The 2026 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas has served as the stage for a significant expansion of Sirui’s optics portfolio, as the manufacturer officially unveiled three new additions to its Vision Prime 1 (VP-1) full-frame cinema lens lineup. Building upon the foundation laid by the series’ initial launch, Sirui introduced a 15mm ultra-wide, a 75mm portrait-length prime, and a 150mm macro lens. These new entries are designed to provide cinematographers with a comprehensive focal length range while maintaining the series’ reputation for high-speed apertures and professional-grade housing. The announcement comes alongside the debut of the IronStar 1.5x anamorphic series, signaling Sirui’s aggressive push to capture a larger share of the budget-conscious professional cinema market.
The Evolution of the Vision Prime 1 Series
The Vision Prime 1 series first made its debut in February 2025, positioning itself as a disruptor in the full-frame cinema lens market. The initial trio consisted of 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses, all featuring a fast T1.4 maximum aperture. By offering high-speed glass with full-frame coverage at a price point significantly lower than established European and Japanese competitors, Sirui targeted independent filmmakers, small production houses, and content creators who required professional ergonomics without the traditional "cinema tax."
At NAB 2026, the series has matured into a six-lens set. The addition of the 15mm, 75mm, and 150mm focal lengths addresses critical gaps in the lineup. The 15mm provides the extreme wide-angle perspective necessary for immersive establishing shots and tight interior filming, while the 75mm serves as a classic interview and portrait lens. The 150mm Macro, a departure from the high-speed nature of the rest of the set, offers specialized close-up capabilities that are increasingly in demand for product cinematography and detailed narrative work.
Technical Specifications and Optical Performance
The three new lenses maintain the core design philosophy of the VP-1 series but introduce specific optical characteristics tailored to their respective focal lengths.
The 15mm T1.6 Ultra-Wide
The 15mm Vision Prime 1 is now the widest lens in the collection. While the previous 24mm offered a respectable wide-angle view, the 15mm provides a field of view that is approximately 25 degrees wider, offering a dramatic perspective that emphasizes foreground elements and captures vast environments. Despite the technical challenges of designing ultra-wide glass for full-frame sensors, Sirui has managed to keep the lens relatively fast at T1.6. This speed is particularly useful for low-light architectural photography or night-time street scenes where a deep depth of field is usually expected but a brighter exposure is required.
The 75mm T1.4 Prime
Staying true to the "high-speed" promise of the original trio, the 75mm lens features a T1.4 aperture. This lens is expected to be a favorite for narrative filmmakers, providing significant background separation and a soft, creamy bokeh. The 75mm focal length offers a slight compression compared to the 50mm, making it ideal for close-ups where facial features need to be rendered naturally without the distortion sometimes associated with wider lenses.
The 150mm T4 Macro
The 150mm Macro is the outlier of the group in terms of speed, featuring a maximum aperture of T4. However, this trade-off is necessitated by its 1.5x macro magnification ratio. In macro cinematography, a T1.4 aperture would result in a depth of field so thin that it would be virtually unusable for most practical applications. By opting for a T4 design, Sirui ensures the lens remains manageable in size while providing the sharpness and contrast required for high-resolution 8K sensors. The 1.5x magnification allows filmmakers to capture details beyond life-size on the sensor, providing a unique tool for nature documentaries and commercial product shots.
Unified Cinema Ergonomics
One of the primary selling points of the Vision Prime 1 series is its consistent physical design. For professional film sets, lens consistency is not merely an aesthetic choice but a logistical necessity. Sirui has engineered the 15mm and 75mm lenses to share identical focus and aperture ring positions with the existing 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm models. This allows camera assistants to swap lenses without having to reposition follow-focus motors or matte box setups, significantly speeding up the workflow on set.
