Sirui Night Walker S35 Manual Focus Cine 24-55mm

A three-lens cine set with a T1.2 constant aperture for around $749 USD. That's a 99th percentile aperture, which means incredible low-light performance and creamy bokeh. But it's manual focus only, and the optical quality ranks in the 20th percentile, so it's a video-first tool, not a stills lens.

The headline number is T1.2, and it's constant across all three lenses. That's a 99th percentile aperture, which in plain English means you can shoot in near darkness at ISO 800 while your friends are cranking to 6400 and praying. The bokeh quality ranks in the 96th percentile, so the out-of-focus areas are creamy and cinematic, not busy or nervous. Macro capability is surprisingly strong too, at the 98th percentile, which is not something you'd expect from a wide-angle cine set. Minimum focus distance is 24mm, so you can get close and still hold focus.

But the optical score is a weak spot, sitting at the 20th percentile. Sirui claims "perfect sharpness" at max aperture, but our data suggests it's more like "good enough for video, questionable for pixel-peeping stills." The stabilization is solid, in the 82nd percentile, which helps when you're shooting handheld on a gimbal-less run-and-gun setup. Manual focus only means the AF score is a dismal 14th percentile, but that's by design. Cine lenses don't autofocus. You pull focus, or you hire someone who does.

Stacked against the Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN, the Sirui wins on pure aperture, T1.2 versus f/2.8 is roughly two stops more light. But the Sigma has autofocus and likely better optical consistency. The Viltrox AF 13mm F1.4 XF is another X Mount option with autofocus and a fast aperture, but it's a single prime, not a three-lens set. The Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 is a completely different animal, a superzoom for stills, not a cine tool. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 covers a similar wide range but on a different mount and with autofocus. If you need AF, skip the Sirui. If you want a dedicated manual cine kit with unmatched low-light capability at this price, nothing else in our database comes close.

At $749 USD for three T1.2 cine lenses, the math is almost silly. That's roughly $250 per lens. A single fast prime from a major brand can easily run double that. The EUR pricing has some spread, from EUR 816 to EUR 907 across four listings in Germany, Spain, France, and Italy. If you're in the EU, shop around and grab the EUR 816 listing, that's a meaningful EUR 91 savings for the exact same glass. The budget score of 66.8 reflects that this is a strong value play, but not a no-brainer. You're trading optical polish and autofocus for raw light-gathering ability.

The Sirui Night Walker S35 set is all about that T1.2 aperture. It sits in the 99th percentile for aperture among lenses in our database, which means it's basically the brightest glass you can strap to an X Mount camera without selling a kidney. Three focal lengths, 24mm, 35mm, and 55mm, all at a constant T1.2, for around $749 USD. That's a full cine set for less than the price of a single name-brand fast prime. The catch? It's manual focus only, and the optical performance is a mixed bag. But for low-light shooters on a budget, this is a very interesting kit.

We scored it 67.6 out of 100 overall. Portrait work is where it shines, at 71.1, thanks to that bokeh and aperture combo. Budget score of 66.8 reflects the value proposition. But wildlife and sports? 35 out of 100. You are not tracking birds with a manual focus cine lens, and that's fine. This is a deliberate tool for a specific kind of shooter, not a do-everything zoom.

Skip this if you need autofocus, period. The AF score of 14th percentile is not a flaw, it's a feature of cine lenses, but if you're shooting sports, wildlife, or fast-moving kids, you'll be miserable. Also skip it if optical sharpness is your top priority. The 20th percentile optical score means this is not the lens for landscape photographers who print large or crop heavily. And if you shoot in wet conditions, the lack of weather sealing is a dealbreaker. This is a fair-weather, low-light, video-first lens set.

The Sirui Night Walker S35 set is a specialist's tool. The T1.2 aperture is the 99th percentile, and that alone justifies the price for low-light video shooters. The bokeh is lovely, the macro ability is a bonus, and the stabilization helps when you're moving. But the optical score of 20th percentile is a real concern. If you're shooting 4K video and delivering on YouTube or social, you'll probably never notice. If you're cropping into stills or projecting on a big screen, you might. For $749 USD, it's a calculated trade-off that makes sense for the right person.