Introduction
Tokina Cinema has expanded its Vista-P series with the addition of 40mm, 65mm, 105mm, and 135mm focal lengths. These new lenses join the existing 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm focal lengths, offering cinematographers an even broader range of options.
Vintage Character with High Resolution
The Vista-P lenses from Tokina Cinema are designed to provide cinematographers with a unique blend of vintage character and high resolution. These lenses produce images that feature a buttery, swirly, vintage-like character around the edges of the frame, while maintaining incredibly high resolution in the center.
Popularity and Customization
The Tokina Cinema Vista Primes have gained popularity among third-party manufacturers and rental houses for customization and ‘de-tuning’ to achieve a less perfect image towards the frame’s edge. This customization typically involves modifying the air gap between the easily accessible elements at the rear of each lens. Adding shims can create a mild effect, but more spacing is needed between other elements deep inside the lens for a more noticeable effect. Due to this demand, Tokina Cinema has re-engineered the Vista Primes as a factory option.
Re-engineering for Unique Effects
To achieve the desired look, Tokina Cinema has repositioned the elements throughout the design of the Vista-P lenses, not just at the rear. This deliberate repositioning introduces strong spherical distortion, a characteristic commonly associated with vintage lenses. These modifications result in lower contrast and increased distortion effects. Although the Vista-P primes look physically similar to the existing Vista lenses, they offer a different optical look. The edges of the frame exhibit a swirl-type distortion similar to famous vintage lenses like the Helios-44 or Petzval, while the overall look remains cleaner and more modern, with resolution surpassing traditional vintage lenses.
Key Advantages
Despite the difference in character, the Tokina Cinema Vista-P lenses retain all the key advantages of the regular Vista Primes. They exhibit virtually no focus breathing and have image circles with a 46.7mm area of definition, covering all large format cinema cameras. The lenses share the same 114mm front O.D. and nine-blade iris and are available in PL, LPL, Sony E, EF, or MFT mounts.
Spherical Distortion and Formats
The spherical distortion effect of the Vista-P series is most noticeable in the Vista Vision/Full Frame intended area of definition. When using Super35 or smaller formats, the effect can be reduced at the frame’s edges.
Factory Modification
Due to the complexity of the modification, it must be performed at the Tokina Cinema factory in Japan. The Vista-P series can be purchased as brand new lenses already fully modified or as an upgrade to existing Vista prime lenses, which requires returning the lenses to Tokina Cinema and sending them to Japan for modification. Once completed, the conversion is not reversible due to economic reasons.
Price & Availability
The Tokina Cinema Vista-P lenses are priced at $7,499 USD for the 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses. The 18mm, 40mm, 65mm, and 105mm lenses are priced at $8,999 USD each, while the 135mm lens costs $9,999 USD. For existing owners of Tokina Cinema Vista primes, the modification will cost approximately $2,000 USD per lens, plus shipping.
In summary, Tokina Cinema’s expansion of the Vista-P series adds new focal lengths while offering cinematographers a distinctive combination of vintage character and high resolution. The factory modifications ensure that these lenses meet the high standards expected by professionals in the industry.
