NiSi Cine Lens Athena Prime 35mm T1.9 PL-Mount

NiSi Athena Prime 35mm T1.9 PL-Mount – T1.9 aperture with PL rear filter for cinema use

The NiSi Athena Prime 35mm T1.9 in PL-mount is part of the Athena Cine Lens series, built for cinematographers and videographers who require consistent optical performance. This 35mm prime offers a T1.9 maximum aperture and uses the PL-mount rear filter arrangement described for the Athena series.

Designed for cinematic shooting and consistent exposure

The Athena series was created with modern optical design and production standards. As a result, the lenses provide consistent T-stop performance across the range. Specifically, the 35mm lens shares the series' T1.9 maximum aperture, which helps you achieve shallow depth of field and attractive background separation when needed.

Focal range and series versatility

Although this listing focuses on the 35mm PL lens, the Athena Prime family spans focal lengths from 14mm to 135mm. Therefore, the series covers ultra-wide to portrait focal lengths, making it flexible for many shooting scenarios. Use the 35mm to capture versatile mid‑wide scenes while retaining compatibility with other focal lengths in the same series for consistent visual language.

Image circle and mount options

The Athena primes provide an image circle of 46mm, which makes them suitable for full-frame and many large-format sensor cameras. The series is available in multiple mount options, including ARRI PL, Canon RF, Sony E, Panasonic/Leica L, and Fuji G. For the PL-mount version, NiSi implements a rear filter solution as part of the series' filtration options.

Proprietary rear/drop-in filtration system

The Athena series includes a rear filtration concept. For PL-mount lenses, the system uses a rear filter. Other mounts in the series offer drop-in filter options as follows:

• RF, L and G mounts: Drop-In filter option available.
• E-mount: Available in two versions — with and without drop-in filter.
• PL-mount: Utilizes a rear filter.

NiSi also provides weather sealing for the Drop-In filter, improving reliability in varied shooting conditions.

Important compatibility notes

• Sony FX9 incompatibility: The Sony FX9 camera cannot use the E‑Mount version that includes Drop-In filters.
• Clear filter requirement: It is important to use the Drop-In clear filter on RF, L, G and E mounts and the rear filter on PL-mount with the lens to achieve infinity focus and obtain clear images.

Handling, gearing and focus characteristics

The Athena primes are designed with production use in mind. The lenses share matched aperture and focus ring positioning across the range, and they maintain similar weight so you typically do not need to rebalance a gimbal when swapping between Athena lenses. These design choices streamline lens changes during a shoot.

Key mechanical features include:

• Focus rotation of 300°, enabling precise focus pulls.
• Fluorescent focus scales displayed in both imperial and metric units for accurate marks in low light.
• Standard 0.8 mod focus and iris gears for compatibility with follow focus systems and matte boxes.
• All lenses (except the 14mm) share a 77mm front filter thread.

Accessories and macro capability

NiSi offers a 77mm close-up lens (sold separately) that can reduce the minimum focus distance and produce macro effects when required. This accessory attaches to the front filter thread used by most Athena primes and expands the creative use of the 35mm and other compatible focal lengths.

Smart FAQ

Question: Will the NiSi Athena Prime 35mm PL-mount work on full-frame and large-format cameras?
Answer: Yes. The Athena series provides a 46mm image circle, which covers full-frame and many large-format sensors, making the 35mm suitable for those systems.

Question: Do I need to use a specific filter to reach infinity focus with Athena lenses?
Answer: Yes. For RF, L, G and E mounts you must use the Drop-In clear filter version and for PL-mount you must use the rear filter supplied for the lens to achieve infinity focus and clear images.

Question: Can I use the E-mount Drop-In version on a Sony FX9 camera?
Answer: No. The Sony FX9 camera cannot use the E-mount version that includes Drop-In filters, so choose a compatible mount or the E-mount version without Drop-In if required.

Question: Will I need to rebalance my gimbal when switching Athena lenses during a shoot?
Answer: Generally no. Athena lenses are similar in weight and share matched balance characteristics, so you typically do not need to re-balance when swapping lenses in the series.

Question: Are follow focus systems and matte boxes compatible with the Athena 35mm?
Answer: Yes. The lenses use standard 0.8 mod focus and iris gears and have matched aperture and focus rings, making them compatible with most follow focus units and matte box setups.