Zhongyi Optics, the company most photographers know as Mitakon, has pushed cine glass into ludicrously fast territory. The new Zone T1 Cine Lens Series is a trio of full-frame primes built around a maximum aperture of T1.0 — a speed that gulps light and delivers a depth of field thin enough to make focus pullers sweat.
The debut lineup covers the classic run of focal lengths: 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm, all rated at that headline-grabbing T1.0. Mitakon says it spent years refining these lenses for cinematographers who want maximum speed and a razor-thin plane of focus, and the pitch leans hard into character. The company describes the glass as a “painter’s brush” that transforms challenging low-light scenes into “rich, painterly canvases,” softening the clinical edge of modern digital sensors with an organic, vintage warmth.
Marketing prose aside, the engineering is genuinely ambitious. Each lens is designed for full-frame and VistaVision cinema systems, covering a 46mm image circle and rated for 8K+ resolution. Inside sits a 16-blade iris for rounded bokeh, plus minimal focus breathing — a real concern when you’re wide open at T1.0.
The optical formulas differ per focal length:
- 35mm T1: 13 elements in 12 groups, 0.12x maximum magnification
- 50mm T1: 11 elements in 10 groups, 0.16x maximum magnification
- 75mm T1: 11 elements in 9 groups, 0.05x maximum magnification
Those close-focus figures are respectable for such fast glass, though the 75mm clearly trades intimacy for reach.
Where cine shooters will really appreciate the effort is the unified housing. All three lenses share identical dimensions — 137.8mm (5.4 inches) long with a maximum diameter of 132mm (5.2 inches) — and each weighs exactly 3,000 grams (6.6 pounds), which PetaPixel memorably measured as one and a half Nikon Nocts. They also carry standardized 0.8 MOD gearing, a 110mm filter thread, and interchangeable PL and EF mounts, so swapping lenses mid-shoot won’t upend your rig, matte box, or focus motors.
The Zone T1 series was first shown at Cine Gear Expo 2026 in June. Pricing lands at US$2,499 for a single lens and US$6,999 for the three-lens set, with early-access discounts of up to 30% available through Indiegogo. Mitakon is treating the crowdfunding page as an early-access program rather than a fundraising gamble — the campaign’s modest funding goal was cleared almost immediately. Lenses reach the official website and authorized resellers worldwide on August 20, 2026.
As with any crowdfunded project, do your own homework before backing — but a native T1.0 full-frame set at this price is a genuinely rare proposition.
