In recent years, Sigma has become one of the most interesting and formidable manufacturers in the cine lens space. In a recent interview on the Sigma America YouTube channel, CEO Kazuto Yamaki sat down to discuss the company's bold new moves – including the launch of the Aizu Cine Prime series and a slick rebranding that reflects a more creative future.
The Aizu Prime line is a new family of cine lenses, 12 in total, ranging from 18mm to 125mm. They are being hailed as the world’s first set of T1.3 cinema primes designed specifically for large-format cinema cameras. Each lens offers a silky, natural rendering with a fast T1.3 aperture, delivering beautifully soft out-of-focus areas and strong low-light performance.
"It enables a new visual expression, says Yamaki in the video, embedded below. "I really hope that by using our Aizu primes, emerging filmmakers can create something totally new."
ABOVE: Watch the interview with Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki
Designed and built entirely in Sigma’s Aizu factory in Japan, these lenses promise consistency across the range – not just in color rendering and optical quality, but also in reliability from project to project. That means less time correcting footage in post and more time creating.
In addition to the primes, Sigma has also recently introduced two all-new cine zooms: a 28–45mm T2 and a 28–105mm T3. These are autofocus zoom lenses with full cine-style housing, something rarely seen in the industry.
"It’s a totally new concept," explains Yamaki. "They achieve great autofocus performance in a cine-style body, so they’re very versatile. Perfect for everyone from single-person crews to large productions." Yamaki also states that the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with many filmmakers already lining up for the release.
Alongside the hardware, Sigma has also revealed a completely fresh rebrand, rooted in creative expression. Personally, I’m a huge fan of the new identity. It moves beyond technical specs and emphasizes the work made with Sigma cameras and lenses.
Even the latest product catalog I picked up at The Photography & Video Show this year felt more like a zine than a spec sheet, filled with bold, inspiring images that celebrate what these tools can do in the right hands.
For a long time, I’ve believed that the best way to sell your gear is to showcase what’s possible with it. Sigma clearly agrees, and I’m all for it. I highly recommend watching the full video, as Yamaki has plenty of insightful things to say.
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Interested in filmmaking? Check out our guides to the best cine lenses and the best cinema cameras.
