SIGMA’s latest foray into high-end cinema optics comes with a respectable technical achievement. The newly announced Aizu Prime Line is not just another set of fast cine primes. It’s the first complete set of full-frame T1.3 cinema lenses, an achievement that places SIGMA in rare company and challenges long-standing norms in lens design.
Across twelve focal lengths—from 18mm to 125mm—all with a T1.3 maximum aperture and 46.3mm image circle, Aizu Primes are built for large-format cinema cameras, covering everything from full-frame to ARRI LF Open Gate and even VistaVision sensors. That coverage, paired with a uniform T1.3 aperture, is the real headline here. Plenty of primes have hit T1.3 or faster before, but none have done it across a full-frame image circle in a complete, matched set.
A New Chapter in High-Speed Optics
To understand the significance here, you have to trace the lineage of fast cinema lenses. The Zeiss Super Speeds set the bar decades ago with their compact T1.3 design in Super 35. The Master Primes improved on nearly every metric, offering stunning optical performance at T1.3, but still confined to S35 in an objectively heavy package.
Even the much-revered Canon K35s and the exotic Optica Elite Primes flirted with extreme apertures, but again—Super 35. When the industry shifted to large-format and full-frame sensors, the fastest primes available—Leitz Primes, Zeiss Supreme, ARRI Signature—never pushed past T1.5 or T1.8, and that was considered more than acceptable given the coverage demands. We’ve come close with lenses such as the Cooke S8 and NiSi Aureus at T1.4. That’s what makes Aizu Primes so extraordinary. They break that barrier, offering full VistaVision coverage at T1.3, without sacrificing image quality or consistency across the set. This is a complete, purpose-built set that delivers on both speed and scale—a genuine unicorn in modern lens design.
Aizu – More Than a Name
The “Aizu” moniker is no arbitrary branding – it’s a direct reference to Sigma’s manufacturing heartland in Fukushima Prefecture, where every Sigma lens is designed, manufactured, assembled, and tested. For Sigma, Aizu isn’t just a place; it’s a philosophy. The region’s pristine natural environment and deep-rooted artisanal culture reflect the company’s commitment to precision, patience, and craftsmanship. It’s where Sigma has chosen to keep all its production in-house – resisting the industry trend toward outsourcing in favor of total vertical integration. Kazuto Yamaki, Sigma’s CEO, has often described Aizu as the company’s soul. In his words, keeping everything under one roof isn’t just about quality control – it’s about identity. The Aizu Primes carry that legacy forward, serving as both a technical milestone and a symbolic flag planted proudly in the soil where every element of their creation took place. These lenses don’t just represent a new optical achievement; they embody Sigma’s heritage and future, forged in the quiet, focused intensity of Aizu.
Design Philosophy: Precision with Purpose
SIGMA has taken everything they’ve learned from their stills and cine lines and refined it here. Aizu Primes aren’t chasing vintage charm or quirky “character.” They’re engineered for precision, consistency, and clarity, with just enough natural softness to avoid the sterile feel of some hyper-corrected modern glass. Breathing is minimal. Distortion is tightly controlled. The roll-off is gentle, allowing the image to feel dimensional without veering into clinical. It’s that fine balance of technical perfection and aesthetic nuance that makes these lenses feel not just capable, but cinematic. Mounts come in PL and Sony E, and metadata support via ZEISS eXtended Data and Cooke /i ensures they’ll play nicely on VFX-heavy projects too.
Aizu Primes are engineered with impressively short minimum focusing distances, ranging from 0.31 meters (1 foot) to 0.73 meters (2.5 feet) across the initial eight lenses. This design facilitates striking close-up shots, allowing cinematographers to capture subjects with dramatic depth and visual tension, enhancing the storytelling potential in tight framing scenarios.
Advanced Mechanical Design
Anyone that knows SIGMA lenses knows that they’re at the top of their game in regards to mechanical design. SIGMA has put their full design and engineering might behind the new Aizu primes with a focus on precision and reliability. The focus rotation has been increased and the actual focus movement is a noticeable improvement over the original SIGMA Cine Primes. Moreover, their robust construction promises durability and ease of maintenance, making them dependable tools in demanding shooting environments.
Despite offering a consistent T1.3 aperture and covering a substantial 46.3mm image circle suitable for full-frame and large-format sensors, Aizu Primes maintain a remarkably compact and lightweight form factor. The first eight lenses, spanning focal lengths from 25mm to 75mm, share a uniform 95mm front diameter and weigh between 1.6kg and 1.7kg. This consistency not only simplifies rigging and lens changes but also makes them highly adaptable for various shooting setups, including handheld, gimbal, and Steadicam operations.
A Chat With Mr. Yutaka Uemura
We sat down with SIGMA Senior Optical Engineer, Mr. Yutaka Uemura who was kind enough to answer a wide range of questions about the process of bringing Aizu Primes to life and the future of cinema optics from SIGMA. Enjoy!
Matthew Duclos – Tell us about yourself, your background, and what your role at SIGMA is.
Mr. Uemura – My background is originally in photographic optics. I didn’t start with a deep understanding of cinematography, so when I was assigned this project, I dedicated time to studying cinema lenses and testing many different models. I wanted to understand what filmmakers truly value in optical performance. That research shaped the direction of Aizu Primes. My current role at SIGMA is Senior Optical Engineer.
Matthew Duclos – Being assigned to such an ambitious project must have been a great honor. Surely you had a large team of engineers to achieve the results we see today in Aizu Primes.
Mr. Uemura – It was indeed an honor to lead this project, but actually, the team was very small. It was primarily myself and one other core engineer. That small team structure allowed us to stay focused and move quickly without too many conflicting opinions. If the team had been too large, it might have been difficult to reach a unified vision for the lens set. Working in a compact, agile group gave us the flexibility to make critical design decisions efficiently and cohesively.
