ZEISS has added four new lenses to the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance family launched in 2019. 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.
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 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.
“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.
Compact Full-Frame Lenses Equipped with ZEISS eXtended Data Metadata Technology
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 technology1 protocol. This simplifies and speeds up workflows, particularly for VFX and virtual production.
Availability
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.
For more information, please visit www.zeiss.com/cine/radiance.
You can download product photos here.
1: /i is a registered trademark of Cooke Optics Limited used with permission.
About ZEISS
ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling 6.3 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2020).
For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.
With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 13 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.
With over 32,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 30 production sites, 60 sales and service companies and 27 research and development facilities. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.
Further information at www.zeiss.com | www.zeiss.com/cop/newsroom
ZEISS Consumer Products
ZEISS Consumer Products combines the company's business with camera and cine lenses, binoculars, spotting scopes and hunting optics. The unit is allocated to the Consumer Markets segment and is represented at sites in Oberkochen and Wetzlar.