Despite both NAB and Cine Gear being firmly in the rear-view mirror, there are still plenty of cool lenses debuting. We’ll take a look at the Irix Cine Explorers set, the new Mitakon Speedmaster prime, more HAWK65 vintage lenses, and more.
Irix has unveiled a new set of primes for cinematographers, the Cine Explorers Lens Set. There are four focal lengths that nearly run the gamut, 21mm, 30mm, 45mm, and 65mm and all at a very fast T1.5. The lenses are for full-frame and Super35 cameras. I would love to see more focal lengths released, like an 85mm and longer.
Irix explained that the lenses are spaced by 20 degrees each and feature beautiful bokeh and a distortion-free image. They also feature the ‘Irix look,’ and the overall size and weight are similar, so there isn’t a noticeable difference when swapping out glass.
The Irix Cine Explorers lenses are weather-proof and sealed to keep out water, dust, and more. They each come with three magnetic filters (Irix Edge UV, CPL, and ND16) and a round filters case. Mounts include Canon RF, PL, L-Mount, MFT, Fuji X, Sony E, and Nikon Z, really giving cinematographers the opportunity to use the lenses.
Prices for each lens is $1195 and Irix is selling all four with a case starting at $4999. Prices vary based on mounts, but these are pretty affordable for very fast Cine primes. Learn more at the Irix site.
Zhong Yi Optical has released a new Mitakon Speedmaster prime lens, this one at 80mm. The aperture range is f/1.6 to f/22, making it a very fast lens for any lighting situation. Mounts include Fujifilm G and Hasselblad XCD, which limits camera options.
The Mitakon Speedmaster 80mm is ideal for low-light conditions and producing very nice images with smooth bokeh.
There are a nice variety of Mitakon Speedmaster primes, including 17mm, 25mm, 35mm, and 50mm. Plus Super35 options at a jaw-dropping T1.0.
Priced at an affordable $599, the 80mm is a great addition to the Mitakon Speedmaster line of primes. You can get the details and order on its website.
HAWK65 has released new focal length anamorphic prime lenses to its Vintage’74 set: 35mm T2.6 and 65mm T2.9 Macro 1.3x. The pair join a full lineup of premium Vintage’74 lenses, bringing the total to 11. These lenses work with large format sensor cameras.
The HAWK65 Vintage’74 lineup includes a 1.3x anamorphic squeeze with a pleasant bokeh via the iris-shaping system (patented). The bokeh is similar to anamorphic lenses with 2x squeeze. The 1.3x works great reproducing an aspect ratio of 2:1 with a camera in 3:2 open gate mode.
The lenses in the HAWK65 Vintage’74 lineup include focal lengths at 35mm T2.6, 40mm T2.6, 45mm T2.6, 50mm T2.6, 60mm T2.6, 65mm T2.9, 70mm T2.6, 80mm T3.2, 95mm T3.3, 120mm T3.6, and 150mm T3.6.
So what do the HAWK65 Vintage’74 anamorphic prime lenses retail for? Well, they’re only for rental, which makes sense with premium glass. Usually a rental house buys the lenses from a manufacturer, but in this case, Vantage Film has it for rent. Check out all the details here and contact a local office for rental information.
It wasn’t intentional to feature so many prime lenses in this roundup, but there are too many to not include. The Krypton OR cinema prime lenses feature rehoused glass originally from the 1970s and 80s and are rehoused and modified to give a special and unique look. They have been developed with Whitepoint Optics.
There are nine focal lengths available, giving a full range of options for cinematographers: 21mm T2.9, 28mm T1.9, 35mm T2, 40mm T1.9, 50mm T1.5, 57mm T1.3, 85mm T1.9, 100mm T2.9, and 135mm T2.6. The company has more lenses in the pipeline, including 14mm T2.9, 24mm T2.9, and 200mm T2.6.
The Krypton OR cinema prime lenses are pretty fast, as you can see. The 50mm alone is a T1.5 lens. This is great for filming in low light settings. As far as mounts go, you have PL and also LPL and EF (with an additional cost).
Pricing details haven’t been released and their website is coming soon. The lenses will officially debut in September 2024. Check out their Instagram.
We talked about the SIRUI Sniper APS-C prime lenses earlier this year when they launched a successful crowdfunding campaign with 23mm, 33mm, and 56mm focal lengths, all at a fast F/1.2. You can now add a new set to the Sniper lineup with 16mm and 75mm F/1.2 lenses.
The features are pretty much the same and with the 16mm and 75mm, and the Sniper line is becoming a great option for those with APS-C cameras. Supported mounts include E, X, and Z. Pricing for each starts at $399, but SIRUI has it on sale for $319. If you own the other Sniper lenses, you can buy the pair starting at $748 (currently on sale for $586) or the entire 5-lens set for $1797 (on sale for $1258).
SIRUI makes really good and glass that’s priced very well. If you have an APS-C camera, these lenses are worth a look. Check out the Sniper page for more details.