Zeiss has expanded its Supreme Prime Radiance lens line up with four full-frame optics: 18mm, 40mm, 65mm, and 135mm. All four new lenses have a maximum aperture value of T1.5 and with a close-to-optically-perfect rendering.

The ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses came out in 2019 and are a variation of the original Supreme Primes released in 2018. These lenses are some of the best money can buy and direct competitors to legendary pieces of glass such as the Cooke Full Frame Plus S7/i or the ARRI Signature Primes.

“The light sources became a very important point of the story. And the lenses allowed me to utilize the characteristics of them for storytelling. […] I would describe the look of the Supreme Prime Radiance lenses as relatively soft but with sharpness. These lenses don’t have an aggressive sharpness to them, they feel organic,” says Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC about shooting “R&R” with Supreme Prime Radiance lenses.

ZEISS 18/40/65/135mm T/1.5 Supreme Prime Radiance

Here is a quick summary of their specs:

• All of the lenses feature a T/1.5 aperture.
• The ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance glass has a 46.2mm image circle. It means you can use them with full-frame and Super 35mm sensors.
• The lenses come with an interchangeable PL mount. On each lens, there is a LEMO port for eXtended Data (XD) technology.
• The front diameter is fairly small at only 95mm (except for the 18mm and 135mm, which are 114mm).
• The focus throw is 300°.
• The length of each lens is standard: 119mm/121mm/146mm/163mm (front to PL mount flange)
• Weight: 1.22kg up to 2.27kg.
• New T* blue coating on each lens.

The lenses are designed for use across a range of sensors, including full-frame cameras, and are compatible with current camera models such as the Sony Venice, the ARRI Alexa LF and Mini LF, or the RED Monstro. The lenses are only available in PL mount.

“The ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses began as a variant and complement to our existing ZEISS Supreme Prime lenses and have now evolved into a high-end cine set in their own right. Their sophisticated, artistic design has been so well received by the cine community that we are proud to expand the line with four new lenses, offering a comprehensive set of focal lengths for all kinds of artistic demands in cine productions,” says Christophe Casenave, ZEISS Cine Line Manager.

Zeiss included a series of sample images taken with the lenses on a Sony Alpha 7R III to show how each of them not only renders an image but also to illustrate how the different focal lengths affect a scene from a single camera location. Below is the same photo captured with the four lenses in order: 18mm, 40mm, 65mm, and 135mm:

The full Supreme Prime Radiance lens lineup now offers 11 total focal lengths: 18mm 21mm, 25mm, 29mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 65mm, 85mm, 100mm, and 135mm. The approximate price is $24.000 per lens.

More info on Zeiss’ website.