Samyang announces AF 75mm F1.8 X lens for Fuji

Samyang has officially announced the recently leaked Samyang AF 75mm F1.8 X lens for Fuji X mount cameras. Naturally, as a lens designed specifically for Fuji, it’s an APS-C lens. Interestingly, however, it appears to be very similar in specification to the Samyang AF 75mm f/1.8 FE full-frame lens for Sony E cameras released in 2020. It does have a very different outward appearance, though.

According to the Fuji website, the new AF 75mm f/1.8 X is constructed of 10 elements in 0 groups with a minimum focus distance of 69cm, the same as the Sony one. It has the same maximum and minimum aperture range, although it appears slightly wider and uses a larger filter thread.

Samyang bills the new AF 75mm f/1.8 X as an “overwhelming lightweight” lens, although it is slightly heavier than its full-frame Sony E mount version. That being said, it’s still not heavy by any means, coming in with a weight of 257g. It takes 62mm threaded filters and has a maximum overall diameter of 70mm, with a 69.3mm length, making for a pretty compact lens. Again, oddly, still not quite as compact as the Sony version at 230g weight and 65mm diameter, but still.

While it should hypothetically work on any Fuji camera, Samyang has posted a compatibility notice listing the cameras with which it works and a disclaimer for any missing ones.

※ AF 75mm F1.8 X Compatibility Notice
Samyang AF 75mm F1.8 X is optimized for Fujifilm cameras featuring the X-Trans sensor in order to provide stable AF performance. Samyang does not guarantee the lens shall operate error-free with the cameras not included in the list below.

Please note that the list may change through the firmware updates.

■ Camera Compatibility List
X-H1, X-H2, X-H2S, X-S10, X-T1, X-T2, X-T3, X-T4, X-T5, X-E1, X-E2, X-E2S, X-E3, X-E4, X-T10, X-T20, X-T30, X-Pro1, X-Pro2, X-Pro3

The lens boasts edge-to-edge sharpness thanks to two High Refractive (HR) and three Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) lenses. Samyang’s “advanced” coatings help to improve the sharpness and clarity, “even in poor lighting conditions”. And then there’s all the rest of it about ghosting, chromatic aberration and colour fringing, etc. It’s all of the same usual marketing talk we hear whenever any lens is announced really.

Given that the optical makeup and specs compared to that of the older Sony offering are pretty much identical, I get the impression that it is essentially the same lens in a new housing specifically for Fuji. Naturally, it features all of the Fuji-compatible electronic communications to tell the AF motor and aperture what to do, as well as report back to the camera with information to be stored in the EXIF. The only real difference appears to be Samyang’s “2nd generation design” for AF lenses, incorporating a new rubberised patterned focus ring.

Focal Length	75mm
Maximum Aperture	f/1.8
Minimum Aperture	f/22
Lens Mount	Fuji X
Format Compatibility	APS-C
Angle of View	21.9°
Maximum Magnification	0.13x
Minimum Focus Distance	69cm
Optical Design	10 Elements in 9 Groups
Diaphragm Blades	9
Focus Type	Autofocus
Image Stabilization	No
Filter Size	62mm
Dimensions	70 x 69.3 mm
Weight	257g

The lens is weather sealed at “5 different spots”. These are the lens mount, around the front optic, the “Custom” switch, and the focus ring’s two ends. So, it should be ready to go in all conditions. And in all of those conditions, Samyang says it should provide “overwhelming autofocus performance” – Samyang sure does like using the word “overwhelming” with this lens – and that its light weight makes it ideal for use on a gimbal.

Besides the diameter and weight, something else has seen a bit of an increase over the Sony E mount 75mm f/1.8 full-frame lens, too. That’s the price. The Sony version regularly costs $399 (although B&H has it on sale for $299 right now), while the new APS-C Fuji version costs $499. It’s currently available to pre-order from the Samyang website and should pop up at the usual retailers soon.