Samyang 12mm F2 Autofocus Lens for Sony APS-C Mirrorless Cameras Announced

If you are a photo/video nerd or self-proclaimed gear slut, then you probably already know that Samyang has announced their new 12mm F2 E autofocus lens for Sony APS-C cameras. But if you are like me, and have been living under a rock for the last week making a website, then you probably haven’t known that this is on its way to release at all.

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So this news is for you!

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Samyang, or Rokinon—or Bower, depending on who you go to—has recently announced their 12mm F2 E wide-angle prime lens for Sony APS-C mirrorless cameras. As someone who usually spends most of his time shooting with Sony’s full-frame line of products, I don’t usually care for Sony’s APS-C camera frames. My reasoning for this is specific: because I don’t usually like dealing with the crop factor that is associated with attaching my full-frame lenses to them. While I use Sony’s APS-C camera frames, most of the time they are in support of my full-frame camera and are rarely centerpiece instruments in my production workflow.

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Aside from being visually attractive, and capable of producing beautiful images, what I like about Samyang’s product is that it is dedicated to the Sony APS-C line of products. This means that every millimeter of the lens’ focal length can be used to the camera’s advantage. This has traditionally been a problem for me in the past, and usually, I compensate for it by intentionally using shorter focal lengths to handle the crop factor. At 12mm and APS-C-native, however, it is possible to have images that feel wider without using an unnecessarily short focal length to compensate and do it all without distortion. The end result is compelling images that swallow the viewer into them—and a good reason to pick up my A6500!

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Though Samyang has not shared very many details about its lens’ autofocus system, they claim that it is quieter and faster than previous versions of the lens due to a newly-developed stepping motor. The Samyang AF 12mm F2 E is available for pre-order now at B&H, and is expected to ship in June 2021. (info via Digital Photography Review)