Lens manufacturer Sigma followed up the launch of their cinema zooms with an impressive array of Sigma cinema primes. I took the new lens family consisting of a 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm out for a spin in this field review. Image Credit: Graham Sheldon I’d been hoping to get my hands on the new Sigma cinema prime line for a field test ever since stopping by their booth at NAB 2017. Luckily I had a project recently that allowed me to take these lenses out into some rugged surroundings in Utah for a little shooting. I paired the lenses with the RED Weapon 6K, Canon 5D MK III and the Sony a7s I and II. Sigma Cinema Primes – Build Quality First off, not only do these lenses feel great to the touch, they also feel bulletproof. Their robust metal casing means you certainly notice their weight when lifting them out of their travel case (which comes included when you buy the set). 2.7lbs/1.2kg for the 20mm means they are certainly on the hefty side but, while I didn’t have a chance to shoot much handheld on this project, I didn’t really notice the added weight at all when I paired the Sigma cinema primes with an already heavy RED Weapon body. This set was clearly designed with ease of use in mind. The lens control rings for focus and aperture have 0.8 modded gears that are placed consistently – perfect for quick lens swaps. 1/4″ screw. Got it. The mounting shoe (pictured left) is a nice touch, though I would recommend using both screw holes to avoid the lens spinning on the tripod plate under stress. Of course, if you need to remove the mounting shoe for any reason, you can do so by pulling two screws that feed into the base of the lens. I like that the labelling of the shoe leaves little ambiguity about what type of screw is needed to mount to your tripod. Like all the external markings, the 1/4 label is painted using luminous paint. The photo below shows off the luminous paint job on the 24mm T1.5 at night. You might think at first that glow-in-the-dark paint is anything but a star feature, but after having used this set you’ll consider glow labelling a standard. Whether in the chilly darkness of a studio atmosphere, or a remote location far from the lights of a city, this feature is certainly a welcome assist. Sigma promises build quality that resists dust and moisture, and after subjecting the lenses to all manner of environments in the mountains of Utah I found each of the control rings to be as smooth as the day I received the set. In my opinion, this set would hold up very well in a rental house with a fast turnover of different users. Sigma 24mm T1.5 at night. Photo taken on Sigma 35mm T1.5 with Sony a7S I. Credit: Graham Sheldon Lens Flares Just like with the Sigma cinema zooms, I personally really like the flare out of these lenses.  While every sensor is a bit different, I like how the Sony a7s I and the Sigma 20mm handle the flare from the lantern in the bottom left of the night-time image below. Sony a7s MK I with Sigma 20mm T1.5 Image Credit: Graham Sheldon. Higher resolution version HERE. Image Quality I noticed very minimal aberration when working with the Sigma cinema primes in the field and I loved the sharpness of the image straight out of these lenses. When compared with Nikon and Canon I found the Sigma to be on the sharper side, but not negatively so. The T1.5 allowed me to get as much light into the camera as possible for long exposure photos such as the one below (there is some softness in tree below given the exposure time), though I still had my ISO cranked up to 8000 for this shot of the Milky Way. I did apply some noise reduction using Lightroom, but otherwise this is straight out of the Sony a7s I with the Sigma 20mm T1.5. The image itself didn’t feel particularly cool or warm to my eye and I didn’t see any added color cast. In short, if you’ve used the similarly well-built Sigma ART series of lenses, you’ll feel good about the image out of these Sigma cinema primes. Note: While I was only able to test up to 6K resolution for this shoot, the primes do cover up to 8K. Sony a7S I with Sigma 20mm T1.5. Image Credit: Graham Sheldon. Higher resolution version HERE. Filter Diameter  A standout design feature is the ability to screw 82mm filters or a screw-on matte box directly onto the 24mm, 35mm or 50mm. I had a Chrosziel Matte Box (82mm step ring) with me, and was able to mount the matte box directly onto the Sigma 35mm T1.5 and 5D MK III (pictured). I’ve found most screw-on Matte Boxes to be too heavy for Canon L lenses, but these metal Sigma primes handled the weight just fine with no wiggle. Pictured: Sigma 35mm T1.5 with Chrosziel MB 450 R2 Matte Box. Image Credit: Graham Sheldon The 85mm lens has a filter diameter of 86mm and the 20mm unfortunately doesn’t have filter threads, but the entire set has a common front diameter of 95mm allowing for one matte box donut to cover the entire set provided you are mounting the matte box on a 15 or 19mm rail system. I use rail mounted matte boxes for most of the projects I