TLS Petzvals

About

The Petzval lens dates back to the 1840s, designed by Joseph Petzval as one of the first portrait lenses. Its simple optical design created a distinctive “swirling bokeh” — a circular blur effect in busy backgrounds like foliage. As lens technology improved, this look faded out in favor of more realistic images. In recent years, cinematographers began craving that artistic, vintage charm again. Lomography brought it back through a Kickstarter project, crafting brass-bodied lenses with rack-and-pinion focus and creative aperture plates for fun bokeh shapes. TLS later stepped in to rehouse these lenses for cinema use. They added a 16-blade iris and matte-black coating, giving filmmakers smooth control over exposure while keeping that unique Petzval character. The resulting 58mm and 85mm le...