Sigma Corporation announced the Aizu Prime fast cinema lenses, the world’s first T1.3 aperture cinema lens series, at the CineGear exhibition in Los Angeles. The professional-grade series will include twelve full-frame lenses covering focal lengths from 18mm to 125mm. They will be available in PL and E mounts.
Sigma’s pride and joy is its aperture, or more accurately, light transmittance, of T1.3. The manufacturer claims that this enables shooting with a very shallow depth of field, beautiful bokeh, and what Sigma calls an “organic and natural look.” The company says it designed its Sigma Aizu lenses from the ground up for video. These lenses deliver ‘beautiful texture and depth in visuals,’ while also controlling distortion and minimizing focus breathing — two crucial factors for filmmakers.
The Sigma Aizu Prime lenses are pretty compact and lightweight for their aperture. Sigma promises that the lenses are designed to be easily used with a stabilizer. The first eight lenses in the series have a uniform front diameter of 95 mm, ensuring a convenient workflow, and their length ranges from 125 to 128.8 mm. They also do not differ significantly in weight, ranging from 1.6 to 1.7 kg. The parameters for the E-mount and PL-mount models will vary slightly.
Sigma has announced 12 Aizu Prime lenses and plans to release them in stages. First, it will launch eight lenses ranging from 25mm to 75mm, whose specifications are already available. Next, it will introduce the 18mm and 21mm wide-angle lenses, followed by the 100mm and 125mm telephoto lenses. Sigma is still finalizing the last four lenses, so their specifications remain unavailable.
Sigma Aizu Prime Price and Release Date
The eight lenses in the Sigma Aizu series—25mm T1.3 LF, 27mm T1.3 LF, 32mm T1.3 LF, 35mm T1.3 LF, 40mm T1.3 LF, 50mm T1.3 LF, 65mm T1.3 LF, and 75mm T1.3 LF—are now available for pre-order on B&H Photo. Furthermore, they are scheduled to go on sale in August, each priced at $8,299. However, there is still no word on the release dates or pricing for the remaining four lenses.
All Sigma Aizu lenses are manual focus, which is standard for cinema lenses. Moreover, the minimum focusing distance for the first eight lenses in the series ranges from 0.31m to 0.73m. This close focusing capability, in turn, enables filmmakers to capture what Sigma describes as “striking close-ups,” which ultimately help create “visual tension and dramatic effects.”
All 12 lenses in the Sigma Aizu Prime lineup offer complete coverage for full-frame and Super 35 sensors, as well as some of the latest large-format cameras, including the Arri Alexa LF Open Gate and VistaVision.
The lenses support Zeiss eXtended Data technology, which enables the acquisition of real-time lens metadata during shooting to correct distortion and shading, simplifying editing and VFX workflows.
Back in February this year, Sigma introduced a new mirrorless camera — the Sigma BF. Designed with an aluminum unibody and a simplified control scheme, it focuses solely on essential photography. Currently, it is available on B&H Photo for $2,199 in both Silver and Black options.
