The Kinoptik Tegea 9.8mm T2.3: A Cinematic Legend
- Isabella Dominguez
- Apr 21
- 2 min read
The Kinoptik Tegea 9.8mm T2.3 is one of the most iconic vintage wide-angle lenses in cinema history. Engineered in the 1960s—an era of visual experimentation and radical filmmaking—it was the widest rectilinear lens ever made for 35mm film at the time, holding that distinction until the Zeiss Ultra Prime 8R debuted in the mid-2000s.
A Legacy of French Optical Innovation
Founded in 1932, Kinoptik began as a precision glass manufacturer and, after World War II, shifted toward crafting cinema lenses for both 16mm and 35mm formats. Often considered the French counterpart to Cooke and Zeiss, Kinoptik’s Apochromat lenses became celebrated for their sharp, saturated, and dreamlike imagery—often rivaling the Speed Panchros, Planars, and Distagons of the time.
Their catalog was expansive, featuring everything from macros to high-speed lenses and a telephoto range that extended to a remarkable 1000mm.
The Birth of the 9.8mm
In the mid-1960s, Kinoptik introduced the groundbreaking 9.8mm Tegea (alongside the 5.7mm for 16mm film). A nominal f/1.8 marvel, the 9.8mm was unlike anything else: with a mesmerizing front element that’s completely flat on the front and deeply concave in the back. Kinoptik utilized rare Earth elements in its glass, which have aged chemically over time to give the lens its distinct look:
"An incredible glow and halation around highlights, warm and slightly lifted shadows, and a sharp center with dramatic corner fall-off."
Historic Uses in Iconic Films
The Kinoptik 9.8mm made its cinematic debut in the 1964 Soviet-Cuban co-production I I Am Cuba, used for the film’s breathtaking tracking shots that drifted through crowds and soared into the skies—establishing the lens as a tool for bold, visionary storytelling.
In the 1970s and 80s, Stanley Kubrick adopted the lens for key scenes in A Clockwork Orange, mounting it on a handheld Arri 2C to capture the unsettling world of Alex and his droogs with chilling clarity and a surreal, immersive perspective.
Kubrick also used the 9.8mm on The Shining, attaching it to Garrett Brown’s underslung Steadicam to follow Jack and Danny through the snowy hedge maze. The lens’s distortion amplified Jack Nicholson’s frantic energy and the haunting atmosphere of the film’s climax.
A Tool of Modern Masters
In the 1990s, the lens found new life in the hands of Christopher Doyle, who made it a signature element in his collaborations with Wong Kar Wai. Films like Chungking Express and Fallen Angels used the 9.8mm to evoke the chaotic, neon-drenched energy of Hong Kong, with step-printing and extreme dutch angles adding to the hallucinatory feel.
In Fallen Angels, Doyle pushed the lens even further by adding a Century wide-angle adapter, stretching faces and elongating cityscapes—bending reality into something mythic and electric.
Scheimpflug is proud to offer this historic lens in our collection.
The Kinoptik 9.8mm pairs beautifully with vintage sets like Cooke Speed Panchro, Super Baltar, and Zeiss Super Speeds, making it a seamless companion for cinematographers seeking a timeless aesthetic with unmatched character.
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