Category: Rokinon

News, Product Announcement, Rokinon

Looking Ahead at XEEN Meister Primes

by Matthew Duclos7 Comments on Looking Ahead at XEEN Meister Primes
Looking Ahead at XEEN Meister Primes

These lenses have been a long time coming. It’s hard to argue the popularity of Rokinon’s product lines – be it the regular photo lenses, the cine lenses, Cine DS, the XEEN or the XEEN CF… They’ve all been based on the same base optics for over a decade now. That’s right! Rokinon’s high speed primes lenses have been around since about 2010/2011 and they’re still going strong. So what does Rokinon have to show for all this success besides some fantastic worldwide sales numbers? Let’s find out.

Continue reading “Looking Ahead at XEEN Meister Primes” →
Angenieux, Arri, Canon, Cooke, Duclos, Fujinon, Leica, Lenses, News, Rokinon, Sigma, Tokina, Zeiss

The Pacific Northwest Lens Summit

by Matthew Duclos1 Comment on The Pacific Northwest Lens Summit
The Pacific Northwest Lens Summit

That’s right. It’s a lens test. I’ll be joining host Michael Koerner at his facility Koerner Camera Systems in Portland Oregon in just a few weeks. The perfect bridge between NAB and Cine Gear – Koerner will be hosting a range of manufacturers to showcase their latest gear. Less of a shootout and more of a hands-on event, we’ll be pairing up cameras and lenses and giving each a go to see what works best in different situations.

We’ll have lenses and reps from the following:

  • Angenieux
  • Arri
  • Canon
  • Cooke
  • Fujinon
  • IB/E
  • Leica
  • Lomo Illumina
  • PS Technik
  • Raptor
  • Sigma
  • Tokina
  • Zeiss

So how about it? Join us! No need to RSVP. You can find the event details over on Koerner’s facebook page. Looks like it’s going to be a good time. Come hang out. Drink. Eat. Mingle. I’ll have some swag on hand to give away. If you’re a lens geek like me and Michael Koerner, you’ll be in good company.

Canon EF, Lenses, Review, Rokinon

A Closer Look at Rokinon’s New ‘Special Performance’ Line of Primes

by Matthew Duclos3 Comments on A Closer Look at Rokinon’s New ‘Special Performance’ Line of Primes
A Closer Look at Rokinon’s New ‘Special Performance’ Line of Primes

I know… Another Rokinon post. What can I say? They’re in high gear and don’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. Samyang, the magicians behind the Rokinon line of photo and cinema lenses have another new line of primes. Several months ago they announced their native E-mount auto-focus lenses which I completely ignored since they don’t really interest me (google it if auto-focus E-mount primes interest you), but Rokinon has just begun shipping two primes in a new line they’re calling “Speical Performance” or “SP” for short. Currently, these two lenses consist of a 14mm f/2.4 and an 85mm f/1.2. I spent a few weeks with the new 85mm so let’s give that a closer look Continue reading “A Closer Look at Rokinon’s New ‘Special Performance’ Line of Primes” →

Canon EF, Micro 4/3, News, Nikon F, PL, Rokinon, Sony E

Rokinon adds 16mm T2.6 to Xeen Line

by Matthew Duclos1 Comment on Rokinon adds 16mm T2.6 to Xeen Line
Rokinon adds 16mm T2.6 to Xeen Line

Last week Rokinon announced that the latest addition to their XEEN by Rokinon line, the 16mm T2.6 lens, is available immediately from authorized dealers. This is the first XEEN lens to be released since the 135mm lens began shipping last July, and is the first (but most likely not the last) XEEN of 2017. Continue reading “Rokinon adds 16mm T2.6 to Xeen Line” →

Angenieux, Arri, Canon, Cooke, Duclos, Leica, News, Rokinon, Tokina, veydra, Voigtlander, Weekly, Zeiss

