The image starts here.
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
ARRI
LPL primes with a compact T2.1 core and support for ARRI Ensō Vintage Elements. The core 18–105mm lenses share 95mm fronts.
ZEISS
Large-format primes built around ZEISS T* blue coatings. ZEISS describes controllable flare and a slightly warmer rendering than standard Supreme Primes.
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.
Panavision
Compact anamorphic primes dating to 1968. Panavision describes the C Series as producing pronounced flare and flattering bokeh.
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.
Tribe7
Large-format primes with selectable optical tuning. TRIBE7 offers Straight, Transient and Expressive settings that alter flare, contrast and other rendering characteristics.
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.
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.
Hawk
Hybrid optics that deliver anamorphic-style elliptical bokeh in a spherical image. Vantage emphasizes close focus and geometrically controlled rendering.
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.
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.
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
Lens drawings illustrate optical types, not exact manufacturer designs. Rendering notes are qualitative. Coverage and mechanics can vary by focal length, generation and rehousing.
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