Sony E mount shooters have a new lens option from Samyang, or Rokinon depending on your location, in the form of an AF 35 F1.8 full-frame compact lens. The lens makes it the 10th Sony E mount option and is a culmination of speed, portability, and size.
Optically, its made from 10 elements in 8 groups with 2 aspherical and 2 high refractive lens elements. It has Samyang's Ultra Multi-Coating to minimize ghosting and flare while maintaining resolution, producing tack sharp images. A fast F1.8 aperture is going to perform well in low light, and its 9 blade aperture design is going to product 18-point sun stars.
Samyang AF 35 F1.8
Similar to other Samyang lenses for Sony E mount, the lens if compatible with Sony's autofocus found on Alpha camera bodies. It uses a stepping motor that's optimized for both phase detection AF and contrast AF while the Internal Focus (IF) design provides silent focusing while recording videos.
On the barrel of the lens is a custom switch that enables the focus ring to function in manual focus control (Mode 1) or aperture control (Mode 2). Expect Samyang to add more custom feature via firmware down the line. It's also weather sealed, very lightweight, weighing only 7.4 ounces (210 g) and measuring 2.5", making it ideal for vlogging and gimbal or drone work. It touts a 11.4" (0.29m) minimum focusing distance and a 58mm filter thread. The full-frame lens provides a 63.6° field of view and for APS-C users it has a 43.8° field of view.
The Samyang AF 35 F1.8 will be available in November for $399.
