Sirui Sniper 33mm review

The Sirui Sniper 33mm lens offers a high-end, affordable option for those passionate about photography or filmmaking. With a 1.5x crop factor for Nikon and Sony, it effectively becomes a 49.5mm lens, closely mirroring the versatility of a standard 50mm lens.

This lens is part of a trio, including a 23mm and a 56mm, providing a comprehensive range for creative photography. Its key features include an unprecedented f/1.2 aperture for such an affordable AF lens, allowing ultra-shallow depth of field. Uniform in size and filter diameter, it’s also an ideal choice for filmmakers.

The Sirui 33mm F1.2 lens, tailored for APS-C format cameras in Nikon Z, Fuji X, and Sony E mounts, stands out in the APS-C market, popular among enthusiasts.

Its key feature is the f/1.2 aperture, which significantly enhances stills and video by allowing blurred backgrounds and better performance in low-light settings. With a lens structure of 11 elements in 10 groups and an 11-blade aperture, it ensures high-quality imagery.

Each lens, weighing between 398g to 404g and measuring just over 92mm in length, offers a 360° rotation angle for the focus ring, facilitating easy operation. This uniformity is particularly beneficial for videographers using gimbals and rigs. Sirui’s move to autofocus lenses, combined with aesthetic choices like Ceramic White, Carbon Fiber, and Aluminum Alloy finishes, reflects a commitment to both functionality and design.

The Sirui Sniper 33mm lens, suitable for APS-C cameras, is available in Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, and Sony E mounts and comes in three colors. Its design is akin to cine lenses, with uniform dimensions and a 58mm filter diameter, easing lens swaps without adjusting rigs or matte boxes.

This lens, marked at f/1.2, offers consistent light transmission, a feature crucial in video production. Priced affordably yet built solidly, it’s finished in options like Ceramic White, which I found grew on me over time. The 33mm lens balances well on cameras, featuring a smoothly rotating, large knurled focus ring and a petal-design hood, simplifying its operation while maintaining a sleek, simple design.

Sitting in the middle of the range, the 33mm lens is essentially the 50mm equivalent (actually 49.5mm), making it a crucial lens for photographers. Modern AF lenses with an aperture of f/1.2 typically cost over £2000/$2000, so at $349, this lens represents excellent value.

When mounted on the Nikon Z30, the lens is longer than one might expect for this focal length. However, like the 23mm and 56mm lenses, this uniformity is key for modern image creators.

The balance between the camera and lens is thoughtful, offering a retro feel despite the absence of a viewfinder.

The 49.5mm focal length makes it an ideal everyday lens for around-town photography, and the Sirui Sniper 33mm embodies this versatility. The large LCD touchscreen of the camera enhances the experience, making it easy to compose shots and preview the depth of field.

The 33mm performs excellently, but care is needed with the f/1.2 aperture due to the shallow depth of field.

At f/1.2, the subject should be relatively close to optimize lens quality; farther subjects may lack detail. Closing the aperture to f/5.6 – f/11 yields sharp, detailed images.

For video, this lens is ideal for interviews, offering an appropriate subject distance at 49.5mm. While f/1.2 results in a very shallow depth of field, adjusting to f/2.8 – f/4.5 provides the perfect balance.

The Sirui Sniper 33mm lens, a departure from the conventional edge-to-edge sharpness ethos, stands out in the APS-C, AF lens category. Its solid build and surprising appeal of the ceramic white finish mark it as a high-quality option at this price point.

Despite initial reservations, extensive testing has showcased its effectiveness as a creative tool, particularly with its f/1.2 aperture. Excelling in subject-focused photography with a crisp foreground and softly blurred background, it’s ideal for portrait work.

However, its performance in landscape photography at f/1.2 is less impressive. Overall, the lens impresses with its construction, bokeh, and integration into video setups, making a strong case for Sirui’s first venture into AF lenses, designed for specific creative applications rather than general use.

Check out the review of the full Sirui Sniper lenses here