Sirui Sniper Lens Review
Are you looking for sharp imagery with ridiculously shallow depth of field, on a budget? In this lens review, we’re checking out Sirui’s new 16mm and 75mm f/1.2 additions to the Sniper Lens lineup. Sirui initially introduced the Sniper series with a 23mm, 33mm and 56mm f/1.2 set back in late 2023.
These lenses are fast, and superb for visual storytelling, whether that’s with photos or video. I have photo and video examples from the Sirui Sniper 16mm & 75mm lenses in the video review below. I personally used the Sniper lenses with my Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
Sirui Sniper Lens Specs:
Let’s quickly go over the specs I think are important to know about the new Sirui Sniper 16mm and 75mm lenses. I’ll go more in-depth on my thoughts about each of these lenses individually below.
- Available in E, X, Z-mount
- 3 Color options: White, Silver & Black
- Aperture range: f/1.2 – f/16
- APS-C Format Coverage
- Quick, Accurate AF
- USB-C Plug (Firmware Updates)
These lenses supplement the 23mm, 33mm and 53mm f/1.2 primes already released in the Sniper lens series. I’m really happy with the Autofocus on these lenses, which allow you to utilize all of the AF feature on the Z6 or other Nikon Z bodies.
16mm: The Establishing Shot
Establish the scene with the Sirui Sniper 16mm f/1.2. What story are you trying to tell with your photography or video? Start with a wide composition of the location to bring your audience into the scene.
All of the Sirui Sniper lenses are APS-C (crop sensor) format optic. So, on a full frame sensor, there is a 1.5X crop, meaning the 16mm f/1.2 is a 24mm equivalent. Additionally, it has a 58mm filter thread and weighs 403g. The 16mm has 13 aperture blades and a minimum focusing distance of .3m.
For a really unique look, you can move in closer to your subject and get some mighty shallow depth of field for a wide-angle lens, which is a really cool look. I haven’t noticed any distortion or major chromatic aberration. I also really didn’t see any noticeable vignetting on my full frame Nikon Z6.
The Sirui Sniper Lenses are available for Pre-Order from IndieGoGo here:
https://sirui.kckb.me/runngunphoto-y35
(Link will be updated as soon as Sirui lists a permalink to the Sniper lenses)
75mm: The Detail Shot
Get in tight to capture the details with the Sirui Sniper 75mm f/1.2 lens. Capture the texture of the subject up-close or reach out into the distance. The 75mm is quite a versatile storytelling lens.
As I mentioned before, Sirui’s Sniper lenses have an APS-C crop factor of 1.5, making 75mm a 113mm (112.5mm) equivalent. It has a 67mm filter thread and weights 475g. The depth of field is razor thin, and bokeh is so soft.
Sirui Sniper Lens Review: Final Thoughts
So, what are my final thoughts after spending a few weeks hands on reviewing the Sirui Sniper lenses? I’m really happy that Sirui added a 16mm wide and 75mm telephoto option to complete the Sniper Series. They recently did this for the Night Walker series as well, which I use with my Lumix GH6. They feel quite sharp, edge to edge. I think even having just 2 or 3 of the 5-lens series could really take your visual storytelling to the next level.
If you enjoyed this review please Subscribe to my Run N Gun Photography Channel. And, until next time, Get out and go shoot!
The Sirui Sniper Lenses are available for Pre-Order from IndieGoGo here:
https://sirui.kckb.me/runngunphoto-y35
(Link will be updated as soon as Sirui lists a permalink to the Sniper lenses)
