If you've recently invested in a Blackmagic Pocket 6K Pro, chances are you are now wondering what lenses might make the most sense to pair with it for crafting truly cinematic moving images. With its native EF mount, there are hundreds of lenses available, though don't forget that the good folks at Wooden Camera make a PL adapter that works with the Pocket 6K Pro to open up the world of cinema lenses new and old even further.
One important factor to consider here is the flange focal distance; the flange focus distance of the Blackmagic Pocket 6K Pro is 44mm, which means you should focus on lenses that are natively available in the EF mount of the camera since it won't be able to support lenses designed for a shallower flange distance (like the popular Meike primes, for instance).
While you can convert the camera to PL mount (with a 52mm flange distance) with that adapter from Wooden Camera, that makes the most sense if you already have invested heavily in PL mount glass. If you are looking to start your lens collection now, sticking with the EF mount and buying lenses that are ready for that will be your most cost-effective option.
Primes
Let's start by looking at the prime lens options that make the most sense paired with the Blackmagic.
While top-of-the-line cinema glass like the ARRI Signature Primes and the Zeiss Supreme Primes are obviously wonderful lenses, each lens comes in at 10 times the price of the 6K Pro, making them more likely occasional rental items than daily shooters. For lenses that you might end up renting more often, or even buying, there is still a world of popular options that give great image quality and the repeatable focus and wide apertures filmmakers are looking for.
Zeiss Compact Primes
One of the first major manufacturers to release cinema lenses in an EF mount was Zeiss with their Compact Prime lineup, now up to release 3. While the prices of individual lenses might be a bit steep (in the $4-6K range), one of the beauties of lenses is that they don't age as quickly as cameras.
The original CP and the CP.2 lenses still offer amazing optical quality, without some of the fancier modern features of the CP.3s, and you'll likely run into better deals on the used markets for these lenses since they were widely produced.
Irix
Irix is pursuing an interesting strategy for their new cinema lenses: a pincer movement, which you might have heard about from a little film called Tenet and its "temporal pincer movement."
Instead of starting with a more standard lineup from 18-85mm, Irix started with a 150mm macro, and then came out with an 11mm super-wide-angle prime. They are coming in at the far ends of the spectrum in both directions with interesting lenses that offer something other manufacturers don't have. We are always big fans of a filmmaker having a macro on standby for when they need it, and from a cost/benefit standpoint the Irix 150mm cine macro can't be beat.
Laowa
While Laowa doesn't offer a full lineup of cine primes, they have a few offerings in the cine world that folks should have on their radar.
First is the Zero-D lineup of ultra-wide lenses available in 9, 12, and 15mm options that, while not offering cine lens rings, still offer the repeatable focus filmmakers want. These lenses offer incredibly low distortion for wide-angle lenses (hence Zero-D for zero distortion), which is useful for an independent filmmaker.
If you are finding yourself regularly working in small spaces, shooting in cars, bathrooms, or new york studio apartments, the wide-angle Zero-D lineup is one you should consider.
Laowa also has another lens that needs to be mentioned, their probe lens.
At 24mm 2X macro, this lens allows for absolutely stunning close-up work that almost no other lens can match, certainly not at the price point. It only opens to an F14, so it's not a great lens for low light or night work (though the dual ISO setting on the Blackmagic can help balance that out). But if you've got the light, you'll get amazing footage with this piece of glass. It even comes with a built-in LED for lighting the subject, since the lens can functionally shoot basically touching the subject, which can make things hard to light.
XEEN CF
One set of lenses you have to consider for use with your Pocket 6K is the XEEN CF Primes. While each one comes in around the same price as the 6K Pro ($2,500 or so), they offer an incredible amount of optical quality for that price point.
With wide apertures (often T1.5), smooth bokeh, and crystal sharp focus, these lenses bat well above their weight. Add into the mix the compact size and low weight, and these are great lenses for a gimbal setup or long days of handheld.
ZHONGYI
Zhongyi is relatively newer to the motion picture lens landscape, but they are worth considering for their focus on ultra-wide apertures.
We've been able to test their 50mm T1 lens with the Pocket 6K, and the combination of that T1 speed with the 3200 dual native ISO makes a dynamite combination for low light work that few other setups can make.
Zooms
While traditionally cine zooms have been too expensive to ever consider purchasing, there are a few manufacturers out there offering exceptional quality zoom lenses with repeatable focus and cine housings that you should absolutely consider when kitting out your system.
Sigma Cine Zooms
Sigma doesn't just make great cine prime lenses (just a hair too expensive to make our list for pairing with the Pocket 6K, but still wonderful), they also make absolutely wonderful cine zoom lenses, a paired 18-35 and 50-150mm set that open up to an amazing T2 aperture throughout the zoom range for both.
These lenses are fast, light, sharp, and a great documentary shooter companion. While they aren't parfocal lenses (they don't hold focus as you zoom), with modern focus assist tools built into the Pocket 6K like zooming in on the image and focus assist highlight, that isn't the issue it would've been in the film days.
DZOFilm
Last but not least are the Pictor zooms from DZOfilm. DZOfilm is a newer entrant in the cinema lens space, but it is already taking off in popularity, especially since these lens designs are truly parfocal, meaning that if you zoom in and get focus, it'll hold focus as it zooms out, which is a feature missing from the Sigma zooms.
They both feature a T2.8 aperture and a creamy look. Some users complain about chromatic fringing on highlights, but remember that will look different from sensor to sensor, since color fringing and flares are an interaction of your sensor design and lens design.
It's always good to test a lens before purchase to see not just how it performs generally but also how it performs on your camera of choice.
