PL Mount Cine Lenses – A Complete List

This list aims to document every PL mount cinema lens available today.

PL Mount (positive lock) lenses are the standard for Cine cameras and can be adapted well to most mirrorless cameras. There is a fairly new LPL mount designed specifically for the new larger sensor cinema cameras. If this ever gets fully adopted by all the third-party lens manufacturers, I may break them into their own lists, but for now, very few companies make the LPL mount, and very few people are even aware of it.

It is still a work in progress, but eventually, I will have everything here. I’m making this PL lens list more personal research, and since I now have a nice table system that pulls from external spreadsheets, I should be able to keep it updated regularly without it being too much of a time research. I don’t expect this page to get a lot of traffic as PL lenses are not really consumer products, but if there is anything you’d like to see differently or if there is anything I can do to make this page better, let me know in the comments.

All of these lenses can be used as cine lenses for Canon RF or Cine lenses for Sony E with adapters, but for Canon EF, many of these lenses also come in the EF mount for those using that setup on their cine cameras.

I currently use mostly B&H links for a few reasons: I can build links in about 1/5 the time with B&H Photo, and they are a great company with a helpful staff.

List of PL Cine Lenses – The Legends

Usually, I break these lenses down based on the manufacturer; for example, Z lenses start with Nikon. However, with PL mount, it’s an open system sort of led by ARRI, but many PL lenses like Arri and Cooke are famous. With this list, I’ll start with the big brands like Arri (from Germany) and Cooke (from England), then break down the list by region.

Arri Lenses

Arri’s Website: Arri.com – Visit Arri’s website to see all their lenses, cameras, and adapters.

While Arri is known for its legendary cameras, some of its cine lenses are also quite popular. Arri has partnered with Zeiss and Fujinon to produce some of the best, most widely used cinema lenses out there. With the Zeiss Partnership, Arri has produced the Master and Ultra line of spherical and anamorphic lenses, and they’ve tapped into the Fujinon expertise to produce the Alura cine zoom lenses.

Arri has also developed the new LPL mount, which uses the ARRI LDS-1 LDS-2 data transfer interface and is compatible with Cooke/i technology. Every ARRI lens has a wide range of features and technology.

Arri has a few different styles of lenses that look like this –

Arri Signature Lenses – Arri Signature lenses are the Arri lenses that are supposed to have a little more character and vibe. Crafted for high-end cinematography focusing on delivering exceptional image quality, they’re known for their beautiful bokeh, precise focus, and overall stunning visuals.

Master Prime Lenses – Master Prime lenses achieve meticulous perfection with nothing held back in pursuing image quality.

There are also anamorphic lenses and various adapters.

Cooke Lenses

Cooke Website: CookeOptics.com

Cooke, the Academy award-winning lens manufacturer from England, is also one of the largest producers of cine lenses. It has several prime series for S35, FF, and large-format sensor cameras. Cooke also produces several zooms that provide a full-frame range from 19mm up to 215mm.

Cooke’s different PL Mount lens series are all color-matched and produce minimal flare, distortion, and aberrations. They also use various /i technologies ( which are open protocols) to link lens data to the cameras that support it. They also keep their classic lenses alive but use modern mechanics and optics in the Panchro series.

Like Arri, Cooke has a few different styles of lenses for different applications.

S Lenses – The “S” and the numbers refer to the Series. S5 is the fifth series of Cooke lenses, for example. Each series will have its own style of rendering, and the newer series will bring further optimization to modern systems. For example, S4 and S5 were designed mostly for the S35 format, while the S7 and S8 lenses work well with Full Frame cameras and are available in the LPL and PL mounts. The newest S8 lenses are faster than the S7 lenses at T1.4 instead of T2. They incorporate all the latest and best optics and technology to make the lenses smaller and lighter while still having a very fast aperture.

Cooke Panchro Classic Lenses – Cooke Panchro lenses are based on the older cinema designs that are responsible for the “Cooke Look”. These will have more of a vintage rendering.

Since we don’t have the optical formulas for these lenses, these designs are most likely inspired by older lenses from back before lenses were packed with aspherical elements and exotic glass. Expect simpler optical formula lenses with high micro-contrast with maybe some field curvature and more natural-looking bokeh.

Anamorphic Lenses – Some of the lenses in the anamorphic series feature elements with different coatings. Regular and SF for enhanced flare coatings.

Some of Cooke’s full-frame and large format lenses can be converted to LPL mount, or some lenses like the Varotal/i lenses are available in the LPL mount according to their website.

