Zeiss Super Speed

1. Overview

The Zeiss Super Speeds are a series of spherical prime lenses developed by Zeiss for film production starting in 1975. The T1.3 aperture was unusually fast for its time, making the series particularly attractive for available light shooting. To this day, Super Speeds are standard inventory at major rental houses worldwide.

2. Characteristics

Flare characteristics according to the CINEFLARES datasheet:

• Types: Spherical Spot
• Colors: Blue
• Intensity: Average

Linked Pattern Entries:

• spherical-spot

3. Creative Use

The 18mm Super Speed is used when a slight wide-angle perspective with maximum aperture is desired – for example, in dimly lit interiors or for shoots with a small lighting budget. The look is typically vintage: slightly softer contours at wide open, a certain warmth to the image, and spherical spot flares in blue that appear with backlight. For contemporary, clean results, the aperture is usually stopped down to T2.8 or T4. Super Speeds are found on both indie productions and commercials looking for a cinematic look without the complexity of an anamorphic lens. Many rental houses rent the sets as complete packages in matched PL mounts.

4. Specs Overview

5. Status Tracker

• [x] Datasheet extracted (DOM-direct, 2026-04-20)
• [ ] Overview drafted
• [ ] Creative use researched
• [ ] AI Illustration or Manufacturer Photo (with attribution)
• [ ] Translations (9 languages)
• [ ] Import via import-lexikon.mjs