The best cinema lenses for your X-mount cameras?
A few weeks later, They were back in my hands. I’ve tested them before but this time there is a tiny little difference with the previous sets I had… They are now available X-mount, making them a great companion for your Fujifilm X-mount cameras.
I am not going to deliver a long speech here because, to be honest, I’ve already said what I had to say in my first video about these lenses. My Dance tango video was entirely shot with it, I was pleased with the look of these lenses, and for the price, there is really not much to complain about.
The choice of lenses for a project is personal and tied to your judgment of what’s necessary to tell your story. And it’s great to have manufacturers now offering these cinema lenses that are specially built for video, for smoother, more precise focus pulls, and with a look that helps mitigate that digital sometimes oversharp look.
I said in the intro that they are now available for the X-Mount, so if you are a Fujifilm video shooter and don’t want to bother using an adapter, these could be made for you. The great built quality hasn’t changed, the image I exactly how I remember it. I still believe they are a great entry to cinema lenses.
I have yet to have a lens with no focus breathing, but here I feel it is very well-controlled and barely noticeable here.
The short portrait video I filmed with my buddy Charline was made during the time I was testing the low-light capabilities of the XH2s. I shot everything Handheld in Prores RAW. This is where having lenses that offer a T1.5 max aperture can come in handy. It could also be the reason why you will seriously consider these lenses.
The next clips I included in this review are from a project I am currently working on where I was able to use all three lenses, the 15mm, 21mm, and 30mm respectively. They still have the same form factor as each other so they are readily interchangeable and identical in operation, allowing you to change focal lengths in no time.
They are now on my list for any commercial or narrative work I might do. They are rather small, and not too heavy so for any handheld, or gimbal work you should not struggle to balance them.
The one thing that unfortunately hasn’t changed is the focus ring that I still find a bit stiff. It is balanced and allows you to pull focus smoothly, but if you are using a wireless focus system, it better be strong.
Competition is tough these days, as there are more and more affordable lenses hitting the market right now. Anamorphic lenses are flooding the market, and personally, I won’t complain, more options to choose from, with various budgets, less excuses to not go out and create.
In the market of affordable cinema lenses, these are in my top 5, worth considering. Have you got any suggestions? What are your favorite cinema lenses that sell for under 2K dollars? Under 1.5K? Tell us in the comments below. Just in case you wish to get your hands on these, please consider getting them via these affiliated links to support the blog: