Vintage Prime
Ancient Optics / Zero Optik
Tamashii Primes
The “Greatest Hits” of Japanese Optics
- Focal
- 22–110mm
- T-stop
- T1.5–T2.3
- Mount
- PL
Vintage Prime Set
G.L. Optics Mk V Rehoused
LOMO Super Speed Primes
5 primes 22 – 75mm T1.3 – T2.1 PL
Purpose-built Soviet cinema lenses from the 1980s, not rehoused stills glass.
Wide open they’re captivatingly soft with low contrast, gentle highlight bloom, and swirly bokeh: classic Russian cinema. Stop down to T2 and sharpness and contrast peak. Flares are unique: bold, colourful veiling and streaking, controlled or embraced. Virtually no focus breathing on wide and middle focals. The multi-blade irises shift bokeh from circular to dramatic flower-petal by stop, a signature no modern 9-blade glass replicates.
Character profile
How this lens renders.
Flower-petal bokeh. No breathing.
Five axes plotting how this set behaves wide-open vs a neutral modern reference. Larger area = more pronounced trait.
Focal lengths
5 focal lengths in this set
- 22mm T2.1
- 28mm T1.3
- 35mm T1.5
- 50mm T1.3
- 75mm T1.5
| Focal | T-Stop | Close focus | Weight | Front Ø |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22mm | T2.1 | 8″ | 1.3kg | 95mm |
| 28mm | T1.3 | 9″ | 1.5kg | 95mm |
| 35mm | T1.5 | 11″ | 1.0kg | 95mm |
| 50mm | T1.3 | 14″ | 1.0kg | 95mm |
| 75mm | T1.5 | 2′3″ | 1.0kg | 95mm |
Talking points
Why DPs pick this set
-
True Soviet cinema glass: purpose-built for movie cameras, not adapted still lenses.
The highest-performing optics Russia produced in the 1980s
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Unique multi-blade iris shifts bokeh from circular to flower-petal by T-stop: no modern lens matches it
-
Focus breathing virtually non-existent on wide and mid focal lengths.
Smooth, invisible rack focuses
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GL Optics Mk V rehousing dramatically improves close focus while adding 330° throw, matched fronts, and cinema-standard gearing
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Pair with Canon K-35 zooms or the Phénix zoom for complementary vintage zoom coverage
Technical
Full specifications
- Mount
- PL (stainless steel): LPL, EF, E also available
- Coverage
- Super 35 (built for S35 cinema cameras; not rated for Full Frame)* sources disagree
- Focus Throw
- 330° (extended rotation for precise pulling)
- Iris
- Original 10-blade, rounded: flower-petal bokeh at certain stops
- Close Focus
- Greatly improved over original optics across all focal lengths
Some figures here are marked *. Our sources disagree on those, so we're checking them against the lenses themselves. Ask us and we'll measure it for you.
Heritage
-
Origin
Built by LOMO (Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Association), the premier Soviet optics manufacturer, throughout the 1980s as OKC-designated cinema primes. These were the workhorses of Soviet and Eastern European film production, used on countless features across the USSR. Rediscovered in the 2010s by Western cinematographers drawn to their expressive imperfections: edge softness, dramatic flare, and warm aberrations became assets in a world of pixel-perfect digital imaging. G.L. Optics (Hong Kong/Shenzhen) rehousings turn fragile Soviet barrels into modern, reliable cine lenses without touching the glass. The Mk V generation adds matched 95mm fronts and improved close focus while preserving every optical characteristic.
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