The lenses feature a 72mm front diameter and a 67mm filter thread, allowing for the use of standard screw-in filters or lightweight clip-on matte boxes. While the 150mm Macro is physically longer than its counterparts—a common trait for telephoto macro lenses—it still adheres to the series’ gear pitch standards. It is also expected that the 150mm will feature a significantly longer focus throw to allow for the precise micro-adjustments required when filming at high magnification.
Versatility Through Interchangeable Mounts
In a move to future-proof the investment for users, the entire Vision Prime 1 series features a user-changeable mount system. This is a critical feature in a market where filmmakers often transition between different camera ecosystems. The lenses can be configured for Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, and L-Mount systems.
This versatility ensures that the lenses remain relevant whether a production is using a Sony Venice, a RED V-Raptor, or a Panasonic Lumix S1H. By allowing users to swap the mounts themselves, Sirui eliminates the need for expensive third-party conversions or the purchase of entirely new sets when switching camera bodies. The lenses are also available in two distinct finishes: a traditional professional black and a modern metal gray, allowing users to match their gear to their personal aesthetic or existing kit.
Market Context and Competitive Landscape
The release of these lenses at NAB 2026 highlights a broader trend in the optics industry: the democratization of high-end cinema glass. Historically, a set of six full-frame cinema primes with T1.4 speeds would cost tens of thousands of dollars. Sirui’s pricing strategy for the initial VP-1 lenses—set at $549 per lens—represents a fraction of the cost of competitors like the Zeiss CP.3 or Canon Sumire primes.
While Sirui has not yet finalized the MSRP for the 15mm, 75mm, and 150mm models, industry analysts expect them to remain within a similar competitive bracket. This pricing makes the Vision Prime 1 series an attractive option for educational institutions, independent rental houses, and owner-operators who require a "workhorse" set of lenses that can deliver professional results without the high overhead of premium brands.
Chronology of Sirui’s Cinema Expansion
The timeline of Sirui’s development in the cinema space reflects a rapid evolution:
- Pre-2020: Sirui was primarily known for high-quality tripods and mobile phone accessories.
- 2020-2023: The company gained international acclaim with its affordable 1.33x and 1.6x anamorphic lenses for APS-C and Full-Frame sensors.
- February 2025: Launch of the first three Vision Prime 1 lenses (24mm, 35mm, 50mm T1.4), marking Sirui’s serious entry into spherical cinema primes.
- April 2026: Expansion of the VP-1 series at NAB 2026 with the 15mm, 75mm, and 150mm Macro, alongside the IronStar anamorphic series.
This trajectory indicates that Sirui is no longer content being a "budget" alternative but is actively seeking to become a primary choice for professional cinematographers.
Industry Implications and Future Outlook
The expansion of the Vision Prime 1 series is likely to put pressure on other manufacturers in the "prosumer" cinema space, such as Meike, Laowa, and Samyang/Rokinon. By offering a complete six-lens set that covers everything from ultra-wide to telephoto macro, Sirui provides a "one-stop" solution for filmmakers.
Early reactions from the NAB show floor suggest that the 150mm Macro is of particular interest to the community. The lack of affordable, purpose-built cinema macro lenses in the 150mm range has long been a pain point for independent shooters. Furthermore, the 15mm T1.6 is being praised for its relatively low distortion, a feat that is difficult to achieve in compact cinema housing.
Sirui has confirmed that the new additions to the Vision Prime 1 Series will begin shipping in the second half of 2026. As the company continues to refine its optical formulas and expand its mount compatibility, the VP-1 series stands as a testament to the shifting dynamics of the film equipment industry, where high-performance optics are becoming increasingly accessible to a global audience of visual storytellers.
With the full set of six lenses, Sirui now offers a cohesive visual language across a wide range of focal lengths. For the modern cinematographer, this means the ability to maintain consistent color rendering, contrast, and bokeh characteristics throughout a project, regardless of whether they are shooting a wide landscape or a tight macro detail. As the second half of 2026 approaches, the industry will be watching closely to see how these lenses perform in real-world production environments and how they further cement Sirui’s position in the professional cinema landscape.
