A series of cinema lenses has been launched by Chinese optical brand Zhongyi that the company claims create a ‘classic, soul-stirring’ and ‘organic’ image to counteract the digital look of sensors in cameras using full frame and VistaVision-sized chips. The Zhongyi Zone T1 series currently comprises 35mm, 50mm and 75mm focal lengths, but wider and longer lenses are promised to be on the horizon. As the name suggests, each lens will have a maximum aperture of T1, and the series will be released in PL and Canon EF user-interchangeable mounts.
The company tells us that the imaging circle measures 46mm, so will easily cover full frame mirrorless sensors as well as wider sensors used by cameras such as the Red V-Rapter X 8K. The lenses should also cover the sensor of Fujifilm’s GFX series of medium format cameras when a small crop is applied in 16:9 video.
With such a wide maximum aperture, ZY Optics has concentrated on ensuring out-of-focus highlights look good, and uses a 16-bladed iris to create rounded and clean bokeh. They claim too that focus breathing is all but eliminated, even though close focus distances are ‘exceptional’. Concentration too has been applied to what the company describes as ‘vintage organic’ qualities, such as allowing lots of flare and ‘cinematic character’ – which we might interpret as ‘glow’.
The lenses will all use the same housing, so will share a 114mm barrel front, a 110mm filter thread, 0.8 MOD gears on uniformly positioned focus and iris rings, a weight of 3KG and 132×137.8mm dimensions.
This isn’t the first time Zhongyi Optics has launched T1 cine lenses as, under the Mitakon brand, the company released a collection of Speedmaster lenses for Micro Four Thirds and APS-C/S35 sensors in 2021 – claiming to have produced the world’s first T1 Cinema lenses for those formats. At the same time there was also a full frame 50mm for Canon RF/PL cameras with a T1 aperture. These new lenses though are much bigger, uniform and intended to produce better quality.
Initially the Zone T1 lenses will be available via an Indiegogo campaign, where they can be purchased individually or as a set at a discount. General sales will commence on 20th August 2026, at which point each lens will cost $2499, and the set of three $6999.
For more information see the Zhongyi website or the Indiegogo campaign page
