SLR Magic has announced a new lens for Sony E mount. The 50mm f/1.1 Cine Version II is an update following the apparent success of their compact manual cinema/photo lenses. We reviewed the original SLR Magic 50mm f/1.1 some three years ago. It was an interesting release as the initial observations marked a few optical flaws with the lens. As a result, SLR magic halted production, tweaked the design and released the lens with improved performance. The new 50mm f/1.1 Cine Version II is said to be optically further improved. Edge to edge performance has been a focus (excuse the pun). Enhanced optics are said to be used as well as an additional lens element. The version II lens is constructed from 7 elements in 6 groups, with similar rounded 13-blade aperture diaphragm. Like version I, the 50mm f/1.1 Cine Version II is fully manual, with geared focus and aperture ring. “Our lenses from this range have been synonymous for beautiful imagery wide open, with gorgeous rendering and smooth roll off edge to edge, and is quickly becoming the lens of choice rather than an alternative for the Cine and Photo industry.” Specification for the SLR Magic 50mm f/1.1 Cine Version II Mount: E-mount Focus Type: Manual Focal Length: 50mm Maximum Aperture: f/1.1 Minimum Aperture: f/16 Minimum Focus Distance: 0.50m Diaphragm Blades: 13 Front filter thread: Φ52 Lens Coating: Multi Coated Lens Construction: 7 Elements / 6 Groups Dimensions: L 60.5mm x W 64.0mm Weight (oz./g): 450g It’s nice to see the price stay the same, the version I was predominantly available for $399 (although you can now get it at a discounted price). You can pre-order via the link below.

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!

The New SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x-65 Anamorphic Adapter was just announced during this year’s Cine Gear, enabling simple conversion of a broader range of traditional spherical lenses into 1.33x anamorphic. SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x-65 Anamorphic Adapter and FUJIFILM’s MK 50-135mm lens Anamorphic conversion is widely popular and the name SLR Magic regularly gets mentioned when discussing this subject. Their SLR Magic Anamorphot 1,33x–40 adapter has been out for some time. This adapter offers a simple solution for converting small still lenses into anamorphic lenses (we reviewed it here). The new SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x-65 is bigger, adapting to more widely used lenses, and as stated by SLR Magic, was optimised to work with FUJINON’s MK range of zoom lenses. SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x-65 Anamorphic Adapter in a Nutshell This screw on anamorphic adapter that is meant for existing spherical lenses was developed to fit and work well with FUJIFILM’s MK series and SLR Magic’s own micro primes (Just to name a few).  It accepts bigger lenses than the already existing SLR Magic adapter. (82mm front thread, up to 65mm front diameter). The Adapter has a 112mm screw front with 114m clamp on the front for universal mattebox compatibility and a front thread that will alternatively allow the use of screw in filters and diopters. The adapter has a separate focus ring, so dual focus operation is required. SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x-65 Anamorphic Adapter How Does it Work? For those who don’t know how an anamorphic adapter works: the SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x-65 is a lens adapter that screws directly onto the front of your existing lens (the receiving lens). The receiving lens needs two meet two reuirements  for compatibility – It has to have a 82mm front diameter thread and the front glass element should have a diameter which is no greater than 65mm. The adapter then converts your image by a factor of 1.33x – which, when coupled with a 16:9 plane, equates to the popular 2.35:1 aspect ratio. 1.33x versus 2x What is good about a 1.33x anamorphic adapter is that it works on 16:9 sensors – it is therefore much more compatible. 2x anamorphic needs a 4:3 sensor to work ‘properly’ (there’s a way to work around, but in general, this is the requirement). 2x is more traditional and applies more stretch to the image; therefore some aesthetics related to anamorphic (such as oval out of focus detail) is more apparent. Focus Ring Similar to some other anamorphic adapters, the SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x-65 has its own focus ring. Whilst the Anamorphot 1.33x-40 only had a two-setting ring  (general use and macro), this one requires constant focus adjustment like a normal lens, meaning you have to adjust the focus on both the anamorphic adapter and the receiving lens, making it possibly tricky to track focus during takes. For anyone familiar with anamorphic adapters, dual focus rings aren’t uncommon. Like with many cost-effective solutions, there are often drawbacks, but we were told by SLR Magic that they worked hard to improve focus adjustments on the adapter itself, with calibrated and accurate focus markings, minimizing the need to “guess” where the optimal focus position is in correspondence with the taking lens. FUJINON Collaboration Naturally, SLR