Today, Canon announced they are working on their new flagship DSLR camera, the EOS-1DX Mark III. On top of the improved photography specs, the new model will offer some impressive video capability too – 4K video at up to 60fps, plus the option of capturing RAW video or 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 video with Canon Log both internally to CFexpress cards. The new EOS-1DX Mark III. (Image credit: Canon) The EOS-1 has been Canon’s DSLR flagship line since the first EOS-1 was announced in 1989. That means this year Canon is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the EOS-1 line. How else can one celebrate a product line other than announcing a new addition to the line? Just today, Canon announced the development of the new Canon EOS-1DX Mark III. The last generation EOS-1 camera is naturally the EOS-1DX Mark II. Even despite being targeted mainly at professional photographers, it got fairly popular among filmmakers too. The video-oriented specs of the 1DX Mark II were and still are pretty impressive. Sure, the camera is really big and heavy, but it offered 4K up to 60fps high bitrate video, dual pixel AF, pleasing colors, and other useful features for filmmakers. You can check our previous articles about the 1DX Mark II: First impressions review, Lab test along with Canon 1DC comparison, and Second real-world review. Let’s take a closer look at the features and specs of the newly announced EOS-1DX Mark III. Canon EOS-1DX Mark III – Canon’s Flagship DSLR The EOS-1 line has always been about high image quality, ergonomics, and speed. It is very popular especially among sports and nature photographers and journalists for its unbeatable speed in continuous mode. The continuous stills capture will be really fast with the new Mark III as well. It will offer a 16fps frame rate with the optical viewfinder and 20fps using either the mechanical or electronic shutter in live view mode with full AE and AF. The new EOS-1DX Mark III. (Image credit: Canon) Talking about autofocus, according to Canon, the EOS-1DX Mark III features a brand-new AF sensor with more resolution than its predecessor, using advanced AF algorithms with deep learning technology for unparalleled focus tracking. In Live View and video, there’s the added advantage of Dual Pixel CMOS AF across approximately 90×100 percent of the sensor with 525 AF areas. The camera will offer a new full-frame CMOS sensor along with the new DIGIC processor, which will offer cleaner results in high ISO levels. In terms of connectivity, the EOS-1D X Mark III features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, and GPS. It also offers double the transfer speeds of the EOS-1D X Mark II via the built-in ethernet port or through the optional WFT-E9, and with a revised user interface. Video Capability – 4K 10-Bit 4:2:2 and RAW Internally When it comes to video specs, the new 1DX Mark III looks very impressive. It will be capable of recording 4K video at up to 60fps plus the option of capturing RAW video or 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 video with Canon Log both internally to CFexpress cards. It seems the camera will have two CFexpress slots. There are improvements in the ergonomy of the camera as well. It should offer improved battery life using the LP-E19 battery. It will have new illuminating buttons and an all-new AF point selection control within the AF-ON button in addition to the multi-controller. The 1DX Mark III will also have a new bright viewfinder. All these features will be packed in a magnesium alloy weather-sealed body. There is no information about the price or availability yet as this was only a development announcement. The EOS-1DX Mark II is currently selling for $5,500 after discount, so I expect the price of the Mark III to be somewhere above $6,000. According to Canon, the EOS-1D X Mark III will be on display at the Canon booth during PHOTOPLUS, the largest annual photography event in the U.S., held from October 24 to 26, 2019 in New York City. What do you think of the new EOS-1DX Mark III and its video specs? Do you shoot with the 1DX Mark II? