Zeiss announced a new series of seven full-frame PL-mount lenses called Zeiss Supreme Prime Radiance. The new T1.5 primes are based on the existing Zeiss Supreme Prime lens family, but feature a new “T* blue” coating designed to allow flares to be created while protecting image contrast and light transmission.
Supreme Prime Radiance lenses will be available in seven focal lengths between 21mm and 100mm with a matching T1.5 maximum aperture. They have been designed to capture striking lens flare effects without compromising the overall quality of image captured, Zeiss said.
Zeiss said that Radiance glass function like “modern and versatile cinematography lenses” under ordinary lighting conditions, but exhibit flare under “appropriate lighting,” allowing DPs to precisely control the appearance of flares. The company did note that the Radiance lenses are “slightly warmer” than standard Supreme Primes but said the two ranges still pair well together.`
Zeiss 100mm T1.5 Supreme Prime Radiance lens
Zeiss
“When we spoke to filmmakers and industry experts, we took a close look at the appeal of flares and their unique impact on the atmosphere of a movie,” said Zeiss Product Manager for Cinema Products Christophe Casenave in a prepared statement. “We didn’t just want to reproduce the effects, but to create tools that would allow this effect to be achieved at any time and in a controlled manner, and so the T* blue coating was born.”
Among the early users of the lenses is Rogrigo Prieto, ASC, who used them for a short film called “R&R.” Zeiss said “R&R” is premiering at Camerimage in Poland on November 11, but will be posted to the Zeiss YouTube channel afterward.
To get a better idea of what the new lenses bring to the table, watch the following comparison prepared by Zeiss, which includes imagery from a film shot by cineamtographer Takuro Ishizaka, JSC, on the Sony Venice.
The series has an image circle diameter of 46.3mm, enough to cover sensors inside the Sony Venice, Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF and Red Monstro, Zeiss said. The front diameter is a consistent 95mm, and the series weighs between 1.22kg and 1.7kg, averaging around 1.5kg.
The Supreme Prime Radiance lenses also incorporate Zeiss eXtended Data about shading and distortion as well as Cooke /i metadata.
Zeiss said the Supreme Prime Radiance lenses are available only as a set and exclusively through Zeiss Cinema dealers. Pre-orders are being taken through March 31, 2020, with shipments expecting to begin in April.
