IBC 2016 last month turned out to be quite heavy on cine lens announcements, which in a way echoed the major cine lens announcements we saw back in April during NAB in Las Vegas. However, this year at IBC more traditional stills lens manufacturers like Tokina and Sigma entered the cine lens arena by announcing some pretty sweet new lenses specifically designed for cinematography. Back then, Sigma announced two Super 35 coverage cine high speed zoom lenses – the 18-35mm T2 and the 50-100mm T2, and now we have official pricing or the US. Both cine zooms are going to be available in early December in Sony E and Canon EF mounts and are priced at $3,999 each. We still don’t have EU/UK pricing and availability, nor do we have pricing for the 24-35mm T2.2 Full-Frame zoom or more importantly to some – the Sigma Cine Primes 20mm, 24, 35, 50, and 85mm T1.5, which were also announced at IBC 2016 last month in Amsterdam.
The Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 ($799 at B&H) stills counterpart, on which the cine version is based on, is a fantastic lens that has been getting rave reviews from the indie filmmaking community as the lens delivers truly outstanding sharp images throughout the range. And while the 50-100mm T2, which is again based on the same optics as in the 50-100mm f1.8 stills version, still seem to exhibit focus breathing to get a factory cine high speed zoom with Sigma optics for $4K is still a hell of a good deal.
For comparison purposes, GL Optics do make a third party cine version of the Sigma 18-35mm which costs $3500 with a 120 focus throw, and $4350 for the 300 degree focus throw version; both in PL mounts. The GL Optics version was the preferred choice before the announcement of Sigma’s own cine versions, and now given the official price, might as well just get the Sigma version, which may not have a 300 degree focus throw (I think it’s around 180 degrees, but don’t quote me on that), but will do the job for 95% of people out there.
PRESS RELEASE
New York, NY – October 20, 2016 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading DSLR lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, announced today that the Cine High Speed Zoom 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2 lenses will begin shipping on December 9, 2016 for a retail price of $3,999.00 USD. Born from the new Sigma Cine family of products, the High Speed Zoom lenses leverage the outstanding optical design of the company’s world-renowned Global Vision still photography lenses. Combined with the 100% new mechanical lens body design, the Cine lenses meet needs of advanced 6k and 8k cinema production with the core optical quality DNA that has defined the Sigma benchmark of imaging excellence.
See the Sigma Cine Family of Products at PDN/PPE 2016 Expo
Demonstrated for the first time to the public in the United States, attendees to the 2016 PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo (PPE), held at the Javits Convention Center in New York City from October 20-22, 2016, can see first-hand the new Sigma Cine family of lenses:
Cine High Speed Zoom Line – 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2
The high speed zoom line, which is compatible with the Super35 image size standard, offers the constant aperture of T2 throughout the zoom range with superior optical performance that is capable of high-resolution 6K-8K shooting. Delivering the highest image quality in its class, the High Speed Zoom is ergonomically compact and designed for E, EF and PL camera system mounts.
Cine FF Zoom Line – 24-35mm T2.2 FF
Compatible with a full-frame image sensor, the FF Zoom’s outstanding optical performance also supports 6K-8K shooting. Because so few lenses cater to the requirements of the latest digital cinema cameras’ image sensors, this line provides a rare option for cinematographers. The FF Zoom is designed for E and EF camera system mounts.
Cine FF High Speed Prime Line – 20mm T1.5 FF, 24mm T1.5 FF, 35mm T1.5 FF, 50mm T1.5 FF and 85mm T1.5 FF
The Cine High Speed Prime lineup features lenses ranging from 20mm to 85mm, with all five touting an aperture of T1.5. Highly compact and compatible with full-frame sensors, these lenses offer superior resolution. They bring a consistent level of light to the production, offering greater consistency to any film’s colour, contrast and overall look before it enters post-production. The FF High Speed Prime line is designed for E, EF and PL camera system mounts.
[via Sigma]
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