Rokinon Cine DS135M-C 135mm

The Rokinon Cine DS 135mm T2.2 is a fast manual focus telephoto built for video work, not casual stills. The de-clicked aperture and standardized gear positions make it a practical choice for follow focus rigs, and the T2.2 aperture is genuinely fast for the price. At $439 in the US, it's a budget-friendly entry into cine lenses. Just know you're giving up autofocus, stabilization, and some build quality to get there.

Optically, this lens sits right around the middle of the pack in our database, at the 57th percentile. That's not a headline-grabbing score, but it's also not a disaster. The 11 elements in 7 groups include one ED element, which helps control chromatic aberration, and the Ultra Multi-Coating does a decent job keeping flare and ghosting in check. For a lens at this price point, that's a reasonable showing.

The aperture performance is where things get a little more complicated. The T2.2 maximum aperture is genuinely fast for a 135mm, and it gives you real subject separation when you're close to your subject. But the aperture ranking lands in the bottom quarter of lenses we track. That's not because T2.2 is slow, it's because the lens is manual focus only and lacks any electronic communication with the camera body on most mounts. You're giving up a lot of modern conveniences to get that fast glass, and the numbers reflect that trade-off.

The competitors in our database are mostly zoom lenses, which makes for an interesting comparison. The Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 and Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 are both superzooms with autofocus and image stabilization. They're way more versatile, but they're also much slower at the long end. At 135mm, the Tamron is probably around f/6.3, which is more than two stops slower than this Rokinon's T2.2. That's the difference between a clean shot and a noisy mess in low light.

The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS is another autofocus zoom with stabilization, and it's a solid all-rounder. But again, it can't touch the Rokinon for light gathering or shallow depth of field. The trade-off is clear: the Rokinon gives you speed and cine-specific features, while the zooms give you flexibility and modern conveniences. If you need one lens that does everything, the Rokinon isn't it. If you need a fast telephoto for interviews and portraits on a video rig, the zooms can't compete.

Pricing is all over the map depending on where you live. In the US, you're looking at $439, while UK buyers pay £369 and Canadian shoppers see $657 CAD. The Brazilian listing at R$4,459 is a different beast entirely, but that's import taxes and local market weirdness for you. At the US and UK prices, this is a genuinely affordable way to get a fast 135mm cine lens.

For comparison, most dedicated cine lenses from brands like Zeiss or Canon's CN-E line cost several times more. You're giving up autofocus, weather sealing, and some build quality, but you're also paying a fraction of the price. If you're a solo shooter or small crew on a budget, that math works out. Just don't expect the same level of mechanical refinement you'd get from a lens costing three or four times as much.

The Rokinon Cine DS 135mm T2.2 is a bit of a niche tool, and that's exactly why it's interesting. This is a manual focus, de-clicked aperture telephoto prime built for video work first. If you're a stills shooter who relies on autofocus, this lens will feel like a step back in time. But if you're pulling focus on a follow focus rig or want that smooth, clickless aperture adjustment mid-shot, it starts to make a lot of sense.

At its core, you're getting a 135mm focal length with full-frame coverage and a fast T2.2 maximum aperture. That's a classic portrait and interview focal length, and the T-stop rating means the light transmission is actually measured, not just calculated. The 9-blade circular diaphragm is designed to keep out-of-focus highlights looking round and pleasing, which matters a lot when you're shooting people against busy backgrounds.

Rokinon's whole Cine DS line is built around consistency. The focus and aperture gears sit in the same position across every lens in the series, so swapping from a 35mm to this 135mm doesn't mean re-rigging your follow focus. That's a practical detail that saves real time on set, and it's one of the main reasons someone would buy into this system rather than adapting stills lenses.

If you shoot handheld video or stills without a tripod, skip this lens. The lack of image stabilization at 135mm means camera shake will be a constant battle, and the manual focus makes it even harder to keep moving subjects sharp. You'd be better off with something like the Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS or the Tamron 28-300mm, both of which offer stabilization and autofocus.

Also skip it if you need to shoot close-up detail work. The 800mm minimum focus distance is pretty limiting, and the macro score of 34.6 out of 100 reflects that. If you want to get close to small subjects, look at a dedicated macro lens or a zoom with a shorter minimum focus distance. This lens is built for people at a distance, not flowers and insects.

For video shooters who already work with manual focus and follow focus systems, this lens makes a lot of sense. The de-clicked aperture, standardized gear positions, and T-stop calibration are exactly what you want on a film set. The fast T2.2 aperture gives you real control over depth of field, and the 135mm focal length is a workhorse for interviews and tight shots. At $439, it's hard to argue with the value.

For stills photographers, especially anyone shooting handheld or moving subjects, this lens is a harder sell. No autofocus, no stabilization, and a minimum focus distance of 800mm means you'll be working hard for every shot. If you're shooting portraits on a tripod with time to focus carefully, it can work. But most stills shooters would be better served by an autofocus 135mm or a fast 85mm with stabilization.