Nissi Athena Lenses: Filmmaker’s Budget Dream

Hey, what’s up, everyone? If you’re into filmmaking or just love geeking out about camera gear, you’ve probably heard about the Nissi Athena Cinema Prime Lenses. Let me tell you, these lenses are a game-changer, especially if you’re working on a budget. I mean, who doesn’t love getting top-tier performance without breaking the bank?

Why These Lenses Stand Out

In my opinion, the Nissi Athena lenses are what I’d call “endgame” lenses. You know, the kind you buy and never feel the need to upgrade. Why? Well, they nail four key areas: speed, size, price, and performance. Let’s break it down.

Speed and Focal Lengths

First off, these lenses are fast. Like, fast. Most of them come in at T1.9, except for the 14mm, which is T2.4. That’s a big deal if you’re shooting in low light or want that dreamy, shallow depth of field. Right now, there are five focal lengths available: 14mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm. And guess what? A 135mm is coming next year. Exciting, right?

Size and Design

Two Nisi Athena lenses showcased against a sleek black backdrop, highlighting their modern design and precision engineering.

Another thing I love? These lenses are tiny. If you’ve ever struggled with balancing a heavy lens on a gimbal, you’ll appreciate how compact these are. They’re all roughly the same size and weight, which makes switching between them a breeze. Plus, they’ve got that classic cinema lens look—gears in the same position, markings on both sides, and even glow-in-the-dark paint for low-light shoots.

Price Point

Now, let’s talk money. Each lens costs around 1,000, and a full set will set you back about 1,000, and a full set will set you back about 5,000. Compared to other cinema lenses, that’s a steal. You’re getting faster, smaller, and better-performing lenses for less. What’s not to love?

Performance

But here’s the real kicker: the performance. These lenses outperform a lot of other budget options, especially when it comes to color consistency and chromatic aberration. I’ve used other budget lenses like the Mikey Cinema Primes, and while they’re great, the Nissi Athena lenses just blow them out of the water. The 14mm, 50mm, and 85mm are particularly impressive, with almost no chromatic aberration. The 35mm? Well, it’s good, but not quite on the same level as the others.

A Few Drawbacks

Of course, no product is perfect. The biggest downside is the limited focal lengths. Right now, you’ve only got five to choose from, though the upcoming 135mm will help. Also, the 35mm, while decent, doesn’t quite match the performance of the other lenses in the set. And if you’re planning to use these with adapters, keep in mind that the PL mount versions protrude quite a bit, so they might not work with every adapter out there.

The **Nissi Athena Cinema Prime Lenses** are versatile and can be used with a variety of camera mounts, making them a great choice for filmmakers with different setups. Here are the mounts they support:

COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER CAMERAS & MOUNTS

1. **PL Mount** – Ideal for professional cinema cameras like ARRI, RED, or Blackmagic.

2. **Canon RF Mount** – Perfect for Canon mirrorless cameras like the EOS R5 or R6.

3. **Sony E Mount** – Works with Sony mirrorless cameras like the A7 series or FX3.

4. **L Mount** – Compatible with Panasonic, Sigma, and Leica mirrorless cameras.

Additionally, Nissi offers options for **drop-in filters** on mirrorless mounts (like E or RF), making them even more flexible for run-and-gun shooting. If you’re using adapters, the PL mount versions can be adapted to other systems, but keep in mind they protrude a bit, so not all adapters with speed boosters or internal filters will work.

In short, these lenses are designed to work with **full-frame or Vista Vision cameras**, so they’re pretty much compatible with any modern camera system you’re using! 🎥

So I Think

So, are these lenses worth it? In my opinion, absolutely. If you’re a filmmaker on a budget, the Nissi Athena Cinema Prime Lenses are a fantastic option. They’re fast, compact, and affordable and deliver stunning image quality. Sure, they’re not perfect, but they’re pretty close.

What do you think? Have you tried these lenses yet? Let me know in the comments below!