Sirui Announces ‘Sniper’ Primes for APS-C, the Company’s First AF Lenses
Sirui makes many interesting, affordable lenses, including the sub-$500 “Night Walker” cinema lenses for APS-C and Super35 sensors and the world’s smallest anamorphic lens for full-frame cameras. Sirui has provided CineD an exclusive look at a set of new “Sniper” f/1.2 autofocus prime lenses designed for APS-C mirrorless cameras.
At IBC 2023, Sirui delivered an exclusive backstage look at its upcoming Sirui Sniper series of lenses. The series will comprise 23mm, 33mm, and 56mm f/1.2 lenses and launch in Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Nikon Z mounts.
Built for APS-C image sensors, the lenses offer equivalent focal lengths of about 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm, a popular trinity for fast prime lenses. They should be very well-suited to portraiture. Sirui tells CineD that two more focal lengths will join the Sniper family next year.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of the Sniper lenses is that they are autofocus primes. They are Sirui’s first autofocus lenses for mirrorless cameras. “Developing an autofocus technology from scratch is a daunting task, so it will be interesting to see if the Sniper lenses can keep up with AF systems from well-established manufacturers of the likes of Sigma and Tokina, for example,” writes Francesco Andreola for CineD.
Each of the first three Sniper lenses incorporates a 58mm filter thread and weighs around 0.88 pounds (400 grams). CineD reports that the minimum focus distances of the lenses range from about 30 centimeters to 50 centimeters, with the 23mm lens offering the closest focusing distance.
The Sirui Sniper 23mm f/1.2, 33mm f/1.2, and 56mm f/1.2 lenses will be available in black or white colorways this November. As seen in CineD’s video, the black version includes parts that look like carbon fiber and some gray accents, while the white lenses have a glossy, ceramic-like finish that is quite unusual for photographic lenses.
Sirui is still nailing down precise pricing information for its new autofocus Sniper lenses. Still, the company anticipates that it will sell each lens for around €350, which is equivalent to around $375 at current exchange rates.
As Sirui often does with its new lenses, the trio of Sirui Sniper f/1.2 primes will launch first as part of an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. The campaign should commence before the expected lens release in November.
Disclaimer: Make sure you do your own research into any crowdfunding project you’re considering backing. While we aim to only share legitimate and trustworthy campaigns, there’s always a real chance that you can lose your money when backing any crowdfunded project.
Image credits: Featured image is a screenshot from CineD’s video. Additional images of the lenses are available on CineD.