Matthew Duclos – An ultra fast, compact cinema prime lens with a truly unique design does not happen overnight. How long have Aizu Primes been in development and what were the greatest challenges faced during this process?
Mr. Uemura – Aizu Primes were in development for about three years. One of the greatest challenges was achieving a consistent level of optical performance across the entire set – something that wasn’t always possible in our previous high-speed lineup. We also had to balance the desire for very high resolution with a more cinematic rendering, avoiding an overly sharp or clinical look. Chromatic aberration was another major hurdle. Based on feedback from users like yourself, I spent a great deal of time testing and studying what level of aberration was acceptable – and where it became distracting for filmmakers.
Matthew Duclos – The T1.3 aperture is a true achievement in technical design and manufacturing. Can you share the techniques or special technology that SIGMA implemented to achieve such a fast aperture while maintaining the Vista Vision (FF/LF) coverage and excellent image quality?
Mr. Uemura – Achieving a T1.3 aperture in such a compact form while still covering full-frame (Vista Vision) was only possible through SIGMA’s latest advancements in aspherical lens manufacturing. We relied heavily on our in-house capabilities to design and fabricate high-precision aspherical elements. In addition, we incorporated specialized dispersion glass—different from conventional low-dispersion materials – which helped control aberrations and maintain sharpness. The combination of these technologies allowed us to balance fast aperture, compact design, and high optical performance without compromise.
Matthew Duclos – Tell me about the cooperation between optical design and mechanical design when developing Aizu Primes. Were you given an “envelope” to work within, or did you conceive the optical design and hand it off to the mechanical engineers for them to bring your optics to life?
Mr. Uemura – We started with the optical design first, defining the core performance and characteristics of the lenses. Once that was set, we handed it off to the mechanical design team. From there, we worked closely together to refine the design. Because these lenses are fully manual, the mechanical engineers were able to accept nearly all of our optical requirements. Their main focus was on building a durable, easy-to-service structure using shared components across the lineup. That collaboration helped us reduce development time and ensure a robust final product, without compromising on optical intent. The mechanical design team worked very hard to improve the focus movement over the original Cine Primes. These improvements ensure a constant movement of the focus group in relation to the rotation of the manual ring. This reduced any play in the focus unit thereby increasing accuracy of shim adjustment so that it no longer affects the manual ring scale alignment.
Matthew Duclos – We’ve seen a slight shift in attention to auto-focus in cinema lenses, or as I refer to them, hybrid lenses, that utilize sophisticated AF technology to drive the focus rather than a direct manual actuation. Was there ever any consideration given to AF technology for Aizu Primes and do you think that will affect future products?
Mr. Uemura – For the Aizu Primes, autofocus was never part of the plan—they were designed from the beginning as fully manual cinema lenses. However, we’re aware of the growing interest in hybrid applications. In fact, SIGMA recently introduced the 28–45mm T2 and 28–105mm T3 zooms, which are excellent examples of hybrid-capable cinema lenses. While Aizu Primes remain focused on manual operation and traditional cinematography, autofocus and hybrid technologies are certainly being considered for future product lines as the market continues to evolve.
A New Standard?
Aizu Primes aren’t just fast. They’re fast, full-frame, compact, consistent, and optically dialed-in. That’s a combination we simply haven’t seen before, and it positions SIGMA at the top of the class. These aren’t budget lenses trying to punch up. These are top-tier tools that stand shoulder to shoulder with the best the industry has to offer—while offering something no one else does.
With the first eight lenses landing in August 2025 at $8,299 each, and the remaining four (18mm, 21mm, 100mm, and 125mm) following shortly after, this isn’t just another cine lens launch. It’s the start of a new chapter in what large-format cinematography can look like.
As always, below is a spec table for the 8 lenses that are scheduled for immediate release. The remaining four lenses of the 12, will be released later on this year. Stay tuned for more information as release date gets closer.
| 25mm | 27mm | 32mm | 35mm | 40mm | 50mm | 65mm | 75mm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lens Mount | PL/E | PL/E | PL/E | PL/E | PL/E | PL/E | PL/E | PL/E |
| Aperture | T1.3-22 | T1.3-22 | T1.3-22 | T1.3-22 | T1.3-22 | T1.3-22 | T1.3-22 | T1.3-22 |
| Iris Blade | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Close Focus | 0.13m/1′ | 0.33m/1’1 | 0.34m/1’2 | 0.35m/1’2 | 0.38m/1’3 | 0.48m/1’7 | 0.61m/2’0 | 0.73m/2’5 |
| Image Circle | 46.3m | 46.3m | 46.3m | 46.3m | 46.3m | 46.3m | 46.3m | 46.3m |
| Front Dia. | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm |
| Length (PL) | 125mm/5″ | 125.4mm/5″ | 128.5mm/5.1″ | 128.6mm/5.1″ | 128.8mm/5.1″ | 126.3mm/5″ | 125mm/5″ | 128.1mm/5.1″ |
| Weight (PL) | 1.7kg/3.6lb | 1.7kg/3.6lb | 1.7kg/3.7lb | 1.6kg/3.6lb | 1.6kg/3.5lb | 1.7kg/3.7lb | 1.6kg/3.6lb | 1.7kg/3.8lb |
| Focus Rot. | 270° | 270° | 270° | 270° | 270° | 270° | 270° | 270° |
| Iris Rot. | 70° | 70° | 70° | 70° | 70° | 70° | 70° | 70° |
Thanks for this write-up and the interview—I really appreciate the description of what the lenses are doing and how they got there, it goes way beyond a press release!
The footage itself looks great. I personally tend to choose vintage lenses, but it looks like they struck a compelling balance between high technical performance and character.