The Best Lenses of 2025 – PRONEWS AWARD 2025 Vol. 2

In this article, we will position each nominated product as representing one of these value axes and interpret its significance.

First, there’s one trend that’s inevitable for 2025: the adoption of autofocus (AF) in anamorphic lenses. Our pick is the SIRUI 40mm & 20mm T1.8 S35 1.33x anamorphic lens. Its S35/APS-C compatibility and AF drive bring a new standard to the anamorphic world, where manual focus has been the norm until now. Our team was honestly amazed at the technological advances that allowed it to maintain a bright T1.8 lens while also packing the 40mm model into a lightweight, compact body weighing approximately 614g. Available in E, MFT, Z, and X mounts, the lens is designed with a deep understanding of the one-man operation environment. It overturns the preconceived notion that “manual focus is the norm for anamorphic” and strongly signals a shift in values ​​in this field.

Sigma

The trend toward autofocus in cinema lenses has been given even clearer definition by Sigma’s AF Cine Line. The 28-45mm T2 FF and the 28-105mm T3 FF, due for release in spring 2026, are notable for introducing full-fledged autofocus using an HLA linear motor to the company’s Cine Line, which was previously dominated by strict manual operation.

Sigma “28-45mm T2 FF”

While building on the optical performance cultivated through photographic lenses, the body has been completely redesigned to professional cinema specifications, including a clickless aperture and cinema-standard 0.8M gear pitch.
By combining photographic AF technology with a full-fledged cinema body, the lenses demonstrate the possibility of redefining AF cine lenses as practical production tools rather than a “compromise option.”

Meanwhile, Sigma’s Aizu Prime Line, aimed at the high-end market , is a series that exudes a strong will, even just by looking at its specifications.

Sigma “Aizu Prime Line”

With a vast image circle of φ46.3mm and a consistent T1.3 aperture across all focal lengths, it’s designed with modern VFX workflows in mind. Its compatibility with ZEISS eXtended Data means that it boasts high levels of optical performance and completeness as a system, demonstrating that Japanese cinema lenses can be fully competitive in the high-end market.

Tokina Vista C

This year also saw a notable trend towards actively incorporating “flavor” rather than just focusing on “performance.” Tokina’s “Vista-C” series maintains the brightness and resolution of a modern T1.5 lens, while deliberately reducing peripheral resolution to give it a vintage feel that tends to produce red and blue flares. The organic look achieved through calculated “breakup” satisfies the desires of creators in the age of high resolution, and this lens clearly demonstrates the value of “intentional breakup” in the face of the trend of focusing solely on high performance and high resolution.

Tokina “Cinema Vista-C”

Leitz

Similarly, the Leitz “HEKTOR” series was also impressive. The bold strategy of using an interchangeable mirrorless mount while paying homage to classic lenses of the past was a testament to the company’s resolve. It was a strong reminder that Leitz Cine lenses are approaching a realistic and accessible position for users of the mirrorless generation.

DZOFilm

In terms of the balance between cost performance and functionality, DZOFILM’s “Vespid 2” has also made a big impact. Despite being in the entry-level price range of under 200,000 yen per lens, it implements metadata support using Cooke’s “/i Technology” and has extremely ambitious specifications with a unified T1.9 aperture across the entire range. It clearly demonstrates that uncompromising feature integration is possible even in the entry-level price range, and has prompted a rethinking of conventional assumptions in the cine lens market.
The fact that it calls into question the very hierarchy based on price range harkens important significance of this series.

Laowa

In the field of special effects photography, Laowa’s new probe zoom lenses, the 15-35mm T12 and 15-24mm T8, were outstanding in their evolution. Previously, probe lenses required the camera to be moved every time the angle of view was adjusted, but by incorporating a zoom mechanism, filming efficiency has improved dramatically.

The modular design allows for flexibility in shape, and this lens repositions probe lenses from “special equipment” to practical filming tools used on location.
Freeing macro and special effects photography from limited uses and bringing them closer to everyday expression techniques, these lenses have had an impact on the way they are used in the market.

　 　　

This change in the way we view lenses is not limited to the world of cinema lenses, but is also clearly spreading to the hybrid field that spans stills and video.

Nikon

In the hybrid realm that transcends the boundaries between stills and video, Nikon’s NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II is a lens that once again calls into question the standard zoom category, which has long been considered a complete entity.

This lens, which simultaneously achieves an inner zoom and significant weight reduction, is not merely an improved version; it offers a clear response to modern shooting styles that assume gimbal operation and one-man operation. Of particular note is the design concept that eliminates changes in the center of gravity caused by zooming. This is not just an evolution in specifications, but brings practical value by simplifying decisions and the process itself on location.
In that it redefines the standard zoom, a field that was previously thought of as the “final form,” from an operational perspective, this lens symbolizes the changes in the lens value axis in 2025.

