Irix has finally revealed the lens hidden in its teaser from recent weeks, and the revelation confirms what everybody expected: the new lens introduced for cinematographers is the Irix Cine 15mm T2.6. It should not be a surprise, if you’ve followed the path of the company, which since its very beginning said: our intention is to provide the cinematographers with the most advanced and versatile cinematic lenses.”
The Cine lenses family from Irix started in 2019, with the introduction of the Irix Cine 150mm T3.0 Macro 1:1 lens, an uncommon focal length for video… unless you understand its origins. The Irix Cine 150mm T3.0 Macro 1:1 lens is based on the Irix 150mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 for photography. It’s a path that Irix has followed with the other Cine lenses launched by the company: all of them have as source a lens created for photography, or are the source for a lens designed for stills.
The next lens in the Cine family was the Irix Cine 11mm T4.3, introduced in September 2019. With an “extremely short focal length, rectilinear image projection and the large image circle of 43.3mm” the lens has its roots in the ultra wide-angle, rectilinear, manual focus lens designed for DSLR cameras – Canon, Nikon and Pentax – introduced by the company in March 2017: the Irix 11mm f/4 lens.
The pattern was set, but as noted above, able to work both ways: that explains why the Irix Cine 45mm T1.5, the company’s third lens for cinematographers, introduced last October in four mounts – Canon EF, Sony E, Olympus / Panasonic MFT and Arri PL-mount -, was this March followed by a version for photographers, the Irix 45mm f/1.4, a full-frame manual focus lens for DSLR cameras.
If you compared the Irix families for photo and video just a week ago, you immediately saw that there was a lens missing for Cine: a 15mm. When the teaser for a new lens appeared, some people suggested it would be an 85mm lens or any other focal length, but the shape and the missing spot on the catalog made it obvious that a 15mm was coming. So, Irix has just announced the Irix Cine 15mm T2.6, available with PL, Canon EF, Sony E and MFT mount.
Designed for a variety of lighting conditions, the lens is a fast, filter-ready ultra wide-angle lens, which makes it an extremely versatile piece of equipment. Despite the ultra-wide field of view, its precise construction will ensure, says irix, “beautiful and vivid colors, image sharpness and minimal distortion. The high-quality construction ensures minimal focus breathing, which is an extremely important feature in film making.” Like all Irix Cine line lenses, it is designed for filming at a maximum resolution of 8K UHD, allowing for super-panorama shots (CinemaScope).
Sealed housing, for all weather conditions
The Irix Cine 15mm T2.6 optical system is made up of 15 elements arranged in 11 groups (including 3 HR lenses, 2 EDs, and 2 ASPs). The housing is made of a lightweight and impact-resistant aluminum-magnesium alloy which has been successfully used and tested in the Irix Blackstone still lenses. Focus and aperture marks are laser engraved and filled with UV paint. This makes them visible, even in low-light environments. Ready to shoot in all weather conditions, the lens features rubber seals placed in all the crucial points to ensure protection against rain or dust.
Quiet and smooth rotation of the focus ring was achieved thanks to the new MST lens positioning system – created specially for the Irix Cine range. The Multi Start Thread mechanism, in combination with a sealed housing, ensures durable and long-term operation of the lens in various atmospheric conditions even in the most demanding situations. The rotation angle of the focus ring is increased to 180 degrees, which makes focusing easy and accurate at any range.
Thanks to the low weight (every Irix Cine lens weighs about 1.1 kilograms / 2,4lbs), they can be used on smaller cameras on handheld rigs or stabilizers as well as on professional setups. In order to achieve greater comfort while working with follow focus systems, the Irix Cine lenses are equipped with a lens support foot. Depending on your needs, this support foot can be attached to the lower or upper part of the lens.
As Irix’s other Cine lenses, the Irix Cine 15mm T2.6 is equipped with a unique Magnetic Mount System for accessories. The MMS system allows quick and easy attachment of variety dedicated accessories. The first of the new MMS accessories is the detachable and reversible lens hood (included with a lens). More accessories coming soon, says the company.
Priced at $1,195.00, the Irix Cine 15mm T2.6 is available now, with PL, Canon EF, Sony E and MFT mount. The whole family of Cine lenses from Irix now includes four focal lenghts: 11, 15, 45 and 150mm.