Lens manufacturer Samyang has given users of Sony Alpha mirrorless models a fresh wide-angle option in the AF 18mm F2.8 FE.
Samyang highlights that few wide-angle lenses of its kind are designed to match the light weight and small size of modern mirrorless cameras, but that this new addition aims to change that.
The lens, which is intended for full-frame cameras like the Sony A7R IV but is also compatible with APS-C bodies like the Sony A6600, weighs just 145g without its caps, despite its respectably wide f/2.8 aperture.
The optical design features nine elements across eight groups, with three aspherical elements, two high-refractive ones and a triplet of extra-low-dispersion elements in place to help keep image quality high.
The lens has also been fitted with a linear STM motor for fast, quiet and accurate focus, while focusing can happen as close as 25cm away from the subject. Filters with a diameter of 58mm, meanwhile, can be screw-mounted to the front, while a petal-shaped hood is also to come with the lens as standard.
This is the latest addition to Samyang's ‘Tiny Series’, a line that also includes the AF 35mm F2.8 FE, AF 24mm F2.8 FE and AF 45mm F1.8 FE lenses.
The new optic is set to arrive in September for UK users, with a suggested retail price of £349.99. It can be pre-ordered for $399.99 in the US, which works out to around AU$600, although availability for either territory is unclear.
