SLR Magic Hyperprime 12mm Cine T1.6 Lens Review

OK, let's start off the review of a series of long-exposure, low light photos taken with the SLR Magic Hyperprime 12mm Cine T1.6

This series of sunrise photos taken at Cronulla this morning with the SLR Magic Hyperprime 12mm using my Olympus OM-D E-M5.

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About the only area where you could criticise the performance of this lens is shooting into the sun or a bright source of light where lens flare and internal reflections are a problem. That said - it is no worse than a complex zoom lens, say for example the Olympus 12-50mm zoom. Vignetting is also high but easy to fix in post processing. Fringing is about average and distortion fairly low.

Build quality is excellent. The focus ring is firm and while well damped, not as smooth as say a Voigtlander focus ring and there is a tiny little bit of play in it when you change direction. Still well above average in and vastly superiour to the manual focus rings you get on AF lenses. There are a few exposed but recessed screw heads and the lens mount is not separate, i.e. it is integrated into the housing.

The lens feels very heavy when not mounted on a camera but is nicely balanced on the Olympus OM-D E-M5.

The optional lens hood step-up ring is a rip off. It it little more than a slightly dished step-up ring and is certainly not optimised for the angle of view of the lens. I think a much cheaper 58mm to 77mm stepping ring would be fine along with a 58mm wide angle lens hood (probably a bit difficult to source a 77mm one that is not a bayonet fitting).

Overall, this is a great little lens. Works well in early morning landscape and seascape photography. Good value for money if you don't need auto focus.