A recent post on the Chinese microblogging website weibo.com set out Viltrox’s “New Lens Roadmap.” One particularly eye-catching new model was a 30-300 mm cine zoom lens for full-frame cameras. Please note that the weibo.com post was in Chinese, so we have had to rely on an auto-translated version.
What did lenses Viltrox announce?
Viltrox is planning to release three full-frame autofocus lenses in its Pro series. The lenses will have focal lengths of 35 mm, 50 mm and 85 mm, all with maximum apertures of F1.4. All of the lenses will be available with Sony E and Nikon Z mounts. In addition, there are plans for a Pro series lens with an F1.2 aperture designed for APS-C sensor cameras. Other lenses mentioned included an AF 56 mm F1.7 for APS-C and an AF 40 mm F2.5 for full-frame cameras. However, it was the final mention of the LUNA 30-300mm “cinematic lens” that was most exciting.
10x zoom
There are no details of the 10x zoom lens on the website other than the description LUNA 30mm-300mm T4.0. However, there are also several photographs which reveal a little more. The image circle is stated on the body of the lens as 46.5 mm. This means that the 30mm-300mm lens will also cover a larger VistaVision image circle, as well as full frame. In addition, the lens appears to have gears on the focus, zoom and aperture rings. One thing that’s very clear is that the lens is big. It dwarfs the 50 mm lens next to it in one image. The 30mm-300mm even has a large sturdy handle bolted to the top of the barrel.
What we think
The Viltrox LUNA 30mm-300mm T4.0 cine zoom lens is an interesting prospect. It appears likely that it will be available in Sony E-mount, L-Mount and PL mounts. As a cine lens, it should also be parfocal, meaning that it won’t lose focus as you change focal length. From the size of the lens, it is clearly intended for use on a sturdy tripod with a lens support. Viltrox hasn’t released details of availability or price yet, however, it’s not going to be cheap. As soon as we have any more details, we will report it here.
