NiSi announces 15mm f/4 manual lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras
posted Friday, January 8, 2021 at 12:45 PM EDT
NiSi has announced a 15mm f/4 manual focus wide-angle lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. The Nisi 15mm f/4 lens is being released for Canon RF, Nikon Z and Sony E lens mounts. The lens will also be released for the APS-C Fujifilm X mount, on which it will have an equivalent focal length of 22mm.
The Nisi 15mm f/4 lens delivers a 112° field of view on full-frame cameras. The manual lens has a dozen lens elements across 10 groups, including a single aspherical element and a pair of extra-low dispersion elements. Despite its ultra-wide angle of view, the prime lens can accept screw-in filters via its 72mm filter thread. The lens is also compatible with NiSi's 100mm filter system.
While it's possible that the weight of the lens varies slightly across different lens mounts, NiSi states that the lens weighs just over a pound (16.6 oz./470g). The lens has a maximum diameter of 2.98" (75.6mm) and is 3.17" (80.5mm) long.
The 15mm f/4 lens has been designed to deliver excellent starbursts. It has a 10-bladed aperture diaphragm and the blades are straight. Even wide open at f/4, example images show significant starbursts.
In terms of overall image quality, NiSi promises strong sharpness from corner to corner, minimal distortion and minimal chromatic aberration. You can view many sample images captured at different apertures and view MTF charts by clicking here.
The manual focus lens has a minimum focus distance of just under 8" (0.2m), resulting in a maximum magnification of 0.13x. Focus distances are clearly marked on barrel of the lens in imperial and metric measurements, along with a depth of field scale. Aperture is also controlled manually via an aperture ring and ranges from f/4 to f/22.
The NiSi 15mm f/4 lens is available to order now for $579 USD. The Canon RF, Nikon Z and Sony E mount versions can be purchased now, but the Fujifilm X version isn't available just yet, NiSi says it's 'coming soon'.