shoot, so I don’t find the lack of a common filter diameter to be an issue. Price  You can purchase each prime for $3,499 or you can buy a 5-lens set for $16,270. Buying the full kit saves you a little over a grand versus purchasing each lens individually and comes with a sturdy hard case. Unfortunately, the 5-lens set doesn’t include the newly-announced 14mm T2.0 cinema prime or the Sigma 135mm T2.0, both of which would be welcome additions to a kit given their respective focal ranges. Update: Sigma just announced they are releasing a new 7-lens kit of their Sigma cinema primes for $24,799 that will include the 14mm T2.0 and the 135mm T2.0, which are priced individually at $4,999. The lenses will begin shipping in July. Image Credit: Graham Sheldon If you’re a cinema youngster whose kit is rather sparse, the price may feel a bit steep to you. In that case, you can spend $500 more and pick up one or both of the Sigma Cinema Zooms, and you’ll be off to the races. If you’re looking to get more serious, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better-priced prime with even a comparable build and aesthetic. By far these are the highest-quality make of a cinema prime that I’ve seen in this class. Conclusion  I can see this set serving DPs in both budget indie narrative and commercial applications alike. Even on a budget production, using these primes wouldn’t feel or look like much of a compromise to a client/director, versus higher price-point cinema glass. The optics truly are much richer than what you are paying for. If you are looking to make the jump from stills optics into cinema glass, then you won’t be able to find a much better springboard than with the Sigma cinema prime set. These lenses are full-frame future proofed, built to last, gorgeous-looking and promise to have a home in your kit for years to come. Available Mounts: All of the primes are available in Sony E, EF or PL mount. Both the Sony E and Canon EF mounts may be swapped at Sigma service centers. You can find our previous review of the 50-100 T2.0 and the 18-35 T2.0 Sigma Cinema Zooms HERE. Does this new set of cinema primes have a place in your kit? Let us know in the comments below!

At $169, the inexpensive Kamlan 50mm f1.1 from Sainsonic could be an option for those wanting to get into fast prime territory. Chinese manufacturer Sainsonic may not be the first name that pops to mind when you think of fast prime lenses. Nevertheless, there is an interesting little find among their catalogue of general consumer electronics. The Kamlan 50mm f1.1 lens is a very affordable, fully-manual lens for crop-sensor cameras with Sony E-Mount or Canon EOS-M. Sainsonic Kamlan 50mm f1.1 The focal length of 50mm is a popular choice for beginner shooters wanting to expand from their kit lens as its design makes it possible to produce relatively fast glass at low cost, and thus allows shooters to get into shallow-depth–of-field, portrait and low-light territory for little money. There are various models of the “Nifty Fifty” available from various manufacturers for between $100-$200 — such as the popular Canon 50mm f1.8 STM — but nothing really as fast as f1.1, making this a particularly attractive offer. A Good Alternative for Video? The Kamlan 50mm f1.1 is a fully manual lens, so it doesn’t offer Autofocus like the models from more established brands like Canon or Sony. However, for video use — where manual focus is often preferred — this may not be a deal breaker. In addition, the lens features a de-clicked aperture ring for smooth iris adjustment, another feature that may make it an even more attractive alternative for video users and, what’s more, the body even seems to feature focus and iris gears. There is, however, no description of this feature on the official website, so we can’t confirm that they are standard-sized for use with regular follow focus units. Like some other 50mm lenses, the Kamlan offers a a 52mm filter thread. Five groups of five elements make up for a very simple optical design that even benefits from multi-coating. However, precisely due to its low price of $169 I would guess that the Kimlan 50mm f1.1 could suffer from imperfections in image quality. Lack of contrast, a presence of chromatic aberration and vignetting, and softness wide open could perhaps be evident so, although the lens promises to be a viable option in the fast prime market, be aware that it may not be up to par with the brand-name alternatives. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a lens with fully-manual aperture and focus control that will allow you to get very shallow depth of field and an aperture more than wide enough to shoot in low light, the Kamlan 50mm f1.1 may be the way to go. Bear in mind, a 50mm focal length on a crop-sensor camera is closer to a 75mm full-frame equivalent, so just about creeping up to telephoto territory. The Kamlan 50mm f1.1 is available worldwide from Amazon from the links below for $169 and ships from China. It is currently available in Sony E-Mount and Canon EOS-M.

