Rokinon XEEN CF 35mm T1.5 Pro Cine Lens (EF Mount) Review

The Rokinon XEEN CF 35mm T1.5 marks a significant maturation for the brand, moving beyond its well-regarded but more basic VDSLR offerings into a truly professional space. The most notable feature is the carbon fiber construction. This design choice results in a lens that is impressively lightweight and compact for its class, making it a natural fit for the gimbals, drones, and smaller camera rigs that define modern production workflows. The build quality feels robust and ready for set life, with consistent gear placement and sizing across the entire CF line, which is a critical feature for efficient lens swaps.

Optically, the XEEN CF 35mm delivers strong performance that punches well above its price tag. Images are sharp, particularly when stopped down slightly from wide open, and exhibit the pleasing cinematic character many filmmakers seek. While it may not possess the clinical perfection or complete lack of focus breathing found in lenses costing many times more, its performance is exceptional for the price point. Rokinon has successfully lowered the barrier to entry for a set of lightweight, fast, and unified cinema primes, offering tremendous value for independent filmmakers and owner-operators.