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Tokina atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF is a new ultra-wide-angle APS-C lens based on Tokina’s long seller – the AT-X 116 PRO DX II model. It comes in two versions to fit both Canon EF and Nikon F DSLR cameras. The lens features internal focus, water-repellent coating, one-touch focus clutch mechanism, and 77mm front filter thread. It offers overall good optical performance with a lightweight body at an affordable price – $449. Tokina atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF Lens announced. Image credit: Tokina The original AT-X 116 PRO DX II 11-16mm f/2.8 lens from Tokina was the ultra-wide angle lens of choice for many filmmakers and photographers. It was a very good deal and especially filmmakers liked the lens for many reasons – it offered constant aperture f/2.8, front filter thread, lightweight design, and a friendly price tag. The new Tokina atx-i 11-16mm kind of builds on its success. Tokina atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF Lens Based on the widely popular AT-X 116 PRO DX II, the model atx-i 11-16mm F2.8 CF is designed and optimized for contemporary APS-C sensor DSLR cameras in terms of improved specifications and renovated design. Together with its predecessor, it is the only f/2.8 fast ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for APS-C sized DSLR cameras in the current market. A constant maximum aperture of f/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range is useful for low light environments, like interiors. Tokina atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF Lens – optical structure. Image credit: Tokina To achieve improved optical performance, two aspherical glass elements and two Super-low dispersion glass elements were used in order to minimize distortion, manage spherical aberration and astigmatism while achieving good edge-to-edge resolution and contrast of the entire image. Light fall-off is well controlled at all focal lengths as well. Anti-reflective multi-layer coating improves light transmission and minimizes reflections while water-repellent coating makes it easier to wipe and clean the surface of the front glass element. Tokina atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF Lens is water-repellent. Image credit: Tokina Tokina incorporated a lot of metal parts inside the lens for a reassuring built quality and long-time utilization in different shooting conditions. The exterior design is specifically developed to match the design of contemporary DSLR cameras. The One-touch focus Clutch mechanism allows switching between autofocus and manual focus very easily. The overall length of the Tokina atx-i 11-16mm F2.8 CF does not change when focusing and zooming thanks to the internal type of focus construction. The Tokina atx-i 11-16mm F2.8 CF for Nikon F mount incorporates internal silent focusing motor in combination with precise GMR sensor to allow the lens to AF on Nikon bodies that do not have an AF drive gear and motor. Tokina atx-i 11-16mm Advantages for Filmmakers Tokina especially emphasizes that the new Tokina atx-i 11-16mm F2.8 CF lens qualifies as a very good ultra-wide angle lens for filmmakers. The main reasons for this are: 77mm front filter thread for ND filters (possible vignetting at higher aperture numbers at 11mm) Minimized focus breathing – the subject framing does not show any change with focus adjustment. Natural footage – the image is not distorted while panning due to almost zero distortion performance. Constant aperture to use the zoom while filming. Good lens for gimbal use – since the overall length does not change thanks to the internal type of focusing, there is no need to do gimbal calibration every time the angle of view was changed. It is also lightweight. Tokina atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF Lens goes well with gimbals. Image credit: Tokina Tokina Specs Sensor size: APS-C Mount: Canon EF, Nikon F Color: Black Focal length: 11-16mm Aperture: f/2.8 – f/22 Automatic aperture: Yes Angle of view: 104°-82° Minimum focusing distance: 0.3m Macro ratio: 1:11.6 Focusing mode: Automatic Manual focusing ring: Yes Autofocus switch: Clutch ring Focusing type: Internal focus Filter size: 77mm Coating: Multi-coating Construction E/G: 13 elements in 11 groups Aperture blades: 9 Dimensions: 84 x 89mm (Nikon F), 84 x 92mm (Canon EF) Weight: 555g Included in the box: front lens cap, instructions manual, lens hood, rear lens cap, warranty sheet Price and Availability The new Tokina atx-i 11-16mm is now available for pre-order. Shipping should begin on November 8, 2019. Similar to the original 11-16mm from Tokina, the price is again very friendly. It has been set to $449. What do you think about the new Tokina atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 lens? Do you have experience with the original Tokina 11-16mm? How did you like the lens? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

