Best Cine Lenses Under $500 in 2025
* Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
* Imaginated.com may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. This compensation does not affect what products or prices are displayed, or the order of prices listed. Learn more here.
These are the best cine lenses under $500 when you want matched gears, long throws, low breathing-for-the-price, and compact builds for indie narrative, doc, weddings, YouTube, and gimbal work—and here’s the straight talk: true full-frame cine glass rarely lands under $500 new, so your smartest play is APS-C/MFT sets (and the used market) with uniform gear positions and front diameters; prioritize lenses with ~270° focus throws (or the longest available), consistent T-stops across the set (T2–T2.2 sweet spot), minimal focus breathing if you film handheld, close-focus for product/beauty inserts, and shared 67/77/82 mm threads so one matte box/VND works across your kit. New, budget-killer sets: Meike Cine (APS-C/MFT) 12mm/16mm/25mm/35mm/50mm/85mm T2.2–T2.1—matched barrels/gears, surprisingly tidy breathing, and great close focus; 7Artisans Vision Series T2.0 (APS-C) 25/35/50/75—uniform mechanics, neutral color, lightweight for gimbals; TTArtisan Cine T2.0 (APS-C/MFT) 25/35/50/75—compact, smooth throws, nice flare control; Viltrox Cine S35 T1.5 trio 23/33/56 (often under $500 each when on sale)—fast speed with matched 0.8 gears and pleasing color; Pergear/Daylight-friendly options like Pergear 35/1.8 T-mod or Rock-solid cheap wides like Meike 10mm T2.2 (MFT) punch above weight for interiors and gimbal moves. Used-market steals: Rokinon/Samyang Cine DS/DSX (FF/S35 coverage) 14/24/35/50/85 T1.5-T3.1 routinely dip under $500 each—long throws, de-clicked iris, easy to gear, and a huge selection of focal lengths; older SLR primes with cine mods (Nikon AI-S/Canon FD/Contax Zeiss) plus 0.8 gear rings and declick kits give you a “cine feel” under budget with beautiful rendering. Ultra-wide on a budget: Meike 12mm T2.2 (APS-C) and 8mm-10mm T2.2 (MFT) for tight rooms/establishers; tele on a budget: Meike 85mm T2.2 (APS-C) or Samyang/Rokinon 85mm T1.5 (FF) for interviews and stage. Practical buyer tips: build a three-prime spine around your sensor—APS-C: 25/35/50 (add 85) at T2.0–T2.2; MFT: 12/16/25 (add 35/50)—and standardize fronts via step-ups to one matte box or 77/82 mm VND; check breathing and focus scale accuracy on your camera, keep barrel weights similar for fast gimbal swaps, and prefer sets with identical gear spacing so your follow-focus and FIZ marks stay put; if you need servo/zoom looks, rent a parfocal cine zoom and keep your budget primes for A-cam close-ups. Sub-$500 cine-shooting tips: rate by T-stop and lock a 180° shutter, ride ND for exposure, mark common actor distances and use those long throws for precise racks, and avoid stacking filters that invite ghosts; balance rigs to your heaviest lens, add lens supports for longer barrels, and use Active/IBIS judiciously (off on sticks to avoid micro-jitter); color-match in prep (white card + quick LUT check) since budget sets can vary lens-to-lens; whether you’re crafting moody night dialogue, run-and-gun doc, wedding highlight reels, or product beauty on a shoestring, the best cine lenses under $500—Meike/7Artisans/TTArtisan/Viltrox S35 new, Samyang/Rokinon DS used, and cine-modded classics—deliver matched gears, smooth pulls, and a cohesive look so your focus hits, your flares feel intentional, and your footage looks cinematic without wrecking your budget.
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Best Cine Lenses Under $500 in 2025
* Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
* Imaginated.com may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. This compensation does not affect what products or prices are displayed, or the order of prices listed. Learn more here.
These are the best cine lenses under $500 when you want matched gears, long throws, low breathing-for-the-price, and compact builds for indie narrative, doc, weddings, YouTube, and gimbal work—and here’s the straight talk: true full-frame cine glass rarely lands under $500 new, so your smartest play is APS-C/MFT sets (and the used market) with uniform gear positions and front diameters; prioritize lenses with ~270° focus throws (or the longest available), consistent T-stops across the set (T2–T2.2 sweet spot), minimal focus breathing if you film handheld, close-focus for product/beauty inserts, and shared 67/77/82 mm threads so one matte box/VND works across your kit. New, budget-killer sets: Meike Cine (APS-C/MFT) 12mm/16mm/25mm/35mm/50mm/85mm T2.2–T2.1—matched barrels/gears, surprisingly tidy breathing, and great close focus; 7Artisans Vision Series T2.0 (APS-C) 25/35/50/75—uniform mechanics, neutral color, lightweight for gimbals; TTArtisan Cine T2.0 (APS-C/MFT) 25/35/50/75—compact, smooth throws, nice flare control; Viltrox Cine S35 T1.5 trio 23/33/56 (often under $500 each when on sale)—fast speed with matched 0.8 gears and pleasing color; Pergear/Daylight-friendly options like Pergear 35/1.8 T-mod or Rock-solid cheap wides like Meike 10mm T2.2 (MFT) punch above weight for interiors and gimbal moves. Used-market steals: Rokinon/Samyang Cine DS/DSX (FF/S35 coverage) 14/24/35/50/85 T1.5-T3.1 routinely dip under $500 each—long throws, de-clicked iris, easy to gear, and a huge selection of focal lengths; older SLR primes with cine mods (Nikon AI-S/Canon FD/Contax Zeiss) plus 0.8 gear rings and declick kits give you a “cine feel” under budget with beautiful rendering. Ultra-wide on a budget: Meike 12mm T2.2 (APS-C) and 8mm-10mm T2.2 (MFT) for tight rooms/establishers; tele on a budget: Meike 85mm T2.2 (APS-C) or Samyang/Rokinon 85mm T1.5 (FF) for interviews and stage. Practical buyer tips: build a three-prime spine around your sensor—APS-C: 25/35/50 (add 85) at T2.0–T2.2; MFT: 12/16/25 (add 35/50)—and standardize fronts via step-ups to one matte box or 77/82 mm VND; check breathing and focus scale accuracy on your camera, keep barrel weights similar for fast gimbal swaps, and prefer sets with identical gear spacing so your follow-focus and FIZ marks stay put; if you need servo/zoom looks, rent a parfocal cine zoom and keep your budget primes for A-cam close-ups. Sub-$500 cine-shooting tips: rate by T-stop and lock a 180° shutter, ride ND for exposure, mark common actor distances and use those long throws for precise racks, and avoid stacking filters that invite ghosts; balance rigs to your heaviest lens, add lens supports for longer barrels, and use Active/IBIS judiciously (off on sticks to avoid micro-jitter); color-match in prep (white card + quick LUT check) since budget sets can vary lens-to-lens; whether you’re crafting moody night dialogue, run-and-gun doc, wedding highlight reels, or product beauty on a shoestring, the best cine lenses under $500—Meike/7Artisans/TTArtisan/Viltrox S35 new, Samyang/Rokinon DS used, and cine-modded classics—deliver matched gears, smooth pulls, and a cohesive look so your focus hits, your flares feel intentional, and your footage looks cinematic without wrecking your budget.
Lenses by brand:
Lenses by price:
Lenses by type:
Lenses by sensor:
Lenses by feature:
Lenses by use case:
Lenses by experience:
Cameras: