Sirui has started a new line of small autofocus primes called Swift, and the first two lenses are about as affordable as full-frame autofocus gets. The Swift 20mm f/2.4 and Swift 40mm f/2.2 went up on Sirui’s own store on October 29 as a pre-order, priced at $149 each, in versions for Sony E, L-mount and Fujifilm X cameras.
Both are compact, weigh a little over 200 grams and come with the kind of controls you usually find on more expensive glass: a clicked aperture ring, an AF/MF switch and a button you can assign to a camera function.
What’s new
The two lenses share one design language and one filter size, 58mm, so a single set of filters covers both. Focusing is done by a stepper (STM) motor, and Sirui says focus breathing is kept to a minimum. Each lens has a nine-blade aperture that closes down to f/16, and both are described as dust-resistant and weather-sealed, with a smudge-resistant coating on the front element. A petal-shaped hood is in the box.
- Swift 20mm f/2.4: 11 elements in 9 groups, including aspherical, ED and high-refractive-index glass. It focuses down to 0.2 m (0.65 ft) for a maximum magnification of 0.136x. Sirui lists 207 g for the Sony E version and 212 g for L-mount.
- Swift 40mm f/2.2: 11 elements in 8 groups, with aspherical and ED elements. It focuses down to 0.4 m (1.31 ft), about 0.14x magnification, and weighs 210 g in Sony E and 215 g in L-mount.
On a Fujifilm X body the crop factor turns them into roughly 30mm and 60mm equivalents. Sirui backs both lenses with a three-year replacement warranty for faults that aren’t caused by the owner, as Imaging Resource also reports.
Price and availability
Each lens costs $149 in every mount. Sirui’s store lists the lenses for pre-order, and Imaging Resource says they are sold through Amazon as well as Sirui directly. Sirui has not posted shipping dates by region on its product page, so check the store before you plan around a delivery for the next wedding.
What it means for film-look photographers
The 40mm is the more interesting of the pair for people who shoot weddings and families. Forty millimeters sits close to the classic normal view many of us grew up with on film compacts and rangefinders: wide enough to keep the room in the frame during getting ready, tight enough for a quiet half-length portrait. At f/2.2 it won’t melt a background the way an f/1.4 does, but it gives a natural, honest look that suits documentary coverage and grain-heavy edits.
The 20mm is the one for big venues, dance floors from the middle of the crowd and wide environmental portraits, though at 0.2 m you can also work close for details. At around 210 grams each, either lens can live in a jacket pocket as a second option without adding much weight to a twelve-hour day.
A few honest caveats: f/2.2 and f/2.4 are not low-light champions in a dim reception hall, and a stepper-motor budget lens has yet to prove itself for tracking a fast-moving processional. Wait for real-world reviews before relying on one as your only lens on a wedding day.
As a light, cheap second body lens, or a walk-around option for engagement sessions with a film feel, the Swift pair looks like an easy way to try a 40mm or a 20mm without spending much.
Sources
Header image: Sirui (press image)
