Samyang to produce Sony E-mount AF lenses

Samyang 8mm lens
More lenses for CSCs are planned by Samyang

Samyang has confirmed that it will be producing autofocus lenses compatible with the Sony E-mount NEX cameras next year, though it currently only provides manual focus optics.

The company produces third party lenses for a range of companies, and offers ultra wide-angle fisheye lenses for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount cameras.

The current Samyang lenses don't feature any electronics, and so are manual focus only. But a spokesperson for the company told us that it was working towards producing autofocusing lenses in 2013.

Micro Four Thirds

The spokesperson also confirmed that more Micro Four Thirds lenses were planned, to complement its 7.5mm fisheye lens which is already in the range.

Sony recently opened up its technology to allow third party manufacturers to introduce compatible accessories. Samyang has an 8mm f/3.5 lens available for Sony NEX that provides an 180 degree field of view.

Sigma has already produced two compact system camera lenses, a 19mm and 30mm. Other compact system camera manufacturers including Nikon and Fujifilm have yet to allow third party optics to be produced, leaving Sony E-mount and Micro Four Thirds with the widest range available.

Samyang lenses tend to be a lot cheaper than the equivalents available from camera manufacturers, while the fisheye lens currently has nothing to rival it.

Sony introduced the NEX range of compact system cameras in 2010. NEX cameras feature an APS-C sized sensor, with the most recently launched body being the Sony NEX-7.

Amy Davies

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar.