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| Credit: NiSi |
With NAB 2018 just a few days away, the video gear news is coming fast and furious. Atomos shared some exciting news for Panasonic EVA1 shooters, Apple revealed the new ProRes RAW format, Adobe’s video apps got some major updates, and now the more unexpected of them all: NiSi, the camera filter company, has released a set of cinema primes.
If this news had come out on April 1st, it would have been suspect. Alas, it’s April 6th, and the new NiSi F3 cinema lenses are very much real.
Designed to cover full-frame sensors, the NiSi F3 lenses will come with interchangeable PL, Canon EF, and Sony E mounts. There are five lenses in all—25mm T2.1, 35mm T2, 50mm T2, 75mm T2, and 100mm T2—and each is built within an identical housing for maximum convenience when fitting lens accessories. NiSi plans to add an 18mm lens to the lineup in mid-2018, but here’s a closer look at current lineup, followed by a detailed spec breakdown:
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Regarding the F3 lens line’s performance, NiSi promises that the lenses’ “apochromatic optical design […] results in excellent Axial aberration and Transverse aberration performance. It gives a natural and pure color with almost no purple/green fringing both within focus and in bokeh.”
The company also claims “the lenses contain a unique optical coating design which controls dispersion perfectly while retaining rich details.” This allegedly results in “stylized flare and contrast enhancement.”
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| Credit: NiSi |
The lenses are currently live for pre-order on the NiSi website, where you’ll need to put in a deposit of $ 1,000 per lens. Shipping is expected to start on June 1st, and you can see the retail prices listed below:
- NiSi F3 25mm T2.1 – $ 3,000
- NiSi F3 35mm T2 – $ 2,500
- NiSi F3 50mm T2 – $ 2,500
- NiSi F3 75mm T2 – $ 2,500
- NiSi F3 100mm T2 – $ 3,000
- Full Set of Five Lenses – $ 12,000
Note that if you pre-order before April 30th, you can take advantage of a $ 500 discount on each individual lens, or the full set of five. That means that, for the next 24 days, it’s actually cheaper to buy all five lenses individually because of the $ 2,500 in total discounts you’d be getting.
To learn more about the Nisi F3 cinema prime lenses or pre-order a set for yourself, head over to the NiSi website.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
