The ARRI-Zeiss Ultra Prime lenses are one of the most important and enduring prime lens series in the history of modern cinema. Launched in 1998 as the result of a collaboration between ARRI and Zeiss, they sit today somewhere between classic and contemporary lenses: modern enough to perform alongside any digital cinema camera, yet characterful enough to bring that cinematic quality that sets them apart from the more neutral optics on the market. They are sharp, defined, and contrasty — as one would expect from any lens featuring Zeiss glass —, but with an organicity and three-dimensionality in image rendering that makes them extraordinarily cinematic. Shot on The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson, 2001), Exodus: Gods and Kings (Ridley Scott, 2014), and The Irishman (Martin Scorsese, 2019).
Their design uses floating elements to correct aberrations and field curvature within a single housing, preventing barrel displacement during focusing and virtually eliminating focus breathing when pulling focus. With a uniform 95mm front diameter across the vast majority of focal lengths — with the exception of the most extreme wides and the 180mm —, they are compact, lightweight, and mechanically extraordinarily robust: miscollimation or misalignment are concepts these lenses are virtually immune to. Constant T1.9 aperture from 14mm through to 180mm. Super 35 coverage. PL mount.
Perfect for: cinematographers seeking a Super 35 prime lens with top-quality Zeiss glass, outstanding mechanical reliability, constant T1.9 aperture across the full focal range, and that touch of cinematic character that distinguishes them from the more neutral optics on the market — ideal for any professional production from feature films and series to high-end commercials and documentaries.
