The worlds first Auto Focus Cine lenses!

By Marcus Swales | Technical Product Specialist, Holdan

Samyang have seen a gap in the market and done exactly what they do best, filled it with just what we need. The innovative V-AF series is a set of full frame compatible Sony FE mount lenses designed for a wide variety of users, from solo videographer to small productions. These impressive new products have a unified form factor, all managing to be the same size and weight, whilst still covering a wide range of focal lengths. The series comprises of a 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, 45mm, and finally a 75mm.

Not only are they unified in weight and size, but all lenses feature an aperture of T1.9 with 9 smoothed aperture blades for that natural looking bokeh we love to see. The similarities don’t stop there, all lenses are colour matched and support 8K, which means you’ll see no variance when swapping to different focal lengths.

Whilst Samyang’s claim that these are the world’s first auto focus cine lenses, this has been debated by lens afficionados, once you’re hands on with the V-AF, all is forgiven. The auto focus system is driven via Samyang’s linear STM motor, which if you’ve tried out any of Samyang’s recent auto focus lenses, you know is quick, quiet, and accurate. In terms of weight, each lens only weighs 280g, meaning that not only are they light enough to be mounted on a drone, but being the same weight means they can be swapped over on a gimbal with no need to rebalance. In addition, being cine focussed lenses, the V-AF series have a soft manual focus ring that can be paired with Samyang’s follow focus system. A metal electronic front connector has also been added which will support an array of V-AF exclusive accessories coming soon.

Samyang hasn’t missed a trick with this lens series. They have added two LED indicators, called tally lamps, which light up green when recording is in progress. The tally lamps feature both on the side and front of each lens to quickly see when you are recording, which is perfect for independent content creators and convenient when recording in areas with limited space. The V-AF series still features the well-known focus hold button and custom switch too, offering an array of focus modes and other lens features customisable via the Samyang lens dock. 

We couldn’t finish this overview without mentioning the professional looking uniform design. With a stylish matt finish, metal accessory mount and subtle red line detailing these lenses look like they are ready for high quality video content creation. All lenses in the series have a weather sealed design which is highly effective against dust and water splashes. A final note on the design is the handy fact that being the same shape and size means the filter size is consistent throughout the set. The only one to be aware of is the 20mm which hasn’t had its filter size confirmed yet, but we imagine this will be the same.

It’s safe to say Samyang’s V-AF series have impressed us as a set of lightweight auto focus cine lenses that make quality and consistent content creation more convenient than ever. Starting at £448 + VAT, the 24mm, 35mm and 75mm available now with the 20mm and 45mm to follow in 2023.