IRIX CINE LENSES
T he Irix lens brand decided to take a different approach to the cine lens market, in a bid to stand out against its more established – and expensive – competition. Instead of starting by making the most popular focal lengths like 50mm or 35mm, the initial launches were something more extreme. First came a 150mm T3 macro lens, which can give 1:1 reproduction for super close- ups. It’s a great short telephoto lens, with a second focusing ring called the adaptive ring for easier handheld use. Then came some very short focal lengths, like the 11mm T4.3 extreme super-wide and 15mm T2.6 super- wide. The 11mm offers a unique angle of view, while the 15mm is far more useful as it gives a very wide field-of-view on full-frame cameras, and a roughly 20mm equivalent on Super 35 sensors. Now, the range includes more conventional glass, with three fast T1.5 lenses – 21, 30 and 45mm optics. Although, these are still a tad different from more common 20, 28, 35 or 50mm. What hasn’t changed is the fact that none of the lenses feel like a budget option. Build quality and styling are amazing, and there are some standout features like
SIBLING GLASS Even though one lens is very wide and the other ‘standard’, the sizing is consistent for fast rig changes
SPECIFICATIONS Irix 21mm T1.5 (figures in
brackets for 45mm) Price: £1190/$1195 (£1195/$1095)
Mounts: Sony E, Canon EF and RF, Micro Four Thirds, PL, Nikon Z, Leica L Aperture range: T1.5-16 (T1.5-22) Optical construction: 15 elements in 11 groups (11 elements in nine groups) Aperture blades: 11 rounded (9) Close focusing: 30cm/11.8in (35cm/13.8in) Lens marking: Metric, imperial Focus rotation: 180° Iris rotation: 75° Front diameter: 95mm Dimensions (lxd): 127x95mm/5x3.7in (Canon EF) Weight: 1105g/2.4lb (Canon EF) magnetically attached lens hoods on all but the three widest; these use non-removable petal hoods. On lenses like the 45mm, the hood fastens on thanks to magnets. This magnetic system works with the Irix filter range, too. Not only that, focus breathing is well-controlled across the range, and images are very sharp with neutral colours. Shot wide open, there is a certain softness to the aesthetic that looks remarkably like a more expensive cinema lens. We put the 21mm and 45mm versions to the test on a range of cameras, from a 12-megapixel
OCEAN VIEW The 21mm Irix gives a wide view when you don’t have much room to move, like perched on the bow of a boat
“Build quality and styling are amazing, and there are some standout features like magnetically attached hoods”
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