Modern cameras are almost equally as capable as video recording devices as they are at capturing still images, and Samyang (also sold as Rokinon) has launched an interesting new lineup of lenses that are really targeted at that hybrid audience – the V-AF series.   Cine lenses are designed around a different set of priorities than typical photography lenses.  Uniformity is important, as a setup with gearing, or focus follow, or even the balancing on a gimbal relies on being to swap lenses without a complicated process of rebalancing or setting gearing for a different diameter or location.  Often a cine lens maker will have a variety of focal lengths with similar sizes, diameters, and location of the focus and/or aperture rings.  But what the modern photographer who is also a videographer, or vice versa? Samyang has recognized that increasingly there isn’t two separate audiences for photography and videography equipment but just one audience, and what this new hybrid audience needs is true hybrid lenses that work equally well for photo and video work.  Enter the V-AF (Video Autofocus) lens series that tries to merge the strengths of both style of lenses into one lens/series of lenses.  You can see my overview look at the series and its concept here, but I’m also taking a look at each release in the series individually.  Today’s review looks at the longest focal length in the series – the Samyang AF 75mm T1.9.

I gave the Samyang AF 75mm F1.8 lens from their “Tiny Series” a very positive review due to a nice combination of price, performance, and features.  I have long felt that the 45mm and the 75mm lenses were the hidden gems of this series optically.  It was the first to add the very useful custom switch, though it didn’t have either weather sealing or a focus hold button. This new V-AF version solves all of that, however, with an improved build quality, smoother autofocus, more advanced weather sealing, and all of the other V-AF perks.  The AF 75mm F1.8 was long my go-to lens for shooting my review segments, as I like the focal length and (after some firmware updates) have found the autofocus very reliable.  The V-AF 75mm has simply stepped into that role as my go-to lens for my videos because it adds the tally lamp, better autofocus, and also functions much better as a video lens in general if I want to shoot some b-roll segments.

The general downsides of the V-AF series is that they are larger and heavier than the “Tiny” counterparts (though still compact and light) and that they cost considerably more, though, to be fair, they also offer a lot more.  You can see my general review of the whole series in this video here or by reading this article. I genuinely enjoy the V-AF series lenses, however, and that affection has only grown as I spend more time with them (this is my third review in the series).   They really do offer a very hybrid experience that works well for both video and photography, allowing me to get great images like this:

1. Samyang V-AF 20mm T1.9 Review | Image Gallery
2. Samyang V-AF 24mm T1.9 Review | Image Gallery
3. Samyang V-AF 35mm T1.9 Review | Image Gallery
4. Samyang V-AF 45mm T1.9 Review | Image Gallery
5. Samyang V-AF 75mm T1.9 Review | Image Gallery

So should you consider the Samyang/Rokinon V-AF 75mm T1.9 for your photography and video work?  You can either watch my video review or read my text review to help form that opinion.

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Thanks to Samyang for sending me review copies of the V-AF series.  As always, this is a completely independent review.  *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the Sony a7IV along with the Sony Alpha 1 which will serve as my benchmark camera for the foreseeable future (my review here).

Images of the Samyang V-AF 75mm T1.9

Images taken with the Samyang V-AF 75mm T1.9

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