These are the best cine lenses for video when you want consistent color, ultra-low breathing, accurate T-stops, and long buttery focus throws for narrative, commercial, doc, weddings, music promos, and YouTube—and here’s what to look for as you buy: prioritize matched sets with uniform gear positions and front diameters (95/114/136 mm), large image circles (FF/VV if you shoot open-gate), reliable metadata (/i, LDS, XD) for VP/VFX, minimal focus shift, and close-focus for beauty/product inserts; decide first on rendering (neutral-modern vs character), then weight for your rig (handheld/gimbal vs studio/steadicam), and standardize filtration so one matte box and diffusion/VND set rides across the kit. Full-frame/VV neutral-modern prime heroes: ARRI Signature Prime T1.8 (creamy rolloff, minimal breathing, LDS-2), ZEISS Supreme Prime T1.5 (skin-friendly neutral with optional XD data), Cooke S7/i T2.0 (classic warm Cooke look with modern control), Leica Summilux-C T1.4 / Summicron-C T2.0 (compact, elegant micro-contrast), Sony CineAlta FF T1.5 (crisp, consistent color), and Tokina Vista T1.5 (VV coverage, velvety bokeh, close focus). Character-forward choices for stylized looks: ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance T1.5 (repeatable blue-leaning flare with Supreme sharpness), Canon Sumire T1.3–T2.2 (warm tonality and gentle bloom stopped down), Tribe7 BLACKWING7 T1.8 (tunable “T-stop personalities”), and rehoused vintage sets (K-35, Super Speeds, Panchros) when you want period texture. Value/workhorse sets that punch up: Sigma FF High Speed T1.5/T2 (sharp, consistent, 95 mm fronts, huge focal spread), DZOFilm Vespid/Vespid Cyber (FF, light, matched color, 80 mm fronts, data on Cyber), Meike FF Prime T2.1/T2.4 (surprisingly consistent mechanics and color), and Canon CN-E T1.3–T2.8 (reliable, serviceable, long throws). Super35 classics that still rule: ARRI/Zeiss Master Prime T1.3 (near-zero breathing—“perfect yet creamy”), Zeiss Ultra Prime T1.9 (lighter all-day neutral), and Cooke S4/i T2.0 (the timeless warm look). Cine zoom anchors to complement primes: FF/VV—Angénieux Optimo Ultra Compact 21–56 & 37–102 T2.9 (tiny, creamy Optimo color), ZEISS CZ.2 Compact Zooms 15–30/28–80/70–200 T2.9 (true parfocal trio, matched color), ARRI Signature Zooms 24–75 & 45–135 T2.8 (Signature skin + LDS-2), Fujinon Premista 19–45/28–100/80–250 T2.9–T3.5 (neutral-modern, rugged); S35—Angénieux Optimo 15–40/28–76/45–120 T2.6, Canon CN-E 15.5–47 & 30–105 T2.8, Fujinon Cabrio 19–90/20–120 T2.9, and Zeiss LWZ.3 21–100 T2.9–3.9 for doc/ENG day-long balance. Lightweight hybrid picks that behave cine when modded: Zeiss Loxia (declick + long throws), Sony G Master & Sigma Art with cine gears for gimbals, and Otus/Milvus primes (declicked/geared) when you want Zeiss micro-contrast at lower weight. Practical buyer tips: build a 3–5-lens prime spine around your “wide → normal → tight” beats (FF: 25/35/50/75/100; S35: 18/25/32/50/75), keep fronts and gear spacing identical for no-rebalance swaps, test flare/skin at your common T, verify coverage for open-gate/6–8K modes, and record lens data if you’re doing VP/VFX; pair that spine with one or two cine zooms for coverage (FF: 28–80 + 70–200; S35: 18–35 + 50–100), standardize diffusion (⅛–¼) for skin and stock 4×5.65 NDs, and match lens weights to minimize gimbal rebalances. Video shooting tips: rate exposure by T-stop and lock a 180° shutter, ride ND for control, tape marks and pull with wireless FIZ (long throws invite precision), keep moves measured to show low breathing, avoid stacked filters that invite ghosts, and flag the front element against LEDs/point sources; for doc/run-and-gun let a 21–100/19–90 live on the camera and spike in a portrait prime for hero moments, for narrative/commercial anchor wides/mids with a parfocal pair and reserve a faster portrait prime for close-ups, and for gimbal work pre-balance to your heaviest lens and keep set weights close; whether you’re crafting moody night dialogue, glossy beauty boards, handheld vérité, music promos soaked in neon, or VP-heavy spots, the best cine lenses for video—Signatures/Supremes/S7-i/Summilux-C for flagship neutrality, Radiance/Sumire/BLACKWING7 for character, Master/Ultra/S4-i for S35 classics, and Sigma/Tokina/Sony/DZO/Meike for value—deliver trustworthy color, controlled breathing, and confidence-inspiring mechanics so your focus pulls hit, your flares feel intentional, and your footage lands cinematic straight off the timeline.