Three budget NiSi Athena cinema lenses for Sony, Canon, and L-mount announced

NiSi unveiled its cinema prime lens range at NAB 2023, now featuring three additions: the 18mm T2.2, 40mm T1.9, and 135mm T2.2 Athena models. Uniform in design, these NiSi Athena cinema lenses offer exceptional optical quality, with consistent focus and aperture ring placements. Priced below $1,300, the Athena Prime series stands out for its affordability.

The NiSi Athena cinema lenses are uniform in size, weight, and ring placement for easy on-set lens swapping. The series features fast T1.9 aperture lenses, except the 18mm and 135mm models at T2.2.

The Athena cinema lenses, excluding the 135mm model, weigh approximately 800 grams with the industry-standard PL mount. With mirrorless mounts like Sony E-mount, Canon RF, or L-mount, the weight drops to 90 grams. Geared focus and aperture rings with luminescent markers ensure precision and visibility, providing cinematographers with razor-sharp image quality.

The trio of new lenses includes the 18mm T2.2 wide-angle with a 77mm front filter thread, consistent across the series except for the 14mm T2.4 lens. The 40mm T1.9 lens finds its niche between the classic 35mm and 50mm, regarded by the maker as an optimal focal length for full-frame or Vista Vision sensors. The 135mm T2.2 lens combines a high aperture with a lightweight, compact design, ideal for use with stabilization systems, while also aligning with the series’ ring configuration.

NiSi Athena cinema lenses price and release date

Each of the new cine lenses is affordably priced at $1,286. A three-lens bundle is offered in a durable case for $3,499. Bhphotovideo.com sells a complete eight-lens set for $8,999.

NiSi Athena cinema lenses offer the foundational PL mount. They also provide popular mirrorless camera options such as the Sony E-mount, L-mount, and Canon RF.

There are two models of these lenses: one includes a drop-in filter slot compatible with NiSi ND and Mist filters. The other model is sturdy and weatherproof, designed without a filter slot for mirrorless mounts.

The complete set targets budget-conscious cinematographers, ensuring quality without compromise. It includes the 18mm, 40mm, and 135mm lenses, thereby expanding the Athena Prime series.

Additionally, Viltrox has entered the market with its Epic anamorphic cinema lenses, the 100mm T2 and the 25mm T2 1.33x, both designed for full-frame cameras.