NiSi has unveiled its new Athena Prime Rewind line of full-frame cinema lenses, distinguished by their ability to deliver two unique optical aesthetics depending on the chosen aperture. This innovative feature allows cinematographers to switch between a classic, film-like appearance and a modern, pristine image within a single lens set. This duality offers unparalleled creative control, enabling filmmakers to adapt their visual style dynamically during production without needing to change equipment.
At their widest apertures, specifically at T1.9, these lenses produce a warm, vintage character. This includes intentional optical aberrations, a softened resolution, and an enhanced blurring effect in both foreground and background elements, often accompanied by distinctive halo effects around highlights. This aesthetic is reminiscent of classic cinematic productions, offering a nostalgic and artistic visual quality. As the aperture is gradually narrowed, these vintage characteristics progressively diminish, transitioning the lens's performance towards that of a contemporary, optically precise cinema tool.
A notable aspect of the Athena Prime Rewind series is the emergence of a unique 'bubble bokeh,' which features bright edges and dark centers in out-of-focus highlights. This effect is particularly prominent in the 35mm and 50mm focal lengths, adding a distinct visual texture to the imagery. Furthermore, the lenses exhibit a significantly increased flare intensity compared to the standard Athena Primes, contributing to their analog character. NiSi emphasizes that this combination of features, alongside the retained barrel distortion across all focal lengths, moves away from the sterile sharpness often found in modern optics, providing filmmakers with a more expressive and less clinically perfect image.
The transition from a vintage to a modern aesthetic is gradual and controllable. By T2.8, cinematographers achieve a balanced sweet spot, where stylization and sharpness are harmoniously blended. Further stopping down to T5.6 or T8 results in the lens behaving much like a modern, clean cinema lens, offering crisp details and minimal aberrations. Despite these varying optical personalities, NiSi has ensured that the Rewind primes maintain neutral color fidelity, allowing them to be seamlessly integrated with the standard Athena primes without extensive color correction post-production. This compatibility streamlines workflows and expands creative possibilities for filmmakers using both lens series.
The comprehensive series includes five focal lengths: 14mm T2.4, 25mm T1.9, 35mm T1.9, 50mm T1.9, and 85mm T1.9. Each lens is available with a PL mount and provides full-frame coverage, boasting a 46mm imaging circle. A key design consideration for this series is the consistent weight and physical dimensions across all lenses. This uniformity simplifies on-set operations, enabling quick lens changes without the need to re-balance gimbals or adjust matte boxes, thereby enhancing efficiency and flexibility during filming. Individual lenses are priced competitively, with the 25mm through 85mm options at $1,269 each, and the 14mm at $1,399. A complete five-lens kit, including a custom-designed hard case, is available for $5,999, offering a comprehensive solution for professional cinematographers.
This new collection of cinema lenses represents a significant advancement in photographic technology, offering filmmakers unprecedented control over the visual character of their productions. The ability to seamlessly switch between a warm, vintage aesthetic and a sharp, modern look within the same lens set provides immense creative freedom. This versatility, combined with consistent color rendering and practical design features, makes the Athena Prime Rewind series a compelling choice for a wide range of cinematic applications, from narrative storytelling to commercial projects, enabling richer and more expressive visual narratives.