ZEISS introduces Supreme Zoom Radiance

The new ZEISS Supreme Zoom Radiance set includes three purpose-built T2.9 high-end cine zooms: 15-30mm, 28-80mm and 70-200mm. Featuring the same T* blue lens coating as the popular Supreme Prime Radiances, they offer a similar look with consistent flares and warmer colour rendition.

“With the new Supreme Zoom Radiance lenses, we offer the only modern cine zoom family with a very characteristic look that not only matches the look of ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance but is also well suited to be used with other prime sets such as regular Supreme Primes to add nice flares and thus provide more creative versatility on set”, says Christophe Casenave, Head of Business Unit Cinematography at ZEISS. “They even match nicely with some vintage lenses like Canon K35s. Overall, this ensures a cohesive look for productions that want to combine both prime and zoom lenses, enhancing the creative potential for filmmakers.”

Like the Supreme Prime Radiance line, the Radiance Zooms can add texture and atmosphere to visuals via their unique ability to control flare. “Flares can elevate the emotional depth of a scene, but they must be plannable and consistent to ensure the desired effect,” Casenave explains. The Supreme Zoom Radiance T* blue coating enables artistic flares in a controlled and reproducible way when aiming focused light down the lens barrel. Otherwise, they present normal rendering. “And while zooming, the shape of the Radiance flares uniquely changes in shot, giving cinematographers even more creative options,” Casenave adds.

True to the ZEISS Supreme lens philosophy, the new zoom line delivers a versatile and aesthetically pleasing image character. Thanks to their gentle sharpness combined with an aesthetic focus fall-off, a very shallow depth of field and elegant bokeh, the lenses offer exceptional shooting versatility. The T* blue coating not only facilitates the iconic blue flares but also provides a warmer color rendition compared to standard coated lenses. This warmer tone adds vitality and contrast to the overall frame, helping to create a more vibrant feel.

Engineered with professional workflows in mind, the Supreme Zoom Radiances feature consistent and standardized positions for iris, focus, and zoom rings, along with a front diameter of 114mm, ensuring easy interchangeability between Supreme Prime and Zoom lenses. This uniformity streamlines the on-set experience, reducing time spent on adjustments and increasing overall efficiency during production. Despite their advanced optical capabilities, the lenses remain compact, with a maximum weight of 3.18 kg (7.01 lbs), making them adaptable to various shooting setups.

The lenses are equipped with the ZEISS eXtended Data technology, providing frame-by-frame data on lens vignetting and distortion in addition to the standard metadata provided using the Cooke /i technology protocol. This simplifies and speeds up workflows, particularly for VFX and Virtual Production. Furthermore, the lenses are integrated into the ZEISS CinCraft ecosystem and available through the “ZEISS Supreme Lenses” Virtual Lens Package (VLP) that comes free of charge with the CinCraft Scenario camera tracking system. This allows professionals to skip the laborious lens calibration process when shooting with the Radiance Zooms.

The ZEISS Supreme Zoom Radiance lenses are available to order now with deliveries scheduled after April 2025. The three lenses – 15-30mm T2.9, 28-80mm T2.9 and 70-200mm T2.9 – are available as a set or individually from ZEISS Cinema dealers.

From November 16-23, 2024, ZEISS will be unveiling its ZEISS Supreme Zoom Radiance lenses for the first time before a large audience at the CAMERIMAGE International Film Festival in Toruń, Poland. In the ZEISS seminar on Tuesday, November 19 at 3:00 pm, cinematographer Markus Förderer, ASC, BVK and ZEISS Senior Expert Optical Design Dr. Benjamin Völker will discuss the creation of the new zooms’ flares, their role in storytelling and how Markus used them in his Supreme Zoom Radiance short film “My View”.