Samyang reveals the smallest and lightest 18mm wide-angle autofocus lens

By Ben Andrews
published

The Samyang/Rokinon AF 18mm F2.8 FE is a mini marvel for Sony A7 and A9 users who want to travel seriously light

Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE
(Image credit: Samyang)

Samyang is continuing its commitment to producing exciting new lenses for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. This latest rectilinear ultra-wide 18mm offering is particularly special, not least because Sony itself doesn't offer a wide-angle FE-mount prime wider than 24mm, but also because Samyang has managed to go this wide while also making the lens exceptionally portable.

At just 145g (without hood and lens cap), the Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE is a fraction of the weight of a typical Sony FE-mount ultra-wide. It's also considerably smaller, measuring a mere 60.5mm long and 63.5mm in diameter. 

There's no shortage of lenses being released for full-frame mirrorless cameras that are optically superb, but compactness often takes a back seat, negating the size advantage of shooting with a mirrorless camera rather than a DSLR. Kudos to Samyang for bucking this trend. Mount the AF 18mm F2.8 FE to an A7-series body and you've got a formidably compact, go-anywhere pairing.

Despite the crash diet, Samyang has still managed to squeeze in a linear STM autofocus motor, claiming it provides fast, quiet and accurate focusing.

The lens's optical path is comprised of 9 elements in 8 groups, including 3 Aspherical, 2 High Refractive and 3 Extra Low Dispersion elements. These are employed to maximize sharpness and minimizing chromatic aberrations and distortion.

(Image credit: Samyang)

Samyang is positioning this as part of an amusingly titled 'Tiny Series' of ultra-compact lenses, which will include an AF 35mm F2.8 FE, AF 24mm F2.8 FE and AF 45mm F1.8 FE.

The Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE will be available in September with an RRP of £349.99.

Rokinon 18mm F2.8 AF

In the US the lens is marketed under the Rokinon brand and will be available in early October with a MSRP of $499. It will include a removable petal-shaped hood, lens caps, and a custom fitted case.

(Image credit: Samyang)

Specifications

  • Mount: Sony E
  • Coverage: full-frame
  • Aperture range: f/2.8-22
  • Minimum focus distance: 0.25m
  • Magnification ratio: 0.09x
  • Angle of view: 100.1 degrees (76.2 degrees on APS-C cameras)
  • Filter size: 58mm
  • Length x diameter: 60.5mm x 63.5mm
  • Weight: 145g (without lens cap and hood)

(Image credit: Samyang)

Read more:

• The best Sony lenses
• Rokinon / Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 FE lens for Sony mirrorless cameras is “tiny but premium”
• Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master: wide-eyed wide-angle is 48th Sony E-mount lens

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Ben Andrews
Ben Andrews

Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys. 

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