Canon EF Du Review

The Canon Dulens APO Mini 6-lens set is a matched kit of full-frame cinema primes for filmmakers. For around $4,200, you get six focal lengths with consistent T-stops and handling, designed to deliver a smooth, vintage look. It's a great value for dedicated video shooters but a poor choice for photographers needing autofocus.

If you're a filmmaker or serious video shooter looking for a full set of cinema primes without the rental house price tag, the Canon Dulens APO Mini 6-lens kit is a unique option. For around $4,200, you get six focal lengths (21, 31, 43, 58, 85, and 110mm) designed specifically for video work. They're all full-frame, share a consistent T2.4 to T2.6 max aperture, and have matching 72mm filter threads and 80mm front diameters, which is a huge plus for rigging and using matte boxes. The lenses are coated to deliver a smooth, vintage look, which is a specific creative choice that sets them apart from clinical modern glass. Our data shows they score best for video/cinema use, which makes sense given their feature set.

These are manual focus cinema primes, so performance is about optical character and mechanical feel, not autofocus speed. The optical quality scores land in the 35th percentile in our database, which is solid but not class-leading. The 11-blade aperture diaphragm should produce nice, round bokeh, and the bokeh quality score is a decent 56th percentile. The max aperture of T2.4-T2.6 is good, but it's not an ultra-fast set; that metric sits in the 29th percentile. In practice, you're getting a very consistent look across all six lenses, which is critical for multi-cam shoots or projects where you need to cut between different focal lengths without jarring shifts in color or contrast. The focus and iris gears are standard 0.8 MOD, so they'll play nice with follow focus systems.

At $4,199 for six lenses, you're paying about $700 per lens. That's a compelling price for a matched cinema set. The value really depends on your needs. If you need autofocus or plan to use these primarily for stills, there are better values in stills photography lenses. But if you're building a dedicated video rig and want the consistency of a matched set without spending $15,000+ on higher-end cine glass, this kit starts to make a lot of sense. You're paying for the convenience and uniformity, not necessarily for bleeding-edge optical performance.

This set is in a different league than the single, budget autofocus primes listed as competitors, like the Meike 55mm F1.8 or Viltrox lenses. A fairer comparison would be against other entry-level cinema prime sets, like the Sirui Venus series or the DZOFilm Pictor zooms. The Dulens kit's main trade-off is the vintage character and manual-only operation versus the modern, clinical look and sometimes included autofocus in stills lenses. If you need one fast, versatile lens for run-and-gun video and photos, a single Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 might be a better investment. But if you need a dedicated set of tools that all feel and perform the same on a cinema camera, the Dulens package is hard to beat at this price point.

Still photographers and hybrid shooters should skip this set. The lack of autofocus and image stabilization makes them awkward for photography. If you mostly shoot run-and-gun documentary style or vlogging, a single stabilized zoom lens will be far more practical. Also, if you demand the absolute sharpest, most modern optical rendering, you might find the 'vintage look' coating too soft. For those users, look at Sigma's Art series primes or a high-quality standard zoom instead.

So, should you buy the Dulens APO Mini 6-lens set? If you're a filmmaker or content creator who shoots primarily on a Canon EF-mount cinema camera (or use an adapter) and you value a consistent, matched look across multiple focal lengths, this is a very smart buy. The kit solves a real problem for indie filmmakers. However, if you're a hybrid shooter who needs autofocus, image stabilization, or plans to use these lenses mostly for photography, you should look elsewhere. These are specialized tools, and they're excellent at their specific job.