Tokina Cinema has announced its new Vista-C cinema primes, which were designed and built after close consultation with leading cinematographers and rental houses.
We have seen Tokina Cinema release the Vista One primes and the Vista-P series, but this new addition to the line-up features quite a different approach altogether. Unlike the Vista, Vista One, and Vista-P lenses which feature the same base optics, the Vista-C features completely new optics.
Key features
- Increased spherical distortion
- Reduced Contrast
- Super fast T1.5 Aperture
- Virtually no breathing
- A focus rotation angle of approximately 300 degrees
- Digital large format coverage
- High resolution – low distortion
- Low chromatic aberration
- Durable, all-metal cine-style housing with geared focus
- Smooth, 9-blade, curved iris
- 114mm front diameter, 112mm front filter thread
- Identical gear position on all focal lengths
According to Tokina Cinema, the new lenses have a distinctive new look that blends the best of the past and the present, with many of the in-demand characteristics of the most popular vintage lenses such as red and blue accented flares, reduced contrast and subtle fall-off. The focus fall-off, minimal focus breathing, and red and blue flares offer the perfect blend of ‘vintage’ and ‘modern’ aesthetics. The Vista-C lenses are said to have similar characteristics to the Canon K35s.
Although they look the same on the outside as the existing Vista and Vista-P series lenses, they have new elements, internal changes, and all-new coatings. According to Tokina Cinema, it has taken years of work to come up with the Vista-C lenses, as the elements needed to be changed or altered in each lens, and all-new coatings specifically developed. The change in optical design and flare coloring results in a look that is vastly different to the other Vista lenses as well as other popular cinema lenses on the market.
The new optical elements and coatings create a subtle field distortion instead of the stronger spherical distortion found in the Vista-P series, creating a desirable unique aesthetic. This is all part of the intentional effort to capture a classic look characterized by softer edges, pleasant bokeh, and natural fall-off in the image. Because the elements and coatings are changed the Vista-C design goes far beyond the kind of modifications typically carried out by some rental houses and lens specialists when they attempt to ‘de-tune’ the image of the original Vista lenses.
The Vista-C lenses feature a T1.5 aperture, high center resolution and virtually non-existent breathing of the existing Vista primes. The lenses have image coverage larger than Vista vision and every lens has an image circle with an area of definition in excess of 46.7mm which can easily cover all large format cinema cameras. The 35mm and longer lenses have an area of illumination that can be used on even larger formats including Alexa 65 Open Gate.
The lenses share the same 114mm front O.D. and nine-blade iris, and are available to order with PL, LPL, Sony E, EF, or MFT mounts.
Pricing & availability
The series initially comprises nine lenses. These are the 18mm T1.5, 25mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 40mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5, 65mm T1.5, 85mm T1.5, 105mm T1.5 and 135mm T1.5. Price ranges from $10,599 USD to $12,499 USD each. Delivery is available starting in March 2025.
The lenses will be on display at BSC Expo in London on the 13th,14th and 15th of February, 2025.
