Brightin Star is working on its first ultra-wide autofocus lens — and it could tackle distortion better than its predecessors

Brightin Star is building its first ultra-wide-angle lens featuring autofocus.

Ahead of NAB, the company said they would do something they haven't done before: Preview a lens that before it was officially released. Now that reports are coming in, we know what that mysterious lens is: The Brightin Star 12mm f/2.8 AF.

As a preview, several key details are missing – like the price and launch date – but the 12mm f/2.8 AF looks to be the brand's first ultra-wide with an autofocus motor, joining a short list that includes a 24mm f/1.8, 35mm f/1.8, 85mm f/1.8 for full frame and a 50mm f/1.4 for APS-C.

While the AF feature alone marks a significant step forward for the brand’s ultra-wide angle offerings and ups the ante with Samyang’s (Rokinon in the US) established ultra-wide 12mm f/2.0 AF prime, it’s not the only interesting feature.

Unveiled at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Brightin Star’s new 12mm f/2.8 AF, for Sony E-mount and Nikon Z-mount, uses a rectilinear design rather than the fisheye-style optics often seen at this focal length.

In practical terms, this style of optics reduces the bending of light typical of more curved elements, resulting in more accurate geometry rendered in images – a major advantage for works such as architecture and interiors shoot, and videography.

Optically, the lens features 15 elements arranged in 11 groups, including aspherical and extra-low dispersion glass. This more complex design is supposed to better control aberrations and maintain sharpness across the frame.

Compared to the previously released Brightin Star 12mm f/2.8 manual focus lens, this represents a fundamentally different approach to achieving such a wide field of view.

Beyond the optics, the lens also brings some notable usability upgrades. The AF is powered by a stepping motor, which should deliver quiet operation – particularly useful for video shooters.

A multilayer coating is included to help minimize flare, while the minimum focusing distance is 0.3m. The lens itself remains relatively compact, measuring just under 97mm in length, 70mm in width, and weighing 499g.

While Brighting Star teased the new lens with an Instagram post ahead of NAB, key details including the price and official release date are still under wraps.

I definitely see this lens costing more than the Sayang equivalent, which typically retails for around $330 (approximately £250 / AU$470), but less than the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D AF E Mount, which usually costs around $800 (approximately £600 / AU$1,100).

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