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TLS Petzval Lenses
TLS Petzval Lenses
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- TLS Petzval 58mm T2.1
- TLS Petzval 85mm T2.3
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TLS Petzval Lenses
Prime - Spherical - Full Frame
product details
TLS Petzval Primes (58mm and 85mm) offer a unique blend of nostalgic portrait aesthetics and modern cine flexibility. Their distinctive optical signature, with swirly bokeh, central sharpness, soft falloff, and emotionally expressive rendering, makes them ideal tools for story-driven cinematography that seeks to visually represent subjective psychology, vintage stylization, or dreamlike experiences. TLS (True Lens Service) rehoused these lenses with professional mechanical design and adaptability, in robust PL-mount cine bodies with geared focus and iris wheels. The TLS Petzval Primes currently include two fixed focal lengths: 58mm T2.1 and 85mm T2.3. Available for rental or sub-rental at Cine Visuals.
| Focal Length | |
| T-Stop | |
| Type | |
| Format | |
| Front Diameter | |
| Lens Mount | |
| Metadata | |
| Iris Blades | |
| Image Circle |
| Era / Generation | |
| Contrast & Tonal Character | |
| Sharpness & Resolution | |
| Focus FallโOff / Transition | |
| Iris & Bokeh Quality | |
| Flare & Highlight Behavior | |
| Handling & Ergonomics | |
| Build & Modifications | |
| Cinematic Heritage & Credits |
*Refer to Technical Specifications table. Not the same for all focal lengths.
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Technical Specs Table
T-Stop
Type
Format
Front Diameter
Lens Mount
Metadata
Close Focus (ft)
Close Focus (m)
Weight (lbs)
Weight (kg)
Length (in)
Length (mm)
Iris Blades
Image Circle
Front Filter
Rear Filter
Horizontal Angle of View (Full Frame)
Horizontal Angle of View (S35)
Focus Rotation
T2.1
Spherical
Full Frame LF/VV
110 mm
PL
โ
2'
0.61 m
2.00 lbs
0.91 kg
2.60"
66.04 mm
16
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
T2.3
Spherical
Full Frame LF/VV
110 mm
PL
โ
3'
0.91 m
3.00 lbs
1.36 kg
3.40"
86.36 mm
16
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
TLS Petzval Lenses
Image Fidelity & Focus
TLS Petzval lenses are celebrated for their sharp central focus and highly stylized swirly bokeh, gradually softening and vignetting toward the edges โ a romantic, dreamy look that draws attention to the subject. Contrast is moderate, with some soft veiling, especially wide open, yielding a slightly lowered micro-contrast. The result is an intimate, expressive and vintage texture. Depth of field is very narrow, especially at maximum aperture, and the focal plane can feel irregular, creating an aesthetic unease that supports emotional storytelling. Falloff is pronounced and intentional.
Handling & Adaptability
While embracing a unique artistic aesthetic, the lenses remain fully compatible with modern digital and film workflows, fitting seamlessly into both shoulder and tripod-mounted rigs thanks to the standard housing architecture. These are largely manual lenses with minimal focus breathing, controlled via cam-driven gearing in the TLS housing. Mechanically, TLS rehousing ensures usability on professional sets: PL mount, 110mm front diameter, and mattebox-friendly camera alignment. The 58mm lens is approximately 1 kg, with a length of about 78mm and close focus of around 2 ft; the 85mm is roughly 1.4 kg, 95mm long, and with a 3-foot close-focus distance.
Flare & Bokeh
Flare can take on a gentle, atmospheric quality; color rendition is generally warm and vintage-inspired, with the optical designโs inherent aberrations (field curvature, for example) contributing to its character rather than detracting from fidelity. The soft vignette and bokeh swirl push focus toward central regions of the frame.
Image Circle
Both focal lengths (58mm and 85mm) cover full-frame (FF) sensors.
Cinematic Heritage
These lenses are based on the original Petzval design from 1840, created by Joseph Petzval as the first mathematically calculated portrait lens and widely celebrated for its sharp center and unique optical signature. In 2019, Lomography revived the design and, shortly after, True Lens Services (TLS) performed the rehousing.
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