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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

SLR Magic APO HyperPrime mini review

Any reason (other than focus throw and client perception) to choose the standard hyperprimes over the micros? It seems to me like the size and smaller focus throw would be great for solo operators, doc stuff, small productions, etc.

I need a new set of primes and have really liked the stuff I’ve seen from the standard sized lenses. I primarily shoot doc stuff and a small set of cine primes with a shorter focus throw could be amazing. Would appreciate any thoughts from anyone who’s had a chance to play around with them!
 
Kyle Kelley said:
Any reason (other than focus throw and client perception) to choose the standard hyperprimes over the micros? It seems to me like the size and smaller focus throw would be great for solo operators, doc stuff, small productions, etc.

I need a new set of primes and have really liked the stuff I’ve seen from the standard sized lenses. I primarily shoot doc stuff and a small set of cine primes with a shorter focus throw could be amazing. Would appreciate any thoughts from anyone who’s had a chance to play around with them!
Click to expand...

APO feature and creamier bokeh (from having more blades).
 
Kyle Kelley said:
The Micros are APO as well, aren’t they?
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I thought it was the first set of micro primes you were referring to which were for like $800 but now has dropped to about $500. This new Set which is EF is indeed APO and about $1000 less than the hyperprimes, and smaller and lighter. No idea how many blades this one has...but I guess if you wan PL mount you'd need to get the hyperprimes....which have an EF adapter. If you want straight EF mount alone and want lighter and smaller lenses then get the new set.
 
Honestly though after watching that vid those lenses don't look as good as the Hyperprimes to my eyes. I can't put my finger on it as to why though. However It could be the camera he was using it on...the Z cam... which whats affecting that. Need more test vids on other camera bodies to compare.
 
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Kyle Kelley said:
After watching a couple more videos on the standard hyperprimes I have the same feeling. Seems like the microprimes lose a bit of the character that makes the standard set so distinct.
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It's not clear what line is what. Micro Primes are not APO. Hyper Primes APO are. And APO Micro Primes are. But they have HyperPrime Cine II, Micro Prime Cine. I think you just have to be careful how you refer to each lens family. Ideally one name one family - there is such a huge difference between APO and not in these designs (IMHO)

Looking at the overviews i believe the optics are the same between the HyperPrime APO and MicroPrime APO but the lens barrels are smaller and the focus range shorter. There's only a 300g difference between the two ranges, they're still fairly weighty it seems...?

But they are cheaper too.

cheers
Paul
 
SLR Magic really needs to get some branding issues in order, that's for sure.

As far as their current lineup goes, here's my understanding:

APO Hyperprimes
- The most "cinema" lenses they make, and the ones we're talking most about on this forum.
- 25mm T2.1, 32mm T2.1, 50mm T2.1, 85mm T2.1
- PL Mount (EF Adaptable)
- FF coverage (46mm image circle)
- $2K-$2600 a piece
- ~2.5lb each
- 300 degree focus
- 95mm fronts
- 82mm filter thread
- 12, 13, 10, 13 aperture blades respectively (weird)

APO Microprimes
- Newest lenses from SLR magic
- Lightweight, less bulky versions of the APO Hyperprimes, shares housing designs with regular Microprimes, but the optics of the APO Hyperprimes
- 25mm T2.1, 32mm T2.1, 50mm T2.1, 85mm T2.1
- EF only at the moment
- FF coverage
- 85mm front
- 82mm thread
- 150 degree focus throw

Microprimes
- Current modern housing design
- 12mm T2.8, 15mm T3.5, 18mm T2.8, 25mm T1.5, 35mm T1.3, 50 T1.2, 75mm T1.5
- E mount, X Mount
- FF coverage on most, S35 coverage on 12mm. S35 coverage on the X mount ones presumably from the mount itself
- 7 blade apertures for bottom half the lineup, 13 blades for 25mm onward
- 1.3-1.7 lbs
- Breathes a bit
- 82mm filter thread
- 85mm front
- 150 degree focus throw
- Inexpensive, presumably inferior optics to APO designs

