Lens designer Sigma isn’t just entering the cinema market — it’s heading into new territory armed with eight new lenses designed for high-resolution recording from 6K to 8K. After announcing them in early September, the company will release five T1.5 lenses this summer, along with two T2 lenses. They will join the two zoom options launched late last year.
The T1.5 prime lenses will ship in EF and E mounts beginning in May, and in PL mounts in June, with each priced at $3,499. The price of the T2 lenses, a 14mm and 135mm, have not yet been announced, but they’re expected to ship in July. The company’s cinema zoom lenses, the 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2, retail for $4,o00 each and began shipping in December.
Sigma’s entry into the cinema market is a response to the increased demand for a lens capable of keeping up with today’s highest-resolution digital sensors, the company said in a press release. Sigma, a company that’s known for its more budget-friendly third-party lenses, says that it developed the technology to mass produce lenses designed for high-resolution cameras.
The Cine lens line will have three different categories. All lenses will feature a waterproof design with a 180-degree focus rotation, as well as optics designed for high-resolution cameras. High-speed zoom lenses will offer a constant T/2 aperture, with a compact design. The high-speed zooms are expected to include an 18-35 mm and a 50-100 mm. A single full-frame zoom lens, the 24-35 mm T/2.2, will offer an option that is tougher to come by, with both full-frame compatibility and optics designed specifically for ultra-high resolutions.
Each of the lenses are expected to accommodate 82mm filters, with the exception of the two widest prime lenses — which cannot take filters at all — and will also fit standard accessories, including follow-focus tools with a 95mm-front diameter. While the iris can be controlled manually, an electronic connection to the camera will embed the lens details in the file’s metadata.
The upcoming cinema lenses will join Sigma’s art, contemporary and sport lens lineups.
This story was originally published in September 2016. Updated on 4-25-17 by Hillary Grigonis: Added pricing and expected availability.
