Samyang AF 60-180mm F/2.8 L-mount lens (full frame and APS-C)

Samyang AF 60-180mm F2.8 L

The Samyang AF 60-180mm F2.8 L is the fast telephoto lens you will actually carry. A constant F2.8 aperture throughout the focal length range and a weight of 727.8 grams, about half the weight of a typical 70-200 mm F2.8 lens, mean it stays on the camera for a whole wedding day or a week-long trip. The 60-180 mm range covers portraits, events and stage photography, and it focuses from as close as 0.35 m, reaching details that other telephoto lenses can't. Weather-sealed, easy to use and developed in collaboration with Schneider-Kreuznach.

What you can shoot with it

The 60-180 mm range covers most everyday telephoto work: full-length and head-and-shoulders portraits, ceremonies and speeches from the back of the room, stage and concert lighting, street and travel scenes, food and product details, as well as product studio shots. At 180 mm you get perspective compression that separates the subject from a busy background.

At 60 mm the frame is wide enough for a full-length portrait or a group without backing up against the wall behind you, which is exactly where lenses that start at 70 mm often fall short. The minimum focusing distance of 0.35 m and 0.26x magnification let you get close to textures, rings, plated food and small products without swapping to a macro lens.

Compared with a typical 70-200mm F2.8

The characteristic most people react to is the weight. Constant F2.8 lenses in the 70-200 mm class typically exceed 1.3 kg, so the AF 60-180mm F2.8 L saves well over half a kilogram before you even attach a camera. It is also shorter, at 147 mm versus roughly 180 to 210 mm for those lenses, and it has a 77 mm filter thread, so the filter size matches much of the rest of your bag.

You lose 20 mm at the long end. For sports from the sideline or wildlife, that matters. For portrait, event, travel and documentary work, the difference between 180 mm and 200 mm is a small step forward. In return you gain 10 mm at the wide end, closer focusing than most 70-200 mm designs allow, and a lens that stays on the camera rather than in the bag.

Key points

• Constant F2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range, with no exposure change while zooming
• 727.8 grams, about half the weight of a typical 70-200mm F2.8 lens
• 0.26x magnification at the 0.35 m minimum focusing distance
• Floating focusing system for consistent sharpness from close focus to infinity
• Linear STM autofocus, AF/MF switch and a customizable focus hold button
• Weather-sealed body, 77 mm filter thread

Optical construction

17 elements in 14 groups, including seven ED elements, two aspherical elements and one high-refractive-index element, all with UMC coating. The floating focusing system maintains image quality from the minimum focusing distance to infinity, so close-up work stays just as sharp as the far end.

Package contents:

• Samyang AF 60-180mm F2.8 L
• lens hood
• front and rear caps
• instruction manual