After strong user feedback towards recently announced EOS cameras in which Canon originally ditched 24p recording, Canon promised to release a firmware update which will add 24p (23.98fps) video recording mode to these cameras. The update will be available for both Full HD and 4K UHD resolutions starting with the EOS 90D and EOS RP in late October, followed by PowerShot G7X Mark III, G5 X Mark II, and EOS M6 Mark II. Canon will update selected cameras with 24p mode When Canon recently introduced their new cameras with uncropped 4K UHD video, the EOS 90D DSLR and EOS M6 Mark II mirrorless, many users pointed out with disappointment that these cameras do not support 24p mode anymore (video recording with 23.98 fps). It seems that Canon listened to these numerous complaints, because they now promised to release a new firmware update, which will fix that and bring 24p to their cameras after all. The 24p feature will come via a series of future free firmware updates for selected models. Once installed, the cameras will be able to shoot 24p (23.98fps) in both Full HD and 4K resolutions. The first Canon models to benefit from the new 24p (23.98fps) firmware will be the recently launched EOS 90D and EOS RP in late October. The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and G5 X Mark II will follow by the end of December and the EOS M6 Mark II update will be available during 2020. Canon will update selected cameras with 24p mode. Image credit: Canon This announcement comes after the recent availability of the new firmware version 1.3 for EOS RP and 1.4 for EOS R which further enhances the eye and subject detection AF performance of both mirrorless cameras. While Canon offers 24p in their older cameras, they somehow decided not to include it in the new releases. No information was given why. Thankfully, they changed their opinion after strong user feedback. What do you think of this step from Canon? If you use Canon for your video work, would you have missed the 24p feature? Let us know in the comments below the article.

Today, Canon announced two new cameras – a DSLR camera and a mirrorless camera. The Canon EOS 90D is a new mid-range DSLR with APS-C sensor and EF mount. Canon M6 Mark II is a new mirrorless rangefinder style camera with the Canon EF-M mount. Both cameras sport a new 32.5MP sensor and uncropped 4k UHD video recording up to 30fps with Dual pixel AF. New Canon EOS 90D and EOS M6 Mark II. Source: Canon Today’s Canon announcement included not only two new cameras: The Japanese electronics giant also announced new lenses for their RF mount and firmware update for Canon EOS R and Canon EOS RP cameras. We decided to write a separate post about the Canon RF mount news which will be online shortly as well. This article only covers two new cameras – Canon EOS 90D DSLR and Canon EOS M6 mirrorless. Canon EOS 90D DSLR Canon’s first announcement is the update to their mid-range APS-C DSLR line of camera bodies with EF mount. Canon EOS 90D is a successor to the 80D, which was announced in 2016 already (our article can be found here). What is new compared to the 80D? The new sensor still has the same APS-C form factor with a 1.6x crop, but the resolution has been increased from 24.2MP with the 80D to 32.5MP for the 90D (with the new DIGIC 8 image processor). There is still the great reliable autofocus for video with Canon’s 5481-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF. Canon 90D now also adds Eye-detect AF. The ISO maxes out at 25600 for photo and 12800 for video. New Canon EOS 90D. Source: Canon Video capabilities have also been finally significantly upgraded. While the Canon 80D maxed out at Full HD resolution with 60fps, 90D brings UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) video recording at up to 29.97 fps and Full HD (1920 x 1080) at up to 120 fps. Good news is that the UHD video is now uncropped (!) – finally we can record UHD video with a Canon DSLR camera using the whole width and height of the sensor. While we couldn’t find contradicting information anywhere yet, we assume that the Canon 90D and M6 Mark II both still record 4K and 1080p in an 8-bit 4:2:0 codec. New Canon EOS 90D. Source: Canon When it comes to camera body design, the 90D is not a revolution. It is very similar to the 80D. Only the buttons and the dial wheel on the back side were slightly modified. There is now also a new 8-way multi controller joystick. It still sports a vari-angle touchscreen LCD, monochrome status display on the top right hand side, optical viewfinder, and built-in flash. The Canon EOS 90D DSLR camera is available now for pre-order. The price for the body has been set to US $1,199. New Canon EOS 90D in use. Source: Canon Canon M6 Mark II It is quite interesting to see that Canon actually still updates their APS-C mirrorless line of camera with the EF-M mount, after they introduced the RF mount later on. The original Canon EOS M6 was announced in February 2017 (our article from the announcement can be found here). In July 2019 SIGMA announced to adapt three fast prime lenses for the Canon EF-M mount, so it seems like this mount is far from being dead yet. It simply seems strange to maintain two incompatible mirrorless mounts at the same time – this means headaches for consumers and an expensive lens strategy for Canon. It will be hard for people who start with an M-mount