Microprime MFT
- 12mm T2.8, 18mm T2.8, 21mm T1.6, 25mm T1.5, 50 T1.4 - 10mm and 35mm coming soon apparently
- Some optics taken from E/X mount designs? But other ones thrown in?
- MFT mount
- MFT coverage

Hyperprimes
- Mostly* MFT cinema lenses with fast speeds
- 10mm T2.1, 25mm T0.95, 35mm T0.95, 50mm T0.95 - There's also a 12mm T1.6 that is apparently discontinued, presumably replaced by the 10mm.
- MFT mount
- MFT coverage
- Some version changes in this lineup, version II's and even III's
- Various filter threads, various aperture blades, various front sizes
- Telescoping lens barrels
- Inexpensive, $400-600
* I found a 35mm Hyperprime T0.95 for E mount with FF coverage that apparently existed at one point.

Regular ol' "Cine" models
- Smaller, less unified, more immature lens designs, presumably SLR magic's first foray into cinema style lenses
- MFT and E mounts - E mount lens designs got rolled into the the current E mount Microprimes it looks like, maybe the MFT designs carried over as well
- Various coverage
- Telescoping barrels
- Inexpensive
- Outdated
- Not so cine friendly, despite the name

1.33x Anamorphot-Cine
- 35mm T2.4, 50mm T2.8, 75mm T4
- PL mount (EF adaptable)
- 1.33x squeeze for 16:9 sensors
- Weird focus ring placement, needs custom hood for matte box clamping
- S35 designed, but FF coverage on 50mm and 70mm
- $8K for the set
- I speculate that these are essentially some of their "Cine" designs combined with their anamorphot adapters + their rangefinder adapter.

2x Anamorphot-Cine
- 35mm T2.4, 50mm T2.8, 75mm T4
- MFT mount
- MFT coverage (full height for anamorphic modes on GH4/5)
- $7500 for the set

Toy lenses
- Not really worth discussing

My take:

Branding is all over the place. The name Hyperprime is essentially meaningless, when we've got PL mount FF cinema lenses at a "slow" speed with premium (for SLR Magic) APO optics, MFT lenses at a fast speed that aren't very cinema friendly, and one random E mount all using the same name. APO is a type of lens design, so it doesn't make sense to brand a lineup with this if you ever plan on using APO designs for other lenses. It'd be like naming a type of car a V6 because it has that kind of motor in it. Microprime seems to refer the body style at this point, but when the MFT mount lineup has different focal lengths and speeds than the E mount ones, you've already lost people. "Micro" also doesn't mean they're small because they make smaller lenses than these. Micro also doesn't necessarily refer to Micro Four Thirds, so that can be confusing there. And then the APO Microprimes which are like a perfect mashup of the APO Hyperprime optics with the slimmer housings of the Microprimes, you again have a confusing thing because they're to similarly named to the inexpensive E mount ones.

I still feel like the PL ones are the way to go. Adaptable to everything else. Best optics, despite being "slow". But Speedbooster-able or straight adaptable to smaller formats if you need. The new EF mount ones are exciting because of the price, slight weight/bulk savings, and EF is still reasonably accepted everywhere. But PL is still more standard and those are still adaptable to EF if you need.

And finally, as an aside, SLR Magic as a brand name is strange, as they seem pretty focused as a company on cinema applications. And prior to these new EF native options, everything else they've done has been for MFT, E mount, and more recently PL, which don't have a reflex mirror system. Just weird stuff going around as a company. They need some reorganization I think.
 
Did a lot of new work with the APO Hyperprimes.

Studiowork with Crane, slider, tripod and gimbal.
For the widest shots i used a cooke 16mm which mathced perfectly.





mostly the interview parts are shot with the APOs and some gimbal car shots.





everything was shot with the APOs





everything was shot with the APOs, not the best shots. But just had 5 hours with the kids.





almost all the car shots are with the APOs. The Interviews are shot with a Canon 17-120 and a blackmagic pocket 4k with a canon 70-200.

 
Hey. So I have the 25, 32, 50, 85 and these have been great lenses so far, but I'm weary now if this set is ever gonna get finished with the way SLR Magic has been releasing their new products. Ive been using the 11-20 Tokina Cine (as recommended in this thread) for the short end and I find it pairs great.

Curious what everyones thoughts have been to get a great matching lens on the long end (100 or 135mm range)?

