I bought myself a set of Schneider Xenon FF primes a few years back. A few from a DP in Florida, and I completed my set after grabbing two more locally in New York at the Adorama used department.

I quickly noticed the build quality was stunning. Each lens had very little, to no breathing. This feature helps tremendously as I am my own focus puller. Being able to smoothly rack focus, while operating a camera on set is huge. With 300 degrees of lens barrel rotation, slick. Working in small teams, features like these help me get the job done.

They are also all very similar in weight and size. Such a nice feature once I have my matte box and rig built. Makes changing glass fast, and uniform. The weighting, all being very close to the same, helps with a balanced rig all day long. I can switch lenses and keep working with no adjustments. Helps a ton when trying to capture lots of content in a day.

So how do these lenses look? Very sharp, neutral, with circular bokeh and flare easily. They are also all color-matched. Makes for color grading a two camera shoot much easier. Less color shift the better.

Footage from these is super clean. Great for reality TV, corporate work and documentary. With a neutral look, adding filtration of your choice is easy. I look at these as a blank canvas and I can create what I want.

Each lens has a 14 blade iris, resulting in nice circular bokeh. Very uniform and precise.

When pointed at a light source, they flair nicely as well. I filmed with these while using Arri tungsten fresnel lights for a UFC project once. Had two kickers pointed at the fighter, high and down. Was able to get a great back edge on the fighter and also flairs as I moved the camera during the shoot. Loved the look.

They are fast too, other than the 18mm at T2.4. Each of the other lenses in the set are T2.1. Filming in low-light, not a problem.

Other features that make these a great investment, they are not super expensive. Are they cheap? No, but they don’t cost a tremendous amount. Ranging between $6,300 and $3,360 each, they can be owned, vs. a rented set when you need them.

They are also FF, full frame, and these lenses can cover large sensors. The cinema world is going FF. Arri LF, Red Monstro Vista Vision, Canon EOS C500 Mii, and the Sony FS9 are here and these lenses will cover these sensors. Another big advantage for sure.

Lastly, the rear mount can be changed for the flavor you desire. PL-Mount, Canon EF-Mount, Nikon F-Mount and Sony E-Mount. As I got mine used, you could as well. Not a problem to build a set with several different mounts, since you can change them down the road for about $500 a lens.

The Schneider Xenon FF primes are a solid long term investment. I’ve been happy working with them over the years. Try them out from your local rental house and go from there.

Enjoy!