Here’re the key points and highlights of ZEISS’s presentation, as part of the DCS (Digital Cinema Society) discussion, about the “Focus On Cine Lenses From the Buyer’s POV”. ZEISS is presenting its cinema lenses lineup, from flagship Supreme Prime Radiance to Lightweight Zoom LWZ.3. Explore it below.
The DCS (Digital Cinema Society) once again has hosted one of the most fascinating discussions about cinema lenses. As stated by the DCS: “As is our tradition, the main ‘focus’ of the event is to explore the market of available cine lenses from the buyer’s point of view”. We, at Y.M.Cinema Magazine, have meticulously watched the presentations in order to serve you the key points and highlights which you can find them below. However, the entire credit belongs to the DCS.
About the DCS: The Digital Cinema Society, which has founded by cinematographer Jim Mathers, is a nonprofit educational cooperative dedicated to the industry’s informed integration of new technology. Academy Award winners to aspiring Filmmakers, Educators, and Students are joined by artists from every production and post discipline including dozens of ASC Cinematographers, ACE Editors, leading Technologists, and top management from Manufacturers, Studios, Exhibitors, and Networks. The Society’s purpose is not to advocate for digital technology but to objectively examine all media, solutions, services, and technologies without favoring any one brand, service, or format over another.
In this presentation, Zeiss’s Snehal Patel gives a little history of cinema formats and shares updates to their latest lenses. Here’re the major lenses presented by Zeiss.
Description: ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance 11-Lens Set brings consistent, controlled flaring. In lieu of uncoated elements, the Supreme Prime Radiance series uses a T blue coating to reduce transmission loss and maintain contrast. These versatile, high-quality primes offer a gently sharp look with smooth focus fall-off and can be lit alternately to produce repeatable flares or a non-flared look. The 18, 21, 25, 29, 35, 40, 50, 65, 85, 100, and 135mm primes in this set are slightly warmer versions than their Supreme Prime counterparts but close enough to use together. Each lens produces a 46.3mm image circle, covering full-frame sensors, and it has a focus scale marked in feet. The PL lens mount transmits ZEISS eXtended lens data and is interchangeable with a separately available ARRI LPL mount.
ZEISS’s special notes: 11 focal lengths. It’s our flagship. It is like a Supreme Prime lens with a new look with blue flair characteristics. The lens comes natively with a PL mount and has the option for LPL. It provides a very consistent fair characteristic that is matched all over the 11 lenses in the set. The coating was designed meticulously to match the flair accurately in the series. You can use it on the RED Monstro sensor and everything smaller than that. The best cameras for these lenses are the RED Monstro, ALEXA LF, and Sony VENICE.
Supreme Prime Radiance lenses provide a very consistent fair characteristic that is matched all over the 11 lenses in the set. The coating was designed meticulously to match the flair accurately in the series.
Description: The ZEISS Supreme Prime features an interchangeable PL mount and produces a 46.3mm image circle covering full-frame sensors. The internal focus design provides minimal focus breathing and a non-rotating front.
ZEISS’s special notes: 13 focal lengths.Very popular lenses. They’re a go-to choice for a lot of rentals. The lenses are widely used on commercials, music videos, streaming services, and also for feature films. These are a great versatile lens series, and a solid choice to start from. Many DPs are making modifications to the Supreme Primes. That means, most of the cinematographers will use them as ‘clean’ lenses, and add filtration and LUTs, in order to ‘dial-up’ the desired look.
The Supreme Primes are the go-to choice for a lot of rentals. The lenses are widely used on commercials, music videos, streaming services, and also for feature films.
Description: Building on the success of the well-regarded CP.2 lenses, ZEISS’s CP.3 Compact Prime Lenses offer the same full-frame sensor coverage and classic ZEISS look in an updated form factor and with improved mechanics and lens coatings. All CP.3 lenses share the same 95mm front diameter.
ZEISS’s special notes: 10 focal lengths. CP.1 and CP.2 were the most popular cinema lenses in the world. The Compact Primes are being heavily utilized on drones and gimbals. They grant the ‘classic ZEISS look’. Furthermore, they are very versatile in terms of mounts, due to their interchangeable lens mount. They are all color-matched as well.
Compact Prime CP.3 lenses grant the ‘classic ZEISS look’.
Description: The ZEISS CZ.2 Compact Zoom Lenses are compatible with various shooting formats from Micro Four Thirds to Full-Frame sensors. The CZ.2 zooms are optimized for digital cinematography and support 4K resolution. The entire lineup is color-matched to available ZEISS primes for seamless intercutting between zoom and primes.
ZEISS’s special notes: The Cinema Zoom CZ.2 covers full-frame but not a full-frame-plus. That means, on a RED Monstro you’ll have to go down to 7.5K in order to get a clean image. You might get dark corners on ALEXA LF Open Gate mode. However, on the Sony VENICE, you are good to go. They are a great choice for a neutral look. You will not get a perfect image as a prime lens, but as for Zoom glass, it produces a very nice and clean image.
Cinema Zoom CZ.2 lenses are a great choice for a neutral look. You will not get a perfect image as a prime lens, but as for Zoom glass, it produces a very nice and clean image.
Description: The ZEISS Lightweight Zoom LWZ.3 Lens is a ‘one-size-fits-all’ alternative for budget-constrained productions. The lens is optimized for digital cinematography whether on a DSLR or cinema camera and will cover image sensors sizes up to Super 35mm.
ZEISS’s special notes: The Lightweight Zoom LWZ.3 lenses are limited to smaller sensor sizes. You can use them on slightly bigger sensors than Super 35mm, but definitely not on full-frame sensors. As their name suggests, they are lightweight. Great price point, affordable, and usable.
As their name suggests, the Lightweight Zoom LWZ.3 are lightweight. Great price point, affordable, and usable.
Have you gotten the chance to shoot with ZEISS’s lenses? Which one is your favorite? Enlighten us!
Product List
Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers.
- ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance
- ZEISS Supreme Prime
- ZEISS Compact Prime Lens
- ZEISS CZ.2 Compact Zoom
- ZEISS Lightweight Zoom LWZ.3
