Posted on: June 6, 2017 at 2:40 am

Lensmakers Samyang have announced the launch of their 3rd AF lens for SONY cameras. Their ‘tiny but might’ 35mm lens boasts a 2.8 aperture at a very competitive price tag. The lens is made for the SONY mirrorless (FE) series models, and this is the 3rd lens in the series by Samyang, the other two being a 14mm/2.8 and 50mm/1.4. The 14mm is the first in this range available for SONY mirrorless full frame cameras. All lenses are priced significantly lower than the Zeiss counterparts. Of course, quality is something that we cannot comment on at this point of time.

revealed their third autofocus lens. The so-called ‘tiny but mighty’ 35mm f/2.8 FE was announced last night, and today it’s instilling at least a bit of fear into Zeiss with its ultra-portable size and ultra-affordable price tag.

As the “FE” suggests, the 35mm f/2.8 FE was designed for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, joining the AF 14mm F2.8 FE and AF 50mm F1.4 FE lenses to bring Samyang’s autofocus lineup to three lenses. What’s more, the 35mm and 50mm lenses are both significantly more affordable than their Sony/Zeiss counterparts, and Sony doesn’t even make a 14mm f/2.8 FE.

Its neither price nor quality that Samyang is highlighting as its key selling point thought – it is the portability of the lens. It weighs just 85 grams, and is only 3.3 cm in length. The company promises, ‘Thanks to Samyang’s exceptional optical technology, its compact size is packed with features for outstanding image quality. A tiny lens with a mighty performance, it is ideal for daily photography as well as travel photography.’

What’s inside – the lens is made of 7 elements in 6 groups, with Samyang’s Ultra Multi Coating. The company promises fast and accurate focus with minimal chromatic aberrations and ‘high resolution from the centre to the corners of the image’. But again, we can comment more on the quality only after the lens hits the market. To us, right now the main plus point is the price.

Samyang has targeted shipping of this product to start from July, at a price tag of about 337 US$. Now thats not exactly cheap, but still less than half the price of others on the market. The lens is NOT weather sealed, but if image quality is accceptable at this price, we expect the lens to be a success.