Back in February 2017 we reported on the new tiny manual wideangle lens for the Micro Four-Thirds system, the SLR Magic 8mm f/4. I’ve been playing around with this lens for the past month, testing it with the Panasonic GH4 and comparing it with the Panasonic 7-14mm f/4. This small lens is actually quite a good value for the money – let’s take a look at my findings in this review! SLR Magic 8mm f/4 is a tiny MFT manual lens The first thing you notice about this manual lens is its size. I don’t think I have ever used such a small lens in the Micro Four-Thirds system. It could easily be mistaken for a C-mount lens in terms of size. The build quality is pretty solid as the whole thing is only made from metal and glass. A little knob on the side helps with focusing, and a screw allows you to lock the lens in position. This is quite handy as focusing turns the whole front element – basically the whole lens except the mount – so it is good to be able to lock the lens in order to avoid accidental changes in focus. I did not have any problems operating the screw with my fingers. I decided to compare the image quality with the Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 zoom lens to see the differences at the same focal length. There is a very thin, 3mm-wide de-clicked aperture ring that just turns freely between f/4 and f/16. As the ring is located towards the front part of the lens body, turning the focus wheel causes the aperture to stop down and, in addition, the aperture values are written on the bottom of the lens, making precise aperture adjustments somewhat difficult. The lens has a 43mm filter thread, which is not directly compatible with 43mm filters as the bulbous front element sticks out of the lens body. An included 43-to-52mm adapter, however, allows you to mount the Image Enhancer Pro – an included slim 52mm clear filter. I really like the fact there is a simple way to attach a filter on a lens this wide, as it allowed me to use ND filters while shooting time lapses. A filter thread is a useful feature in this SLR Magic ultra wide-angle lens Another interesting thing about this lens is its minimum focusing distance. SLR Magic claims it to be 0,1m, and I was able to focus on an object placed approximately 5cm or 2 inches away from the front element – roughly 10cm or 4 inches away from the sensor. Combining such a small minimum focusing distance and an aperture of f/4 allows you to achieve quite a shallow depth of field, at least when compared to the Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 lens and its minimum focusing distance of 18cm or 7 inches at the wide end. SLR Magic 8mm f/4 minimum focus distance SLR Magic 8mm f/4 – Image quality I was really curious to see how the SLR Magic lens would hold up against more expensive glass, so I decided to compare it to the Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 lens, a wide-angle lens for the Micro Four-Thirds system that I had lying around, and look at the difference in image quality between the two at the same focal length. I’m happy to report that the SLR Magic 8mm f/4 lens performed quite well. I really liked the image I got out of it, although I found that the colors were a bit flat and the image presented slight barrel distortion when compared to the Panasonic. Panasonic 7-14mm SLR Magic 8mm 8mm – note the more pronounced barrel distortion. When using the lens wide open at f/4 with the 52mm Image Enhancer and 77mm ND filters, I noticed a slight vignette, although it became barely noticeable after changing the aperture to f/8. Vignetting – SLR Magic with 52mm clear filter at f/4 Vignetting – SLR Magic with 52mm clear filter at f/8 Sharpness at f/4 is not perfect, but it is very usable in my opinion. The image of course gets sharper when closing the aperture. SLR Magic 8mm corner sharpness increases at f/4 vs f/8 Pros and cons of the SLR Magic 8mm f/4 Micro Four-Thirds Lens Pros (in no particular order) Small compact size Solid metal construction Allows you to mount filters and even includes the 52mm Image Enhancer Screw to lock focus Low price Very short minimum focus distance – 10cm/4 inches (measured from sensor) Cons (in no particular order) Tiny aperture control ring which sometimes faces down Vignetting with filters at f/4 Noticeable barrel distortion Soft at f/4 Conclusion The SLR Magic 8mm f/4 Micro Four-Thirds lens is an interesting product. It has become quite popular among drone shooters using Micro Four-Thirds cameras like the DJI Inspire because of several reasons. Its compact size, short focal length and ability to mount filters as well as locking the focus distance are very helpful features when using it on a drone. I liked using the lens handheld on the Panasonic GH4 too. It is very good for getting Point-Of-View clips thanks to its compact size. Also, in some cases, having a manually-controlled lens can even be an advantage. When shooting time lapse, for example, it can help you avoid some of the flickering effect caused by the opening and closing between shots that you may get when using an electronic lens at anything other than wide-open apertures. Even though the image quality is not superb, this lens is a very good value for money and it stood very well against the much more expensive Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 lens.

