ZEISS Nano Prime Cinema Lenses Can Unlock That Classic Cinema Look on a Budget
If you’re working on a project that has a tight budget, but you feel like you still really want that classic cinema look, then ZEISS has you covered with their brand new Nano Prime Cinema Lens line that is designed for lower-end to mid-range cameras.
Let’s take a look at this new entry-level E-mount cinema lens lineup that ranges from 18-100mm and is suitable for cameras ranging from the Sony FX-6 to the FX-9 (or perhaps even the new BURANO) and explore how this 6-lens set could be perfect for elevating your project to that cinema-level quality.
The New ZEISS Nano Prime Cinema Lens Line
As mentioned above, this new ZEISS Nano Prime Lens set will include six commonly used focal lengths ranging from the wide-angle to the telephoto. Designed specifically as Sony E full-frame compatible, the set will feature 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm lenses with markings in feet.
All the lenses will of course share similar gearing, front diameters, and aperture ranges so that shooters will be able to switch between them easily and with very little math or calculations. If purchased in a set the entire group will come with a transport case to help take them on the go.
However, there are options to buy them individually with prices that are quite reasonable compared to other high-end prime cine lenses.
Achieve the ZEISS Cinematic Look
So, what’s cool about these new ZEISS lenses is that they’re going to be “entry-level” for those who might really want to use a full cine lens set for their projects, but haven’t had $60k+ (or the equivalent for rentals) to spend.
The entire lens set itself comes in at just under $26,000, so it’s still expensive, but much more reasonable. The lenses will also be super helpful for achieving that ZEISS cinematic look that you’ll find with a high-speed T1.5 aperture and the shallow depth of field that its 12-blade iris helps create.
The lenses cover full-frame sensors, but even the widest 18mm lens will be useable for wide-angle views on a Super 35 camera as well. Plus, with native metadata and eXtended Data passing through to the camera, you can record all types of info on lens type, focus distance, iris, focal length, distortion, and vignetting, which can be helpful for working with different systems in post-pro and VFX.
Price and Availability
These new ZEISS Nano Prime cinema lenses are currently available to pre-order (links below) either as a 6-lens set or individually and are expected to ship here in early May 2024. As individual lenses, they’re set to retail at $4,490 each (except for the 18mm and the 100mm lenses, which will retail at $4,490).
Here are the specs for the full set and purchase options for each:
18, 24, 35, 50, 75, and 100mm LensesAll Lenses Cover Full-Frame FormatT1.5 to T16 Aperture Range12-Blade Rounded IrisNative Lens Data CommunicationZEISS eXtended DataLens Scale Marked in FeetIncludes Transport Case
ZEISS Nano Prime 6-Lens Set
This ZEISS Nano Prime 6-Lens Set includes six commonly used focal lengths ranging from wide-angle to telephoto. Included in this Sony E full-frame compatible set are 18, 24, 35, 50, 75, and 100mm lenses with markings in feet.
ZEISS Nano Prime 18mm T1.5 Cine Lens
Equip your Sony E mount cinema camera with a high-speed full-frame lens using this Nano Prime 18mm T1.5 Cine Lens from ZEISS. This wide-angle lens has an aperture range of T1.5 to T16 to achieve a wide depth of field.
ZEISS Nano Prime 24mm T1.5 Cine Lens
Equip your Sony E mount cinema camera with a high-speed full-frame lens using this Nano Prime 24mm T1.5 Cine Lens from ZEISS. This wide-angle lens has an aperture range of T1.5 to T16 to achieve a wide depth of field.
ZEISS Nano Prime 35mm T1.5 Cine Lens
Equip your Sony E mount cinema camera with a high-speed full-frame lens using this Nano Prime 35mm T1.5 Cine Lens from ZEISS. This wide-angle lens has an aperture range of T1.5 to T16 to achieve a wide depth of field.
ZEISS Nano Prime 50mm T1.5 Cine Lens
Equip your Sony E mount cinema camera with a high-speed full-frame lens using this Nano Prime 50mm T1.5 Cine Lens from ZEISS. This wide-angle lens has an aperture range of T1.5 to T16 to achieve a wide depth of field.
ZEISS Nano Prime 75mm T1.5 Cine Lens
Equip your Sony E mount cinema camera with a high-speed full-frame lens using this Nano Prime 75mm T1.5 Cine Lens from ZEISS. This wide-angle lens has an aperture range of T1.5 to T16 to achieve a wide depth of field.
ZEISS Nano Prime 100mm T1.5 Cine Lens
Equip your Sony E mount cinema camera with a high-speed full-frame lens using this Nano Prime 100mm T1.5 Cine Lens from ZEISS. This wide-angle lens has an aperture range of T1.5 to T16 to achieve a wide depth of field.