The XEEN family of cinema lenses is the high-end line from Samyang, but the company also keeps another line, where this new Samyang VDSLR 16mm T2.6 ED AS UMC fits.
With this new model, the Cine segment offers a total of 19 lenses – 10 of them for full frame – , ranging from the Samyang 7.5mm T3.8 Cine UMC Fish-eye for Micro Four Thirds sensors to the Samyang Optics 135mm T2.2 VDSLR ED UMC for full frame sensor sizes. Samyang Cine lenses are available for different mounts, sensor sizes and camera types, from mirrorless to DSLR, giving users ample choice even if they use different systems.
The Samyang VDSLR 16mm T2.6 ED AS UMC now announced is a wide-angle cine lens offering a angle of view which Samyang claims is “commonly used by directors of photography around the globe for its versatile usage for wide-angled emotional scenes in film and videos.”
Designed around 14 elements in 11 groups, with 2 glass aspherical elements, 2 extra-low distortion and 2 high-refractive elements the lens inherits, according to the company, “the renowned image quality of Samyang’s wide-angle lenses” and effectively minimizes color aberrations and distortion. The almost circular aperture achieved through the use of 9 blades guarantees soft backgrounds
The Samyang 16mm T2.6, being a manual lens, is designed to be used with professional follow focus systems. The lens offers quiet and smooth de-clicked focus and aperture gear rings, and the distance scale and T numbers are marked on both sides of the lens for convenience when filming.
Although the reference name of the lens suggests DSLRs, the Samyang VDSLR 16mm T2.6 ED AS UMC is compatible with 10 camera mounts: Canon EOS, Nikon AE, Pentax K, Sony ∝, Canon M, Fujifilm X, Samsung NX, Sony E, FT, MFT.
The lens is one of the products being showcased at Samyang’s booth at NAB Show 2017 for both video and photography.