Kit check | toolkit
Attach a lens and battery, and you can start recording without inserting any media at all Verdict Kinefinity’s Vista isn’t for everyone. A solo operator shooting unpredictable subjects might be better served by a Sony or Canon with class-leading AF and IBIS. Broadcast crews might miss SDI and built-in ND filters. And filmmakers committed to Raw acquisition need to look elsewhere. But judge the Vista on what it sets out to be, and it’s a special camera. For not too vast an amount of cash, you’re getting a beautifully built cinema body with a full-frame 6K open gate sensor, proper ProRes recording, KineLog3, dual base ISO, highly adaptable lens mounts, built-in SSD storage, high-frame-rate crop modes and an interface that’s becoming noticeably more polished with every firmware release. It can disappear onto a gimbal, become a tiny B camera, ride on a vehicle or drone, and be built out with a cage, monitor, EVF, PL glass and accessories until it resembles a conventional rig. And, most importantly, the footage is simply wonderful. The Vista delivers an awful lot of cinema camera for surprisingly little money. Overall rating: 90 /100 A small and capable full-frame cinema camera that’s very affordable. Lovely cinematic images, decent low-light performance and useful frame rates. Value for money: 23/25 An extraordinary amount of genuine cinema camera for the money. Features: 22/25 As a genuine cinema camera it’s well equipped, but there’s no Raw, IBIS or AF. Handling: 22/25 Incredibly compact and beautifully constructed, although the lack of built-in EVF might be an issue. Performance: 23/25
scope for low-light documentary, event and available-light work, but there is noise that you will have to tackle in post. It cleans up nicely but, once again, this is a camera you need to learn how to use. There’s no IBIS either. This is a real cinema camera and Kinefinity expects you to stabilise it accordingly. On a tripod, shoulder rig or gimbal, that’s irrelevant, but anyone migrating from a modern mirrorless camera needs to factor it into their style. Choose your glass wisely Lens flexibility is one of Vista’s strongest plays. The camera can be bought with Kinemount, Active Sony E or Active PL, while the short-flange Kinemount opens the door to adapters including PL, EF, PL ND and EF ND. A lightweight E-mount lens can keep a handheld or gimbal rig compact, while a PL turns exactly the same body into the centre of a traditional cinema set-up. Don’t mistake Active E for Sony-style autofocus, as the Vista remains manual focus only. Electronic lens communication and control are supported, but AF isn’t part of the proposition. Some might see that as a serious disadvantage. But narrative filmmakers and experienced camera crews might barely care. Anamorphic users are particularly well served, with full-frame and Super 35 support and a range of de-squeeze options. Firmware 10.1 also writes anamorphic information into standard metadata so that compatible software such as DaVinci Resolve can interpret footage correctly. Storage wars One of the Vista’s smartest features is a built-in 220GB SSD. Attach a lens and battery, and you can start recording without inserting any media at all. The camera also has a CFexpress Type B slot for when more capacity is required or to enable dual recording as an instant backup. The two Type-C connections are USB 2.0, rather than the high-speed ports you might expect from a camera with internal solid-state storage, so don’t assume you’re getting blazing-fast direct offloads. But the USB-C port means wireless microphones such as DJI’s Mic Mini can now connect and, thanks to the new firmware, lens model and focal length are stored in metadata. Timecode handling has also been improved. There’s more coming in firmware 10.2, with features including Bluetooth wireless timecode, gyro metadata for post stabilisation, improved gimbal integration, a phone app and 4K HDMI developments. But until that firmware actually arrives, those remain future promises rather than reasons to buy the camera today. n
Sighs matters A low-light shoot around Oxford was an ideal test, as the Vista is light and compact enough to be carried around and high-ISO performance is very good
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