Canon

Canon’s RF45mm F1.2 STM lens clearly demonstrates its value by simultaneously redefining the price range and achieving lightweight design.
Despite boasting an extremely large aperture of F1.2, this lens boasts a lightweight body weighing less than 400g and a realistic price range, significantly undermining the assumption that “large apertures = special equipment.”
Traditionally, F1.2-class lenses have traded their image quality for weight and handling. However, this lens, with its STM drive and lightweight design, designed for video shooting and everyday use, elevates large apertures from a “special choice” to an “everyday choice.”
From the perspective of balancing expressive power and realism, this lens clearly signals a shift in lens design philosophy in the mirrorless era.

Furthermore, Sigma’s standard zoom lens for APS-C cameras, the ART 17-40mm F1.8 DC, revives the classic ART 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM with a modern, lightweight body and the latest mount, offering a new option for video creators.

ZEISS Otus ML

The ZEISS Otus ML series stands apart from efficiency and autofocus, emphasizing the value of prioritizing purity of image quality and the photographer’s intent. In a market environment where autofocus and efficiency are rapidly advancing, this series directly questions our resolve regarding the very act of photography. Its
design, which completely eliminates automated operation in exchange for ultimate optical performance, is certainly not for everyone. But that’s precisely why this series is irreplaceable for creators seeking a more proactive approach to expression.
Rather than simply recreating classic works of the past, the Otus ML demonstrates that prioritizing the photographer’s intent is still a viable option, even in the mirrorless era. This makes it a unique and iconic lens among the 2025 lens lineup.

Overall, this year’s nominated products for best lenses of 2025 go beyond mere specs competition and are all equipped with the power to concretely expand the scope of photography styles and expression. our team would like to express heartfelt respect for the “image of the next generation of lenses” presented by each manufacturer.

This year’s nominated products are as follows:

PRONEWS AWARD 2025 Lens Category Gold Award

Sigma “ART 17-40mm F1.8 DC”

Reason for Gold Award | “A film that moved the field”

First let’s go over why this lens is the Best of all of the lenses of 2025. for the Gold Award as the one that will have the most direct impact on video production workflow in 2025. The evaluation was based not on the lens’s concept or direction, but on how much it has updated judgments and operations in actual locations.

The Gold Award in the Lens category of the PRONEWS AWARD 2025 went to the Sigma ART 17-40mm F1.8 DC zoom lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras. This lens was highly praised for its ability to function as a de facto “standard lens” for videography, despite being a zoom lens for photography.

This lens inherits the concept of the ART 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM, once popular with many filmmakers, but has evolved with an extended focal length, a significant weight reduction, and a mirrorless-specific design. This offers clear operational benefits to filmmakers who have been hesitant to switch from the days of SLR camera mounts. It is important to note that it has completely redefined the assumptions behind everyday production decisions, such as the frequency of lens changes, balancing when using a gimbal, and the burden of one-person operation.

Another important point is that the expressive power provided by the constant F1.8 specification can be achieved without relying on special equipment or expensive cine lenses. The balance of image quality, handling, and price is extremely realistic, and with a price of 148,500 yen (tax included) on the official Nikon store, this lens has a reason to be chosen by many photographers.

This is the film that has had the greatest impact on the most production sites in 2025 in terms of both practicality and influence, and we believe it is worthy of being selected for the Gold Award.

PRONEWS AWARD 2025 Lens Category Silver Award

Leitz Cine HEKTOR mirrorless cine lens series

Reason for selecting Silver | A challenge that shook up our values

The Silver Award was given to a lens that reexamines the very values ​​of filmmaking, on a level different from practicality and rationality that instantly transforms the shooting environment. As advances in efficiency, autofocus, and weight reduction accelerate, this award recognizes lenses that address fundamental questions in the modern production environment, such as “What is depiction?” and “To what extent should the photographer’s intention be left in the act of taking a photo?”

The Silver Award in the Lens category of the PRONEWS AWARD 2025 went to Leitz Cine’s Cine HEKTOR series of cine lenses for mirrorless cameras. This series distances itself from the current trend of prioritizing rationality and efficiency, and instead presents a clear philosophy as a product that emphasizes individuality in depiction and the photographer’s will. This lens would be the second best of all the lenses in 2025!

What is particularly noteworthy is that this idea has not remained merely a concept, but has been translated into concrete designs such as mirrorless compatibility and an interchangeable mount, making it a viable and practical solution for the modern production environment. Cine HEKTOR is not a lens intended for widespread use. However, it has the power to make us reconsider what is important in filmmaking, and has certainly shaken up our view of lenses in 2025. For this reason, it was selected for the Silver Award.