What Is a Cine-Mod and How Does It Differ From a Regular Vintage Lens: a guide from Vintage Lens Store

A Cine-Mod is a professional modification of a vintage stills lens, designed to make it more practical for filmmaking. The lens keeps its original optical character — the bokeh, color, and rendering remain untouched, but it gains mechanical upgrades that make it easier to use on set.

How does it differ from a regular vintage lens?

A regular lens is an original lens in the form in which it was released by the manufacturer. It can be used, but it is often not convenient for production work: there is no smooth aperture control, it is difficult to set up follow focus, and the front diameters are different, which slows down filter changes.

Cine-Mod includes:

• A declicked aperture for smooth and silent adjustment without clicks.

• 0.8 pitch metal gear rings on the focus and aperture — standard for cinema follow focus system

• A unified front diameter (usually 77–80 mm) allows for quick filter changes and matte box installation without the need for adapter rings.

• Full servicing (CLA) — the lens is disassembled, cleaned, re-lubricated, adjusted, and tested by a skilled technician.

Advantages of Cine-Mod:

• Speed on set — easier to set the focus puller, change filters, and work in conjunction with the matte box.

• Compatibility with film equipment — no adapters or DIY solutions required.

• Preservation of vintage character — the image, bokeh, and color remain the same as the original.

• Ready to use from day one — everything is tested and assembled by a master craftsman.