Inroduced in 2019 as a variant and complement to ZEISS’s existing Supreme Prime lenses lineup, the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses offer a distinctive look with consistent flares that can be controlled at all times and used without compromise. The ZEISS T* blue coating used was developed especially for this series to allow users to create this look across all focal lengths – without having to sacrifice contrast or light transmission.
Designed for artistic imagery, the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance family became a self-contained series that now offers filmmakers more options, with the addition of four new focal lengths. The 18 and 135 millimeter focal lengths add telephoto and wide-angle specialties to the seven focal lengths available to date. The new 40 and 65 millimeter lenses enhance the standard range, meaning that the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance family, as a self-contained series, now covers all possible applications for high-end film production. With a maximum aperture of T1.5, all eleven focal lengths stand out for their high speed and allow the finest nuances of light to be perceived, even in low-light conditions.
“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,” explains Christophe Casenave, responsible for the cine portfolio at ZEISS, adding, “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.” These include everything from blockbusters to auteur films to the new era of cinematic episodic television produced by streaming providers.
Among the first to use ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses was Emmy award-winning Director of Photography (DOP) Dana Gonzales, ASC. For the fourth season of the iconic series Fargo, it wasn’t just the costume design, production design, and color palette that had to convey the look of the 1950s, but above all, the visual imagery. To portray this Kodachrome look, the ZEISS Radiance lenses worked perfectly for him.
Thanks to their versatile visual look, which is characterized by an extremely smooth transition between in-focus and out-of-focus areas and elegant bokeh, the lenses can be used in a flexible manner and for every artistic need. According to Gonzales, it is the pleasant softness that particularly sets ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses apart: “I use quite a bit of diffusion, but they are still very sharp with a soft fall-off, reminiscent of vintage lenses. I always embrace them and love the organic way the Radiance captures them. The flares always feel right and not forced.” Now, cinematographers can experience even greater creative freedom provided by telephoto and wide-angle focal lengths that are now part of the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance family.
Like the ZEISS Supreme Prime lenses, the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses offer all the attributes of a state-of-the-art cine lens – with an image circle diameter of 46.3 millimeters, they cover current large-format cine sensors and are compatible with current camera models such as the Sony Venice, the ARRI Alexa LF and Mini LF, or the RED Monstro. Incorporating a uniform front diameter of 95 millimeters and consistently positioned focus and aperture rings, they feature smooth and reliable focusing, simplifying the task of changing lenses on set. The rugged lenses’ average weight is about 1,600 grams (3.5 lbs).
The lenses are equipped with the ZEISS eXtended Data metadata technology launched in 2017, meaning they provide frame-by-frame data on lens vignetting and distortion in addition to the standard metadata provided by Cooke’s /i technology protocol. This simplifies and speeds up workflows, particularly for VFX and virtual production.
The new ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance focal lengths are now available for purchase as a set of four lenses from ZEISS cine lens dealers. On the occasion of the presentation of the new focal lengths, it is once again possible to order the previous set of seven lenses or to exclusively purchase a complete set consisting of all eleven lenses. Deliveries will start in Q3, 2021.