Reflecting on the V-AF Cine Autofocus Series with Jay Gilmour

By Marcus Swales | Technical Product Specialist, Holdan

With the upcoming release of the new Samyang V-AF 45mm T1.9 FE, we thought we’d reflect on the three currently available V-AF lenses with Jay Gilmour.

Before we start, for those who don’t know, the V-AF series is a unified set of lenses all equal in weight, size, and centre of gravity. These Sony E mount designed lenses come with pro-video features such as two tall lamps, unified colour tone throughout the lens range, and a stylish front accessory mount that unlocks the potential for a range of future professional video accessories to attach.

One exciting V-AF accessory currently available is the Manual Focus (MF) Adapter. Pictured below, the adapter slides straight onto the front of any V-AF lens and offers both feet and meter markings plus, 300-degree rotation focus control. When the MF Adapter is placed onto a V-AF lens and the custom mode switch is set to M1 you can control your aperture via the control ring on the lens and the focus, on the focus ring on the manual focus adapter. A quick thing to note, your V-AF lenses must be updated to the latest software via the Samyang Lens Dock, for the Manual Focus Adapter to be fully functional with them.

Other key features of the V-AF series include the custom switch and focus hold button that most modern Samyang lenses feature plus the popular and well-reviewed and tested STM focus motor system. Alongside these exciting features, the V-AF’s are weather sealed and have the ability to shoot up to 8K video when paired with a capable camera body.

The three-lens line-up soon to be four, currently consists of the 24mm, 35mm, and 75mm. With the 45mm set to release shortly, the final lens of the set is the 20mm which is on the roadmap to land in Q4 of this year.

Jay Gilmour, filmmaker and photographer, kindly shared his thoughts and experience with the current V-AF lenses below.

What are your thoughts on the Samyang V-AF lens range as a filmmaker?

Since I generally work by myself or in a small team, I can't always rely on manual focus cine lenses. I need good AF (auto-focus) to let me concentrate on creating the story and composing the shot. These lenses let me do this, and it's one less thing I can worry about!

Then having a range of focal lengths from wide to telephoto, all at the same weight and size make the lenses easy to work with, although there has been a couple of times, I've grabbed the wrong one by accident!

How have your opinions evolved since your initial experience with the V-AF range?

I love a bit of gear and always get excited by advances in tech and what it can do. But I have found the more I use these the less I actually think about them. They just work, swap them on the gimbal, put them on my rig, and just get on with creating. They have made me think less about the technical aspect and helped me perfect the story and emotion.

Can you share your insights on the performance of the V-AF Manual Focus adapter?

As I type this I haven't used the V-AF’s for a wedding yet so that will be the test but having created some short clips and just having a play, I've found each lens surprisingly accurate. I mentioned before manual focus cine lenses, and the MF adapter pretty much takes the things I was missing from my VDSLR cine lenses like accurate focal throws and hard stops then puts it together with awesome autofocus. Seems like some kind of magic to me!

Is there a particular focal length you favour, and if so, what are your reasons?

I have always found a 50mm pleasing and versatile so, with the 45mm V-AF releasing that will probably be my go-to. I have found I'm using the 75mm quite a bit more as well, it's great for creating more depth in a shot since I don't have to be in someone's face while filming!

In what applications do you find the V-AF lenses to be most useful?

In any situation! They're small enough to be taken anywhere but deliver the quality you would expect from any high-end lens. Especially in the situations I am in where I need quick and reliable AF. Plus, if I need to change lenses, I can just put one in a pocket!

Would you recommend the Samyang V-AF lens range to other creators?

100%! I just wish they could be made for more mounts, it seems unfair just the Sony users get all the fun!

What features of the V-AF lenses stand out to you as particularly useful or impressive?

Apart from the quality of the image which should always come first it's the design and build. Having them all the same size and weight is just incredible. But not only that, it's the actual size and weight as well. They are light enough to easily carry them all without issues and no need to decide what to bring!

Do you have any additional thoughts or comments on the V-AF lens range that you would like to share?

It's the little things that always impress me about Samyang, having the teeth for follow focus, the tally lights, or the clever way when you add the manual focus adapter the ring on the lens automatically changes to an aperture ring! How clever is that! I'm super keen to see what comes next for adapters if it's anything like the manual focus adapter it will be clever and extremely useful!

As Jay mentions, the V-AF’s are a practical set of lenses with impressive pro-video features that support a broad range of creative workflows. The V-AF 45mm T1.9 will soon be available, making this amazing set of lenses even better with an additional focal length!

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