Kern Switar 16mm f/2.8 C-Mount Lens

The Kern Switar 16mm f/2.8 is a classic Swiss-made cinema lens renowned for its outstanding optical quality, precision engineering, and timeless rendering. Originally designed for professional 16mm motion picture cameras, the Switar series has earned legendary status among filmmakers for its exceptional sharpness, natural colour reproduction, and beautifully organic image character. Even decades after its introduction, Kern Switar lenses remain among the most sought-after vintage C-mount optics for both film and digital cinema.

With its versatile 16mm focal length, the lens provides a moderately wide field of view that is ideal for handheld cinematography, documentaries, interiors, and establishing shots. The compact all-metal construction, smooth manual focus, and precise aperture control make it a pleasure to operate, whether mounted on a classic 16mm film camera or a modern digital cinema camera such as the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (Original) or Digital Bolex D16.

The Switar is celebrated for producing crisp images with excellent micro-contrast while retaining the subtle character and gentle rendering that vintage cinema lenses are known for. It offers a unique balance between technical excellence and cinematic personality, making it a favourite for narrative filmmaking, music videos, documentaries, and commercial productions.

Perfect for

• 16mm film cameras

• Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (Original)

• Digital Bolex D16

• Narrative filmmaking

• Documentaries

• Music videos

• Experimental cinema

Technical Specifications

Features

• Legendary Swiss-made Kern optics

• Excellent sharpness and micro-contrast

• Compact and lightweight design

• Smooth manual focus operation

• Precision manual aperture control

• Beautiful vintage cinematic rendering

• Durable all-metal construction

• Compatible with professional C-mount cinema cameras

Please note: This rental includes the Kern Switar 16mm f/2.8 C-mount lens with front and rear caps. As a vintage lens, cosmetic appearance may vary slightly. Coverage and compatibility depend on the camera used. This lens is ideally suited to 16mm film cameras, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (Original), and the Digital Bolex D16. Before use on non-Bolex cameras, please verify whether this is the RX or non-RX version, as RX lenses are specifically optimized for Bolex reflex cameras.