm f/1.4 ED AS IF UMC lens as Sony E-mount (Click here).
35mm f/1.4 AS UMC lens as Sony E-mount (Click here)
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Nice. I had been thinking about getting the fisheye but now they even have a wide rectilinear… Looks like my next two lenses will both be Samyangs provided they are good. I don’t have doubts that the FE will be good given that Ver. I was good (actually maybe smarter to get the old version discounted). The real question is how good the rectilinear will be. Hope it doesn’t have ridiculous distortion like the FF 14mm
Both the 10 and 12mm are for APS-C though.
Great fast lenses, but where are the rumored AF lenses? And what’s the difference between the old 8mm f2,8 fish eye and the new version II? I own the old version and am very happy with it 🙂
Really interesting for Aps-C owners (the 12mm looks great – instant buy if I owned a a6000) but not that interesting for the a7… I’m still hoping for lenses dedicated to the a7 like a fullframe fisheye in size between the 8mm f2.8 for Aps-C mirror less and the 8mm f3.5 for Aps-C DSLR. Also I’m hoping for a full frame equivalent of the just announced 12mm. Something between 22 and 28 mm. The 24mm f1.4 is much too big and I think it didn’t perform that well in comparison to the 35mm of Samyang.
Would be interesting how much these lenses are useful on full-frame (A7 has a option for crop lenses in full-frame mode.)
These are rehash of the existing lenses. What is new about them?
Anyone has a link to Samyang/Rokinon/Bower/etc website? The links do not even have pictures of the lens and lack details.
http://www.samyang-europe.com/index.php/new-products/89-new-samyang-12-mm-1-2-0-ncs-cs
As I said, no af and a 12m,. Thekack of autofocus was hinted by a post on samyang facebook wall that said no af lenses are being made in respojses to a question about it. The 12mm was rumored in september but since forgotten.
MF-only isn’t the end of the world anyway, especially with ultra-wides, especially in landscapes, especially if you’re used to shooting cheap ancient manual primes. To pick some numbers out of the air, at f/4 on the 12mm, the hyperfocal distance will be 1.81m.
I agree regarding the AF on wide lenses. I’m sure that a lot of people would still be interested in a nice and sharp 35mm with MF for mirrorless if it is small enough. For instance, I’m not a huge fan of MF for normal lenses, but I would definitely consider a 350$ 35mm f/1.4 if it is small enough (less than 50-60 mm). I like Samyang’s color so that would be a trade-off.
Wow, the 12mm is short and does not have a protuding front element. Will definitely pick it up if it reaches 300$ on sale.
As these lenses won’t be optimised for FE mount I can’t see myself buying them. Rokinon seems to have pretty major distortion issues with their wides…. Rather wait for a nice wide Zeiss prime
All retrofocus ultra wides have lots of distortion. Nothing specific to Rokinon/Samyang. Look at the ZE/ZF 15mm 18mm 21mm… Lots of distortion. Still great optics.
More a case of more distortion than would be expected at that focal length
I’m surprised Sigma hasn’t made any FE mount lenses yet. Is the market for A-mount lenses that much larger than the FE mount market?
With a-mount, it’s just a case of changing the mount. On the other hand FE lenses would have to be designed from the ground up, for what to them is a tiny market.
12mm f/2.0 hot cake for e-mount users . Half price what zeiss touit . We have to wait for test .
I’m hoping it’s a good one! I’d love to get it for star/aurora photography.
Hi Is anybody shure if the 8mm is a APC or a FF
Looks like it’s APC: “The 8mm is a diagonal fisheye lens for APS-C format, meaning that the image it produces fills the frame on APS-C cameras. As with all current Samyang lenses it is manual focus only. It is also compact, and lightweight, giving a perfect combination with Sony NEX, Samsung NX or Fujifilm X mount compact system cameras.”
Samyang list Canon M, Fuji X, Samsung NX, and Sony E mounts, so presumably covers the full APS-C rectangular frame only. Conceivably a bigger circular image with some cut off on Sony FE? (they don’t mention this, but someone will no doubt experiment). This seems to be a different optical design to the existing 8mm f2.8 fisheye for the same mounts (hence the Fisheye II designation) As UK Digital are offering the original versions at a reduced price, is this an indication that these will be replaced with a mk
II version?
I have used my 8mm 2.8 on my a7r, I used a dremel to cut off the built in lens hood. You get quite a bigger image circle that. Just covered by Aps-c.
It is apsc. I had one and sold it when I got the A7.
The Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS IF UMC looks like it would make a good wide angel landscape lens on a full frame camera. Not cheap at $700, but looks really well built.
Update: Well maybe not; has a fairly high amount of distortion about 3%.
3% is often OK for landscape
The link above to the 24/1.4 shows it is a Rokinon at $549.00 and available on pre-order. Where are you seeing the lens tested already?