The new Gecko Genesis series of cinema primes from Gecko-Cam are aimed for those looking to give their images a more vintage look. Germany-based film equipment and service company Gecko-Cam have put their previous expertise in projectors, lens service and repair into designing their own line of cinema primes. The Gecko Genesis is a line of seven primes in 14.5mm, 20mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 135mm. This product range has been designed specifically for those who prefer a more vintage vibe to their image, rather than the ultra crisp look of some of the current offerings in the market. There are available in a coated, as well as an uncoated version for some extra vintage mojo. Michael from Gecko-Cam explains that in terms of image, the Gecko Genesis are reminiscent of the Canon K35, while in terms of price, they are aiming to carve themselves a place in the market in the neighbourhood of the ZEISS CP.3s. Most of the lenses in the Genesis range offer a maximum aperture of T1.4, with the 14.5mm lens in the range creeping up to T3. All lenses share a frontal diameter of 114mm, and they all range between 1-1.5kg, so a relatively nice weight for cinema glass. The Gecko Genesis lenses will be available in PL, E, EF and Micro Four-Thirds, although they are easily upgradeable in case you need to change mounts yourself. The lenses are also customisable in that you can replace the ring with imperial and metric markings, and the lens body also features a mounting port for an upcoming Gecko-Cam wireless motor system that will install right onto the lens. With a 46.3mm image circle, the lenses will cover up to Vista Vision format, so the 8K RED is covered as well as of course 35mm full-frame, meaning they’re compatible with Sony’s latest full-frame CineAlta announcement. The first batch of ten sets will be available by the end of the month, with more units becoming available in August. The price for a full set will be around the €35,000 mark. For more information, please visit Gecko-cam.com. Are you more partial to the vintage look, or do you prefer a more crisp and modern flavour? Let us know in the comments below!

In this episode of On The Go we talk to eminent lens connoisseur Matthew Duclos from Duclos Lenses, and his Chief Engineer Alex Nelson. The last year or so has seen the emergence of a variety of affordable cine optics – at least relatively affordable in terms of what is usually the norm for these kinds of lenses. Be it primes or zooms, there are now a wide range of options available for only a few thousand dollars –  a kind of supply that was unthinkable just a few years ago. But what caused this kind of shift in the market? Matthew Duclos, Chief Operating Officer of one of the most renowned lens service and rehousing companies in Hollywood, tells us his thoughts. We also talk about the latest announcement by ZEISS, the new CP.3 range of prime lenses, their unique implementation of metadata workflow, and their mechanical design that draws from some of ZEISS’s most desirable lenses. Get ready to geek out with some lens talk in a convertible, on cinema5D ON THE GO! Please visit our sponsors’ websites to keep new episodes of ON THE GO coming! TILTA Blackmagic Design FUJINON G-Technology Watch previous episodes of ON THE GO (& On the Couch) by clicking here. Visit our Vimeo and YouTube playlists, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

This new firmware update for Sigma lenses introduces some performance improvements that are particularly useful for video shooting. The update, which Sigma released last week, targets a selection of their EF mount lenses, namely the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM Contemporary, Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM Contemporary, Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM Contemporary and the Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM Art. This firmware update for Sigma lenses — which you can carry out via the Sigma USB Dock — improves auto-focus performance when shooting video or on Live View mode on Canon DSLRs. In addition, the update reduces the noise of the diaphragm blades when adjusting the aperture, resulting in less obtrusive audio when recording with an on-camera mic. It also makes the lenses fully-functional with the Canon C300 Mark II. The performance improvements are not limited to native use in Canon cameras, but extend to adapted use in Sony E-mount cameras when using the Sigma MC-11 EF-E Mount Converter. The Sigma MC-11 Mount Converter Please note that firmware on both the Sigma USB Dock and the Sigma MC-11 EF-E Mount Converter also need to be updated before updating the lenses themselves. In addition, another recent firmware update for the E-mount Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary enhances performance when used with the Sony a6300. Specifically, it improves peripheral performance, namely brightness correction at f/1.7 and autofocus. The Sigma Global Vision lenses have been very well-received among video shooters, particularly the APS-C Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art and Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 Art whose optical design, along with that of other primes in the Art line and the full-frame Sigma 24-35mm f/2, recently graduated to the new range of Cine lenses from Sigma. For more information regarding the firmware update and details regarding each lens, follow THIS LINK to Sigma’s website. Do you use Sigma lenses with your EF or E-mount camera? Will this update enhance your setup? Let us know in the comments!