Magic state that their new Micro Primes are the perfect match for the SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x-65 anamorphic adapter, but rather surprising, is the additional collaboration with the lens manufacturer FUJINON. “We are proud to announce that we have collaborated with FUJIFILM, and optimised this new adapter for their ever so popular MK range of zooms, namely, the Fujinon MK 50-135mm T2.9… When mounted on a FUJINON MK 50-135mm, the integration of the adapter to lens appears like a singular unit.” Specification SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x – 65 Lens Type: Anamorphic adapter Front thread will allow the use of screw in filters and diopters Front diameter for Matte Box: Φ114 Objective front filter thread: Φ112 Objective rear filter thread: Φ82 Lens Coating: Multi Coated Close Focus: dependent on receiving lens compatibility (4 feet when using the FUJINON MK lenses) Weight (oz./g): 780g I’m very keen on trying this new product. I have a decent amount of experience with SLR Magic’s anamorphic products and by collaborating with FUJINON I am hoping to see a matured, high quality adapter that can produce great looking images. Pricing and availability The Anamorphot 1.33x-65 anamorphic adapter will cost $1,499 and be available at the end of June. SLR Magic special offer for Cine Gear 2018 SLR Magic is currently offering a trade-in price program for SLR Magic Anamorphot customers and early adopters for a limited time only. You can email them directly for more details and eligibility. Nino is currently in L.A , covering Cine Gear, so expect a short hands-on review here at cinema5D soon. A more in depth review featuring the new SLR Magic adapter together with a FUJINON MK lens will be published towards the end of June. What are your thoughts about the new Anamorphot 1.33x-65 anamorphic adapter. Will you consider buying it together with a FUJIFILM MK lens and a Sony a7X camera in order to create an affordable anamorphic working solution? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.  

NiSi has announced their F3 cinema prime lenses set for full frame sensors. The set includes 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm lens which all have the same physical dimensions. The company will present them at NAB 2018. NiSi F3 cinema lens set. Source: nisifilters.com Chinese company NiSi – so far rather known for their optical filters – has just announced a line of full frame cinema prime lenses. NiSi named the set F3 and it includes the 25mm T2.1, 35mm T2.0, 50mm T2.0, 75mm T2.0 and 100mm T2.0. In summer 2018 NiSi will complete the lineup of F3 lenses by adding the 18mm prime ultra-wideangle full frame lens. The lenses come with PL mount, Canon EF-mount and Sony E-mount, so it should accomodate the needs of most filmmakers. They cover the 46.5mm format sensors which means they are compatible with all recent full frame cinema cameras like the ARRI Alexia LF, Red Monstro VV, Panavision DXL2, SONY Venice and Canon C700FF. NiSi claims that the F3 lenses will also be compatible with other film cameras to come in the future. NiSi F3 75mm cinema lens. Source: nisifilters.com NiSi claims their F3 lenses offer advanced resolution and dispersion control as well as optimised image contrast and flare. “Sensed presence” technology allows filming with a soft bokeh. Very practical aspect of the NiSi F3 lenses is that they all have the same physical attributes to save time when changing lenses on set. Front diameter is 95mm and length (front to PL-mount flange) is 117mm. All lenses have 12 blade aperture with 70° IRIS ring rotation. Focus ring rotates 270°. The lenses weigh in at 1120 till 1330 grams. NiSi F3 Cinema Lenses Specs. Source: nisifilters.com Further NiSi states that their F3 lenses have an apochromatic optical design which gives them an excellent axial aberration and transverse aberration performance. The purple/green fringing has been kept to minimum both within focus and in bokeh. Along with the F3 cinema lenses NiSi releases new allure mist white/black and allure streak filters. The company stated they will be present at the NAB 2018 (booth C12721) and they will have the F3 set there. That might be a good opportunity to see the lens set in person and maybe get some hands-on with them, we will definitely try to cover those lenses in our upcoming NAB coverage. The pricing of these lenses according to the mftservices website in the UK is £2,099 (approximately $2,950) without tax for the 35mm, 50mm and 75mm lens each and £2,499 (approximately $3,514) without tax for the 25mm and 100mm lens each. That gives us the final price for the whole set of roughly £11,295 (approximately $15,879). The lenses can be preordered to be delivered in may 2018. NiSi F3 Cinema Lenses Set. Source: nisifilters.com I am curious how the lenses really perform in real life on set situations and how they perform in terms of optical quality which is yet to be tested. Especially comparing them with other cinema lens sets will be interesting. What do you think of the new NiSi F3 cinema prime lens set? Could this be interesting price/performance set? Let us know in the comments below.

