Tokina Vista 85mm T1,5 Cinema PL

Tokina Vista 85mm T1.5 Cinema PL – Fast T1.5 for low-light shooting and shallow depth of field

The Tokina Vista 85 mm T1.5 Cinema PL is a fast 85 mm prime designed for filmmakers who need a bright T-stop and cinema-friendly handling. It features an internal focus design, a 9-bladed iris for pleasing bokeh, and coverage that exceeds full-frame sensors, making it suitable for high-resolution capture up to 8K.

Design and handling

The lens shares the same form factor, lens gear position, focus rotation, and front barrel diameter as other Tokina Cinema Vista primes. As a result, you can change lenses quickly and reuse accessories without adjusting gear positions. In practice, this consistency speeds up workflow on set and simplifies lens swaps between takes.

Because the lens uses an internal focus design, it maintains a consistent length during focus pulls and avoids image shift while focusing. In addition, Tokina has placed clearly marked focus and iris scales on both sides of the lens to support follow-focus operation and ease of measurement from either side of the camera rig.

Optical characteristics

The Vista 85 mm offers a fast T1.5 stop, which helps when filming in low light and when you want a very shallow depth of field to isolate subjects. Tokina uses aspherical elements and modern lens coatings to control chromatic aberration, delivering sharp images across the frame. The lens is designed to provide usable performance wide open as well as across the iris range.

Additionally, the lens exhibits nearly no breathing during focus pulls. This behavior preserves composition during focus changes, which is important for cinematic shots. The 9-bladed iris renders round, out-of-focus highlights and contributes to natural-looking bokeh.

Use cases

• Low-light filming thanks to the fast T1.5 maximum aperture.
• Portrait and subject isolation where shallow depth of field and pleasing bokeh are desired.
• High-resolution capture workflows, since the lens covers more than full-frame and is suitable for 8K recording.
• Professional cinema rigs that benefit from consistent gear locations across a prime set.

Features

• Fast T1.5 stop — good for low-light filming.
• Image circle of 46.7 mm — covers full-frame sensor size, VistaVision, and Red Dragon.
• Very pleasing image character across the iris range and usable wide open.
• Consistent length of lens during focus pulls.
• No image shift during focus pulls.
• 9-bladed iris for natural-looking bokeh.
• Robust construction.
• Focus and iris scales on both sides for easy operation from either side.

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Question: Is this lens suitable for full-frame cameras and high-resolution recording?

Answer: Yes. The lens has an image circle of 46.7 mm, which covers full-frame formats, VistaVision, and Red Dragon sensors. It is also described as suitable for 8K video capture, making it a good match for high-resolution workflows.

Question: How does the lens perform in low light and for shallow depth of field?

Answer: The T1.5 maximum stop offers a bright aperture for low-light shooting and allows you to achieve a very shallow depth of field. The 9-bladed iris produces round highlights and contributes to a natural-looking bokeh that helps separate subjects from the background.

Question: Will the lens cause composition changes during focus pulls?

Answer: The lens uses an internal focus design and is noted to have nearly no breathing and no image shift during focus pulls. In practice, this preserves composition and framing when you change focus in a shot.

Question: Can I swap this lens quickly with other Tokina Vista primes and reuse my accessories?

Answer: Yes. The Tokina Vista 85 mm shares the same form factor, lens gear positions, focus rotation, and front barrel diameter as other Tokina Cinema Vista primes. This compatibility helps you change lenses quickly and keep accessories aligned across the set.