NAB 2016 Preview

by Matthew Duclos3 Comments on NAB 2016 Preview
NAB 2016 Preview

NAB has officially begun. It looks like just about every lens manufacturer couldn’t keep it in their pants and dropped their news ahead of the actual show, with a few exceptions. This post is a general roundup up the news announced as of Sunday night before the show. We’ll be posting a daily wrap-up with a ton of photos and additional news from the show floor so be sure to subscribe and check back soon. If there’s anything we missed that you found interesting, send a tweet to @MQDuclos and we’ll make him run across the expo to check it out ;-). Let’s get to it! We’ve broken the product announcements up by manufacturer in alphabetical order. Continue reading “NAB 2016 Preview” →

News, Review, Rokinon

Rokinon Reveals Two New Xeen Primes

by Matthew Duclos7 Comments on Rokinon Reveals Two New Xeen Primes
Rokinon Reveals Two New Xeen Primes

Not even six months ago, Rokinon announced a new line of cinema prime lenses deemed Xeen. This new prime lens set consisted of a 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm – intended to compete with the likes of Zeiss, Schneider, and Canon in terms of tech specs, features, and image quality. But there was no competition when it came to price. The Xeen primes halved the price of any of the aforementioned brands with little to no compromise elsewhere. Rokinon has filled in the obvious gaps with a 35mm T1.5 and a 14mm T3.1. Continue reading “Rokinon Reveals Two New Xeen Primes” →

News, Review, Rokinon, Tutorial

Rokinon, Cine, Cine DS, and Xeen – What’s The Difference?

by Matthew Duclos14 Comments on Rokinon, Cine, Cine DS, and Xeen – What’s The Difference?
Rokinon, Cine, Cine DS, and Xeen – What’s The Difference?

As with many lens manufacturers, Rokinon tapped into a market they may or may not have anticipated and as a result, their product line evolved along with user demand. The same thing happened with Zeiss when they realized that we were modifying their ZF line of lenses for cinema use. Back at headquarters in Germany, a quick visit to the engineering department and, BAM! Compact Primes. So what’s the difference between the Rokinon Cine, Cine DS, and Xeen primes? Is one better than the other? Why the big price difference? Should I sell my Cine lenses and get the DS lenses? Let’s take a more in-depth look at the line and try to answer these questions. Continue reading “Rokinon, Cine, Cine DS, and Xeen – What’s The Difference?” →

Micro 4/3, News, Rokinon, Sony E

Rokinon Announces Two New Mirrorless Primes

by Matthew Duclos1 Comment on Rokinon Announces Two New Mirrorless Primes

rokmirrorlessRokinon has been stirring up the lens market for a couple of years offering very affordable options for photographers and cinematographers alike. They just began shipping their lovely Xeen Cinema Primes recently and already have a new product line to announce, designed specifically for mirrorless systems. A 21mm f/1.4 and a 50mm f/1.2.  Continue reading “Rokinon Announces Two New Mirrorless Primes” →

Micro 4/3, Review, Rokinon, veydra, Voigtlander

Micro 4/3 Wide Angle Comparo

by Matthew Duclos6 Comments on Micro 4/3 Wide Angle Comparo

wide angle comparo

Here’s a quick one for ya.
Veydra just began shipping the 12mm Mini Prime which completes the full set. I’ve had some time to play with it and I have to say it’s impressive considering it’s wide angle nature and the fact that it’s coming out of China. Like I said in previous posts with the other Veydra Mini Primes, these are probably the only Chinese lenses that I enjoy using. But how does it stack up to a few other options? Continue reading “Micro 4/3 Wide Angle Comparo” →

Canon EF, Lenses, Micro 4/3, News, Nikon F, PL, Review, Rokinon, Sony E

Rokinon Takes Aim with New Xeen Cinema Prime Lenses

by Matthew Duclos43 Comments on Rokinon Takes Aim with New Xeen Cinema Prime Lenses

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Rokinon posted a not-so-subtle hint at their upcoming Xeen product line to their Facebook page earlier today. The photo shows a Xeen branded pirate ship blasting a Zeiss CP.2 and Canon CN-E out of the water. Not much mincing of words there. Continue reading “Rokinon Takes Aim with New Xeen Cinema Prime Lenses” →