The new Venus Optics Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens ticks a lot of boxes: fast, ultra wide, lightweight. Combined with very capabale optical performance, this lens might deserve its place in your bag. The Laowa 9mm sports a 113° angle of view, very little distortion and – surprisingly for such a short focal length – a 49mm filter thread. Furthermore, this little guy only weights around 215 grams (0.5 pounds). Venus Optics Laowa 9mm f/2.8 The Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D is the third member of the Laowa ‘Zero-D’ line-up. A 15mm lens (read the article here) and a 12mm lens (review here) are already available. What’s new here is the very short focal length of just 9mm (35mm equivalent: 13.5mm). With ultra-wide-angle lenses you often end up with some unpleasant side effects like vignetting, barrel distortion, field curvature or chromatic aberration. Venus Optics has managed to get these optical difficulties under control surprisingly well. This (very) compact fully manual lens comprises of 15 elements in 10 groups, including 2 aspherical elements and 3 extra-low dispersion elements. The optical design successfully fights distortion and chromatic aberrations, but since there’s no such thing as the perfect lens the Laowa 9mm suffers a bit from vignetting and field curvature when shooting wide open. At f/4, the field curvature disappears completely, while a slight vignetting remains visible. image credit: Venus Optics / Jeffrey Poon Despite its massive angle of view, this lens is tiny. It measures just 2 inches (about 53mm) and since it weighs very little, you won’t notice it in your bag. Yet when mounted on your favorite mirrorless APS-C cameras, the Laowa 9mm unveils a whole new view of the world around you. Shooting with ultra-wide lenses is a lot of fun and the minimum focus distance of just 12cm (4.7″) enables you to capture stunning footage. The Laowa 9mm comes in three different mounts to cater all major mirrorless brands: Sony E, Fuji X and Canon EOS-M. Since we’re talking about about a rectilinear lens here, the Laowa 9mm sports a 49mm filter thread. Such short focal lengths often come as fish-eye lenses which can’t be equipped with ordinary screw-on filters. image credit: Venus Optics / Jonas Rask Furthermore, the first 100 orders will get a set of Laowa 49mm filters for free (CPL + UV + ND 1000). Shipping is expected to start from early April on. This fully manual lens might be a great addition to your bag and with its size and weight it seems to be perfect for drones and gimbals. Remember: This APS-C lens does not cover full frame sensors! Links: Venus Optics What do you think of this lens? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The new M.Zuiko 17mm and 45mm join the 25mm in the Olympus F1.2 PRO series of fast prime lenses for the Micro Four-Thirds system.  Olympus has recently announced two new Micro Four-Thirds M.Zuiko lenses, which join the 25mm in the F1.2 PRO series of fast primes. The smaller sensor of the Micro-Four Thirds system always benefits from lenses with a wide maximum aperture, both for improving low-light performance and achieving a shallower depth of field, which makes these two new lenses a great addition for any professional M4/3 shooter. M.Zuiko ED 17MM F1.2 PRO The 2x crop factor of the Micro Four-Thirds system can make it a bit of a challenge to find an all-round lens at the wider end. With its full-frame equivalence of 34mm, this prime lens’ focal length makes it an ideal choice for a walk-around lens, and suitable for anything from landscape to street photography. In terms of build, the M.Zuiko ED 17MM F1.2 PRO features an all-metal construction that offers splash, dust and freeze resistance up to -10C, all in a small and compact body under 10cm in length. The lens body also offers a couple of interesting features. A lens function button gives you access to camera controls such as Focus Peaking, AF Stop and Magnify right on the lens. Additionally, you can preset a focus position to which to easily return to from Auto Focus mode. The optical design is based around 15 elements in 11 groups, and makes use of the Z Coating Nano to keep unwanted visual artefacts in check. The lens will be available in January 2018 at an estimated retail price of $1,199.99. M.Zuiko ED 45mm f1.2 PRO The 45mm focal length in this lens corresponds to around 90mm in full-frame world, putting M.Zuiko ED 45mm f1.2 PRO right in the telephoto zone. This makes it an ideal choice for portraits, where you want to blur out and compress the background. The lens features an Auto-focus mechanism with a single moving element, and promises a very fast Auto-Focus performance even when shooting wide open. This prime offers the same all-metal build, features and resistance of the 17mm, but is a hair shorter at 84mm of length. This means that you can keep your crop sensor mirrorless M4/3 system nice and compact across all popular focal ranges. The M.Zuiko ED 45mm f1.2 PRO will also retail for around $1,199.99, but it will available earlier: you can expect it to hit the shelves by the end of November. Will you be expanding your Micro Four-Thirds arsenal with these two primes? Let us know in the comments!

