GEAR 50MMPRIME LENSES
THE BUDGET CINE LENS All of the features of a premium prime cinema lens like the Sigma but at less than half the price.
housing rather than the elements. The front element is considerably smaller than the Sigma cine lens, and this lack of glass may be why the Xeen is physically larger than the Sigma in terms of length and diameter, but weighs slightly less. The build quality is excellent, with the all-metal construction oozing quality. The fit to the camera bayonet may not be as tight as the Sigma, but there is certainly no play. And like the Sigma, the lens focusing action is very smooth and well damped. There is more drag on the Xeen lens, but this is the sort of feel you soon get used to and is consistent across the Xeen range. The lens mount is interchangeable, too, so if you switch camera brands then you can get your Xeen lens easily modified to fit. Also like the Sigma, there is a very big range of rotation for the focus ring which has standard- sized gears already on it for ease of use on a follow focus rig. The distance scales are clearly marked, and having such a large 200̊ throw means that for set-up cinema- style shots where you want to pull focus accurately, then it’s easy
That’s the promise of the Korean lens brand Samyang with the Xeen range of superfast glass. And you certainly get all the handling of a proper cinema lens with this solidly-built bit of kit. Samyang, which sells the lenses as Rokinon in certain markets like the USA, already has a full range of VDSLR lenses specifically for video use. These lenses – sometimes branded Rokinon Cine DS or Samyang VDSLR – use the lens elements and technology of the very affordable DSLR range which are then rehoused in very compact, manual-focus bodies with de- clicked aperture rings. But don’t think the Xeen range is simply this glass rehomed in proper cinema- style housings. The Xeen lenses have been optically redesigned with improved coatings to reduce flare and ghosting. As soon as you pick up a Xeen cinema prime you can tell it bears no resemblance to a DSLR lens due to its physical size and weight. The Xeen is the largest of all the lenses on test, but a lot of this is in the
to prefocus, record the distance then when doing the shot for real just pull the lens to the distance mark you require. This guarantees consistency and means you’re not relying on a small screen to nail your focus, and is one of the benefits of working with purpose- built lenses like this. This way of working just isn’t really possible on smaller, DSLR-type lenses. And unlike the Sigma which comes with either metric or imperial measurements depending on which you order, the Xeen has imperial only, which can be read from both sides of the lens to make focus pullers’ lives easier. The large size means the Xeen is far more at home on the cinema cameras for which it was created. The fit, feel and overall balance suits the latest crop of Super35 cameras, and it makes an ideal affordable partner to cameras like the Sony FS5 or Canon C200 or Panasonic EVA-1. On mirrorless cameras like the Sony A7 series or cropped-sensor cameras like the
LEFT The Samyang Xeen controls flare well but doesn;'t resolve as much detail as the more pricey Sigma.
“As soon as you pick up a Xeen cinema prime lens you can tell it bears no resemblance to a DSLR lens due to its physical size andweight”
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PRO MOVIEMAKER SPRING 2018
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