Lens minimum focus distances measured from the front I marked with F; otherwise, assume the measurements are from the image plane. I’m pulling the stats here from B&H and some from Cooke’s website, which don’t always match. Even Imperial vs Metric on Cooke’s website doesn’t always match with some lenses, so double-check with Cooke for exact measurements.

Zeiss Lenses

Zeiss Website: Zeiss.com

While it’s common knowledge that many of the photographic Zeiss lenses are now manufactured by Cosina in Japan, the Zeiss Cine line of lenses is still being designed and manufactured in Oberkochen, Germany.

Like Cooke, Zeiss PL Mount lenses are also known for their “Zeiss Look,” or you may have heard of the Zeiss Pop. What is this? Zeiss T* coatings can produce a unique, almost blue cast to some of the lighting and flaring, but their lenses also have a unique pronounced contrast that is unique to Zeiss – usually deeper shadows. With many of their photography lenses, it seems they try to keep the element count on the lower side, which can help produce a punchier high saturation/contrast with good micro-contrast, contributing to that 3d Zeiss Pop. However, some of their more modern designs have lost some of this aesthetic in favor of optical perfection.

When looking at Cine lenses, Zeiss has a few styles, such as Supreme Prime, Supreme Prime Radiance, The CP.3, and their Zoom series.

Supreme Prime – Supreme Prime Zeiss lenses are the top-of-the-line lenses throwing all the best technological advancements into the designs and materials.

Supreme Prime Radiance – Supreme Prime lenses, but they dial back the coatings for some additional flare for a slightly more classic and unpredictable rendering with a little more glow in some situations.

CP.3 Zeiss Lenses – CP.3 Lenses are the compact option from Zeiss. They still feature the best technology Zeiss has but in a smaller package.

Arri also has a series of anamorphic lenses by Zeiss, which you can find in the Arri table.

American Lens Companies

Atlas Lenses

Atlas is a fairly new company out of Glendale, California, that has brought some nice, affordable cine anamorphic PL mount lenses to the market. From what I understand, they keep these lenses affordable by using the same anamorphic lens groupings but with focal range expanders or reducers in front or behind the grouping to give different focal lengths. I wouldn’t be surprised if most companies do this to some extent with their lineups, considering they all have very similar setups. Most cinematographers like these lenses because of the price. They can be a little soft at f2 but really shine at f4, and I’ve seen some comments on the very prominent blue flares.

Lensbaby Lenses

Lensbaby is a company out of Portland, Oregon, known for its special effects lenses. They have engineered a few of their designs for the cine market to be used with the PL mount.

Finish Lens Companies

Whitepoint Optics

I believe Whitepoint Optics is a fairly new company in Finland.

More info is coming soon.

French Lens Companies

Angenieux Lenses

Angenieux is a French company founded in 1935. As an optics company, they produce a wide range of lenses, from commercial and medical applications to cinema and photography.

They have a full range of Prime and Zoom PL Mount lenses designed for super 35 and full-frame sensors that use the Cooke /i and LDS metadata interfaces.

The Angenieux Zoom lenses cover 3-Perf to 4-Perf 35mm sensors, which is Super 35mm of different heights. These lenses have an almost modular design and come with interchangeable rear groupings, so the lenses can be adapted to full frame, and the anamorphic lenses can be configured with spherical kits.

The Optima prime lenses have a replaceable iris blade unit for the configuration of the look of the bokeh; this also includes an anamorphic effect.

Many of the zoom lenses can be configured with an ASU Servo Unit.

German Lens Companies

Gecko-Cam Lenses

Gecko repacks classic lenses in cinema housing, and I think they have their own custom designs as well. More info is coming soon.

IBE Optics

IBE optics designs and produces optics for various applications. This is the same company that worked with Kipon to design their original Leica M mount lenses, but they also make their own PL cine lenses.

Leitz Cine Lenses

Leitz, the original name of the founder of Leica, is kept alive as a brand that continues to make cine lenses out of Germany. Leitz Cine lenses are designed for large format 65mm sensors and are available in the PL or the LPL mount.

P+S Technik Lenses

A cine lens company that got its start in the 1990s by refurbishing camera technology until it eventually came out with its optics later that decade. Now, over 30 years later, they have a full line of anamorphic cine lenses.

Coming soon.

Schneider Kreuznach Lenses

Founded in 1913, Shneider optics produces lenses for the industrial and photographic markets. Their full-frame cine lenses are available for multiple brands in multiple mounts.

coming soon

Japanese Lens Companies

Canon Cine Lenses

Canon Website: Canon.com

Canon has a few Cine PL lenses, and they are generally well-received. It is not too expensive, and you get Canon expertise; what’s not to like?

