NEW PODCAST: Wood vs. Silicon Valley: A DIY Digital Bolex, OpenAI Buys the Portrait Mode Team – Focus Check ep135 →🎙️ WATCH/LISTEN Now
Watch/Listen NowA DIY Digital Bolex & OpenAI Buys the Portrait Mode Team🎙️NEW PODCAST
Education for Filmmakers
Language
The CineD Channels
Info
New to CineD?
You are logged in as
We will send you notifications in your browser, every time a new article is published in this category.
You can change which notifications you are subscribed to in your notification settings.
Consistency and precision are two of the main reasons cine primes are more expensive than comparable photo lenses. There are plenty of zero-compromise, high-end cine prime lenses available from renowned manufacturers, often priced as high as a luxury car. However, most of these lenses are large, heavy, and designed to be operated by a full film crew. That’s why we love this selection of compact cine prime lenses that won’t break the bank!
The market for more affordable cine lenses that offer the same practical features as higher-end models has grown over the past few years. Both established and emerging lens manufacturers have taken up the challenge of producing lenses with some high-end cine lens traits, but in a more lightweight, compact, and—most importantly—affordable package.
We have compiled a list of excellent lenses that cover full-frame sensors, are compact, lightweight, and capable of delivering great images. No matter if you are working as a solo filmmaker or are part of a film crew, these lenses will fit your style.
As always, you can find all the available cine prime lenses in detail using our extensive lens catalog, which forms the foundation of our Lens Database. We encourage you to dive in and explore on your own!
For reference, here are some examples of high-end cine primes built to withstand the rigors of large productions with crews operating and taking care of them: Angenieux Optimo Prime, ARRI Signature Prime, Cooke S8/i, Leitz Prime, Zeiss Supreme Prime.
The Cooke SP3 lenses represent the latest addition to the Cooke lens lineup and offer the most affordable option to get a taste of the famous "Cooke Look". The lenses are extremely compact and lightweight, and feature greatly decreased focus…
The Cooke SP3 lenses represent the latest addition to the Cooke lens lineup and offer the most affordable option to get a taste of the famous "Cooke Look". The lenses are extremely compact and lightweight, and feature greatly decreased focus throw compared to other Cooke lenses. This makes pulling focus for camera operators much more manageable.
The SP3 lenses match perfectly with Cooke Panchro/i classic lenses.
The DULENS APO Mini Primes feature a special coating that makes skin tones look smoother. The overall image has a vintage feel because of the halation and pleasing rainbow flares. The apochromatic (APO) design reduces color fringing, especially when shooting…
The DULENS APO Mini Primes feature a special coating that makes skin tones look smoother. The overall image has a vintage feel because of the halation and pleasing rainbow flares. The apochromatic (APO) design reduces color fringing, especially when shooting wide open.
With a large selection of focal lengths and interchangeable lens mounts, the DZOFilm Vespid 2 primes are a very versatile investment and feature a great update of their predecessor. With fast T-stops and smooth bokeh, they are a solid choice…
With a large selection of focal lengths and interchangeable lens mounts, the DZOFilm Vespid 2 primes are a very versatile investment and feature a great update of their predecessor. With fast T-stops and smooth bokeh, they are a solid choice for many different types of projects, no matter whether you utilize lens diffusion or use them as-is.
Kipon is usually known for their high-quality lens adapters and photo lenses. With the COLIBRI line, Kipon created a lightweight and compact set of cine prime lenses that feature a very unique star shaped bokeh. The lenses offer neutral and…
Kipon is usually known for their high-quality lens adapters and photo lenses. With the COLIBRI line, Kipon created a lightweight and compact set of cine prime lenses that feature a very unique star shaped bokeh. The lenses offer neutral and vivid color rendering. Interchangeable lens mounts make the COLIBRI primes a bargain at that price point.
The NiSi Athena primes caused quite a stir when they were introduced, mostly because of their aggressive price point, great optical qualities and fast t-stop. The Athena feature a very neutral look, which makes them a great fit for a…
The NiSi Athena primes caused quite a stir when they were introduced, mostly because of their aggressive price point, great optical qualities and fast t-stop. The Athena feature a very neutral look, which makes them a great fit for a majority of productions, whether you like a clean look or add more style using filters. Built-in filter trays even let you add filtration in the rear of the lens.
This CF version of the XEEN lenses takes the great optics of the original XEEN lenses and sheds some weight thanks to the carbon fiber housing. Samyang (also called Rokinon in parts of the world) created a set of cine…
This CF version of the XEEN lenses takes the great optics of the original XEEN lenses and sheds some weight thanks to the carbon fiber housing. Samyang (also called Rokinon in parts of the world) created a set of cine prime lenses that builds on their popular photo-centric lenses, but inside of a proper cine housings for precise operation and focus pulling.
Building on the legacy of the Compact Prime series of lenses, the ZEISS Nano primes build a bridge between the compact nature of Compact Primes and the look and characteristics of the very popular high-end Supreme Primes. The Nano primes…
Building on the legacy of the Compact Prime series of lenses, the ZEISS Nano primes build a bridge between the compact nature of Compact Primes and the look and characteristics of the very popular high-end Supreme Primes. The Nano primes are a great match for Sony's latest mirrorless and cine-centric cameras like the BURANO, FX9, FX6, FX3.
The bokeh is very pleasing, because of a fast aperture of T1.5 throughout the range, and a 12-blade iris.