Samyang Series II – New 14mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.4 Manual Lenses

NewsLenses

by Jakub HanMay 28^th, 2020

Samyang (Known as Rokinon in some territories), announced two new prime lenses from its Series II line – the ultra-wide 14mm f/2.8 and the fast telephoto 85mm f/1.4 lens. Both lenses cover full-frame sensors, have manual focus designs, are weather-sealed, and both are available for Canon EF-M, FUJIFILM X, Micro Four Thirds, or Sony E mirrorless mounts, or Canon EF or Nikon F SLR mounts.

New Series II prime lenses – 14mm and 85mm. Source: Samyang/Rokinon

The South Korean lens manufacturer Samyang announced new affordable prime Series II lenses. Please note that Samyang’s lenses are being sold under the Rokinon brand in some countries. The first two lenses from the new Series II are the 14mm f/2.8 and the 85mm f/1.4. According to Samyang, these lenses feature new exterior designs and improved optics. Covering up to full-frame sensors, they are both available for Canon EF-M, FUJIFILM X, Micro Four Thirds, or Sony E mirrorless mounts, or Canon EF or Nikon F SLR mounts.

Samyang/Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 Series II Lens

The first new lens is on the ultra-wide end of Samyang’s lineup. The 14mm f/2.8 Series II lens incorporates a focus lock ring to prevent accidental changing of the focus position. When it comes to optical design, the lens has several aspherical, high-refractive-index, and low dispersion elements – altogether 14 elements in 10 groups. The used Ultra Multi-Coating should, according to the manufacturer, suppress flare and ghosting for improved contrast in bright conditions.

New 14mm f/2.8 Series II lens. Source: Samyang/Rokinon

The lens features a built-in lens hood (and therefore no front filter thread) and has a de-click switch to either “click” or “de-click” the aperture ring, depending on the shooting situation. It is a fully manual lens without camera contact pins. The minimum focus distance is 11″ (28cm) and its metal housing is weather-sealed.

New 14mm f/2.8 Series II lens. Source: Samyang/Rokinon

The lens is designed for full-frame sensors, but can also be used with APS-C models (approximately 22.4mm equivalent focal length) or with Micro Four Thirds models (28mm equivalent focal length).

Dimensions of the lens (Canon EF version) are (ø x L): 3.43 x 3.78″ (87 x 96.1 mm) and the weight is 1.43 lb (649 g).

Samyang/Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 Series II Lens

The other new lens is a prime telephoto portrait lens – 85mm f/1.4 Series II. The optical layout incorporates a hybrid aspherical element. According to the manufacturer, it should reduce distortion and spherical aberrations. The same Ultra Multi-Coating has been applied to this lens as well. The 85mm f/1.4 features a rounded nine-blade diaphragm, the minimum available aperture is f/22.

New 85mm f/1.4 Series II lens. Source: Samyang/Rokinon

This lens is also fully manual. The minimum focus distance is 3.6′ (110cm). The internal focusing design maintains the overall lens length at all focal lengths. There is a 72mm front filter thread.

This lens covers full-frame sensors. When used with APS-C models, it provides approximately 136mm equivalent focal length (with Micro Four Thirds cameras the focal length equivalent is 170mm).

New 85mm f/1.4 Series II lens. Source: Samyang/Rokinon

Dimensions of the lens (Canon EF version) are (ø x L): 3.07 x 2.94″ (78 x 74.7 mm) and the weight is 1.2 lb (547.5 g).

Price and Availability

Both lenses are available for preorder now. They come in multiple versions for following lens mounts:

• Canon EF-M
• FUJIFILM X
• Micro Four Thirds
• Sony E
• Canon EF
• Nikon F

The price has been set to $499 for the 14mm f/2.8 and $399 for the 85mm f/1.4.

What do you think about the new Samyang/Rokinon Series II lenses? Do you have experience working with their previous generation lenses? Are you satisfied with the image quality? Let us know in the comment section underneath the article.