Viltrox has unveiled its latest monster cine lens at The Photography & Video Show 2025, the 42-420mm T5.6 Lunar Cine lens, and it’s making a buzz on the show floor with its sheer size and impressive optical performance.
Featured prominently on the Viltrox stand, the lens is mounted on an Arri Mini LF and draws attention with its massive 10x zoom range, offering a level of versatility suitable for large-format camera systems. Its imposing size makes it hard to miss, and it quickly becomes clear that this is a lens built for serious filmmakers with a budget to match.
During a hands-on session, one of the standout features was the lens's power zoom. The lens allows for smooth zooming without the need to refocus, even when zooming in or out across a scene. This feature is especially valuable for filmmakers who need consistent focus during dynamic shots.
The zoom, focus, and iris rings operate manually, offering precise control, while the smoothness of the zoom and focus rings ensures a seamless shooting experience. The lens’s minimum focus distance is 1.8m, making it ideal for large-scale productions that require high-quality optical performance.
The minimum focusing distance enables exceptional subject separation, thanks to its impressive focal range and T5.6 aperture. Even with its extreme zoom, the lens produces some of the smoothest bokeh I’ve seen, adding a cinematic quality to every shot. The way it isolates subjects while delivering a creamy, blurred background makes it a standout for filmmakers seeking to create dramatic visual effects.
The 42-420mm T5.6 lens is designed for large-format sensors and offers an image circle of 60mm, making it compatible with high-end cameras such as the Arri Alexa 65, Fujifilm GFX 100 series, and the Arri Mini LF seen in at the show. It features an LPL mount, allowing it to handle modern, large-sensor cameras effortlessly. Despite its size, the lens operates smoothly with its constant T5.6 aperture, maintaining consistent exposure throughout the zoom range.
At 16kg, the Luna 42-420mm T5.6 is a hefty piece of equipment, better suited to studio setups and large-scale shoots as handheld use would be all but impossible to hold and operate simultaneously, not to mention needing to be built like prime Arnie! However, its weight is perhaps justified by the level of performance it offers in high-end cinematography, although the practicalities of the lens remain to be determined.
The price tag of $100,000 (around £78,000 or AU$160,000) is bound to raise eyebrows, but for productions that demand top-tier optical quality, this lens offers good value when you consider it can replace several prime lenses that fall within its focal range. It’s clear that Viltrox is targeting the professional film industry with this powerhouse lens, which promises to elevate the look of any production.
The Viltrox Luna 42-420mm T5.6 is a powerful tool for cinematographers, and while the price puts it out of reach for most, its presence at the show is a testament to Viltrox’s continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of professional cine lenses.
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