camera to upgrade to RF cameras easily – they’ll have to replace their lens collection. When it comes to the new mirrorless Canon M6 Mark II, it is again a very compact rangefinder style camera. It seems to share the same image sensor as the new Canon EOS 90D. The resolution is 32.5MP as well (the Canon M6 had 24.2MP). It also has the DIGIC 8 image processor. The ISO maxes out at 25600 for photo and 12800 for video recording. New Canon EOS M6 Mark II. Source: Canon The camera can shoot stills at up to 14fps with autofocus and up to 30fps RAW stills burst with 18MP resolution. The M6 Mark II also takes advantage of Canon’s 5481-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF, so autofocus for video should not be a problem. I hope the Dual Pixel AF will be finally available for all recording modes – in the Canon M50 it was not available for UHD (and it only was a cropped mode too). New Canon EOS M6 Mark II. Source: Canon While the original Canon M6 maxed out at Full HD resolution with 60fps, M6 Mark II brings uncropped (!) UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) video recording at up to 29.97 fps and Full HD (1920 x 1080) at up to 120 fps. It also has a clean HDMI output and a microphone jack. There is also a Bluetooth and Wi-fi connectivity available. There is no further info about the exact bitrates and codecs yet, although I expect it to be a H.264 codec with 8-bit compression in a 4:2:0 color space. The EOS M6 Mark II incorporates a 3.0″ touchscreen LCD, which has a 180° tilting design for front-facing shots. The camera does not have a built-in viewfinder. The auxiliary EVF-DC2 electronic viewfinder (which attaches via the camera’s hot shoe) is included with the camera when purchased with certain lens kits. Otherwise it can also be purchased separately as well. New Canon EOS M6 Mark II in use with the detachable EVF. Source: Canon The Canon EOS M6 Mark II mirrorless camera is available now for pre-order. The price for the body has been set to US $850. What do you think of the new Canon cameras? Would it fit well into your shooting kit? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Remember “I’m Back” from 2018? A conversion kit for transforming your analogue SLR camera into a digital DSLR. No, it isn’t a high-performance piece of gear for pixel peepers but it is a lot of fun to play around (and work) with! Now, almost a year later, I’m Back is back, with a new digital add-on for analogue medium format cameras! Samuel Mello Medeiros is a busy man. He is CEO of the company behind I’m Back and he seems to be a keen inventor and never-resting entrepreneur, indeed. After bringing the original I’m Back digital back for analogue (35mm full-frame) SLRs to market back in 2018 –read and watch our coverage here–, he felt that the family is still not complete. So he went back to the drawing board and, along with his colleagues, he created yet another digital back. This time for large, and undoubtedly professional-grade, analogue medium format cameras. the result is part of an Kickstarter campaign which is live as we speak. “I’m Back” Digital Back for Medium Format The concept behind this new line of digital backs is similar to the existing line for 35mm SLRs: Choose an adapter for your cameras make and model, attach the “I’m Back” digital back to that adapter and off you go! The build-in camera captures the image projected to the ground glass of the host camera through an attached lens. That way, all the grain and imperfection goodness of past days are being recorded to a SD card. This digital back was never designed to deliver perfect, high-res imagery. It was created to breath new life into long-gone tech while preserving its soul, so to say. Same goes for the new medium format digital back. Supported cameras include some famous medium format cameras such as: Rolleiflex Automat Mamiya RB67 Mamiya 645 Mamiya C330 Kiev 88 Hasselblad 500 / SWC / 1000 Bronica S Bronica ETSsi For each of these models (and more to come) there is a dedicated adapter, the digital back itself is the same for each of them. Technical Specs As stated before, the aim here is to create beautiful pictures and video, not to deliver high-end specs on paper. Having said that, the pure specs of this digital back are somewhat underwhelming but only on paper: The camera used for capturing the ground glass projection is build around a Panasonic 16 megapixel 1/2.33-inch sensor. It can shoot 1080/50p(60p) video or stills with a resolution of the aforementioned 16MP and that’s pretty much it. So you see, this is more about transforming old and dusty medium format cameras into digital cameras to have fun with but of course you can use this if you’re after that special in-camera look for a project. The “I’m Back” features a build-in touchscreen for controlling the camera settings