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credits: Samyang (3D-printed mock up of 200mm)
Samyang seems to have some fairly ambitious lens ideas lined up for the coming years. In a new interview with the French photography publication âPhototrendâ, Samyangâs head of product planning, Kim Dubin, talked about several concepts the company is currently exploring. Samyang is already working with Schneider-Kreuznach on projects like the upcoming 60â180mm f/2.8 full-frame zoom, but it is also developing a number of lenses internally. Among those are two long telephoto primes for full-frame mirrorless cameras, the AF 200mm f/1.8 FE OIS and the AF 300mm f/4 FE OIS.
The 200mm f/1.8 concept is especially notable because that focal length has seen renewed attention recently. Over the past year, Venus Optics released the Laowa 200mm f/2 C-Dreamer, and Sigma introduced the 200mm f/2 DG OS Sports. If Samyang eventually brings its 200mm f/1.8 to market with autofocus, it could end up being the fastest lens of its kind available for mirrorless systems. The idea also inevitably brings up comparisons to Canonâs well-known EF 200mm f/1.8L USM, often nicknamed the âEye of Sauronâ because of its enormous front element. Samyangâs prototype does not look quite as extreme, but it is still clearly a large piece of glass.
Right now, though, both the 200mm f/1.8 and the 300mm f/4 are still very early concepts. The versions shown at CP+ were reportedly 3D-printed mockups rather than finished working prototypes. One interesting detail is that both lenses are planned to include optical image stabilisation, something Samyang has not implemented in its lenses before. At the same time, the company is also exploring other designs, including a possible AF 20â50mm f/2 zoom and a 28â85mm f/2â2.8 FE. Those lenses are still a few years out, but they show the direction Samyang seems to be thinking about for the future.
Harmanâs New Switch Azure Film
credits: Harman Technology
Harman Technology has introduced a new experimental colour film called Switch Azure, and it does something a little unusual with how colours appear in the final photo. Instead of reproducing colours in the typical way, the film deliberately shifts them around. Blues can show up as orange, yellows may turn into bright azure tones, and reds can shift toward purple or blue. The idea is to create a very distinctive look straight from the film itself, without relying on filters or digital editing afterward.
Switch Azure is rated at ISO 125 and will be available in both 35mm and 120 medium format. It is the latest entry in Harmanâs growing line of experimental films, following releases like Harman Red and Harman Phoenix 200. At the same time, the company continues to produce more traditional emulsions as well, including Kentmere Pan 200 and the updated Harman Phoenix II. In the case of Switch Azure, the unusual color shifts come from changes inside the filmâs chemistry. Harman says two of the three colour couplers in the emulsion have been swapped, which alters how the red, green, and blue channels respond during exposure and development.
According to Harmanâs Sales and Marketing Director Giles Branthwaite, that change in the colour couplers alters the contrast response of each channel, which is what produces the unusual colour shifts. Interestingly, the final look can also vary depending on how the film is scanned after development. Harman notes that Fuji lab scanners tend to produce stronger, more saturated shifts, while Noritsu scanners usually give a slightly more subdued result. Despite the unconventional colour palette, the film still uses the standard C-41 colour negative process, so it can be developed at most labs without any special treatment.
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