Their prime lenses are designed for full-frame sensors and they’re also available in the EF mount. The full-frame primes have a 114mm front diameter, which is the most common front diameter, making lens swapping between other brands a little less painful. The primes are also threaded for 105mm filters since Canon cine lenses are a little more popular with run-and-gun documentary filmmakers who don’t always use matte boxes.

Canon has a line of full-frame zoom lenses that fill a range from 20-135mm at f2.4; then for S35, they have some Cine SERVE lenses and a nice super zoom.

Fujinon Lenses

Fujinon, a Fujifilm company is fairly legendary when it comes to its cine zoom lenses. They’ve even partnered with Arri to produce a few zooms for the Arri cine lineup. Under their brand, Fujinon has several cine zoom lenses available in the PL mount, both for S35 and Large Format sensors. Their lenses are generally loved by cinematographers.

Sigma Lenses

Sigma, a family-owned Japanese company known for its photography lenses, also has a pretty massive lineup of Cine lenses. Their lenses typically have a higher element count and are very correct for a very clean look.

Tokina Lenses

Tokina is another very popular lens manufacturer from Japan. It also has a great line of FF cine lenses in the PL mount.

These are the PL mount Tokina lenses, but they also have some LPL lenses available.

Korean Lens Companies

Samyang / Rokinon Lenses

Samyang / Rokinon has some really interesting PL cine lenses. Some standard primes, some anamorphic as well, and some ultra-light carbon fiber primes.

Swiss Lens Companies

IRIX Cine Lenses

Irix, a company out of Switzerland that uses Japanese optics, has a series of Cine lenses for the P Mount. These lenses are full-frame Cine lenses that are weather-sealed. Very few brands are advertising weather sealing with their lenses.

List of Irix Cine lenses for the PL Mount.

Ukraine Lens Companies

Xelmus Apollo Cine Lenses

Xelmus, a company out of Ukraine, has a series of anamorphic lenses available in the PL mount. These lenses look amazing, and I love the design. They just might be a little hard to find at local retailers, but you can order from Xelmus directly.

The list is coming soon.

Iron Glass

Iron Glass repacks classic Soviet designs like the Helios 44-2 or the Jupiter 9 into PL cine bodies.

Chinese Lens Companies

While I try to keep the list alphabetical, I put China at the bottom simply because they have so many companies making lenses now. Not because Chinese lenses are inferior to any other brand out there. They are not. Many Chinese lens companies are very good now or offer different and unique designs that should not be overlooked when looking for more budget-friendly lenses. For example, Venus Optics has a nice set of anamorphic S35 cine lenses that you can order with different color coatings that produce different color flares to match your aesthetic. Vazen is also doing something similar.

AstrHori

AstrHori has aggressively entered the lens-making business these last few years and offers some designs with a PL mount.

Chiopt Xtreme Lenses

Xtreme, a company out of Changsha, Hunan, China, has a nice set of affordable Cine Zoom lenses available in PL and EF mounts.

Coming Soon.

DZOFilm Lenses

DZOFilm is another Chinese company quickly growing in popularity among cine shooters. It offers professional-grade optics at a more accessible price point, allowing growing filmmakers to achieve cinematic visuals without compromising on quality.

DZOFilm lenses are designed to impart a cinematic look to your footage, with characteristics such as pleasing bokeh and controlled flaring. With these aesthetic qualities and a build capable of withstanding the demands of regular use in professional filmmaking, DZOFilm lenses are an attractive option for various production scales.

Meike Cine Lenses

Based out of Hong Kong and founded in the mid-2000s, Meike PL Cine lenses are crafted for filmmakers who seek quality without breaking the bank; these lenses offer a solid performance at an affordable price. With a PL mount, they seamlessly integrate into professional cinema setups, providing the flexibility needed for diverse shooting scenarios.

Meike Lenses typically have a more classic rendering and often use fewer elements and less advanced coatings. Like all brands, they continue to improve their technology and push towards higher-end designs.

Mitakon Zhongyi Lenses

Mitakon Cine lenses are designed to meet the demands of filmmakers and cinematographers who crave exceptional imaging at an affordable price point. With a focus on providing versatility for various shooting scenarios, Mitakon Cine Lenses often feature robust build quality and precise optics.

Mitakon had a bumpy start, but over the years, the designs and build quality of their lenses have improved, and today, they offer some very compelling and reliable lenses.

Nisi Lenses

Nisi continues to expand on its Cine PL mount lenses. Their Athena lenses are full-frame and come in many of the various mirrorless mounts. What makes them interesting in the mirrorless mount is their ability to accept drop-in rear filters, which you cannot do with the PL mount.

Sirui Cinema Lenses