Irix starts to bridge the focal length gaps with new Irix Cine 21mm T1.5 lens

Irix have been producing some pretty outstanding lenses over the last few years for what they cost, bringing us 11mm T4.3, 15mm T2.6, 30mm T1.5, 45mm T1.5 and 150mm T3.0 macro (or f/4, f/2.4, f/1.4, f/1.4 and f/2.8 respectively for their photography alternatives). But there are a few noticeable gaps in that focal length lineup. Jumping from 15mm to 30mm is a pretty big leap.

Well, today, Irix has announced the new Irix Cine 21mm T1.5 to help bridge that gap a little. This full-frame lens offers the same level of quality and construction you’ve come to expect from the other lenses in the Irix lineup and Irix says that it’s built to offer the kind of detail and sharpness that something like 8K resolution video requires.

21mm might seem a bit of an unusual focal length (as opposed to an even 20mm or 24mm), but it sits quite nicely in between the Irix 15mm and 30mm lenses and makes it quite nicely suited for things like establishing shots, interviews with multiple people (or when you want to get back from your subject a little and include some environment for context). It’s a very versatile length for both storytelling and more formal content.

The new Irix 21mm T1.5 is a cine lens. As such, it’s designed for shooting video. It features the standard Mod 0.8 gears with a 180° focus throw and a 75° rotation on the aperture ring. It also uses the same metal construction as Irix’s other cine lenses, along with dust and weather sealing for extreme conditions. 15 elements in 11 groups, including four High Reflective elements and two Aspherical elements help to produce edge-to-edge sharpness and minimal distortion.

Its design and weight fits in with the rest of the Irix cine lens lineup quite well, with an almost identical size and weight to both the 30mm T1.5 and 45mm T1.5 lenses. And like the other lenses, they have the full complement of weather sealing, with the entire lens being resistant to rain, sand, snow or dust. The engraved markings are filled with UV-reactive paint, helping you to see them more easily when shooting in darker conditions.

The Irix Cine 21mm T1.5 lens will be available to pre-order soon for $1,195 ($1,295 for PL mount) from the usual retailers. There’s no word yet on when we might see a 21mm f/1.4 version for photographers.

Now all we need is something around 85mm and 105mm!