Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 Cinema PL

Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 Cinema PL – Fast T1.5 Aperture with Vintage-Inspired Expression

Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 Cinema PL is an excellent lens for filmmakers seeking a combination of modern functionality and vintage aesthetics. This cine-prime is designed to deliver a distinct image character while offering professional mechanical properties. With its fast T1.5 aperture, it is perfect for capturing stunning images even in low light, making it an ideal choice for both experienced and novice filmmakers.

Optical Properties and Image Appearance

The Vista-C 40mm T1.5 is carefully optically tuned to provide a refined vintage feel. It offers subtle field distortion and natural vignetting, contributing to a soft and organic image. The lower contrast in the lenses results in warmer tones and minimizes the green hue, creating a more pleasing image. With redesigned coatings, the lens also produces expressive blue and red flare tones, giving a unique visual style. Despite its vintage-inspired expression, the lens maintains high central sharpness and is perfect for modern large-format digital film cameras. Additionally, Vista-C lenses have almost no focus breathing, ensuring stability during focus pulls.

Mechanical Design and Handling

The Vista-C 40mm is built with a robust, all-metal housing and follows a consistent design throughout the series. It uses a 0.8 MOD cine gear for both focus and iris, providing a focus rotation of approximately 300° for precise manual control and smooth focus pulls. The common 114 mm outer front diameter and consistent gear positions make it quick and easy to switch lenses, which is crucial for professional use with matte boxes and FIZ systems. The lens also features a 9-blade curved iris that preserves soft, rounded out-of-focus highlights when stopped down.

Coverage and Compatibility

Vista-C primes are designed to cover full-frame and large format sensors, with an image circle exceeding 46.7 mm. This makes them suitable for "full-frame plus" cameras and sensors up to 65 mm, including ARRI ALEXA 65 Open Gate. The 40mm T1.5 is part of a cohesive set of focal lengths ranging from 18mm to 135mm, ensuring consistent coverage whether filming wide-angle scenes or tight portraits on large format sensors.

Key Features

• Fast T1.5: maximum aperture with T22 as the minimum aperture throughout the series
• Coverage: full-frame and large format with image circle >46.7 mm, suitable for sensors up to 65 mm and ALEXA 65 Open Gate
• Vintage-Inspired Rendering: softer edges, reduced contrast, natural vignetting, and subtle field distortion
• Flare Tones: warm red and blue tones with redesigned coatings to minimize green bias and enhance color reproduction
• Focus Breathing: almost zero and high central sharpness for modern film production
• Mount: ARRI PL mount with 0.8 MOD focus and iris

Frequently asked questions

Does the Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 Cinema PL have a fast aperture?
Yes, it has a fast aperture of T1.5.

Which sensors is the Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5 Cinema PL compatible with?
It is designed to cover full-frame and large format sensors, with an image circle exceeding 46.7 mm, making it suitable for sensors up to 65 mm, including ARRI ALEXA 65 Open Gate.

What is the optical character of the Tokina Vista-C 40mm T1.5?
It offers subtle field distortion and natural vignetting, contributing to a soft and organic image with warmer tones and minimized green tint.

How is the mechanical design of the lens?
The lens is built with a robust, all-metal housing and uses a 0.8 MOD cine-gear for both focus and iris, providing a focus rotation of approximately 300° for precise manual control.