Not sure if this is the same lens, the specifications look similar but it may be an older version. Here’s the link: http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/769-samyang24f14eosff?start=1
It has the same filter size as the newly announced 35, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s pretty much the same lens.
No big deal. These Samyang lenses are – as always with the Sony mount – without any aperture control and without any EXIF information as well. Samyang only for Nikon offers EXIF data and aperture control. Without this a lens is quite useless as you are going to close the aperture actually before taking the picture, which leads to the fact, that the camera doesn’t get the full light for metering and the viewer. If you are using an EVF you still have a viewable picture, but the focus peeking won’t work as everything gets marked as sharp in the viewer: remember: with closed aperture the field of acceptable sharpness is very widened, so the focus peeking will be fooled.
As long as Samyang isn’t producing lenses with Sony chips and full aperture control they are no offer for me. Good glass alone would have been ok a 50 years ago, but isn’t enough for a lens in 21st century’s photography.
You will be using an EVF (or LCD) with all Sony cameras from the past three years, where you have a histogram displayed. You do have aperture control, it’s the ring on the lens. And instead of focus peaking, simply use magnification. Hardly useless.
These manual lenses work surprisingly well in my experience, but do lack the features you mentioned (EXIF data, auto aperture control etc.). The focus zoom and peaking still worked stopped down (especially the zoom) and show the actual depth of focus which can be an advantage when composing an image. When stopped down to say F8-F11, the focus peaking is not being fooled, it’s displaying the actual depth of the focus plane. And if you do set the aperture ring wide open to focus, when you stop down the depth of focus increases and you still get a sharp picture.
Who would like to work like this in real life? This only sounds viable in a discussion forum where 99% of the poster never tried to take pictures with lenses like these. I have practical experience with Samyang lenses on the A99 body and I can assure you all: You won’t take more than a couple of pictures with a Samyang and then it will disappear in the case forever. No matter how nice the glass is, it’s functionality is more than dissatisfying.
Many of you wouldn’t even be able to make a Samyang lens work on a Sony body, because they are not accepted by the Sony camera control software, which means the camera denies to work..
I’m relating my experience using the Samyang 85mm F1.4 on my A99 and have taken hundreds of pictures with this lens and it works well. You need to sharpen (no pun intended) your skills if you can’t get a sharp image. I’ts not the fault of the lens or the camera. All the tools necessary are there, learn how to use them.
It’s not a question of skill to work without EXIF data or aperture control, just a question of bad functionality. I prefer a full featured lens like the Sigma 85mm over a zero featured lens like the Samyang. And purchasing price isn’t the big issue between these two lenses, so what?
But you have aperture control. In fact you have a lot more aperture control via the lens than you would letting the camera change things for you, especially on something like the Cine Lens where there are no aperture stops.
As for EXIF data, the only thing you lose is aperture data. You still have the rest. While this can be a pain, it’s not as bad as you are making it out to be.
Oh for a person like me, the price difference between a $899 lens like a Sigma 85mm f1.4 and a $269 Rokinon 85mm f1.4 is pretty significant.
TBH I did use a 85mm f1.4 and got tons of OOF images but I had to shoot with a poor quality viewfinder.
With mirrorless bodies it would be easier to use MF lenses.
Also the chip for Nikon lenses works just to report EXIF info and to start the camera metering. You still need to change the aperture by hand.
Your comments are confusing me – you have aperture control – it’s just on the lens and not in the camera! Just like using non-native manual lenses with an adapter…. Focus peaking works great.
These lenses make a lot of sense when compared to the current choices of non-native lenses via an adapter as you do not have the problems of light leaks and buying an adapter per lens to make lens changes simple.
Well, I’ve tried. And it works juts fine. Admittedly, not a Samyang lens, just old manual ones, but it’s the same difference. While a lens with proper EXIF will obviously be more convenient, saying that the lens is useless is simply preposterous. There are actually plenty of people who shoot this way, btw, certainly more than 1%.
There’s really no issue with using manual lenses on MILC’s. You don’t get all of the EXIF data, but if you can live without that, it’s actually kind of fun to have complete control over your photography.
The way I see it, if you can’t shoot in Manual mode, you probably don’t have that firm a grasp on photography. While cameras get smarter every day, there’s definitely something to be said for going back to the basics.
It’s probably hard if you’re someone who uses Auto or Program mode and must have autofocus, but there are a lot of us using manual lenses like this. Most of the lenses I use are manual focus and manual aperture and it works just fine.
I shoot in manual 90% of the time and love these lenses and I have actually used some of them.
This is bullshit. I shoot manual on a regular basis and have no qualm switching between my MF and AF lenses. If you can shoot in manual it does not matter if the lens is AF of M. You wont miss the aperture data on your photos and the live preview from the focus peaking is a non-issue in the real world. It’s perfectly clear what’s in focus and what’s not.