and you also can hook up an external microphone and a USB battery pack to the unit. Furthermore, wifi is build in so you can connect a phone in order to stream a live feed to it and to control the digital back. Gadget or Creative Tool? The specs are not impressive. And that was never the goal for this device. It can’t compete with professional digital back add-ons such as the Mamiya Leaf Credo 50 Digital Back, selling for $ 19,995. It’s obvious that the “I’m Back” plays in another league well below professional gear. But still, in these days of pixel-count mayhem and overly sharp and clean imagery, a splash of vintage imperfection might be the cure. For us here at cinema5D this concept and Samuels presentation of the original “I’m Back” for 35mm cameras made such an impact, we just had to honor his efforts with a show award at Photokina 2018. Just like vintage glass, such as ARRIs signature primes or the freshly announced Sigma Classic Art Primes, this digital back has a certain look. As Samuel states, the “I’m Back” is dedicated to those who want to have fun and are tired to discuss about high resolutions and megapixels!!! And that’s it: Don’t pixel-peep but go out there and shoot something beautiful with all the imperfections and grainy oddities you might encounter on the way. The Kickstarter campaign runs until September 5th. All of the early bird tiers are already sold out but you still can get a digital back fitting your medium format camera for 399 CHF (roughly $ 400 / 360 €). You still need a SD card for recording stills and video since it’s not included, everything else you might need is. Just choose the correct adapter for your camera. Samuel with his new digital back. If everything goes smoothly, the new “I’m Back” adapter for medium format cameras should be shipped out by June 2020. Remember, this is a Kickstarter campaign, not an online shop. Things can go south pretty badly and your investment might be lost. However, since this is not their first product, you can expect some expertise and hopefully this new back will be delivered just as fine as the last one. Sample shot from the Kickstarter campaign (the resolution is not great since the uploaded photo was tiny already) Link: Kickstarter | Homepage What do you think? Is this digital back worth dusting your old camera again? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Zacuto recently introduced a new baseplate system designed for mirrorless and DSLR cameras – or any camera up to 50 lbs – called the Zacuto Polaris. Zacuto Polaris Concept The Zacuto Polaris is a lightweight yet robust baseplate built around an Arca Swiss compatible quick release system. Otherwise, the Polaris plate and QR receiver are not a traditional Arca Swiss mount. To attach your camera, you first have to snap it in the QR receiver. To lock the camera down, the Zacuto Polaris uses a knob that you have to screw 1 1/4 turn. Finally, to release your camera, you have to turn the same knob 1 1/4 of a corner and pull the knob to release. Like every Arca Swiss system, it has safety locks so the unit can’t slide out if the knob isn’t all the way lose. I prefer the clamp locking system of the Kessler Kwik Release system which is – in my opinion – much faster, takes a smaller footprint, and less prone to operator’s errors. Zacuto Polaris Baseplate The Mirrorless Polaris Baseplate kit includes a camera plate, a mounting plate, a 15mm rod support base, and a set of 12″ rods. The rods are tightened with two mini ratcheting levers. The 15mm rod support base is height adjustable to align popular cameras to standard matte box height. Also, various accessories are available if you need to extend your rig, like a Polaris Shoulder Pad. You can purchase additional Polaris camera and mounting plates if required. Finally, some of the camera cages from Zacuto, like the GH5 Basic Cage will be updated with a built-in Arca Swiss compatible plate to be “natively” Polaris compatible. Other cages for the Sony A7 III/A7R III and A9, Blackmagic 4K Pocket Camera, Nikon Z7/Z6, Panasonic S1, and Fuji X-T3 should be updated pretty soon. Or, if you already own a cage, you can screw the camera plate at the bottom of your cage. Of course, the Zacuto Polaris is compatible with all 15mm rod accessories from Zacuto like the Z-Drive, the Tornado, and the Trigger Grips. Indeed, it is also compatible with every Arca Swiss and 15mm rod standard accessories you might already have. The Zacuto Polaris Shoulder Pad Pricing and Availability The Polaris Baseplate System will cost you $350.00, but there is currently an instant saving of $70.00 at B&H. Individual parts are also available for pre-orders. Shipping will start in about a week. What do you think of the Zacuto Polaris system? What type of quick release system do you use? Let us know in the comments down below!

