Is the Rokinon Cine DS kit good enough for professional work?

For scripted work, yes, and it has been used on delivered commercial and narrative projects for years. The limits are practical rather than optical: no autofocus, no electronic metadata, and copy to copy variation you should check for on arrival. Optically, stopped down to around T2 to T2.8, these hold up well against glass costing several times more.

What is the difference between Rokinon Cine DS and the standard Rokinon primes?

The DS versions add the cine housing: geared focus and iris rings, dual-sided scales, a declicked aperture and matched front diameters across the set. The optical formulas are closely related to the photo versions. You are paying for the mechanics and the matching, not for a different image.

Do I need a follow focus to use these?

Not strictly, but you will want one. The focus throw is long, which is a feature for precision and a problem for your fingers. A follow focus, or at minimum a focus gear ring and a knob, turns a long throw from a liability into the reason you bought cine glass.

Will these work on a Sony or Canon mirrorless body?

With a Canon EF adapter, yes, and dumb adapters are fine because there is no electronic communication to preserve. Factor the adapter length into your rig balance, and check the payload figure on our gimbal payload calculator before assuming your gimbal will carry the combination.

Rokinon Cine DS or a native autofocus zoom: which should I buy?

If you work from a shot list and can rehearse focus, the set. If you shoot people who move unpredictably, the zoom, every time. The honest version is that most people who describe themselves as filmmakers actually shoot interviews and events, and autofocus earns them more money than a matched T1.5 set does.

Rokinon Cine DS Lens Kit Review: Four T1.5 Primes for the Price of One

Short answer

Four matched T1.5 cine primes at 24, 35, 50 and 85mm for roughly what one native autofocus lens costs, with matched front diameters and geared rings that make a follow focus and matte box behave predictably. Buy it if you shoot narrative on sticks or a slider and pull focus deliberately. Skip it if you shoot run and gun, interviews with a moving subject, or anything where autofocus is the thing keeping you employed.

Most capability per dollar on this site

Rokinon Cine DS T1.5 Cinema Lens Kit: 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm for Canon EF

~$1,595

A four-lens manual cine set with dual side focus and T-stop scales, a declicked aperture ring and full-frame coverage on Canon EF.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Focal lengths	24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm
Maximum aperture	T1.5 across all four
Aperture range	T1.5 to T22
Mount and coverage	Canon EF, covers full frame
Focus and aperture	Manual only, with a declicked aperture ring
Scales	Dual side focus and T-stop scales
Coating	Multi-layer, to reduce flare

Specifications above come from Rokinon's published specifications for the Cine DS kit. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

One consistent look across four focal lengths, which is the actual reason to buy a set rather than four unrelated lenses.
T stops rather than f stops, so an exposure set on the 35mm carries to the 85mm without a relight.
A declicked aperture ring, so exposure can be ramped during a take without an audible step.
Geared focus and iris rings at consistent positions, so a follow focus does not need rebalancing between lens swaps.
Scales on both sides of the barrel, which matters when the focus puller is standing on the opposite side from you.

Where it falls short

There is no autofocus and no electronic contact with the body, so there is no lens metadata, no in-lens stabilisation and no aperture control from the camera. On a gimbal with a moving subject, that is disqualifying.
Manual focus is a skill and a workflow, not a setting. Budget for a follow focus, a monitor big enough to judge critical focus, and rehearsal time, because a soft take is unusable and you will not always catch it on a small screen.
Sample variation is the recurring complaint with this line. Focus scale accuracy and centring are not guaranteed to be identical between two copies of the same focal length, so check each lens on arrival while the return window is open.
T1.5 is wide open on a fast set, and wide open is where these lenses are softest and most prone to flare. Most of the character people buy them for shows up at T2 to T2.8.
Canon EF is a mature mount. Adapting to a modern mirrorless body is straightforward but adds length, and length changes how the set balances on a gimbal.

What owners report

The owner consensus on this line has been stable for years and it is unusually consistent. People buy the set for the price per focal length, keep it because the look is coherent, and complain about exactly two things: copy to copy variation, and the fact that the focus throw is long enough to be a genuine two-hand operation. Neither complaint is about the image.

The other recurring theme is that people who bought these for run and gun work sold them, and people who bought them for scripted work kept them. That split is the single most useful thing published owner reports tell you about this kit, and it is worth taking seriously before spending sixteen hundred dollars.

Who it suits

Narrative and music video shooters working from a shot list, where focus marks can be set before the take.
Anyone who wants a matched set and cannot spend five figures to get one.
Operators already running a matte box and follow focus, because the consistent front diameter and gear position is where this kit pays off.

Who should skip it

Event, documentary and interview shooters who need autofocus. Buy one good native autofocus zoom instead.
Solo gimbal operators, where manual focus on a moving subject is a two-person job. Our slider versus gimbal comparison covers why a slider is often the better answer for a one-person crew.
Anyone shooting stills primarily, where the geared rings and long throw are pure friction.

Alternatives worth considering

Budget Pick

SmallRig Seamless Focus Gear Ring, 62.5mm to 64.5mm

~$3

If the only thing you want from a cine lens is a geared focus ring for your follow focus, a seamless gear ring clamps onto the lens you already own for the price of a coffee. It gives you the gearing and none of the T stops, the matched look or the declicked iris. Worth trying before you spend the money, and we compare the two approaches in our cine lens versus focus gear ring guide.

Check price on Amazon

Buy This With It

Tilta Mirage Matte Box for 4x5.65 and 95mm circular filters

~$102

A matched set is the point at which a matte box stops being an affectation. Consistent front diameters across all four lenses mean one clamp position works for the whole kit, and the modular design is light enough to stay on a gimbal build.

Check price on Amazon

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Common questions

Is the Rokinon Cine DS kit good enough for professional work?: For scripted work, yes, and it has been used on delivered commercial and narrative projects for years. The limits are practical rather than optical: no autofocus, no electronic metadata, and copy to copy variation you should check for on arrival. Optically, stopped down to around T2 to T2.8, these hold up well against glass costing several times more.
What is the difference between Rokinon Cine DS and the standard Rokinon primes?: The DS versions add the cine housing: geared focus and iris rings, dual-sided scales, a declicked aperture and matched front diameters across the set. The optical formulas are closely related to the photo versions. You are paying for the mechanics and the matching, not for a different image.
Do I need a follow focus to use these?: Not strictly, but you will want one. The focus throw is long, which is a feature for precision and a problem for your fingers. A follow focus, or at minimum a focus gear ring and a knob, turns a long throw from a liability into the reason you bought cine glass.
Will these work on a Sony or Canon mirrorless body?: With a Canon EF adapter, yes, and dumb adapters are fine because there is no electronic communication to preserve. Factor the adapter length into your rig balance, and check the payload figure on our gimbal payload calculator before assuming your gimbal will carry the combination.
Rokinon Cine DS or a native autofocus zoom: which should I buy?: If you work from a shot list and can rehearse focus, the set. If you shoot people who move unpredictably, the zoom, every time. The honest version is that most people who describe themselves as filmmakers actually shoot interviews and events, and autofocus earns them more money than a matched T1.5 set does.

Totalling your own rig weight against your gimbal payload? The Camera Rig Build Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.