These are the best Sony cine lenses when you want true cinema mechanics, consistent color, and disciplined breathing for narrative, doc, and commercial—on VENICE/FX9/FX6/α bodies—and here’s what to look for as you buy: prioritize unified ergonomics (0.8-mod gears in identical positions, long repeatable throws, clear imperial/metric scales), constant T-stops for exposure continuity, controlled breathing and minimal focus shift, full-frame vs Super35 coverage to match your camera, standardized fronts (95/114 mm) for clamp-on matte boxes, solid build with positive locks and proper back-focus, and mounts that fit your pipeline (PL for CineAlta primes/zooms, E-mount for lightweight run-and-gun); also consider servo power-zoom for news/doc, parfocal behavior on zooms, weight/CG for gimbals/shoulder, and metadata support (Cooke-/i, lens data over PL/E). The flagship primes are Sony CineAlta FF PL primes—a matched full-frame set (core focals from wide to tele) with fast T-stops, consistent color, long throws, 0.8-mod gears, and big 114 mm fronts that make follow-focus and matte-box work painless; they’re crisp yet cinematic, intercutting cleanly across VENICE A/B/C cams and adapting to gimbals with proper support. If you live on E-mount and want true cine housings without PL, the FE C 16–35mm T3.1 G is the hero ultra-wide: full-frame coverage, geared rings, de-clicked iris with proper markings, excellent flare control, and restrained breathing—ideal for interiors, establishing masters, and gimbal work. For production-friendly power-zoom coverage, Sony’s servo PZ pair—the FE PZ 28–135mm f/4 G OSS and the E PZ 18–110mm f/4 G OSS (Super35)—deliver smooth, variable-speed zooms, quiet AF/drive for one-operator crews, OSS that plays nicely with IBIS, and near-parfocal behavior that’s doc- and broadcast-ready; both have geared rings and long throws so they slot into cine rigs easily. Hybrid cinema shooters who want featherweight, gimbal-friendly glass should consider the FE PZ 16–35mm f/4 G and FE 20–70mm f/4 G: not true cine housings, but linear response MF, internal zoom (on the 16–35 PZ), minimal breathing aided by in-camera breathing compensation, and matched color with G/G Master primes make them outstanding for travel and corporate work. Building a prime-look E-mount set on a budget? Sony’s G Master primes (24/1.4, 35/1.4, 50/1.2–1.4, 85/1.4, 135/1.8) aren’t cine-housed but offer quiet linear motors, excellent breathing control, declickable apertures on many bodies, and color that grades seamlessly with FE C glass—great when you mix stills and cine rigs. Practical buyer tips: define format first (FF vs S35) and pick a spine—CineAlta FF PL primes for narrative or FE C 16–35 T3.1 + PZ 28–135 for nimble doc; if you gimbal a lot, favor internal-zoom PZ 16–35 f/4 G and compact G/Master primes so balance stays locked; unify fronts at 95/114 mm for one matte box/VND, and standardize gear positions to speed swaps; if you need run-and-gun zooming, choose servo PZ with proper rocker control and keep a short fast prime (35/1.4 or 50/1.4) for interviews and low light. Shooting tips: lock 180° shutter with a quality VND, pre-mark pulls on the long scales and rehearse end-stops, keep zooms in their parfocal sweet spots and refocus after big temperature swings, run mild IBIS/OSS for handheld but disable on locked shots to avoid drift, enable breathing compensation on compatible bodies for critical racks, and match T-stops/white balance across cameras to simplify grading. Whether you’re lighting dialogue on VENICE with PL primes, flying a gimbal through tight interiors on FE C 16–35, or covering corporate B-roll with servo PZ glass, the best Sony cine lenses combine robust, matched mechanics, controlled breathing, and coherent color—so your footage intercuts cleanly from wide master to tight reaction and your rig stays fast, balanced, and production-ready.