FUJIFILM has made an interesting announcement yesterday, unveiling the GFX 100Megapixels Concept – a mirrorless medium format camera with a strong eye for video. FUJIFILM has announced a new flagship medium format camera for their GFX lineup. The GFX 100 sports a 100 megapixel sensor (!!), first-of-its-kind IBIS, and 10 bit 4K up to 30p video recording. The price of the new camera will be around $10,000 and availability is expected during the first quarter of 2019. Also announced: The new GFX50R, the successor of the GFX50S. This new camera is noticeably smaller and lighter than its predecessor, aiming to capture the attention of street photographers. (The R stands for Rangefinder). When it comes to video capabilities, the camera is able to record in 1080p and we were told by FUJIFILM that the video quality is the same as the one found in the GFX50S. FUJIFILM GFX 50R Body Size, Sensor Size and Specs We don’t have the final specs for the GFX 100 yet, but we were told that the camera will record in 4K, 10bit, 4:2:0 internally with the ability to capture video in 4K, 10bit, 4:2:2 externally via HDMI. From the mockup we have seen, the body size of the GFX100Megapixel is rather similar to the 50S meaning, having a resembling size and weight of a large DSLR, like the Canon 1D C. Add the vertical handgrip, and the GFX 100Megapixel becomes bulkier, with its square body shape. FUJIFILM GFX 100Megapixel The sensor is roughly 1.7x the size of a full-frame sensor, creating the much wider field of view traditional in medium format cameras. But this massive sensor also comes with a few potential drawbacks: For example, we are really curious to see how FUJIFILM will handle overheating. We can only assume that recording time might be limited in order to avoid any overheating issues. Innovations in Medium Format Shooting A large, high-resolution sensor will make every shake, stutter, and movement evident when shooting handheld. At 100 megapixels, that can become a major liability. Therefore, it is very exciting that FUJIFILM has – for the first time – introduced IBIS to medium format cameras. Combined with the body size and style, FUJIFILM is clearly sending out the message that this camera won’t just be cooped up in the studio. Behold the stabilized sensor of the GFX 100 This sentiment also echoes through their switch from contrast-detect to phase-detect autofocus. The new AF system covers 100% of the image sensor, which hopefully will dramatically improve accuracy and speed when compared to the GFX 50S and 50R. FUJIFILM says that this new AF system is inspired by the well-received X series. I can’t wait to see if it performs as well. GFX 100’s Video Features This is where this camera gets interesting for us filmmakers. The GFX 100 claims to record 4K, 30p, 10bit, 4:2:0 internally with the ability to capture video in 4K, 10bit, 4:2:2 externally via HDMI. That’s all we get for now. We don’t know if this is a full sensor readout or a cropped image, we don’t know if it is capable of F-log, and we don’t know if there will be slow motion options when shooting 1080p. Personally, I am cautiously optimistic that they will make an honest effort at catering to the video crowd. Just think of what you could do with the X Processor 4 There’s no Full Frame Camera? In a year when everybody under the sun – including SIGMA, of all people – is announcing a full frame mirrorless camera, it seems that FUJIFILM has decided to skip straight to medium format. I have a few theories as to why that might be. 1 – FUJIFILM believes that the trend towards bigger and bigger sensors will continue through full frame and right on past it. (They refer to the GFX as “super full frame”). In this scenario, they are laying the groundwork for a future that they see coming over the horizon, and maybe even encouraging it by integrating medium-format sensors with familiar body styles and feature sets. 2 – FUJIFILM believes that the full frame field is too crowded and they want to be distinct from others. Lens development is expensive and time-consuming. Canon, Nikon, and Sony deal in much higher volume and can therefore invest more in development. Owners of FUJIFILM’s APS-C cameras seem to be perfectly happy with the sensor size they have (FUJIFILM believe that APS-C is the best balanced system as you save 1/3 weight compared to FF), so why invest resources in a format that is going to get crowded? So what do you think? Is Medium Format the next Full Frame? Let us know in the comments!

