Sigma has been actively innovating their product line over the past few years, and as of today, they just made their biggest announcement yet – a new line of cine lenses. While I personally haven’t invested in any Sigma Glass yet, that will likely change in the near future thanks to today’s announcement…
In total, Sigma has released no less than 8 new cine lenses. 3 zooms and 5 fixed focus:
- 18-35mm T2 (APS-C) zoom lens
- 50-100mm T2 (APS-C) zoom lens
- 24-35mm T2.2 (full frame) zoom lens
- 20mm T1.5 (full frame) fixed focus lens
- 24mm T1.5 (full frame) fixed focus lens
- 35mm T1.5 (full frame) fixed focus lens
- 50mm T1.5 (full frame) fixed focus lens
- 85mm T1.5 (full frame) fixed focus lens
The first two lenses on this list (18-35mm and 50-100mm) will be released later this year. The remaining lenses, including a full-frame prime kit and a full-frame 24-35mm zoom lens, will be launched in 2017.
No prices have been announced for any of the lenses yet.
I can only imagine that, like the Zeiss Cp2 or Rokinon XEEN, these are repackaged still lenses. The focal length and speed of the glass are certainly giveaways, as they pair perfectly with Sigma’s Art Series. With this in mind, I’m sure there will be some significant differences between the new theater housing Sigma lenses and the Art Series besides the physical housing.
When still footage is relocated for use in a film, other small but important adjustments are often made. For example, manufacturers often add more aperture blades and use better lens coatings on the glass to get the absolute best performance out of the lens. While we don’t yet know how these lenses will differ from the Art lenses (other than the housing of course), I’m sure they will offer a ton of improvements and optimal performance.
As long as these lenses meet a standard, they may have a huge impact in the industry—— They need to be very competitively priced. Currently, Rokinon’s XEEN lenses are the most affordable cine lenses on the market, and they seem to be selling well. That said, their glass is (at least in my opinion) not up to par with the Sigma Art lenses, so I don’t doubt that Sigma’s new Cinema series will sell better than the XEEN, as long as they’re priced right.
Rokinon’s XEEN lenses cost about $2,500 each, far less than any other option on the market. The next cheapest options are the Schneider Xenon, Canon CN-E, and Zeiss Cp2, with each lens costing between $4,000 and $6,000.
If Sigma can price these lenses around the same price as the Rokinon lenses ($2500 or less per lens), they’ll be snapped up quickly. Generally speaking, for most filmmakers, choosing the Sigma over the Rokinon at this price is a no-brainer, as the Sigma will likely deliver better quality images in every aspect. On the other hand, if these lenses were priced higher (in the $4,000 to $6,000 range), they would be much more difficult to sell. With more competition at this price point, some filmmakers may prefer to invest in one of the more established cine lens brands, namely Zeiss or Schneider.
That said, the Sigma Cinema series will have some advantages over Zeiss and Schneider, especially in terms of speed. Sigma’s cine primes are all rated T1.5, while the Zeiss Cp2 is rated from T1.5 to T3.6 and the Schneider Xenon is rated from T2.1 to T2.4. This may not be a deal-breaker for everyone, but the fact that Sigma’s primary kit is actually a super-high-speed caliber (and consistent across the entire line) will certainly sway some buyers.
Sony’s CineAlta lenses are another option for filmmakers looking for cinema glass on a budget (about $12,500 for a 6-lens set), but they have drawbacks compared to the Sigma. Specifically, the CineAlta lenses don’t cover full-frame sensors, and they’re all rated T2, which is slower than the blazingly fast T.15 Sigma.
Sigma’s full range of cine lenses will be available in EF and E mount versions immediately, with PL mount versions said to be coming later. This might give us some hope, as Sigma is apparently targeting the lower budget market, offering EF and E mount before the PL, so those lenses will be priced very competitively. It’s unclear if these lenses will have interchangeable mounts (allowing them to be changed to PL in the future), but hopefully this is something Sigma is working on.
I’m really looking forward to trying out these lenses and using them in some future productions. If nothing else, I’m glad to see Sigma is changing the cine lens market and hope more lens manufacturers follow suit in the future.
Let me know what you think of these lenses in the comments below.
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