Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 Cinema Sony E

Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 (Sony E) – Fast T1.5 large format cine-prime with vintage-inspired rendering

Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 in Sony E mount is an impressive part of the Vista-C series of cine-primes, designed to meet the needs of filmmakers for a distinct and characterful image expression. This lens is specifically designed to combine a vintage feel with modern reliability, making it ideal for both professional and enthusiastic filmmakers. With input from professional cinematographers and rental companies, the Vista-C lines offer a new optical design and coatings that provide a unique look while maintaining the professional cine mechanics required in today’s film production.

Optical character and image reproduction

Vista-C primes are carefully designed to deliver a refined vintage aesthetic. They offer mild field distortion, natural light falloff, and softer edges, contributing to an organic and cinematic image. The 9-blade curved iris provides a soft and pleasing bokeh, further enhancing the visual quality. Additionally, Vista-C lenses reproduce with slightly lowered contrast and have expressive blue and red flare tones. Tokina has also optimized the coatings to reduce green tint, resulting in a warmer and more pleasant overall reproduction. Despite these vintage-inspired characteristics, the lenses maintain high central resolution, making them suitable for modern large format digital film cameras.

Coverage, aperture, and focusing behavior

The Vista-C series offers full-frame and large format coverage with an image circle exceeding 46.7 mm. This feature allows the lens to be used with “full-frame plus” cameras and can also cover ARRI ALEXA 65 Open Gate. All Vista-C primes have a fast maximum aperture of T1.5 and a minimum aperture of T22, allowing for work with shallow depth of field in various shooting situations. An additional advantage is that the lenses in the series virtually exhibit no focus breathing, meaning you can perform shallow depth of field shots and smooth focus pulls without any distracting changes in image angle.

Mechanical design and consistency

Vista-C lenses are constructed with a robust metal housing that provides durability and long-lasting use. They are available in several different mounts and are equipped with 0.8 MOD cine gear for both focus and iris control. Each lens offers a focus rotation of approximately 300°, allowing for precise manual focus pulls. Additionally, all lenses in the series share the same external form factor with an outer diameter of 114 mm and consistent gear placements, making lens changes quick and predictable when using matte boxes or FIZ systems.

Key features

• Fast maximum aperture: T1.5 with minimum aperture T22 across the series
• Full-frame and large format coverage: Image circle >46.7 mm, suitable for sensors up to 65 mm and ARRI ALEXA 65 Open Gate
• Vintage-inspired rendering: Softer edges, lowered contrast, natural light falloff, and subtle field distortion
• Color reproduction: Warm red and blue flare tones with reworked coatings to minimize green tint
• Focus breathing: Almost no focus breathing and high central resolution for modern film production

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum aperture for Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5?
The maximum aperture is T1.5.

What type of image quality does Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 offer?
It offers a vintage-inspired image quality with high central resolution and a distinct, characterful rendering.

How much focus rotation does the lens have?
The lens offers a focus rotation of approximately 300°.

What type of mechanical design does Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 have?
The lens is constructed with a robust metal housing for durability and long-lasting use.