KIPON Colibri 90mm T2.5 90mm

The KIPON Colibri 90mm T2.5 is a full-frame cine lens with uniquely star-shaped bokeh and excellent manual focus handling. However, optical quality is its weak point, ranking near the bottom of our database, and it lacks stabilization or weather sealing. You're paying for character, not sharpness.

The focus throw on the KIPON Colibri 90mm is easily its strongest performance asset. At 300° of rotation, you get the kind of fine control that's hard to find on photo lenses adapted for video. Focus breathing is minimal, and the dampening feels consistent, which helps on set. The lens also shares common gear positions and an 80mm front diameter with the rest of the Colibri series, so swapping lenses without resetting your follow focus is straightforward. But that's where the praise stops. Optical performance sits in the 16th percentile of our cine lens database. In practice, that means you'll see softness wide open, some chromatic aberration in high-contrast scenes, and corner performance that lags behind even mid-range competitors. The 10-blade iris creates genuinely interesting bokeh that lands around the 72nd percentile, but the overall image quality is held back by lower sharpness and contrast compared to lenses like the Samyang 85mm T1.5 or the slightly slower but sharper Sigma Art primes. For projects where resolution matters, this lens will frustrate you.

When you put the KIPON Colibri 90mm T2.5 next to something like the Samyang 85mm T1.5, the trade-offs become obvious. The Samyang is sharper, cheaper, and has a slightly faster aperture, but it lacks the Colibri's unique bokeh and the 300° rotation. Against a stills lens adapted for video, like a Canon RF-S 18-150mm, the KIPON gives you true manual focus gearing and a constant aperture, but you sacrifice autofocus and zoom flexibility. Even compared to other compact primes, such as the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 (which is wider but optically far superior), the Colibri feels like a specialty tool. If you're building a matched set of cine lenses with consistent color and handling, the Colibri series makes sense. But don't expect class-leading sharpness or contrast, it's all about character here.

The KIPON Colibri 90mm T2.5 isn't cheap. We're seeing it listed across vendors from $1080 to $1480, so the spread is wide enough that it pays to shop around. The best deal we've spotted is at the lower end of that range, around $1080, but even then you're paying a premium for the unique bokeh and the Colibri ecosystem. If you just need a fast 90mm prime for video work, Samyang's 85mm T1.5 cine lenses cost less and deliver sharper results, though they don't have the same character. The value proposition hinges entirely on whether you genuinely want that star-shaped bokeh and need the gear-position consistency that the Colibri line provides. For most buyers, there are better optical performers at this price.

If you're looking for a manual focus cine prime with a genuinely unique look, the KIPON Colibri 90mm T2.5 might grab your attention. It's a full-frame L-mount lens built for video, not stills, and that distinction matters. The star-shaped bokeh isn't a gimmick. It's a deliberate creative choice, and the smooth 300° focus rotation makes pulling focus feel precise and controlled. At around 544g it's compact enough for gimbal use without feeling flimsy, and the 0.8 MOD gears line up neatly with other Colibri lenses if you're building a matched set. For indie filmmakers or anyone who shoots narrative work on a mirrorless body, it fills a specific niche. But that niche comes with real trade-offs. The optical performance leaves a lot to be desired, and there's no weather sealing or stabilization to fall back on. Our database ranks this lens dead last among cine lenses we've tested in terms of overall optical quality. That doesn't mean it can't produce lovely images, especially if you lean into the character, but it's not a technical powerhouse.

If you shoot primarily stills or need a versatile lens for landscapes and street photography, this isn't for you. The optical quality is too weak for demanding landscape work, and the lack of autofocus makes fast-paced street shooting impractical. Videographers who rely on autofocus or need sharp, high-contrast images right out of the camera should look at adapted Sigma Art primes or Samyang's cine line instead. Also, if you're working with a tight budget, there are faster, sharper manual primes available for less money.

You should buy the KIPON Colibri 90mm T2.5 if you're a video shooter who values creative bokeh above all else, and you're already committed to the L-mount system. The star-shaped out-of-focus rendering genuinely sets it apart from almost everything else on the market, and the handling, from the smooth focus action to the consistent gear positions, is well thought out for run-and-gun or gimbal work. But if image quality is your top priority, look elsewhere. The optical performance just doesn't hold up against the competition, and at this price, you're paying for a specific look, not resolving power. For narrative work where you want a vintage, character-driven aesthetic, it might be worth it. For anything requiring clinical sharpness, skip it.