NiSi’s New Athena Cine Lenses Are Among the Most Affordable

Ahead of NAB 2023, NiSi unveiled its new Athena series of full-frame cinema prime lenses. Ranging from 14mm T2.4 to 85mm T1.9, the five lenses are now joined by three new Athena primes, filling in a couple of gaps in the existing range while expanding it to 135mm.

The trio of new lenses, bringing the Athena series to eight total lenses, comprises the NiSi Athena 18mm T2.2, 40mm T1.9, and 135mm T2.2. And like the prior Athena lenses, the new additions promise high-quality optical performance in a relatively compact, lightweight size and form factor.

The new lenses also share a general size and shape with the other Athena lenses. While the new 135mm T2.2 is noticeably longer than the seven other lenses, they all feature identical gearing positions for the focus and aperture control rings, meaning they can be swapped around in cinema rigs. Due to their similar weight distribution, they should also work reasonably well on gimbals. Each manual focus lens has a 300-degree focus throw.

And like NiSi’s prior Athena lenses, the new ones are available for the same diverse range of lens mounts, including Canon RF, Sony E, L-Mount, Fujifilm GF, and Arri PL.

In total, NiSi’s Athena cinema prime lens series now includes 14mm T2.4, 18mm T2.2 (new), 25mm T1.9, 35mm T1.9, 40mm T1.9 (new), 50mm T1.9, 85mm T1.9, and 135mm T2.2 (new) lenses. Interestingly, as DIY Photography notes, NiSi is going to sell all eight lenses in a new Athena Prime Master Kit for $8,999. However, the kit comes in a case with space for a ninth lens. Perhaps NiSi will release another Athena prime at some point, maybe between 85mm and 135mm. The new nine-lens case is also available separately for $299.

However, for now, it is an eight-lens kit and is available at a very competitive price for full-frame cinema lenses. $8,999 averages out to $1,124 per lens, which is remarkably affordable in the cine lens space. For videographers who already bought the first five Athena lenses, NiSi is offering a three-lens add-on kit with the trio of new primes for $3,499. The original five-lens kit is also still available for $5,798.

All NiSi Athena lenses are also available separately for $1,198 to $1,268 each. For complete details and specifications, visit NiSi’s website. The lenses are also available in different configurations, including those that accept drop-in filters and ones that do not.

Image credits: NiSi