Name: NiSi ATHENA PRIME 50mm T1.9 Cinema Lens with Filter Holder, Leica L
Brand: NiSi
SKU: IANICATH50L
Price: 1269.00 USD
Availability: BackOrder
Rating: 4.8 (6 reviews)

NiSi ATHENA PRIME 50mm T1.9 Cinema Lens with Filter Holder, Leica L

NiSi ATHENA PRIME

NiSi

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Generally ships in 7-14 days, subject to availability Estimated to Ship: 08/01/2025.

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NiSi Digital Cinema Lenses

NiSi ATHENA PRIME 

Capture stunning visuals with the NiSi ATHENA PRIME 50mm T1.9 L-Mount Cinema Lens. Exceptional image quality, T1.9 aperture. Shop now!

Under the banner of precision and performance, the NiSi ATHENA PRIME 50mm T1.9 Cinema Lens for Leica L Mount emerges as a paragon of optical excellence for the discerning filmmaker and photographer. This professional-grade lens is meticulously engineered to deliver high-quality imagery with maximum micro-contrast control and ultra-low chromatic aberration, ensuring that every frame captures the finest details with exceptional clarity.The ATHENA PRIME's fast T1.9 aperture not only excels in low-light environments but also provides a shallow depth of field, allowing for exquisite background separation and the creation of soft, pleasing bokeh. This feature is indispensable for artists aiming to convey a sense of depth and focus on their subject, whether in still photography or cinematic storytelling.A standout feature of this reliable and durable lens is its innovative drop-in filter mount, compatible with the Leica L Mount. This system affords filmmakers a more flexible workflow and heightened creative control, enabling the swift addition of ND filters, polarizers, or other creative filters without the cumbersome process of attaching them to the lens's front element. This design not only streamlines filter changes but also minimizes the risk of damaging the lens during fast-paced shoots.Designed with the filmmaker's needs in mind, the ATHENA PRIME 50mm lens boasts minimal focus breathing. This ensures a consistent field of view when adjusting focus from the minimum distance to infinity, a critical aspect for maintaining visual continuity during focus pulls. The 300-degree rotation of the focus ring, marked with fluorescent focal scales, provides precise control and ease of use in various lighting conditions.The ATHENA PRIME Series is characterized by its versatility, with lenses ranging from the ultra-wide 14mm to the portrait-friendly 85mm, all designed to cover full-frame sensors with a 46mm image circle. The uniformity across the series is evident in the matched weights and sizes, which negate the need for rebalancing when changing lenses on a gimbal, and the standardized 77mm filter thread (excluding the 14mm) that simplifies the use of lens accessories.In summary, the NiSi ATHENA PRIME 50mm T1.9 Cinema Lens for Leica L Mount is a versatile, high-quality, and professional choice for filmmakers and photographers seeking unparalleled image quality and creative freedom. Its robust construction, thoughtful design, and optical precision make it a reliable tool for creating compelling visual narratives across a spectrum of genres and styles.

Love these lenses, this makes my second Athena Prime. I'm running them on my C70 with DJI Focus Pro for making it autofocus, the footage is ??

Great lens + great price = happy customer!

Amazing lens for the value. Paired it with a C70 and the DJI Lidar system. Love the colors and sharpness of this lens. I was hesitant at first, since the brand is new to the market- but I'm considering another focal length soon.

Great quality lens

Great budget lens, currently using with the DJI lidar/focus pro system. Unsure if this is chromatic aberration - subject outlines with pink color were noticeable when filming low-light with blue (240) 300w key.

Budget lens

This lens is cinematic and sharp. I love it. The best budget lens by far. I done shoot short film and music videos for quite a while. And over the years I experienced many lens. The image quality from this lens is amazing. I shout in the red Komodo and the drop in filter turns your red camera into the perfect compact cinematic solution. I recommend this lens

Nisi Athena 25mm

I've been hunting for some sharp glass for a good while. This small set of primes are just what the production doctor ordered!

Sharp glass

As an independent owner-operator, I'm always lusting after some of the top-shelf gear that I may never get to own. I've been looking far and wide for a solid cine lens set. I considered IRIX, Dulens, DZO, Meike, and Canon CN-E, but ultimately settled on these for their combination of low price, tiny weight, and bright aperture. 

At the end of the day, these are fantastic and I'm delighted with the choice. The entire set is sharp, fast, light, and consistent. The coverage is excellent, easily hitting full-frame and beyond with very little vignetting. The small size makes them convenient in a variety of setups, and ultimately they are just a ton of fun to use. The one drawback is how far they protrude behind the PL mount, which makes them incompatible with most drop-in filter systems. However this is a small price to pay in exchange for getting near-ARRI-level performance at 95% lower price and 50% smaller size and weight. Also, the Breakthrough Cinema DFM adapter *does* supposedly work with these, so I'm interested to try that out.  

In any event, I expect to keep this set for a very, very long time. At this price, the set is absolutely unbeatable. It provides s a very clean, neutral look which can be easily manipulated in post. I might go chase some vintage looks in the future, but I doubt I'll ever get rid of something this reliable, usable, and overall just FUN to shoot with as these. 

ONE THING TO BE AWARE OF, however. When I first got these lenses, I was shooting on the Canon R5 C. These lenses delivered very similar performance to what I was previously getting out of my native RF glass, what I called my "Mini Cine" kit. Those lenses are also extraordinary and largely overlooked. In fact, if you turn on the automatic corrections in camera, the RF set delivers an almost identical image to the Athenas, just that the RF glass is a little bit softer. In fact, the Athenas are SO sharp that on the Canon R5 C it was a bit too much, and made things look really harsh in some cases. This can be mitigated in post, or even in-camera if you aren't shooting RAW. But there's something in the nature of Canon's sensor or OLPF stack which was making for some unpleasant over-sharpness in some cases. But I recently added a RED V-Raptor to the arsenal, and the Athenas produce a much less harsh image on the Raptor. It's still sharp, but much more smooth and much more pleasant. The point is, just be aware that your camera's sensor can play a part in how the image comes back. You can manipulate things in post, of course, but for those who like to get a good image quickly without much manipulation, make sure to check your sharpness settings etc. Just do some tests, do your homework, and these lenses will reward you. I absolutely love them.

NiSi ATHENA PRIME 50mm T1.9 Cinema Lens with Filter Holder, Leica L

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