Samyang has expanded its line of f/1.8 autofocus fast optics with the introduction of the AF 135mm F1.8 FE lens for Sony cameras. The new telephoto lens is designed for portraits, astrophotography, landscapes and video. On the body, it has a focus lock button and a customizable switch, as well as a new focus range limit switch. The lens is designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras with Sony FE mount, but it can also be mounted on Sony cameras with an APS-C sensor.
Samyang AF 135mm F1.8FE
The Samyang Auto Focus F1.8 FE range of autofocus lenses now includes focal lengths of 24, 35, 45, 75 and 135mm, thus covering from wide angle to telephoto. Considering that all these optics offer a wide aperture with the same value, the idea of \u200b\u200bbundling the whole kit looks like a good idea. A wide aperture provides smooth background blur and effectively separates the subject from the background with a shallow depth of field.
Samyang AF 135mm F1.8FE
The AF 135mm F1.8 FE lens provides a 19° angle of view for full frame shooting and 12.5° for APS-C. Optimum resolution is achieved by an optical design of 13 elements in 11 groups (1 U-ASP, 2 HR and 3 ED). Three Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) lenses ensure crisp image quality and control chromatic aberration. Also included are two high-refractive (HR) lenses with excellent refractive index and one ultra-precise aspherical lens (UA). Combined with Sony’s full-frame sensor, this lens delivers excellent sharpness and contrast across the entire image, according to the company.
The company also claims that thanks to the STM stepping motor, autofocus is quiet and smooth, which will be useful not only for shooting photos, but also for video.
Specifications Samyang AF 135mm F/1.8
| Focal length: | 135 mm |
| Aperture range: | f/1.8 – f/22 |
| Bayonet: | Sony FE |
| Sensor Format: | full frame |
| Viewing Angle: | 18.9° (full frame), 12.5˚(APS-C) |
| Minimum focusing distance: | 69 cm |
| Max Magnification: | 0.24x |
| Optical design: | 13 elements in 11 groups |
| Special Items: | 1 U-ASP, 2 HR, 3 ED |
| Optical Coating: | UMC |
| Diaphragm: | 11 petal |
| Focus type: | auto |
| Autofocus drive: | STM |
| Stabilization: | No |
| Weatherproof: | there is |
| User Mode Button: | there is |
| Focus lock button: | there is |
| Focus range limiter: | there is |
| Filter diameter: | 82 mm |
| Dimensions: | ø93 x 130 mm |
| Weight: | 772 g |
MTF Charts
Optical design
Controls on the lens barrel
There is a focus lock button on the body, holding it will allow you to fix the lens at a given focusing distance. You can assign custom functions to this button, such as enabling Eye AF. There is also a custom switch that can be set to silently adjust the aperture by rotating the focus ring, other features will be added via future firmware updates.
There is a focus range limiter on the body, it only works in autofocus mode, and can be useful for speeding up focusing after determining the distance to the subject. This limiter can be moved forward or backward to select focus, available values are:
- Full: The AF range is set between infinity and a minimum focusing distance of 0.69 m.
- 0.69 – 2m: Suitable for close-up shots.
- 1.5 m – ꚙ: Suitable for general shooting.
The AF 135mm F1.8 FE lens features a finely knurled rubber focusing ring for a more pleasant tactile feel when used. The lens barrel protects against light rain, snow and dust. Moreover, the developers thought about shooting at night – the LED allows you to determine whether autofocus is on or not. Whether autofocus will work in the dark is another question, but there is an indicator.