Samyang (another branding of the filmmaker’s favorite Rokinon lenses) continues to broaden their skillset with their first Nikon AF lens – the full frame AF 14mm f2.8. An Intro to Samyang For many years, Samyang and Rokinon created manual focus lenses only. They built their reputation on mid-range primes that were priced very competitively. Over the past couple of years they have slowly added electronics to their lenses, bringing focus confirmation chips and electronic aperture to their lineup. Then, last year, they began introducing autofocus lenses. Performance and Quality While we haven’t gotten our hands on one yet, we can assume it will be very close to the Canon EF version of the lens (which we previously covered here). The AF 14mm f2.8 has also been released for Sony E mount as well, where the great bulk of their AF lineup currently resides. Test results and real-world results in the Canon EF version are very positive. It is very evenly sharp once stopped down to f4, and shows fairly minimal color fringing. With any luck, the Nikon edition will perform just as well. The Autofocus on the Canon EF model was acceptable, both in speed and accuracy, but without blowing any minds or setting any records. It isn’t silent, but isn’t necessarily noisy either. Samyang claims to have updated their design for faster, quieter, more accurate autofocus with this new Nikon F mount edition, though. Time will only tell, but I see no reason to doubt it. The depth of field on a 14mm is enormous – this was taken at just an f3.5 Who is This 14mm Lens For? The light weight and weather sealing make this lens an interesting candidate for travel or street photography, although it is a little bit wider than most would usually use. I would expect it to see the most traction in landscapes, astrophotography, architecture, and real estate photography, where wider is almost always bigger. It faces some competition from SIGMA’s 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art, which is faster, sharper, and built like a tank. But you will pay out the nose for that extra stop and a half – the SIGMA is more than double the price of Samyang’s newest offering. The Nikkor 14mm f/2.8D ED is undoubtedly sharper and has quicker autofocus, but it again costs more than double that of the Samyang AF 14mm F2.8. For what you get, the Samyang AF 14mm f2.8 is a steal of a deal. Stats and Specs: Aperture range: F2.8 ~ 22 Lens optical construction: 15 Elements in 10 Groups Special Lens: ASP 2, ED 1, HR 4 Coating: UMC Minium Focusing Distance: 0.20m (0.66ft) Maximum Maginification Ratio: x 0.15 Filter size: N/A Number of blades: 7 Mount: Nikon F Angle of view: Full Frame – 116.6 ˚, ASP-C – 92.8 ˚ Maximum diameter: Φ 90.5mm Length: 93.1mm Weight without Lens cap, Hood: 474g Weight: 523g Weather Sealing: Yes AF/MF mode switch: Yes AF Motor: Linear stepping motor Do you have any experience shooting with Smaynag’s other 14mm lenses, are you happy with with their optical and AF performance? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!