Rokinon 12mm T3.1 ED AS IF NCS UMC Cine DS Fisheye Lens for Sony E-Mount
Ultra Wide Fisheye Perspective for Creative Cinematic Visuals
The Rokinon 12mm T3.1 ED AS IF NCS UMC Cine DS Fisheye Lens for Sony E-Mount is a specialized cinema lens that offers filmmakers and content creators an ultra-wide, immersive fisheye perspective combined with cinematic-grade precision, exceptional optics, and versatile manual controls. Designed exclusively for Sony E-mount full-frame cameras, this lens is a powerhouse for creative storytelling, delivering a striking 180-degree diagonal fisheye view paired with advanced optical technologies that maintain image sharpness, color fidelity, and contrast essential for professional films and videos.
Ultra-Wide 180º Fisheye Angle of View
At its core, the Rokinon 12mm Cine DS fisheye lens provides a dramatic 180-degree diagonal field of view on full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. This expansive angle stretches the boundaries of traditional framing by exaggerating spatial dimensions and curving straight lines, creating a distorted yet artistic representation of environments. This effect is perfect for immersive architecture shoots, creative music videos, experimental narratives, and visual effects-oriented projects that demand a fresh and energetic visual vocabulary.
The ultra-wide coverage reveals entire interior spaces, expansive landscapes, or large groups in a single frame, supporting documentaries, virtual reality content, and multi-camera cinematic workflows that leverage wide environmental storytelling.
Bright T3.1 Aperture for Low-Light Capability and Image Control
The lens features a bright T3.1 aperture, which balances robust light-gathering capability with optical design constraints typical for fisheye glass. This aperture is sufficient for shooting in numerous lighting environments, such as indoor sets, nighttime scenes, and natural light locations, facilitating lower ISO settings for noise-free, clean imagery.
While fisheye lenses characteristically have deep depth of field, the aperture allows for some control over exposure and slight focus separation, helping filmmakers highlight foreground details within the broad fisheye composition.
State-of-the-Art Optics with ED and Aspherical Elements
Rokinon’s optical formula in this fisheye lens includes 12 elements arranged in 8 groups, prominently featuring three Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements and two Aspherical elements. These components collaboratively reduce chromatic aberrations, spherical aberrations, and distortion issues that can degrade the quality of ultra-wide optics.
Additionally, the lens surface is treated with Nano Crystal Coating (NCS) and Ultra Multi Coating (UMC) to minimize ghosting, flare, and unwanted reflections. Together, these coatings optimize contrast and color accuracy, delivering cinematic-quality visuals that stand up to professional broadcast and digital cinema requirements.
Cinema-Grade Manual Operation and Gearing
The Rokinon 12mm Cine DS lens is engineered for precise manual control with 0.8 MOD industry-standard gearing on focus and aperture rings. This ensures seamless compatibility with follow focus devices and iris motors essential on demanding film sets.
The focus ring offers smooth, damped rotation allowing for accurate focus pulls, critical in storytelling where foreground elements need to be emphasized against the expansive fisheye background.
Its de-clicked aperture ring allows silent, smooth iris changes during recording, preventing distracting mechanical noise and flickering exposure—a must-have for sync sound filmmaking.
Dual side markings for both focus distance and T-stop are engraved clearly on the lens barrel, enhanced with glow-in-the-dark paint for visibility in dark or blackout environments—helpful for rapid, on-the-fly adjustments.
Internal Focus and Solid Build Quality
This lens features an internal focusing mechanism that maintains the lens’s physical length during focusing. This significantly improves balance on camera rigs or gimbals and reduces focus breathing, stabilizing framing during focus transitions.
Durably constructed with a robust all-metal body, it withstands the rigors of professional use while remaining ergonomically designed for handheld and rig-mounted work. The lens includes a removable petal-shaped hood to reduce flare and provide safeguard to the front element, crafted specifically for fisheye optics.
Minimum Focus Distance and Practical Usage
With a minimum focusing distance of approximately 0.2 meters (0.66 feet), the lens supports creative close-up compositions alongside its wide environmental storytelling capability. This allows filmmakers to emphasize foreground details creatively without sacrificing the fisheye’s immersive spatial effect.
Applications and Ideal Use Cases
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Architectural and interior cinematography showcasing broad spaces with unique perspective distortion
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Documentaries and immersive event coverage capturing environments and crowd dynamics
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Creative narrative and experimental films leveraging extreme visual styles for attention-grabbing content
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Music videos and artistic projects using the fisheye effect to generate dynamic movement and spatial impact
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Virtual reality and extended visual effects pipelines requiring wide-angle lens coverage
Trustworthy Purchase via MojoComputers
MojoComputers is a reputable authorized dealer of Rokinon Cine DS lenses, offering genuine products with full manufacturer warranties and customer support. Their efficient insured shipping across the United States ensures secure and timely delivery of industry-grade cinematic lenses, making them a preferred choice among filmmakers.
Conclusion
The Rokinon 12mm T3.1 ED AS IF NCS UMC Cine DS Fisheye Lens for Sony E-Mount is an exceptional lens that empowers filmmakers with a distinctive ultra-wide fisheye perspective, advanced hybrid optical technology, and cinema-standard manual controls. Its blend of expansive vision, sharp image quality, and tactile precision provides unlimited creative possibilities to bring unique cinematic visions to life.
Whether capturing architectural marvels, immersive events, or visually striking narrative pieces, this fisheye lens stands as an essential tool for those seeking to push the limits of cinematic imaging on the Sony E-mount platform
