Tokina Vista-C 105mm T1.5 Cinema Sony E

Tokina Vista-C 105mm T1.5 Cinema Sony E — Fast T1.5 for shallow depth of field and coverage for large-format

The Tokina Vista-C 105mm T1.5 Cinema lens is designed for Sony E mount and offers a unique visual language that is perfect for both professional filmmakers and ambitious enthusiasts. With its fast aperture of T1.5 and ability to create shallow depth of field, this lens is an ideal companion for those looking to capture cinematic images with a vintage feel, while also delivering modern technical solutions. The lens is crafted to meet the needs of today’s film productions and is well-suited for both feature films and commercials.

Optical character and coatings

The Tokina Vista-C 105mm is optically fine-tuned to provide a refined vintage aesthetic. The lens offers subtle field distortions, natural vignetting, and softer edges, creating an appealing background blur. This optical character is perfect for filmmakers who desire a soft and organic feel in their images. Additionally, the redesigned coatings provide expressive blue and red flare tones, contributing to a warmer image rendition and reducing the green tint that previous Vista designs had. Despite its classic style, the lens maintains high central resolution, making it suitable for use with modern large-format digital film cameras, ensuring you achieve both an organic look and sharp details in the center of the image.

Coverage, aperture, and focusing characteristics

The Vista-C series is designed to cover full-frame and large-format sensors, making the lens highly versatile. With an image circle exceeding 46.7 mm, it can easily handle “full-frame plus” cameras and even ARRI ALEXA 65 Open Gate. The fast maximum aperture of T1.5 allows for working with shallow depth of field and gives the filmmaker the freedom to control lighting by stopping down to T22. Designed for film use, Vista-C lenses are engineered to minimize focus breathing, which is crucial for achieving smooth focus pulls and consistent framing during focus adjustments — an important aspect for professional productions where every detail matters. With focal lengths ranging from 18mm to 135mm, this 105mm lens makes it an excellent choice for portrait photography and as a mid-telephoto lens within a matched series for large-format workflows.

Mechanics, handling, and consistency

Vista-C lenses feature a robust construction with a full metal housing, providing the durability necessary for professional use. The series is available in several different mounts, making it flexible for various cameras. A common outer form factor with a front diameter of 114 mm and consistent gear positions across the set simplifies work on set. This makes lens changes quick and predictable when using matte boxes and FIZ systems. The mechanical design includes 0.8 MOD cine gears and approximately 300° focus travel, allowing for precise manual control over focus. The 9-blade curved iris produces soft, rounded highlights when stopping down, helping to preserve the appealing bokeh that defines the lens's image character.

Key features

• Fast T1.5: Ideal for shallow depth of field and good performance in low light.
• Vintage aesthetic: Provides a soft and organic feel in films.
• High resolution: Perfect for large-format digital film cameras.
• Robust construction: Full metal housing for durability and reliability.
• Minimal focus breathing: For smooth focus pulls and consistent framing.
• Compatibility: Coverage for full-frame and large-format sensors.

Frequently asked questions

What aperture does the Tokina Vista-C 105mm T1.5 Cinema lens have?
The lens has a fast aperture of T1.5.

What type of sensors does the lens cover?
The Vista-C series is designed to cover full-frame and large-format sensors.

What is the optical character of the Tokina Vista-C 105mm?
The lens offers subtle field distortions, natural vignetting, and softer edges, creating an appealing background blur.

How is the lens constructed to handle focus adjustments?
The lens is designed to minimize focus breathing, which is crucial for achieving smooth focus pulls and consistent framing during focus adjustments.