ZEISS today unveiled their new Nano Primes, a line of fast, compact, full frame cinema lenses initially available for Sony’s full frame E-mount with other shallow flange depth mounts planned to come later. Equally at home on Sony mirrorless cameras or their dedicated Cinema Line bodies, these new primes are offered in a classic selection of focal lengths: 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm. All lengths open to a fast T1.5 maximum aperture and feature common geared focus and iris ring locations – as well as common 95mm fronts – for quick and easy lens changes. The lenses can also accept an M86x1 (86mm standard) front screw-in filter, natively.

Since their release in Fall 2019, ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses have offered DPs a unique creative choice in lens selection that's applicable to a wide variety of projects. These lenses feature highly expressive, yet also highly controllable, flare behavior thanks to their T* Blue coatings.

As DPs, we often decide whether our project should be shot with primes or zooms based on the desired look and logistics of the shoot. However, there are plenty of times when we need to use both. Maybe we are handheld, shooting outside for some scenes, so zooms make the most logistical sense. Yet for other portions, we are shooting portraits or interviews, and we want the added optical quality, control, and stop of a prime. Then, our main objective becomes making sure the lenses match and will cut together cohesively.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try out the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses for myself and shoot some demo footage. With these lenses, ZEISS has modified the lens coating to give a slightly warmer look with the ability to create, and most importantly control, flares all while maintaining the sharpness and contrast that ZEISS is known for.

Since their introduction in 2018, ZEISS full format Supreme Primes have been a hit with filmmakers. Now, they have announced a new variant, with a look that is a bit of a departure from what we've come to expect from ZEISS. Enter the Supreme Prime Radiance.

Beginning with the ARRI/ZEISS LDS Ultra Primes in 2001 and Cooke's S4/i primes in 2004-2005, many cinema lenses have been able to transmit a lens’ focal length, serial number, current aperture, and the current focus distance via digital encoders wired to the focus and iris rings on their barrels. Many of these metadata-enabled lenses have also featured a multi-pin Lemo port to allow for this data stream to be sent directly to an on-camera monitor (such as the Starlite series of displays from Transvideo). The information would then be shown as an overlay, along with picture, to aid First ACs in focus-pulling and disseminating lens info throughout the set.

I had the chance to stop by the ZEISS booth at Cine Gear 2018 and get my hands on the exciting new line of full format cinema lenses from ZEISS: the Supreme Primes.

ZEISS has just announced a new chapter in cinema optics: the Supreme Primes. These full format, large image circle primes build on ZEISS's deep experience in cinema lenses and provide a modern, yet classic, platform that looks to combine the best aspects of classic Super Speeds as well as modern Ultra and Master Primes. Initial availability is scheduled for this fall. Let's dive in and take a closer look at this exciting new option for top-tier full format cameras like the ARRI ALEXA LF, Canon C700 FF, RED MONSTRO, and Sony VENICE.

In this video I take a closer look at the ZEISS CP.3, CP.3 XD, and Cinema Zooms and go over some of the key technical specifications as well as the look of these full format lenses.