Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 FE Telephoto Lens for Sony E-Mount

Samyang Optics has announced the new AF 135mm F1.8 FE Sony E-mount telephoto lens, but can also be used with mirrorless Sony cameras with APS-C format image sensors. The telephoto lens, which is very fast for its focal length, is designed for portraits, astrophotography, landscapes, and video recordings. It is said to boast strong autofocus, excellent resolution, and beautiful bokeh, and it also has useful functions: focus lock button, user-mode switch, and focus range limiter.

With the announcement of the new AF 135mm F1.8 FE, Samyang completes its series of autofocus fixed focal lengths with a maximum aperture of f1.8 and the Sony E-mount cameras. This series now offers five lenses from wide-angle to telephoto and now includes focal lengths of 24mm, 35mm, 45mm, 75mm, and 135mm.

The relentless application of Samyang’s most advanced optical technologies has resulted in a wide-aperture telephoto lens that offers an outstanding corner-to-corner resolution. The AF 135mm F1.8 FE offers an angle of view of 18.9˚ on full-frame cameras and 12.5˚ on cameras with sensors in the smaller APS-C format, as well as a fast F1.8 maximum aperture with no vignetting, favored by full-frame camera users. Optimum resolution is achieved through the optical design with 13 elements in 11 groups (1 U-ASP, 2 HR, and 3 ED). Combined with Sony’s full-frame image sensor, this lens delivers excellent sharpness and high contrast throughout the image.

The lens offers a high aperture to achieve soft background blur. With the aperture set to the maximum or at least wide open, the photo subject can be effectively separated from the background through a shallow depth of field. Bokeh is enhanced by the 11-blade aperture and it is also equipped with a UA (Ultra Precision Aspheric), so photographers and filmmakers can enjoy natural and delicate bokeh. With the soft bokeh, you can design your pictures freely and emphasize your subject, be it portraits or close-ups.

The autofocus tracks the subject precisely and quickly and works quietly and smoothly even when recording video. Samyang’s linear AF stepping motor (STM) impresses both photographers and videographers with more precise and quieter control of the focusing lens groups.

Although it is a 135 mm telephoto lens, thanks to a minimum focusing distance (MOD) of just 0.69 m and a maximum magnification of 0.243x, close-ups are also easy to take. Small objects can be captured with remarkable resolution and soft, beautiful background bokeh.

Price and availability

The price of the new Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 FE lens for Sony E-mount cameras with a 35mm full-frame sensor is $999. It is currently available to pre-order via the Bhphotovideo.com website.

Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 FE specifications

• Focal Length: 135mm
• Maximum Aperture: f/1.8
• Minimum Aperture: f/22
• Lens Mount: Sony E
• Lens Format Coverage: Full-Frame (APS-C)
• Angle of View: 18.9° in full format, 12.5° in APS-C
• Minimum Focus Distance: 27.2″ / 69 cm
• Maximum Magnification: 0.24x
• Optical Design: 13 Elements in 11 Groups
• Special Elements: 1 ASP, 2 HR, 3 ED
• Diaphragm Blades: 11
• Focus Type: Autofocus
• Image Stabilization: No
• Front Filter Size: 82 mm
• Dimensions (ø x L): 3.7 x 5.1″ / 93 x 130 mm
• Weight: 27.2 oz / 772 g

Recently, Samyang has announced the MF 135mm T2.2 VDSLR MK2 full-frame manual cinema lens. This video lens has received weather protection, a new aperture, and design changes to the body compared to the first version of this lens.