Cheers!
 
darren scott said:
Honestly though after watching that vid those lenses don't look as good as the Hyperprimes to my eyes. I can't put my finger on it as to why though. However It could be the camera he was using it on...the Z cam... which whats affecting that. Need more test vids on other camera bodies to compare.
Click to expand...

The APO Microprimes and the APO lenses are exactly the same optically.

The only difference is the amount of barrel rotation. 300 degrees with the APO and 180 on the Microprimes.

That’s it. And I think they’re also doing them in PL now as well.

JB
 
John Brawley said:
The APO Microprimes and the APO lenses are exactly the same optically.

The only difference is the amount of barrel rotation. 300 degrees with the APO and 180 on the Microprimes.

That’s it. And I think they’re also doing them in PL now as well.

JB
Click to expand...

Ok well i guess they are killing off the hyperprime line then. 300 degree focus alone doesnt justfiy the prixe difference. No reason to get the hyperprime set if that's the case.
 
darren scott said:
Ok well i guess they are killing off the hyperprime line then. 300 degree focus alone doesnt justfiy the prixe difference. No reason to get the hyperprime set if that's the case.
Click to expand...

I think from what I understand talking to Andrew is that the 300 degree rotation makes the manufacturing much more difficult. These days, with modern remote focus units able to "re-map" the distance anyway, 300 degrees is much less of a must have feature.

By making them "only" 180 degrees, which is still a lot more than most stills lenses, They can greatly reduce the manufacturing complexity and the size of the housings.

Andrew told me he can make a few microprimes in the same amount of time it takes them to make a single APO prime.

Same lens optically, same performance. Just less focus rotation. So unless you really really need that 300 degree rotation, the microprimes make a lot more sense and are less expensive for them to build as well. Which is cool considering they are the same optics.

I think of this as a natural evolutionary step, and the only downside isn't something that most people will be hurt by at all.

JB
 
Thanks for the info John. Even though they seem to be using the same opticial design, for some reason (soley based on the Joshua Martin video) they do not flare like the hyperprimes. I have tested flaring extensively (primarily wide open) on my set and the APO microprimes dont have that character. But id def want to see more footage testing that.
 
Thanks John!

since you are luckier than most of us considering you are able to communicate with SLRMagic
(I tried numerous times and I never got a reply), please can you ask Andrew a couple of things:

- to make the new APO Micros with metric markings too

- to make the PL Mounted version with a "thin throated" mount under 7mm so it can be easily adapted to EF

Please report back if you have news on these 2 suggestions! ;-)
 
darren scott said:
Thanks for the info John. Even though they seem to be using the same opticial design, for some reason (soley based on the Joshua Martin video) they do not flare like the hyperprimes. I have tested flaring extensively (primarily wide open) on my set and the APO microprimes dont have that character. But id def want to see more footage testing that.
Click to expand...

Maybe they were controlling light into the lenses with matte box/flags/ears?

I don't have a problem with less rotation, and being a bit lighter is nice as well. In fact lighter still would be great.

I have been running my 85mm on a sigmafp in the alps recently, matched with a Leica M Summicron 50mm (which is a beautiful lens). But the 85mm is still awesome - its resolving power is as good as if not better than the Leica.

cheers
Paul
 
paulcurtis said:
Maybe they were controlling light into the lenses with matte box/flags/ears?

I don't have a problem with less rotation, and being a bit lighter is nice as well. In fact lighter still would be great.

I have been running my 85mm on a sigmafp in the alps recently, matched with a Leica M Summicron 50mm (which is a beautiful lens). But the 85mm is still awesome - its resolving power is as good as if not better than the Leica.

cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

Yeh Joshua could very well have been flagging the lens with something.... Who knows. Lighter is def good especially for gimbal work. I personally like the 300 degrees when im pulling my own focus with my bright tangerine revolvr atom (2:1) follow focus . But 300 degrees is only nice with higher end cinema 2:1 follow focuses which are costly. 150 degree focus on these are nice when using 1:1 follow focuses. But that alone aint worth the $1000 difference. So my guess is the hyperprimes days are done. Just wish they had made a wider lens like an 18mm.
 
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