Sony HEKTOR HEKTOR T2.1 3-Lens Set 25mm

Spend $29,000 on a set of lenses and you'd expect excellence. These deliver excuses. Skip the HEKTOR and thank us later.

What surprised us most was just how mediocre the image quality is, even accounting for the deliberately 'gentle' Petzval effect. We expected soft edges and some character, but this lens set ranks in the 16th percentile for optical quality among all lenses we track. That's not quirky charm, it's genuinely poor sharpness and contrast, especially off-center. The bokeh is nothing special either—22nd percentile means you'd get more interesting out-of-focus rendering from a lot of sub-$500 stills lenses. On the plus side, the 120° focus rotation is smooth and great for precision pulls, and having matched gear positions across the three lenses makes lens swaps on set fast. But none of that matters when the images look like they came through a fog machine.

If you're shopping for character primes in this focal range, skip the HEKTOR set entirely. Look at the DZOFilm Vespid series instead—the 25, 50, and 75mm trio costs far less, is built better, and still offers a pleasing, slightly vintage rendering without the optical penalty. For a truly unique look, Sirui's full-frame anamorphic lenses (like the 50mm T2.9) give you cinematic stretch and flares for under $1,500 each. Or, if you really want the Petzval swirl, adapt an old Helios 44-2 to your Sony for $50 and you'll get a more authentic effect that won't bankrupt you. The HEKTOR set tries to compete in a market where it's outclassed on every front.

This is where the HEKTOR set goes from disappointing to indefensible. You'll find it listed between $21,590 and $29,409 depending on the retailer, and even the lowest price at one store is still laughably high for what you get. For reference, you can assemble a three-lens set of proven full-frame cine primes from brands like DZOFilm or Meike for a third of that, with better build, sharper optics, and real usability. The HEKTOR's budget score of 39.1 out of 100 sums it up: this is not a good deal. At all.

The Leitz Cine HEKTOR T2.1 3-lens set is a strange beast: a $22,000-$29,000 bundle of primes that promises a playful, vintage Petzval look, but ends up feeling like a leftover parts-bin project. You get three focal lengths (25, 50, and 73mm) in a full-frame Sony E mount, all with a constant T2.1 aperture and matching manual focus gears. The idea is solid—convenient, character-driven glass for indie filmmakers. But the execution falls flat in almost every way that matters. Think 'soft, swirly bokeh' and 'warm flares' wrapped in a package that costs as much as a small car, yet delivers optical performance that our database puts deep in the bottom quartile.

If you're looking for reliable, sharp cine primes that won't require a second mortgage, this isn't it. Go pick up a DZOFilm Vespid set or a used set of Zeiss CP.2s instead—you'll get professional results without the gimmick tax and buyer's remorse.

We can't recommend the Leitz Cine HEKTOR T2.1 3-lens set to anyone. It's too expensive, underperforms optically, and feels built to a budget that's insulting at this price. The quirky flares and focus rotation aren't enough to salvage it. Unless you have a client who absolutely demands this exact look and is footing the bill, steer clear.