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Find a lens by its character, its format, or the way you shoot.
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The assembled lens
Precision rings outside. Carefully arranged glass inside. Turn the lens, then pull the assembly apart.
Conceptual anatomy. No manufacturer design or optical performance is being simulated.
A FEW MINUTES AT THE OPTICAL BENCH
Turn a control. Watch the image change.
Three small experiments in seeing.
Illustrative optics. These are diagrams, not sample footage from a named lens.
EXPERIMENT 01
A small opening. A big difference. Move the iris and see how aperture changes the light passing through a lens.
Geometric light relative to f/2.
Exposure settings held constant.
A wider aperture usually gives shallower depth of field. Distance and format matter too. T-stops account for transmission loss; this f-stop sketch does not.
Read more from NikonTHE GLASS MAKES A DIFFERENCE
From precise modern primes to gloriously imperfect classics. Explore 36 lens families by what makes them different.
36 families in the collection
47mm shownImage: ARRI
ARRI
LPL primes with a compact T2.1 core and support for ARRI Ensō Vintage Elements. The core 18–105mm lenses share 95mm fronts.
100mm shownImage: ZEISS
ZEISS
Large-format primes built around ZEISS T* blue coatings. ZEISS describes controllable flare and a slightly warmer rendering than standard Supreme Primes.
S8/i familyImage: Cooke Optics
Cooke
Full-frame Cooke primes with T1.4 available across all twelve focal lengths. The series pairs a fast aperture with a 270-degree focus rotation.
50mm shownImage: Panavision
Panavision
Compact anamorphic primes dating to 1968. Panavision describes the C Series as producing pronounced flare and flattering bokeh.
55mm, P+S rehousingImage: P+S Technik
Canon
Vintage Canon K35 optics in P+S cine housings, with aligned gear positions and 110mm fronts. The referenced package includes separate 50mm and 55mm options.
57mm, black housingImage: Keslow Camera
Tribe7
Large-format primes with selectable optical tuning. TRIBE7 offers Straight, Transient and Expressive settings that alter flare, contrast and other rendering characteristics.
35mm shownImage: Leitz Cine
Leitz
Medium-format-derived primes with a 60mm image circle. Leitz describes gradual edge falloff, while the 24mm, 55mm and 120mm add 1:2 macro capability.
Three-view Pro2be setImage: Laowa Cinema
Laowa
A 2x macro probe family with direct, 35-degree and periscope views. The long barrel reaches small spaces, with a 4mm minimum working distance.
40mm shownImage: Vantage Film
Hawk
Hybrid optics that deliver anamorphic-style elliptical bokeh in a spherical image. Vantage emphasizes close focus and geometrically controlled rendering.
18–28mm, straight viewImage: Pace Rentals
DZOFilm
A full-frame probe zoom offered in direct, 90-degree and 360-degree periscope configurations. It reaches 2.1x magnification at 28mm with a 6mm working distance.
85mm, MKII rehousingImage: IronGlass
IronGlass
Rehoused Soviet optics that include the Helios 44-2 58mm. IronGlass preserves distinct donor-lens rendering while adding cine housings and matched 95mm fronts.
35mm shownImage: DZOFILM
DZOFilm
The original Vespid Prime family uses 80mm fronts, interchangeable PL/EF mounts and a 46.5mm image circle. Maximum aperture varies with focal length.
12 of 36 on the bench
Product images show selected focal lengths or sets. Coverage, mechanics and appearance can vary by focal length, generation and rehousing. Image sources are linked with each lens.
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