BAUSCH & LOMB SUPER BALTAR TLS Rental

The Bausch & Lomb Super Baltar TLS lenses are vintage prime lenses from the 1950s and 60s originally designed for Mitchell and Arriflex motion picture cameras, with a modern cinematic rehousing by TLS (True Lens Services). Known as the lenses of The Godfather and regarded by many cinematographers as some of the most characterful lenses in the entire history of cinema, the Super Baltars deliver an unmistakable look: organic softness, delicate contrast, a slightly warm image, and spectacular blue flares with rainbow reflections that are impossible to replicate with modern optics. Their vintage optical construction and uncoated glass are precisely the source of that visual character so sought after in auteur productions, luxury commercials, and high-end music videos.

During the rehousing process, TLS fully preserves the original optical character of each focal length, adding precision cinema mechanics with standard module focus and iris gear rings, a uniform 110mm front diameter across the full set, and individually calibrated focus scales. Their minimum focus distance is exceptionally competitive for vintage lenses: 28 cm on the widest focal length and 95 cm on the longest. Full Super 35 sensor coverage across all focal lengths. PL mount.

  • Type: Super 35 vintage prime lenses — TLS cinematic rehousing
  • Sensor coverage: Super 35
  • Mount: PL
  • Optical construction: vintage design — uncoated glass without modern anti-reflective treatments
  • Look: organic softness, delicate contrast, slightly warm image, spectacular blue flares with rainbow reflections
  • Uniform T-stop: T2.3 across all focal lengths
  • Front diameter: 110mm uniform across the full set
  • Focus and iris gear rings: standard 0.8 MOD
  • Individually calibrated focus scales
  • Minimum focus distance: 0.28m (20mm) — 0.28m (25mm) — 0.32m (35mm) — 0.36m (50mm) — 0.51m (75mm) — 0.95m (100mm)
  • Weight: 1.20–1.90 kg per focal length
  • Shot on: The Godfather and classic films of the 1960s and 70s

Basic Set included

  • 20mm — T2.3
  • 25mm — T2.3
  • 35mm — T2.3
  • 50mm — T2.3
  • 75mm — T2.3
  • 100mm — T2.3

Perfect for: cinematographers seeking the most organic and cinematic vintage look possible — with that painterly quality from the 1950s and 60s and the legendary blue flares that no modern lens can replicate —, for auteur productions, period feature films, luxury commercials, music videos, and any project that demands a visually rich, imperfect, and soulful aesthetic.