NAB Interview

I actually got to try these lenses on an URSA at the show:

Zooms available at

• https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1324193-REG/sigma_210967_18_35mm_t2_cine_zoom.html
• https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1324195-REG/sigma_693967_50_100mm_t2_cine_zoom.html

50-100mm T2 test

50-100mm test

Sigma Japan told that 18-35mm T2.0 and Sigma 50-100mm T2.0 will start shipping in December 2016.

All other lenses will be ready only late in 2017.

Great to hear about the breathing and that they are parfocal after all.

Unlike the cheap Rokinon Cine DS that were straight rehousing of the Rokinon still photos, these Sigma Cine lenses are completely built from the ground up save the optics. New gearing, better material, higher build tolerance and precision, hard stops, expanded focus, aperture, and zoom range, and not the mention parfocal performance are NOT zero costs.

But all this is done by same engineers, and their salary really do not change if they work on Cine lenses or cheap kit zooms. It is already included in regular expenses.

Almost all means of production was already present before Cine lenses production. Of course they can get few new stuff, but I am sure that to load it fully it is utilized for other lenses also.

I do not know precisely about Sigma, but I know about some other premium product in same price ranges and know about huge margins (it does not mean that profit is too big, as sales are not) and how owners are super angry if someone ask to lower margins.

How do I know all of this? Because 2 months before this was all announced I was invited by Duclos Lenses here in Los Angeles to attend a private presentation along with other cinematographers by the Sigma USA President and Sigma Global President to showcase these lenses.

Can you write in more details about this here?

Maybe I'm just used to working with ARRI, Cooke, Angenieux, and Fujinon lenses, so my perspective on "affordable" lenses is much different than the majority of people in this forum, but I do think that these Sigma lenses are priced attractively.

I know quite good amount of people on PV who also used top lenses. They just are not too vocal.

I think all industry made wrong choice and went to the past instead of looking to the future with cine lenses construction and design.

$4,000 for these the 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2 is actually hell of a deal, considering how much typical cinema zoom with proper gearing/housing and parfocal performance usually cost, let alone with that T2 speed!

They cost so much for a reason - as price include all development costs, extremely inefficient production costs, and all owners profit (and this guys are very greedy), very inefficient running costs (where most of tech people do nothing for most of the time) and all this is spread on tiny amount of sold lenses.

With Sigma we have all the means of production and development costs and all optical part already covered, it is actually almost zero cost for such firm.

It's a small market, so yeah the price reflects that.

Having said that, in terms of optical quality, speed, and having mechanics of a proper cine lens, these are kind of in a class of their own for the price. The Xeen's are not even close optically, and everything else is more expensive.

There are two issues though, for a pricey cine lens: They are most likely not truly parfocal, and the big one breathes like crazy. It remains to be seen if those traits are addressed at all in the cine versions. Doubtful since you'd imagine they would trumpet that very loudly in the PR.

@IronFilm

This lenses and prices are aimed at corporations and media outlets that are bigger and bigger, plus on large rental houses. Margins of such lenses are huge (as only metal parts are unique, all optics are mass produced and cheap).

Prices really deliver

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 $3999.00 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 color, 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.