Last week we shared that Korean optics company Samyang had teased that for the next five Mondays, starting with July 18, it would be announcing new lenses. The Korean optics firm teased the event as Samyang Summer Blockbusters, and it made good on that promise, on Monday announcing the new Xeen 135mm r/2.2.
If Xeen doesn’t ring a bell, it’s likely because this is Samyang’s video-focused cinema lens line meant for use in professional video production (though in reality, nothing would prevent you from using them as still photography lenses). Just as with the previous lenses in the Xeen line, the 135mm t/2.2 will ship with compatibility for a wide range of camera mounts including PL, EF, F, E, and MFT — with the notable omission being Fuji’s X mount (though given that their latest cameras only just started taking video seriously, it’s not surprising Samyang is not supporting them at launch).
T/2.2 is not a typo either, if you are unfamiliar with it; that is because most stills/photo lenses reference an f-stop which represents the amount of light a lens lets into it — and does not take into account light lost as it passes through the glass elements. A t-stop differs in that it measures the actual amount of light that makes it through the lens, and as such is technically the better number to reference if you need to recreate shots and exposures with different gear, or at different times or locations. This is why many cinema/video focused lenses feature t-stops rather than f-stops.
The new Samyang 135mm t/2.2 joins the 14mm t/3.1, 24mm t/1.5, 35mm t/1.5, 50mm t/1.5, and 85mm t/1.5 cinema lenses that currently make up the Xeen lineup. There was no pricing or availability announced, but if the pricing of the other Xeen lenses is any indication, you can expect this lens to join them in the $2,000-$2,500 range.
The entire line of Canon EF-compatible Xeen lenses can be purchased for a combined price of $10,975, though one would assume that price will now go up with the addition of a new lens into the mix. We will update when official pricing and/or availability is made official.
