SIRUI Sniper f/1.2 Autofocus Prime Trio for APS-C Mirrorless Cameras Officially Announced

Lens News

by Omri Keren LapidotNovember 10^th, 2023

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The first-ever autofocus-enabled lenses from SIRUI will launch via an IndieGoGo campaign that opens its doors on November 20th. The Sniper series consists of three prime lenses – 23mm, 33mm, and 56mm. All three are identical in size and similar in weight. Optical characteristics are also aligned – perfect for visual and mechanical continuity.

SIRUI is relatively new to lens manufacturing and already provided the industry with some innovative optics. These include some anamorphic sets, cine-macro lenses, and more, but until now they all shared a common trait – Manual operation.

The Sniper series changes that with a Trio of classic focal length lenses boasting an extremely fast f/1.2 aperture. The trio will mount to Sony E-Mount, FUJIFILM X-Mount, and Nikon Z-Mount, and will cover the APS-C / Super35 format. The Sniper set was first shown as part of CineD IBC coverage – make sure to check out our exclusive interview here.

SIRUI Sniper – the importance of the set

Cine optics are known to come in sets. This enables visual and mechanical continuity across all focal lengths. It also means quick and easy switching between different lenses on specific rigs, mechanical steady shots, or gimbals. This practice is not that common among stills or hybrid systems. Though we all know Canon’s L series or SIGMA’s ART series – those share few practical similarities. One actual set is LUMIX’s f/1.8 primes, consisting of five lenses – 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm, all similar in size, weight, and rendering. Like Panasonic, SIRUI also exploits its learned cine knowledge and experience to produce this unique f/1.2 Sniper set.

Similarities and diferences

As mentioned above, all Sniper lenses share the basic build. However, they do differ in weight, with the 23mm being the lightest at 380g and the 56mm being the heaviest at 422g. Weights also slightly change between mounts, but we’re splitting hairs here.

All lenses use the common and compact 58mm front filter thread. Additionally, they all use 11 aperture blades to render relatively round bokeh at any aperture. Focus throw (rotation angle) is a massive 360° on all three lenses. This is excellent for precise focusing but may be a little slow for mainstream manual focus. Lastly, all three lenses include a USB-C port for future updates and are available in white, black or silver with a touch of carbon fiber.

The fastest set available for respective systems

Well, that’s a manipulative statement since no other true sets are available for the E, X, or Z mount systems… But although some lenses do provide equal or even faster apertures (like the monstrous FUJIFILM XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR), SIRUI does provide a unique option, especially for hybrid shooters who value continuity, and does so while significantly cutting the price.

Price and availability

SIRUI’s campaign for the Sniper lenses will launch on IndieGoGo on November 20th. Each lens will retail for $349, but you can sign up here to get access to the Super Early Bird Price of $299. Moreover, the 3-piece set will cost $999 (Super Early Bird Price: $849).

For more information, and full lens/camera comparability, please visit SIRUI’s campaign here.

What do you think of SIRUI’s first autofocus lenses? Do you think their AF system can compete with proprietary mechanisms? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!