15mm equivalent on FF for the A-mount 10/2.8
meh
I’ll stick with my Minolta 20/2.8, built like a tank, has never failed, AF, etc.
Yes 5 mm is a lot at that end, but that 5mm is not sufficient incentive for me personally.
I’ve been considering that lens for a while, they pop up on KEH from time to time. Not cheap but reasonable. How sharp is it compared to a 50mm 1.4 Minolta/Sony ?
The copy I had was pretty sharp I would say they are about the same at 2.8. I sold mine. I did not find it any better than my sigma 19mm 2.8. I actually like the 24 & 28mm much better. I know they are not as wide but the images look better to me.
Thanks for your input, I was thinking that 20mm might be a bit too wide. I may go for the Minolta 24mm, It’s cheaper and seems to work well.
My experience with the 20/2.8 is funny–I purchased one that was in mint condition, but the images from it always seemed to be low-contrast…sharp, but low-contrast. So I bought the 24/2.8, a highly reputed lens.
It was no sharper, but it was more contrasty, which I liked…but the 4mm was a lot to give up.
So I sold my first 20/2.8, and immediately bought another 20/2.8, also mint. Bingo! Just as sharp and contrasty as the 24/2.8, but 4mm wider, which made a big difference for me in interior architectural shots.
IDK what it is about those early Minolta lenses, but there really seems to be significant sample variability. I have had good luck–I went through only 2 examples of the 20, 2 of the 50, and I hit the beercan jackpot on the first try. But other zooms, like the 28-85 (which I never use), I had to go through about 5 examples before I found one that was up to the sort of quality I expect. Not too much of a hassle since that lens is cheap.
Anyway my 2 cents–if you can afford the money and hassle to go through 20mm samples to find a great one, go for it if that is what you want. If not, I might be more inclined to go the Sigma route like Wayne recommended.
Good info Not an everyman. If I do order a 20mm F2.8 tests will be performed to verify its integrity. Thanks.
Since you’re speaking about the E-mount, I can inform you that you’re speaking out of an orifice other than your mouth.
You said:
“Without this a lens is quite useless as you are going to close the aperture actually before taking the picture, which leads to the fact, that the camera doesn’t get the full light for metering and the viewer. If you are using an EVF you still have a viewable picture, but the focus peeking won’t work as everything gets marked as sharp in the viewer: remember: with closed aperture the field of acceptable sharpness is very widened, so the focus peeking will be fooled.”
The E-mount cameras (or at least my 5N) works like this with its native lenses as well. When you select an aperture, it does it immediately and keeps it there, which gives you basically real-time DoF preview, all the time. There is no DoF preview button, as it’s not a dSLR.
So in this respect the Samyang lenses… no, all manual lenses… work exactly the same. And it does work, since focus peaking is not binary (i.e. the highlighted edge varies in its intensity in proportion to the amount of contrast detected), and there are three ranges that it can be adjusted to depending on the contrast of the scene and the contrast-generating ability of your given lens.
So they build up the hype with all the AF teases, and boom, comes the anti-climax.
I don’t think they did anything. It was a rumour from Photo Rumor.
So all the Auto Focus Rumors were BS!!!
MF lenses work great with focus peaking. You can be sure Samyang keeps on developing new lenses for mirrorless mounts based on their sales and these cheap lenses offer very good photo quality (I love my 8mm 2.8).
Also, 12mm 2.0 is a great alternative to Zeiss Touit 12. 2.8 and it is even faster. Don’t diss MF lenses until you try them out and take their price into consideration (and remember, there’s no electronics to fail!).
Good for Voigtlander as they are still the only manufacturer of the fastest 35mm and the widest 12mm ever.
Samyang seems to have confidence in the E/EF mount going forward, hopefully Tamron and Sigma will follow suit and develop some high quality lenses for this mount. More competition would be a good thing.
Why is everyone happy about Samyang lenses. They are crap. So are Sigma. Soft around the edges…
Have you ever tried Samyang lenses, I have the 35mm 1.4 and the 24mm 1.4 and I think both of them produce great image on my A7!!
Sigma soft around the edges? Did you ever try any of their e-mount lenses?
I have their Rokinon 8/2.8 fisheye lens on my NEX 5N and it’s about the sharpest lens I every used on my 5N. I look forward to more offerings for my A7.
Camel man its a budget lens. Sometimes you don’t want to shell out more than a grand for a certain focal length, they come in handy in that respect.
does the 35 and 24mm new desings. didmt they already have 35mm and 24mm for sony e mount ?
No
Judging from the rear element of new 8/2.8, it fixes colorshift for those with NEX-7.
The lens is bigger than the older one, 24 mpx ready lens?
I would guess that’s the point of the modifications. The previous version wasn’t that old, so they must think there’s something to be improved substantially.
The 12/2 on the other hand… I don’t know. That sounds to good to be true. Maybe it’ll be ok stopped down a bit, but f/2 is hard to imagine.