Samyang Debuts ‘Premium’ Lens Line with 85mm f/1.2 and 14mm f/2.4

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As camera sensors get more powerful, third party lens manufacturers are scrambling to prove they’re ready to handle whatever resolution your camera can throw at them. Case in point: say hello to Samyang’s first ‘Premium’ lens lineup.

The Premium line—which debuts with an 85mm f/1.2 and 14mm f/2.4—seems to us like a bid to steal a little market share from the Zeiss Milvus and Sigma Art users of the world. Offering what Saymang is calling “unprecedented resolving power,” these lenses can allegedly keep up with 50MP sensor or 8K video resolution.

Samyang 14mm f/2.4

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This ultra-wide angle lens captures a crazy 114° field of view and even crazier 18-element optical design.

“[The] 14mm f/2.4 takes no compromise for the image quality,” writes Samyang. “It consists of 18 elements in 14 groups, including four different special optics: two aspherical lenses, one hybrid aspherical lens, two extra-low dispersion lenses and one high refractive lens.”

All of this together creates “impressive” image quality all the way out to the edges, minimal aberration, and “enhanced” clarity.

Samyang 85mm f/1.2

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This ultra-fast portrait lens isn’t quite as glass-heavy as the 14mm. Made up of 10 elements in 7 groups—including one aspherical lens and two high refractive lenses—it promises crystal clear images out of a blazing fast full-frame lens.

The aspherical element minimizes aberration and unnecessary light dispersion, while the high refractive elements “adjust the path of light and deliver maximum amount to the sensor for [a] clear and vibrant image.”

Both lenses arrive later this year, but Samyang is keeping pricing secret for now. “Premium” lenses usually come with “premium” price tags, but we assume Samyang will still try to undercut Zeiss and Sigma, in essence offing an “affordable” or “entry-level” premium lens option.

For now, the 14mm f/2.4 is being made for Canon EF, Sony FE, and Nikon F mount, while the 85mm f/1.2 is only marked as compatible with Canon EF. To learn more about either of these lenses, click here and here to view the 14mm and 85mm product pages, respectively.