Samyang Adds a 100mm T2.3 Lens to its V-AF Cinema Prime Lineup
Samyang is expanding its autofocus cinema lens line with a new 100mm T2.3 full-frame lens. While it is one of the new members of the L-Mount Alliance, the lens is only being made available for Sony E-mount for now.
The cinema lens line, called the V-AF series, was originally announced in 2022 and featured five lenses: 20mm, 24mm. 35mm, 45mm, and 75mm primes, all of which share the same dimensions and speed of T1.9. Every lens in the line measures 73 x 70mm and weighs less than 300 grams, making them ideal for use in cinema rigs and gimbals.
The company is expanding the V-AF line with a new 100mm lens, and while it has the same form factor as the other much wider lenses in the line, Samyang did have to adjust the speed of the new lens to maintain that: it is a slower T2.3 lens.
That appears to be the only compromise, however. Like the other five lenses in the line, Samyang included an LED tally lamp that illuminates when the camera is actively recording so that talent knows they are live. Given that most Sony E-mount cameras, especially those in the Alpha line, don’t have tally lights, the inclusion is a boon for content creators who either work alone or operate in a small space.
Samyang also says that the lenses will resolve at up to 8K with the same color tone across the entire line, claiming that the V-AF series lenses are color-matched to avoid any shifts when swapping lenses. All of the optics share the same nine-bladed aperture design, too.
The 100mm T2.8 features a close focusing range of 2.3 feet (0.7 meters) and is weather sealed, features a focus hold button and custom mode switch, and 300-degree rotation angle of the aperture ring (which is consistent with all other lenses in the V-AF line). Samyang also notes that the lens isn’t wholly free of focus breathing, stating it has a 13% shift in frame of view when focused between one meter and infinity.
The Samyang V-AF 100mm T2.3 lens is available to pre-order today for Sony E-mount for $699 and is expected to arrive in March 2024.
Image credits: Samyang