A few days ago, German optics manufacturer Schneider announced a new range of full-frame cine prime tilt lenses. This dynamic functionality allows for extended focusing possibilities and tweaking of the depth of field in your shots. Introduced on January 27th, these new Xenon primes from Schneider are the world’s first full-frame Cine Primes tilt lenses. In terms of design, they are basically regular Schneider Xenon full frame primes, just with the added tilt function. If tilt is left at 0°, there is no loss of image quality or sharpness compared to standard Xenon primes. Cine prime tilt test shot – Schneider optics You can tilt the lens element by ±4° while maintaining the field of view. It will be possible to achieve shots with unique focus and depth of field, such as the one you can see above. The tilt is controlled via a standard ring with 120° of rotation that’s operated just like the focus ring. Due to the use of common 0.8 module gear pitch, the Cine prime tilt lenses are compatible with standard follow-focus systems. These focal lengths that will be available from launch are: 25mm T2.1 35mm T2.1 50mm T2.1 75mm T2.1 100mm T2.1 The Cine prime tilt lenses will be available this spring either individually or as a set, and for now only in Sony E-Mount. Will you be tilting and shifting come this spring? Let us know in the comments below!

ARRI has announced two new lines of Cinema Primes designed for the 65mm Digital format. The Prime 65 S and Prime DNA bring 15 new lenses to the ALEXA 65 system, billed “faster, smoother in personality and built for your vision”. The ALEXA 65 has been working its way into a credible list of major motion cinema productions – Transformers: The Last Knight, Star Wars Rogue One and selections of The Revenant and Captain America: Civil War. ARRI Rental (as you cannot purchase) currently offers a set of 8 primes for the complete workflow (aptly named Prime 65), but has now just announced two new lines for the 65mm digital format. ARRI Prime 65 S Building on the clinical Prime 65 line, the Prime 65 S opens things up with 7 new lenses of T2.8 or faster, adding a “smoother personality” through less contrast and a softer look. The Prime 65 S range from 35 to 150mm, utilize ARRI Lens Data System (LDS) for lens metadata and naturally offer full ALEXA 65 coverage. ARRI Prime DNA  The second announcement to come from ARRI Rental is perhaps the most interesting. The Prime DNA lens line again builds on the existing Prime 65 platform, offering full ALEXA 65 coverage and apertures of T2.8 or faster. An eighth member is added to the line up, with slightly different integers of focal lengths ranging from 35mm to 200mm. ARRI look for inspiration from their customers to the final look of each Prime DNA set – “An ever-evolving collection, customized by ARRI Rental and guided by cinematographer input. Unusual image attributes and full of character” What a conversation to have: “Just how would you like your 65mm lenses, sir?” I especially like the sound of the 80mm T1.9 ARRI Rental already has their Prime DNA lenses on 2017 features Breathe and Mary Magdalene. Also, if you’re in Poland for Camerimage, you’ll have the opportunity to check out the new lenses there.