Modern Prime
Zeiss
Zeiss CP.2 Super Speed
Compact Prime Super Speeds. T1.5 Full Frame.
- Focal
- 35–85mm
- T-stop
- T1.5
- Mount
- PL
Modern Prime Set
Canon · Japan
Canon Sumire Prime
7 primes 14 – 135mm T1.3 – T3.1 PL
We run this family as standard 3 and 7-lens kits. Bespoke focal mixes are built on request.
Canon’s answer to the vintage-character renaissance, a new optical design preserving Canon’s warm colour science while introducing organic softness and controlled flare.
Pronounced “Soo-mee-ray” (Japanese for violet), the Sumires are most beautiful fully opened. Wide open, microcontrast softens for filmic skin; core sharpness holds to 8K. Stop down to T2.8–T4 and the character fades: a crisp modern lens underneath. 11-blade iris, 22-point sunstars, circular bokeh. Often compared to the Canon K-35s: different character, same spirit.
Character profile
How this lens renders.
Soft wide-open. Modern by T2.8.
Five axes plotting how this set behaves wide-open vs a neutral modern reference. Larger area = more pronounced trait.
Focal lengths
7 focal lengths in this set
- 14mm T3.1
- 20mm T1.5
- 24mm T1.5
- 35mm T1.5
- 50mm T1.3
- 85mm T1.3
- 135mm T2.2
| Focal | T-Stop | Close focus | Weight | Front Ø |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14mm | T3.1 | 8" | 1.2kg | 114mm |
| 20mm | T1.5 | 1' | 1.2kg | 114mm |
| 24mm | T1.5 | 1' | 1.2kg | 114mm |
| 35mm | T1.5 | 1' | 1.1kg | 114mm |
| 50mm | T1.3 | 1'6" | 1.1kg | 114mm |
| 85mm | T1.3 | 3'2" | 1.3kg | 114mm |
| 135mm | T2.2 | 3'3" | 1.4kg | 114mm |
Talking points
Why DPs pick this set
-
Two lenses in one: wide open is character glass; T2.8–T4 is a pristine 8K modern prime
-
The lightest 114mm-front full-frame cinema prime set: 1.1–1.4kg per lens, 1.2kg average
-
Unified 114mm front diameter, 300° focus rotation, and gear positions across all 7 lenses.
Zero rig adjustments between lens swaps
-
Canon’s warm colour science is matched across all Sumire and CN-E cinema lenses, so primes and zooms intercut cleanly
-
No electronics in PL configuration: no metadata, but also no compatibility issues.
Pure mechanical cinema glass
Technical
Full specifications
- Mount
- PL (interchangeable to EF at Canon service centre)
- Coverage
- Full Frame + Super 35. Compatible with C700 FF, Venice, ALEXA LF, etc.
- Focus Throw
- 300°. Minimised focus breathing. Dual-side markings with phosphorescent paint
- Front Diameter
- 114mm unified across all 7 lenses. 105mm front filter thread (except 14mm)
Heritage
-
Origin
Announced April 2019, with first lenses shipping mid-2019 and the full 7-lens set completing by early 2020. “Sumire” (菫) is a feminine Japanese name meaning violet: “like the petals of a flower, our lenses are most beautiful when fully opened.” Designed by Ryuji Nurishi’s team at Canon as a philosophical counterpart to the CN-E Primes: where the CN-Es prioritise clinical sharpness, the Sumires deliberately introduce optical character while retaining Canon’s colour-matched warm rendering. Often compared to the vintage Canon K-35 Macro primes, though the Sumires achieve their softness through a different optical approach: engineered microcontrast reduction rather than vintage coating limitations.
More to explore