Lens manufacturer Zhongyi has expanded the Mitakon Creator line-up, with the 35mm f/2 and 85mm f/2 now available for Sony E-mount. Zhongyi Optics is a lens manufacturer out of China that specialises in affordable fast glass and lens adapters under the Mitakon banner, which includes the Speedmaster series of primes and the Lens Turbo focal reducer – think of it as a Speed Booster without electronic contacts, but which has proven popular with beginner filmmakers due to its low cost and good compatibility with manual cine-style lenses like the Rokinons. Their Mitakon Creator line of fully-manual primes consists of a 35mm f/2, an 85mm f/2 and a 135mm f/2.8, and had until now been available in Sony A, Canon EF, Pentax K, and Nikon F mounts. Now, the Mitakon Creator series is expanding, offering both the 35mm and the 85mm also in Sony E-mount. Mitakon Creator 85mm f/2 The Mitakon Creator line is designed for full-frame cameras, making them now a usable addition to the Sony A7 range without the need for an adapter. Naturally, they also work with crop-sensor cameras such as the APS-C Sony a6500 or the Super 35mm Sony FS5 or FS7. Coming in around the $200 mark per lens, they certainly sound like an attractive proposition for someone starting out wanting to get up and running with a pair of primes offering focal lengths that complement each other well, as well as large maximum apertures for shallow depth of field and low-light use. Mitakon 35mm f/2 Bear in mind that – as with most lenses on the cheaper side – it is not unlikely that you will find issues such as vignetting, chromatic aberration and corner softness. Certainly have a look at the existing online reviews of the performance of these lenses in other mounts to see if perhaps older adapted lenses may be a better fit to your shooting style. For more information about the Mitakon Creator line, visit zyoptics.net. Have you had any experience with the Mitakon line of lenses? Let us know in the comments below!

The new Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f1.2 is a fast, manually-controlled lens for E mount that offers camera communication for added functionality. The new prime under the Cosina brand is the Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f1.2, a fast prime designed for the full-frame Sony FE E-mount system. At 40mm, this prime offers a versatile standard focal length that translates well to APS-C or Super 35mm for an equivalent of around 60mm. In terms of design, the Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f1.2 is a fully manual aspherical lens, promising a smooth focus action thanks to its highly-accurate metal helicoid. Additionally, the Noktor features a switchable aperture mechanism that allows you to de-click the iris ring for smooth exposure transitions – a feature particularly useful in video use. Image Credit: Cosina Despite being a manual lens, the Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f1.2 offers electrical contacts for communication with the camera body. This makes it possible to transmit EXIF lens metadata, as well as the necessary information for your camera’s In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) to accurately compensate for camera shake. Also, the connection makes it possible for your camera to detect the turning of the focus wheel, automatically triggering the focus magnification assist. Image Credit: Cosina With a length of 59.3mm a total weight of 420g, the Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f1.2 could be a compact alternative if you are looking for a versatile E-mount option for both full-frame and APS-C that offers a generous maximum aperture and some extra functionality. The Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f1.2 will be available from October for an approximate retail price of $1,200. For more information, check out the press release HERE (Japanese). Do you own any of the other lenses in the Voigtlander Nokton line? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!