Rokinon Rocks with New Photo and Cine Lenses

Rokinon continues to impress with the production of durable, metal-barrel prime lenses in a range of focal lengths, and has recently been releasing more and more lenses specifically geared toward digital filmmaking. The most recent announcements include a full-frame-compatible, fast-aperture 50mm, and a 12mm fisheye photo lens, as well as a 12mm fisheye for the company’s DS Cine lens line.  

50mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC Lens

Available for Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, as well as Sony A and Sony E mount cameras, this manual-focus lens features one aspherical and one hybrid aspherical element to control aberrations and create sharp, well-delineated color-accurate images. Its particularly fast f/1.4 maximum aperture puts this standard-length lens into an elite group that is very effective in low light, able to maximize use of fast shutter speeds and provide shallow depth-of-field control. A circular 8-blade diaphragm renders pleasing out-of-focus highlights, while its lens elements are coated with a specialized Ultra Multi-Coating (UMC) for improved light transmission, which reduces ghosting and flare. An internal focus system is employed for a compact build that does not extend during focus.

As an all-manual lens, its aperture and focus rings are smooth and easy to control and bright depth-of-field and distance markings highlight its metal barrel. A petal-shaped lens hood is included to block unwanted light and lend a degree of protection for the lens. While this lens is designed for full-frame-digital and 35mm cameras, even the E-mount version, it is also compatible with APS-C format cameras and offers a 75mm focal-length equivalency (or 80mm for Canon) on these crop-sensor shooters.

12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC Fisheye Lens

Available in Canon EF mount, Nikon F mount, Pentax K mount, and Sony A mount, this 12mm lens provides a 180° angle of view on full-frame cameras for an exaggerated, ultra-wide perspective that brings a flourish to any application but is particularly useful for architecture and landscape work. The image created with this lens fills the frame and is not a floating circular image. When used on an APS-C camera, the 35mm focal-length equivalency is 18mm for all mounts except Canon, which demonstrates a slightly narrower 19.2mm.

The optical design includes three extra-low dispersion elements and two aspherical elements to control coma and chromatic aberrations and applies a specialized nano-crystal coating and the ultra-multi coating for better light transmission and reduced internal reflections. The minimum focus distance is 7.9" and it, too, comes with a removable petal-shaped lens hood.

The Canon, Pentax, and Sony versions of this lens are straightforward manual-focus lenses with manual aperture control, but the Nikon mount features an AE chip, which provides a focus confirmation dot in your camera’s viewfinder when accurate focus has been achieved. The chip also enables this Nikon mount lens’s exposure to be controlled from the camera in Auto P/A/S and M modes.

12mm T3.1 ED AS IF NCS UMC Cine DS Fisheye Lens

A lens optimized for digital cinematography with full-frame DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, this 12mm T3.1 manual focus lens offers the same 180° exaggerated perspective as the above 12mm and the same equivalencies for APS-C cameras. It also features the three ED and two aspherical elements and dual lens coatings. 

However, as part of Rokinon’s Cine DS line of lenses, its color rendition matches that of other Cine DS lenses for consistent performance when swapping focal lengths. Also, as a cine lens, it offers its aperture in T-stops for an absolute measurement that is dependable from lens to lens. Mechanically, it also provides features designed for the cinematographer, including a de-clicked aperture ring for silent and smooth transitions and geared focus and aperture rings to employ follow-focus accessories. Lastly, it prints the aperture, depth-of-field, and distance markings sideways on the lens barrel to enable easier reading by a focus puller. Available mounts are Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sony A, and Sony E for this compact, sturdy prime lens with a removable lens hood.